James Sharpe

I've been to 5,000 football grounds - these are the UK's top 20 Forget 'Doing the 92'. Steve Broughton has visited a staggering 5,630 grounds and travelled almost a million miles, in a hobby that's stretched more than 40 years.

🏟️ Forget Doing the 92 ❌

@steveb2307.bsky.social has been to more than 5,600 football grounds. Travelled nearly a million miles.

These are his 20 you MUST see.

🪨 built into a quarry
🗻 in shadow of Ben Nevis
⛴️ kick-off dictated by the ferry

THE BREAKDOWN: The secrets of Sunderland success Sunderland clearly did not receive the memo. Promoted sides are not supposed to enjoy Premier League life as much as this, and certainly not a club that has been away for almost a decade.

🚨🔴 NEW: Secrets of Sunderland

🎳 Kingpin Xhaka
🏃‍♂️ New Kante?
🧘‍♂️ Mr (Tactically) Flexible Le Bris
💪 Duel monster Mukiele
⛔️ High press AND low block
🧤 Superman Roefs

Latest edition of #TheBreakdown is how the Black Cats became the blue print. #SAFC

Meet reformed cocaine-dealing caddie who was denied visa for The Open EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY JAMES SHARPE: The friendly voice at the end of the phone sounds jovial, but you need not strain your ears to hear the steel in the words of a man left behind.

❌ Banned from UK over 30-year-old cocaine conviction
⛳️ Unable to caddy for Harris English at #TheOpenChampionship
🔥 “It seems like a double standard.”

Exclusive interview with Eric Larson.

How Frank's Spurs will play and why he CAN replicate Brentford success In swapping Big Ange for Flexible Frank, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has switched one of the Premier League's most unshakably principled managers for one of the most adaptable.

🔍 Analysis: How Spurs will look under Thomas Frank.

🔁 Premier League's most adaptable manager
📝 Specific tactical plans for each opponent
👑 Turning Brentford into set-piece kings
🔑 Why Maddison could hold key

#thfc #coys

⚒️ Calling West Ham fans.

Now the transfer window is open for business, what would you like to know? Players coming and going, Graham Potter, plans for next season. Whatever you like.

Putting together the next Q&A. Will try to answer them all!

#whufc #coyi

Thousands flock in for Crystal Palace FA Cup trophy parade JAMES SHARPE: As the Crystal Palace buses carrying their FA Cup heroes reached the corner of Whitehorse Lane and Park Road, and Selhurst Park came into view, the grey clouds gave way.

A day at Crystal Palace when the rain fell, flare smoke filled the air and heroes were welcomed at a parade supporters never thought they’d see.

🏆🦅🚌

#cpfc

The reasons why Forest's Champions League dreams are falling apart Champions League football looked firmly within the two-time European Cup winner's grasp. One win in six has seen Nuno's side drop out of the top five with just three games to go. What's gone wrong?

🥶 Wood's hot streak goes cold
📉 Defensive numbers off a cliff
🥵 Thin squad stretched to its limits

Why #NFFC's Champions League dream is falling apart — but why it's wrong to say they're bottling it.

(Also, don't worry, you're playing Leicester next.)

📉 The demise of Leicester City
👀 Vardy motivation
🏃 Defenders weak v pace (and strength)

@mattdaviesff.bsky.social is joined by @thesharpeend.bsky.social to give us the lowdown on Leicester (and West Ham) #nffc

🍎 Apple podcasts: tinyurl.com/m3uzn4r8
📱 YouTube: tinyurl.com/mwrejysh

How to secure Premier League survival as a promoted club - SHARPE END THE SHARPE END: All this has led to the question: is this the worst Premier League bottom three of all time? That's the easy bit: yes.

🚨 Promoted sides didn’t all go down for nearly 100 years…now it will happen two seasons in a row.

💩 Worst bottom three ever
🫣 Freak or concerning trend?
💰 Why spending big isn’t enough

This week’s column is on how to survive.

#LCFC #SaintsFC #itfc

The 'dreadful' numbers that show goalkeepers are getting WORSE THE SHARPE END: Onana's two years at United has been littered with mistakes, like when he charged out of his goal to hand Ipswich an early goal in February

🧤Are goalkeepers getting worse?

Onana. Ederson. Two of the most expensive GKs ever, both making mistakes.

🙈 Errors on the rise…but why?
📉 Save percentages falling
🛡️In defence of the modern keeper

This week’s column.

How Darwin Nunez became the most wasteful striker in England THE SHARPE END: When Liverpool announced the £85million signing of striker Nunez just a day after Erling Haaland joined Man City, it felt like it could be the dawn of a great Premier League rivalry.

NEW: The Darwin Nunez Conundrum 🔴

🙈 Proof he’s one of the worst finishers
🔥 One area where he’s still elite
🎯 Why Haaland is more clinical
🤔 …but is he actually getting BETTER?

This week’s column is on the Liverpool enigma. ⬇️

How Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly took the Premier League by storm JAMES SHARPE: Who are you? Erling Haaland asked Arsenal's teenage debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly after John Stones had snatched a dramatic late point for Man City at the Etihad in September.

🧘🌟 Don’t get distracted by Haaland stuff, Myles Lewis-Skelly is a star.

⚽️ why he’s an elite ball-keeper
⚖️ restores balance to Arsenal’s left
🚀 allows Declan Rice to thrive

Here’s why the kid’s special. #AFC

Carlos Soler opens up on life at West Ham & working with Graham Potter JAMES SHARPE: Soler joined West Ham on the final day of the summer transfer window on loan from PSG, whom he joined in 2022 from Valencia. It took him a while to settle, on and off the pitch.

"I went to a West Ham game as a fan on the train and no one recognised me!"

🔧 what Potter has changed
🥘 London's terrible paella
🐐 playing with Messi
🤷🏻 his Hammers future

Interview with #WHUFC's Carlos Soler.

How Graham Potter turned West Ham around in just three weeks JAMES SHARPE: For the first 10 days, Graham Potter couldn't even go home. So chaotic was life as the new West Ham manager that Potter lived out of his hotel room in Stratford.

"It feels like the club is pulling in the same direction."

💡 influx of 'new ideas'
📝 more tactical sessions
🤗 making Paqueta feel wanted
👶🏻 closer relationship with academy

Insiders reveal how Graham Potter made his mark on West Ham.

#WHUFC

Where Man United would be without pantomime villain Bruno Fernandes JAMES SHARPE: It's fair to say that, sometimes, Bruno Fernandes doesn't help himself. A misplaced pass from a team-mate and up go the arms and out comes the sigh.

🔴 NEW: Where would #MUFC be without Bruno Fernandes?

🦹 panto villian or top-class talisman
🎭 theatrics mask vital goals
🔧 defensive work goes unnoticed
🔎 does he go missing in big games?
🦁 leader like Keane or Bruce?

This week's column ⬇️

How Amad Diallo has become crucial to Ruben Amorim - THE SHARPE END JAMES SHARPE: Diallo has forged himself into an undroppable part of Amorim's side and was rewarded this week with a new bumper contract.

🔥 Top of nearly EVERY metric for #MUFC
🏃‍♂️ One of the best pressers in the league
🔑 The KEY area he needs to improve

How @amaddiallo19.bsky.social became Ruben Amorim’s key man. This week’s column.

How Alexander-Arnold has redefined right-back role - THE SHARPE END JAMES SHARPE: Not since David Beckham has an English wide player been able to play - and see - the passes Alexander Arnold has in his armoury.

NEW: Evolution of Trent Alexander-Arnold

🌟 just what Real Madrid need
👀 role changed (again) under Slot
🔴 can Liverpool live without him?

This week’s The Sharpe End column.

Just about to watch Home Alone for the first time. Apparently, this is something I shouldn’t admit in public.

The mounting problems Haaland has faced since Arsenal jibe THE SHARPE END: As my mum always used to say, pride comes before a fall and so it was after those words to Arteta that Haaland embarked on his worst league run of goalscoring in a City shirt.

So, what does Erling Haaland offer when not scoring goals — what’s gone wrong?

🤕 key #MCFC injuries killed service
⚽️ more ball but not where he wants it
📉 how finishing fell off a cliff

This week’s Sharpe End column.

Any Qs for the podcast? Hope you enjoyed your shoutout last week!

West Ham 2-1 Wolves: Bowen provides stunning finish to secure win JAMES SHARPE AT THE LONDON STADIUM: Two tributes to team-mate Antonio, lucky to be alive in hospital after his horrific car crash, after two huge goals on one emotional night for West Ham.

Tomas Soucek raised nine fingers and then Jarrod Bowen held up the shirt.

Two tributes to Michail Antonio on one huge, emotional night for West Ham.

How big for West Ham’s season, how important for Julen Lopetegui and how damning for Gary O’Neil.

#WHUFC #COYI
www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba...

Five reasons why Tottenham are so consistently inconsistent THE SHARPE END: Trying to make sense of Tottenham is, and always has been, an impossible task. Why can Tottenham beat the big clubs but get turned over by those they should beat?

Trying to make sense of Tottenham's consistent inconsistency 🤷🏻‍♂️

⚽ keeping ball when they're better without it
🏡 how they are SO much worse away from home
❄️ why they either win BIG or lose...

This week's The Sharpe End column.

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba...

That’s awesome, in great company! Thanks for listening!

🔴 How Slot took Salah to another level at Liverpool 🔴

🤯 Better numbers than his 44-goal debut season (…and Suarez)
🏃🏽 Running and pressing less than under Klopp
💰 Exactly how influential he’s been — and can you replace that?

#LFC matchday read ⬇️

t.co/snTsxrFwqQ

Bit of personal news: I am taking over covering West Ham for Mail Sport.

Excited to get stuck into a great club, looking forward to getting to know everyone and bringing supporters the stories, interviews and analysis that matter.

DMs open for stories, debate (and abuse 😁).

⚒️

#whufc #coyi

The dog mums did their thing…

#strictly

Remarkable conversation with my mum about Pete Wicks’s dogs home VT on Strictly.

“I’d give him all my votes now.”
“Why?”
“He loves dogs.”
“It’s a dance competition not a who loves dogs competition…”
“Anyone who adopts from a dogs home should be in the final.”
“Of a dance competition?”
“Yes.”

😳

Leicester took far too long to act on Brendan Rodgers so credit this time for being decisive on Steve Cooper.

It was clearly not right. No connection between him and the players or the fans.

It’s a shame because he’s a good man and a good coach. It just didn’t fit.

Who next for #LCFC?

Graphic showing the average distance of Premier League teams’ goal kicks in the 2024-25 season.

HOW PEP KILLED THE LONG GOAL KICK

⚽️ EIGHTY per cent of Saints’ and Chelsea’s don’t leave the area.

🚀…but only two teams launch it longer than Arsenal.

😬 New generation go short even more than Guardiola…not always to their benefit.

This week’s column.

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba...