Stories

A small number of articles from each issue of When Saturday Comes are reproduced here. To get the full WSC experience, including free access to our digital archive, take out a subscription.

Austria optimistic for future despite poor Euro 2016

Alessandro Schopf showed his potential in Marcel Koller’s squad

Embed from Getty Images

24 June ~ A day after Austria’s defeat in the final group match against Iceland, the country are licking their wounds. Finishing bottom of their group came as a shock for head coach Marcel Koller and the team who had qualified with ease. Of course, the so-called legends were the first to judge. “It’s a fiasco,” said former national coach Hans Krankl in the tabloid Osterreich. In the same article, one journalist wrote: “The Euros were Austria’s Waterloo – and now the international press are laughing about us”.

Friday, June 24th, 2016 - Stories

Southampton fans resigned to managerial conveyor belt

Ronald Koeman’s exit from St Mary’s another test Saints’ resolve

Embed from Getty Images

23 June ~ Southampton ’til I die. Or at least until I know who is managing the first team next season, their philosophy and vision for the club, and whether or not they will be given the sufficient budget to recruit the new players necessary to be successful.

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016 - Stories

Portugal lack finishers as pressure mounts on Ronaldo

Seleção coach Fernando Santos remains defiant ahead of Hungary clash

Embed from Getty Images

22 June ~ Before June 8, the Portuguese had generally been a little sceptical about their team’s chances in France. Then they played Estonia at the Luz in the last warm-up match and knocked seven past them in a dazzling display of attacking football, with a seemingly rejuvenated Ricardo Quaresma scoring twice and assisting for another two. His resurgence offered coach Fernando Santos a viable 4-3-3 alternative (with Quaresma joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani up front) to the preferred 4-4-2, and suddenly the European title he’d been promising seemed very doable.

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2016 - Stories

Slovakia revel in draw against “predictable” England

Coach Jan Kozak unapologetic for defensive performance in Saint-Étienne

Embed from Getty Images

21 June ~ Slovakia coach Jan Kozak described England as “acceptable” group-stage opponents when the Euro 2016 draw was made last November. He also taunted them with their lack of recent big tournament success after arriving in Ireland for a friendly with the Republic in March. But on Monday night, after an ultra-defensive performance had secured his side a 0-0 draw, Kozak’s delight was obvious. “A point against England in the final stages is something fantastic,” he said. “We’ve proved we can play against anybody.”

Tuesday, June 21st, 2016 - Stories

English stadiums edge towards elusive 100,000 capacity

Modern attendances are huge but lack the spectacular feeling of the past

Embed from Getty Images

20 June ~ With Euro 2016 nearly halfway though and the Champions League, FA and Scottish Cup finals barely behind us, it feels like the entire planet wants to attend a football match. Huge, packed venues dominate the media. And all I do is rue the fact I’ve never been in a six-figure crowd and that no ground in Europe can currently hold one.

Monday, June 20th, 2016 - Stories