While both Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy fell by the wayside during Sunday's final round at the Tour Championship - on current form there's no doubt which player carries more momentum into the Ryder Cup, and Tiger Woods knows it.
Prior to the Tour Championship, former world No. 1 Woods jokingly called current incumbent McIlroy "the great intimidator".
But during that pre-tournament press conference at East Lake, it appeared Woods was simply not comfortable with even talking about the game's top-ranked player. FULL POST
If there is one man in the world of football who polarizes opinions, then that man is Jose Mourinho.
Ever since running down the touchline at Old Trafford during a memorable UEFA Champions League game for FC Porto, the Portuguese coach has reveled in being in the public eye.
Over the years, his brash and bold style on and off the pitch has made him many friends and quite a few enemies as well. FULL POST
This Sunday English football’s two most successful clubs and fierce rivals will contest one of the season’s most eagerly-awaited fixtures.
But the meeting of Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield is even more significant this time around as it will surely provide a litmus test for just how grown up English football is, or whether it wants to remain forever mired in a warped world of childlike abuse and tribalism.
It is barely a fortnight since the Paralympics ended, an event that signalled the conclusion of six weeks of sport in Britain that media commentators purred over as one of the nation’s finest moments. FULL POST
This December Spanish coach Rafael Benitez will have been out of work for two years. He has his website, plus plenty of media commitments to keep him busy, but for a coach that has been working as a manager since 1986 that must be like a living purgatory.
Like the majority of managers, Benitez gives the impression that he thinks and breathes football every minute, every hour, every day of his life.
In his new book “Champions League Dreams ” with Times journalist Rory Smith, the Spaniard, who was Liverpool’s manager for six years between 2004 and 2010, provides a glimpse into the quest for perfection by describing the layout of his Melwood office at the club’s training ground. FULL POST
At a time when Cristiano Ronaldo is making the headlines for his unhappiness at Real Madrid, I would like to talk about the man who has a lot to do with CR7’s state of mind - Lionel Messi.
On comments posted on my blog I am often accused of being pro Ronaldo.
However, I just give my opinion and recently it has been that the Portuguese winger deserved to win the last UEFA Best Player in Europe award. Not necessarily because he is better than Messi, but because he had won more titles last season and was more decisive than the Argentine for club and country. FULL POST
I don’t know about you, but I was stunned by Zenit St. Petersburg’s double deal to bring in Hulk and Axel Witsel for a cool $100 million. I had been expecting the Russian club to bring in at least one high-profile player, and had tweeted about it last month, but to be honest I was not expecting them to dish out so much cash.
As the European transfer window is finally closing for everyone, I take a look at the winners and losers of the market. And Zenit are among the teams who were hot. FULL POST