May 2021 – The Offside Rule

How Hege Riise’s Team GB squad for Tokyo Olympics puts reliability ahead of wizardry

May 31, 2021

The head coach is putting her faith in experienced old heads but it comes at the expense of the creative magic of Jordan Nobbs, Ella Toone and Alex Greenwood, writes Jessy [...]

Whatever happened to Charlie Adam?

May 29, 2021

Despite past successes at Liverpool and Blackpool, Charlie Adam may consider last season at Dundee as his most successful. In July 2011, the Mail on Sunday’s Chief Sports [...]

The Offside Rule Weekly: Southgate wildcards, end of season awards and a Euros anthem

May 27, 2021

This week, we’re picking the wildcard names we think should make Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for the Euros and presenting our Offside Rule end of season awards [...]

Sonny Pike: the greatest footballer that never was

May 27, 2021

Sonny Pike speaks to Alasdair Hooper about being football’s ‘wonderkid’ and his subsequent slide into depression, as told in his new book. Sonny Pike was the gifted [...]

Spurs golden boy Harry Kane shines in season closer despite uncertainty

May 25, 2021

With uncertainty surrounding Kane’s future at Spurs, he showed no signs of letting his side down and leading by example in their final game of the season, as Amarachi Orie [...]

Nicole Billa fuelling Hoffenheim’s Champions League dream

May 24, 2021

The Austrian penalty-box predator has repaid the German club’s faith in her with a stunning goal return in back-to-back seasons that has them on the cusp of [...]

Whatever happened to… Alex Song?

May 21, 2021

The former Arsenal midfielder may have failed to hit the heights after winning a move to Barcelona in 2012 but now he’s building a business empire, writes Alasdair [...]

The Offside Rule Weekly: I don’t like deep house, but I like Mick

May 20, 2021

This week, we’re dishing out some report cards to the most recent additions to Premier League management, asking how Crystal Palace might look to rebuild after Roy Hodgson [...]

Chelsea must play their blues away and come back fighting in Europe – but first, can they secure the treble?

May 20, 2021

After Barcelona struck a humiliating blow to their confidence in the UWCL final, Chelsea must show their mettle and regroup for the FA Cup final – and start preparing for [...]

The Offside Rule WSL: Bad-ass Barca Give Chelsea The Blues

May 18, 2021

Lynsey Hooper and Kait Borsay are joined by former England and Chelsea player Claire Rafferty to look back at the Women’s Champions League Final between Chelsea and [...]