Welcome back to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. In this week’s episode, co-hosts Jonthan Wilson and Rob Draper are joined by Sports Journalist and author Jonathan Northcroft to take…

The Manchester United captain opens up on his love of all types of football, why he just wants United to ‘compete’ and what makes a perfect pass

Andy Mangan has gone from non-League striker with Fleetwood Town to scouting for Carlo Ancelotti’s side having impressed the legendary manager’s son on a coaching course in Wales

Technical director James Ellis has left club he joined in 2021— the last of the back-office figures who helped overhaul transfer policy and revitalise academy

Clubs are turning to physical goalkeepers to combat the set-piece revolution, as teams wreak havoc with awkward crosses aimed at a mass of bodies in the box

Tottenham weighing up a change after embarrassing defeat by West Ham means head coach has overseen a torrid run of one win in eight games

Perhaps this venerable, bonkers, mediocre chicken shop is the greasy, indestructible heart of Liverpool

German has watched happily as his Bob Paisley — Arne Slot — has improved what he handed over, but was Klopp actually an underperformer? The truth is a little more nuanced

Ever felt like Premier League clubs now all play the same? You may be right, as The Times’s data team reveal the stats behind top flight’s growing and underwhelming uniformity

From ‘Neverkusen’ to ‘Neverlosing’, Xabi Alonso’s impact in Germany has been compared to a UFO landing and he is now regarded as Carlo Ancelotti’s heir apparent

Manchester City manager’s rigid positional play appears to be losing its edge as more risk-embracing styles bring Premier League rewards for a new breed of coaches

Richard Hughes, who built team at Bournemouth, has shown how clever deals and letting players like Ryan Gravenberch develop can benefit club more than flashy signings

The 51-year-old may have matured but he is no less hungry for success as he bids to take his Celtic side as far as possible in the Champions League

Jonathan Northcroft is a football correspondent for The Sunday Times with nearly 30 years of experience mixing with the greats of the game.

Revitalised under Nuno Espírito Santo, the club are moving forward as one and their surge up the Premier League table has serious vibes of Leicester in 2015-16

Data-driven approach identified Dutchman as better fit for club than Ruben Amorim and he’s repaying faith with tactical tweaks that have reinvigorated Mo Salah

Journalist Jonathan Northcroft tells Kelly Cates about his first experience of meeting Sir Alex Ferguson.

YouTube video by Guillem Balague

Phenomenal talent, unwavering passion and a legendary will to win. Friends and foes on the incredible career of Sir Alex Ferguson - Britain's most decorated football manager.

Chelsea forward’s laid-back manner belies an incredible technique and game intelligence matched by very few. He is my footballer of 2024 – and it isn’t even close

Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly a genius but he has turned Jack Grealish from a maverick whose dribbling stole the nation’s heart to Man City’s ‘rest station’

Ever felt like Premier League clubs now all play the same? You may be right, as The Times’s data team reveal the stats behind top flight’s growing and underwhelming uniformity

The plight of migrant workers cast a shadow over the 2022 World Cup.