KEVIN STORIES
What the back pages say on Thursday, August 12: David Beckham 'too old' for England, Chelsea close on Neymar, Aston Villa could give Kevin MacDonald extended spell in charge
Chelsea are closing in on the signing of the exciting Brazilian striker Neymar for a transfer fee of between £20million and £25million.
Former Liverpool FC midfielder Kevin MacDonald takes over at Villa Park as Martin O’Neill walks out
MARTIN O’NEILL was showing concerns over how much money Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner would make available for new signings only 72 hours before quitting the midlands club.
Former Liverpool FC midfielder Kevin MacDonald takes over at Villa Park as Martin O’Neill walks out
MARTIN O’NEILL was showing concerns over how much money Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner would make available for new signings only 72 hours before quitting the midlands club.
Former Liverpool FC midfielder Kevin MacDonald takes over at Villa Park as Martin O’Neill walks out
MARTIN O’NEILL was showing concerns over how much money Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner would make available for new signings only 72 hours before quitting the midlands club.
Rafael Benítez's prospects are bleak as Liverpool search for someone to blame | Kevin McCarra
The FA Cup had become a key assignment for Liverpool, so where does their exit from the competition leave their manager?Just as well the Champions League place is "guaranteed". That pledge had not, of course, reassured everyone and Rafael Benítez's word looks even more suspect now. The FA Cup, after all, had turned into a key assignment when there was so little left to occupy Liverpool, yet that did not prevent them from being eliminated by Reading at Anfield.Benítez has been popular among fans who will always treasure that unprecedented European Cup final comeback in 2005, but he would h
Sunderland chasing Schalke's Kevin Kuranyi on loan as Birmingham offer £9m for Kenwyne Jones
Alex McLeish has signalled his determination to make a splash in this transfer window by making a £9m offer for Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones. And in response, Sunderland are lining up a loan deal for Schalke's Kevin Kuranyi.
Bill Shankly changed my life forever – I owe him so much – Kevin Keegan
KEVIN KEEGAN was sat on a bin the first time he met Bill Shankly. It was May 1971 and the 20-year-old Yorkshireman had been waiting patiently at Anfield to discuss his impending switch from Scunthorpe to Liverpool.
If goals are the lifeblood of football, Liverpool have chronic anaemia | Kevin McCarra
Rafael Benítez must demonstrate that he really is producing a brighter and better LiverpoolIf goals are the lifeblood of football it is anaemia that leaves Liverpool looking as if they are about to pass out. Following that 1-1 draw in Lyon, they will probably be carted away from the tournament. The misery of the last‑minute equaliser from Lisandro López does tend to distract attention from the punchlessness of Rafael Benítez's side.This was not an affliction that had suddenly struck them down at Stade Gerland. After six hours of football in Group E the team has scored three goals. Only A
Is Rafael Benítez capable of yet another great escape? | Kevin McCarra
His squad is depleted and form is poor – but some of Rafael Benítez's finest triumphs have come in adversityRafael Benítez often seems conservative and even glum. Compliments are handed out so sparingly that the Liverpool manager must suppose they are a natural resource on the brink of exhaustion. Experience has deepened the wariness in his character and Benítez had been sacked twice by lower-division clubs in Spain before making his breakthrough.Even then, Valencia had been spurned by other candidates before they arrived at his name well down the list. Adversity seems natural to Beníte
1980s Liverpool FC matchday memories: Meeting Kevin Keegan 19 years after his Liverpool debut and 4,500 miles away from Anfield
I’VE been a Liverpool supporter since the early 70’s and was fortunate enough to be in the Kop when Kevin Keegan made his debut on 14 August 1971 against Nottingham Forest.
Vulnerability of Premier League's elite makes for engrossing entertainment | Kevin McCarra
The leading sides are no longer good enough to feel safe – and that makes the season more compellingA Premier League in decline is heading in the right direction. This season's competition should remain engrossingly entertaining now that the leading teams are no longer good enough to feel safe. Manchester United, the defending champions, have been beaten twice and the initial lapse came at newly promoted Burnley. Sir Alex Ferguson's team endured four losses in the league during the last campaign, but the defeats then were comprehensible if not palatable.Liverpool, twice, and Arsenal accoun
Kevin Bond drops libel claim against BBC over Panorama investigation
• Harry Redknapp's assistant withdraws claim• BBC has made no contribution to Bond's costsKevin Bond yesterday dropped his libel claim against the BBC, six days before his case against the Panorama programme Undercover: Football's Dirty Secrets was due to be heard at the high court. David Price, Bond's solicitor, refused to comment when asked by this column why Bond had dropped the case. But Bond's decision not to pursue his attempt to clear his name will remain with him throughout his career.A pre-trial judgment by the judge, Lord Justice Eady, which discusses the facts in the case s
Kevin McCarra reports on the defensive fallibilities that have undermined the top clubs in the Premier League
Loss of form, injuries and a lack of defensive options have caused top clubs in the Premier League to leak a steady stream of goals in the title run-inThe leading managers appear before us in a mixture of shame and peevishness as they try to explain why players no longer heed their advice. The reputation of those authority figures is temporarily as dented as that of their defences. Only Sir Alex Ferguson got off comparatively lightly despite the goals that Manchester United leaked when Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were not on the pitch together.Football's TV highlights now resemble a bloop
Guus Hiddink breathes new life into seasoned squad, writes Kevin McCarra
A return to a 4-3-3 formation has paid dividends and the Dutchman has brought the best out of his playersA new manager is always in need of new players. This rule is so long established that a club must think of the imminent outlay on signings more than the pay-off to the person being sacked. Guus Hiddink is therefore a rarity. He came to Chelsea in February and, if we take him at his word, will be back at the regular job with Russia when the transfer market reopens in the summer. This ought to have been a grave hindrance at Stamford Bridge.Last week, however, it did look as if the squad had b
Kevin McCarra: Tales of the unexpected revitalise the Champions League
This week's surprises in the Champions League quarter-finals were exactly what the competition needed if it was to avoid a certain stalenessThe Champions League got out of hand this week. It was exactly what the tournament needed. We virtually knew in advance who would be in these quarter-finals and even the presence of Porto was a very small surprise since the serial winners of the Portuguese championship are not an assortment of weaklings. If the Champions League was to be revitalised we had to see the familiar characters behaving in an entirely unfamiliar manner.All of that was delivered.
25 Kevin articles found.