Will Conte regret his treatment of Costa?
Where will Conte go now for his striking options if he doesn’t wish to reconcile with Diego Costa?
Will Walker succeed at Man City? Would Alves have been better?
City have turned instead to Spurs’ Kyle Walker – another chief target – and it looks like the deal will go through. We discuss the pros and cons of the situation, below. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Coshcast Special – Barton St. Battalion (CanPL)
The Cosh meet James Hutton, founder of Barton St. Battalion, the Hamilton supporters club ready for the Canadian Premier League. We discuss everything Hamilton, CanPL, TFC, and the Canadian national team. Enjoy!
Potential Markets of the Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League is set to kickoff as early as next season, despite only two locations so far confirmed as homes to future clubs of the league. That being said, it is safe to expect news relatively soon for another six to eight clubs.
Victor Vazquez – Toronto FC’s Technical Leader
In the off-season Toronto FC added attacking midfielder Victor Vazquez to an already-strong squad that lacked a little guile, subtlety and creativity. The Spaniard has provided these attributes in droves. The Cosh boys discuss his quiet impact.
Canadian Soccer in the US System – Part 2
In 2005, MLS determined it was time for Toronto to be awarded a division one franchise, which Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment purchased for $10 million. Potential fans were given four choices in an online poll on naming the club. Sorry, but Toronto McTorontoFace was not an option.
Wayne Rooney and Everton Blues
Everton now have a mammoth challenge ahead of them in what is one of the weirdest transfer decisions this off-season: to get a player on 250 grand a week who is very much past his prime, to play like a star signing.
Coshcast: Messi’s kiss of death
Happy Canada day, happy American independence day, happy Lacazette day, and whatever you’re celebrating, like some kind of illicit substance the Coshcast is here to make it that much better.
This week we’ll check in on TFC after they become just another victim from the north east to get blown apart in Dallas, check out the market where there are more transfers in and out than the Cayman islands, touch on the Confederations Cup final where Germany remain cool against Chile, and end with an update on the Canadian Premier League.
Canadian Soccer in the US System
With the news of the Canadian Premier League sparking Canadian interest in soccer from Victoria to St. John’s, it is worth taking a look at the Canadian clubs under US governing bodies and their histories, be it top division sides like Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps or lesser known PDL sides such as Forest City London or Calgary Foothills FC.
Arsenal and Manchester City: Aguero vs. Sanchez
Rumors have been swirling about a possible swap deal between Manchester City and Arsenal involving Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero. The Coshboys have their say on this fun bit of gossip. Check it out: 1. Swap deals are often rumoured. They tend to either go awry for one […]
Mino Raiola, Ander Herrera & other transfer disgraces
With the lack of football this summer (with the exception of MLS, the Confederations Cup, U21 and U20 tournaments, legends matches, and some friendlies, I’ve found myself with quite a bit of time to do a lot of thinking, and that generally does not end up being a good thing.
Manchester United: Is Nemanja Matic the answer?
For a while, United seemed to be focusing on replacing the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic with one (or maybe two) of Alvaro Morata, Andrea Belotti or Romelu Lukaku. So far, United haven’t been able to push a striker through the door. As a result, Mourinho is now focusing on central midfield. If reports are to be believed Jose will be reunited with his former Chelsea charge Nemanja Matic. Let’s dive right in and analyze this potential transfer.
Salah to Liverpool, Ronaldo & the week’s top stories
It’s been a busy week on the site. Here’s everything you need to read or listen to in one place. Enjoy:
Cristiano Ronaldo: Goodbye or see you later?
Since rumours first broke that Cristiano Ronaldo wants out of Real Madrid the football world has gone into a frenzy. Will he stay or will he go? We don’t address where he would go or where we’d like him to go because two of us are United fans […]
Morata, Costa, Wilshere and the battle for minutes. Stay or go?
The upcoming 17/18 season will be one that precedes a World Cup, and many players will be desperate to prove themselves to make it to their national squads. This will have an impact on this summer’s transfer market, with the logical choice for players opting for playing time rather than necessarily making a move to a prestigious club.
Coshcast: Strikers, Transfers & Money
Hello and welcome to the Coshcast. We didn’t really fancy talking about Luka Modric going to jail, or or Ronaldo – God forbid – having to pay his taxes, so we thought we’d do something a bit different.
Mohamed Salah: Fitting in at Liverpool
Mohamed Salah’s move from Roma to Liverpool appears all but done. The 25 year old who reached double figures in goals and assists in Serie A last term will join the Merseysiders for a lot of money (the exact amount remains unclear), and he’s an exciting addition to the team, and the league. The question is, of course, where does he fit in?
Manchester United: The Macheda Moment
It was a frantic finish to the 08/09 season and I was approaching the end of my first year of university. Back home for the weekend, with finals around the corner, the United game was on. It was (and still is) a standard ritual to watch the United game while planning the rest of the day around it, and so everything else was naturally cast aside.
Everton: Klaassen & Pickford will make little difference
Pickford – though still relatively unproven – is certainly better than Robles or Stekelenburg. Klaassen is a young, creative attacking midfielder, who will be a lot more reliable than the spasmodic Ross Barkley.
Ligue 1 review: Part 3 – Balotelli, Mbappé & Goal of the Year
The squad was littered with talent, both established or otherwise, with the Brazilian winger Malcolm and Valentin Vada being particularly fun to watch. Jeremy Menez continued to be an absolute nutcase occasionally capable of magic.
AC Milan: Is the sleeping giant waking up?
AC Milan have quietly spent a lot of money in this transfer window. The new owners have lived up to their promise to invest in the squad. A resurgent AC Milan is good for their fans but ultimately good for Italian football. How good are these signings really? Are Milan actually primed for a return to the big time? We ask the important questions and I’m sure you’ll find some surprising answers here. Enjoy and have your say in the comments section and on social media.
Ligue 1 review: Part 2 – Diabate, Bielsa & Puel’s next gig
The story of FC Metz’s season can only really be discussed as pre-Cheick Diabaté and post-Cheick Diabaté. This was a club mired in problems for the first half of the season, the fans sending an opposing goalkeeper to hospital with a flare and the club apparently agreeing to accept a sponsorship from the tourist board of Chad, a country in the midst of an economic crisis.
Ligue 1 review: Part 1 – Racism, Relegation & Romance
Everything has finally been decided. The Champions League Final saw a powerhouse club retain their title, the relegation playoffs are complete and it’s time to sit down with a Yann Tiersen record playing and go over the season of French football that was.
Chelsea 2016/17 Season Review
An amazing campaign but one that only really felt so good in the context of the one that preceded it.
Edin Dzeko – Roma’s best since Batistuta?
In a tale of two vastly different seasons, Edin Dzeko “flipped the switch” this season after having, arguably, one of the worst seasons of his career in 2015-2016.
Southampton – Van Dijk for half the season
Dustin Hoffman once famously said “There’s a rebirth that goes on with us continuously as human beings. I don’t understand, personally, how you can be bored. I can understand how you can be depressed, but I just don’t understand boredom”.
Arsenal transfers: Kolašinac in the bag, Mbappe next?
The decisiveness and rapidness with which Arsenal have tried to do their business this transfer window, whether internally or externally, suggests a shift in approach.
Coshcast: Real Retain Champions League
Today on this truncated Coshcast we pore over the remains of the Champions League final, deplore Sergio Ramos, Ronaldo shouts ‘vamos’ and Buffon deals with another loss. We also bring you old England in a Tony Adams-laden Mumu of the Week and New England as we look back at Toronto FC’s away defeat.
Coshcast: Paul Beirne goes Under The Cosh
It’s a very special Coshcast today as we welcome Paul Beirne onto the pod to talk about the Canadian Premier League and we’ve got more questions than Mike Flynn’s interrogators.
Totti, Zidane & Season Reviews: A Week Under The Cosh
The FA Cup Final, Manchester United’s silly “treble”, the upcoming Champions League Final, Totti’s emotional farewell…it’s been a hectic week in the world of football. Look back over it with us in the following articles and podcast:
Champions League Final Preview: Who will win and why.
The Champions League final is upon us! The lads debate the key topics about the titanic clash between Real Madrid and Juventus. Who will win? What does this game mean for Zinedine Zidane and what about Gonzalo Higuain. Check it out and hit the comments.
MUFC 2016/17 Season Review: Don’t dare call it a Treble…
While I admire the Mourinho mentality that says, “if we’re in a competition, we’ll try to win it”, I don’t think any United fan will look back on 2016/17 as another treble season. With all apologies to Liverpool and what some dubbed the ‘Mickey Mouse treble’, this campaign is just barely a double. I mean, the Community Shield isn’t a major trophy, is it?
Coshcast: The Champions League Throne & Tears in Rome
Totti’s retirement sees the most tears in Rome since earlier this week when Donald Trump visited the Pope.
Tottenham Hotspur: 2016/17 Season Review
If you want to see where Spurs lost the title race, it was at the early point in the season where they didn’t even realize they were in one.
Southampton F.C. in the Premier League – 16/17 Review
Rob Palmer is a Southampton fan. He’s also the one on the excellent Final Third Podcast what does a lot of puns. Here he tells us about his optimism for the Saints at the start of the year, and the mixed feelings Puel’s side have left him with come the end.
Leeds United: 2016/17 Season Review
Pre season didn’t start well. It never does, though, and again we had a new squad to gel. I wondered whether that donkey Chris Wood would ever develop a first touch. Couldn’t believe he cost us £3million.
Manchester United vs. Ajax: A return to relevance
Manchester United and Ajax Amsterdam will battle it out on Wednesday for a European trophy. This sounds like the type of statement that would have been fitting in the 1990s given United’s dominance in England and Ajax’s Dutch and European legacy.
Coshcast: Premier League Review, European Cup Finals Previews
The end of domestic season Coshcast is here. We go through the premier league race for top four in detail, asses the top six performances this year and what we can expect from them the next, as well as handing out some prizes for manager of the season, player of the season and goal of the season.
Is Mourinho The Old World?
He is a shadow of his former self – once a breath of fresh air in a world of football with established elites.
Coshcast: Chelsea Champions, Liverpool Champions League
This week we start with the Champions Chelsea as Michy bats away the critics to score the league-winning goal, and Cesc follows in Theresa May’s footsteps by promising a Blue assault on Europe.
Totti, Spalletti & Legacy: Thursday Throwdown
Francesco Totti has confirmed that he will retire at the end of this season. Here, the Cosh boys discuss Spalletti’s handling of him, and how he will be remembered.
Liverpool & The Ox – Same Question Applies
As ever with Ox, the first question is where he would play. With his luck he would probably end up competing with Milner for the left-back spot, but the current wisdom is that his preference is for central midfield.
Coshcast: Mourinho Wines, Chelsea Dine, Madrid Shine
The Coshcast joins you after a weekend that saw loads of exciting things happen that didn’t mean very much at all.
Atletico Madrid: The end of the Simeone era?
Saul, Koke, Carrasco and Gimenez are fantastic young players who will contribute greatly to the future of Atletico Madrid. The team will move into their new 70,000 capacity stadium next season. The future could be very bright but the light at the end of the tunnel is very hard to see without Diego Simeone.
Coshcast: White Hart Pain
The Coshcast is back after a weekend that saw more fake penalties than Donald Trump is imposing on Vladimir Putin.
EPL, La Liga, and Ligue 1 squeaky bum time. Who will end on top?
Squeaky bum time has arrived! It’s the time of the year where the choice of games on the television is overwhelming and everything seems to be happening at once. There are some incredible run-ins taking place across Europe.
Coshcast: A Clasico FA Cup Weekend
Messi gets Real Madrid to Zidane and shut up as his last minute winner puts Barcelona level with Daddy Yankee – number 1 in Spain.
Correct to leave Alexis Sanchez out of the Premier League PFA Team of the Year?
So, the Premier League’s PFA team of the year is out and that always makes people angry. People like me. These nominations, as we saw last week with POTY, always create a lot of debate. Before we get into the details of who and why, I want to make […]
Kylian Mbappe: Carrasco, Martial, or better?
After Kylian Mbappe’s increasingly impressive performances in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, the Cosh discuss the kid’s cieling, and examine comparisons to his peers and past legends…
Tottenham’s Transfer Dilemma
Whether they end up winning anything this season or not, Pochettino and the club’s recruitment network are in for a difficult summer.
Under The Cosh 