Neal Collins
No image available
/ 11 February 2005

Tapping into Chelsea’s success

Look, it’s no good pretending. It’s going to take more than a little slip-up against Manchester City to let the rest catch Chelsea this season. But there is hope after that 0-0 draw, which was inspired by Manchester City’s bigger-than-he-looks David James. But it’s not an on-field, close-the-nine-point gap sort of hope. It’s called ”tapping up”.

No image available
/ 4 February 2005

A great advert for the league

”We don’t carry wimps in our team” — the words of Sir Alex Ferguson after the latest explosive meeting between Arsenal and Manchester United at Highbury. But for all the niggling, the diving, the needless nastiness, wasn’t it the most compelling 90 minutes of football you could wish to see?

No image available
/ 28 January 2005

Where to for Bellamy?

We should be talking about the glamour of the FA Cup here. The romance, the glory. Oldham upsetting Bolton, Derby shocking Fulham. Instead, we must talk about that distinctly unromantic character Craig Bellamy and his inglorious spat with Newcastle boss Graeme Souness. Neal Collins also looks ahead at upcoming matches.

No image available
/ 21 January 2005

Blue bloods rule

Chelsea are long gone. Nobody can see a weakness. There is no end to Chelsea’s depth, though Jose Mourinho, hugely popular among the press and broadcast media, would have us believe he has all the problems a normal manager faces with injury and suspensions.

No image available
/ 17 December 2004

Should I stay or should I go?

The most important moment of Liverpool’s season so far remains a mysterious and controversial one. And one that could reverse itself any time next month. It came when Steven Gerrard, their most precious asset, decided to stay at Anfield rather than listen to the advice of England teammates John Terry and Frank Lampard at Euro 2004.

No image available
/ 10 December 2004

Thrown to the Wolves

Like that tatty old pair of socks in the back of your cupboard you keep meaning to throw out, Glenn Hoddle just keeps coming back when everything else is in the wash. I guess he’s not smelly and he still looks okay, but, like those socks, he’s darned full of holes as a manager.

No image available
/ 10 December 2004

A Red revival

”The goal was … worth millions.” The carefully expressed thoughts of Liverpool’s slightly starchy Spanish coach Rafael Benitez capture the essence of this week’s final round of Champions League group matches. And that essence is Steve Gerrard, arguably the best player in the Premiership right now.

No image available
/ 10 December 2004

A sulk in search of a big stage

There are some players who make you angry. Robbie Savage, Dennis Wise, Patrick Vieira, the old Roy Keane, the even older Vinnie Jones. But then there are the bloody silly. Robbie Fowler springs to mind, but he scored a cracker this week so we’ll leave him be. Ironically, it’s his Manchester City strike partner Nicolas Anelka who must suffer the icy blast this week.

No image available
/ 3 December 2004

Gone in 18,6 seconds

So we got it then. That brief outburst of bile and hate that has become a tradition when Manchester United play Arsenal. Okay, it was only brief. Two elbows and a kick from the aggressive young Dutchman Robin van Persie, followed by a quick handbag from Manchester United’s fiery Kieran Richardson.

No image available
/ 19 November 2004

Moyes weaves his magic

Everton’s bubble refuses to burst as they remain in contention for European qualification. Football isn’t supposed to be like this. Everton are basically broke, their stadium ain’t huge, they were rubbish last season and we ”experts” like to get our predictions right.