Reviews from When Saturday Comes. Follow the link to buy the book from Amazon.
After a spate of sackings in Scotland Gary Oliver provides a recap of the carnage
Only a quarter of the Scottish League season gone, but already a number of the managers listed in this year’s Rothmans are history. To follow the complex trail of resignations and sackings requires the aid of a flow chart ; that, however, would tell nothing of the machinations that have accompanied the cull.
Looking at the downward spiral of a controversial player, Harry Pearson reflects on the turbulent times of Paul Gascoigne
When Channel 4 broadcast their documentary Gazza’s Coming Home last month, it seemed it might herald a change in the media’s perception of Britain’s most written about footballer. Gascoigne, it appeared, had reached a crossroads in his life and for once hadn’t responded by dashing headlong down the route marked “Total Disaster – This Way”. He was fully fit, newly married, playing well for club and country. Most importantly of all he had become a Dad.
Jimmy Burns examines how many of Diego Maradona's problems were of his own making
There is a childhood memory that keeps coming back to Diego Maradona as an image of self-preservation in a world spiralling out of control.
Following Alan Ball's resignation, Steve Parish looks at the problems at Man City
Dave Bassett woke up screaming in the night and we reached the end of the month with Manchester City still desperately seeking a new manager. Well, not that desperately. All sorts of rumours abound, most about whether having an ex-pro as chairman was putting people off. Cobblers: if people would come and manage for Peter Swales, I don’t believe Francis Lee is that fearsome, nor that he is merely, as Simply Red’s manager Elliot Rashman reckons, “Swales with charisma”. Lee denies “interference” in team matters, though a simple thing like having the chairman on the new team photo may suggest otherwise.
Richard Darn looks at how Barnsley created an international squad
If I said that Barnsley FC had a centre-back who is not only bilingual but also a qualified doctor you’d probably scratch your head for a moment and then conclude he must be foreign. And you would be absolutely correct.