Tim Spiers
Verified
Articles, podcasts and shenanigans for @TheAthleticFC 🐺
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Tim Spiers
Why does Russell Martin seem to upset so many people?
Plenty of managers are known for preferring to enlist a possession-based style of football: Pep Guardiola, Enzo Maresca, Xavi Hernandez, etc. Numerous managers take pride in their appearance, wear expensive clothes on the touchline and have a partner or wife who was or is a model: Mikel Arteta, Matthias Jaissle, Diego Simeone, etc. A plethora of managers have a ginormous ego and think they’re very good at what they do. Well, pretty much all of them. Russell Martin is all of the above.
Real Madrid produce a wild comeback against Roma: How did they do it again?
For so much of this night at the Stadio Olimpico, Jose Mourinho’s side were outplayed by one of his old teams in Roma. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side were 3-1 up going into the 83rd minute — thanks to a Marten de Roon effort and a double from Donyell Malen following a Kylian Mbappe goal — and seemed set for victory in this ground’s first Champions League match in more than seven years. But Madrid, as they so often do, produced an improbable fightback.
CBS just received a harsh lesson in how to conduct a post-match interview
In football interviews, political interrogations or, indeed, just in life, a person’s innermost thoughts occasionally need to be prised out via a series of searching, probing questions, metaphorically tickling them until they can resist no more. But the Argentine centre-back had clearly decided that the time to remain silent had long since passed.
Sky Sports, Manchester City and 830 million reasons to feel awkward
“Let’s hope they get beaten.” Roy Keane retains the ability to generate shock and awe with his acid-sharp tongue as much as he could with a crunching two-footed tackle in his playing days, but even for him this was a line that dropped jaws to the floor in the style of an old cartoon. Keane had just been asked by Sky Sports’ Super Sunday host Mark Chapman how we should analyse Manchester City’s results in the coming weeks and how we would feel if they were, say, 10 points clear at Christmas.
South Korean sports stars gloated about missing military service. Now comes the backlash
You’re a 20-year-old professional footballer contracted to one of the biggest and richest clubs in Europe. You’re already a full international for your country and, via winning a continental tournament, you’ve just avoided having to give up almost two years of your life to serve in the military. Reason to celebrate? Well, not in South Korea, where manners and respect are more important virtues than enjoying personal glory or, worse, being seen to gloat.
Portugal and the spectre of an absent Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘It’s like dropping a god’
The first football shirt spotted at Porto Airport is inevitably a Portugal one. A dark-haired young woman is wearing the special-edition black Eusebio tribute shirt from last year and, of course, the number on the back is the No 7 and the name reads “Ronaldo”. At the hotel, a portly middle-aged man is wearing the current home shirt, again with “Ronaldo 7” on the back.
Portugal and the spectre of an absent Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘It’s like dropping a god’
The first football shirt spotted at Porto Airport is inevitably a Portugal one. A dark-haired young woman is wearing the special-edition black Eusebio tribute shirt from last year and, of course, the number on the back is the No 7 and the name reads “Ronaldo”. At the hotel, a portly middle-aged man is wearing the current home shirt, again with “Ronaldo 7” on the back.
Croatia 0 England 7: Ruthless Kane, Bellingham, Saka and Gordon demolish Modric and Co
England’s attack pulled Croatia apart in the Nations League as Thomas Tuchel’s side scored four first-half goals to set up a 7-0 victory at Stadion HNK Rijeka on Saturday. Here, our writers, Phil Buckingham and Tim Spiers, break down the key talking points. Fab four It was against Croatia that England produced their most stylish attacking performance at this summer’s World Cup, but it was nothing on tonight. Tuchel’s side sizzled, tearing a bedraggled opponent apart time and again.
Aesthetically-pleasing things in football: ‘Proper’ bicycle kicks, perfect trophy lifts and boot-sock cohesion
It’s been a busy few days off the field, with a lot of serious stories to take in. So if you are looking for a way back to the more aesthetically-pleasing parts of football, this could be the article for you. Whether it’s the perfect trophy lift, white sock tape and boots or the wonder of bicycle kicks, we have you covered. And please feel free to add in the comments section at the end the parts of football you find most aesthetically-pleasing.
What if… Manchester City have their trophies taken away from them?
Ryan Shawcross wipes his hands on his shirt as he walks up the famous Wembley steps, a beaming smile on his face. Stoke City’s triumphant captain is about to lift only the club’s second major trophy. Their fans belt out one more “Why, why, why Delilah?” as the players form a line for the trophy presentation.
Ranking the 50 best players in the Premier League after 50 games
Who is the best player in the Premier League? It’s a simple question with a complicated answer — one that The Athletic will continue to attempt to answer throughout the 2026-27 season. This is the second instalment of our Premier League Player Rankings, in which we use form, data and the eye tests of Phil Hay and Tim Spiers to assess exactly who the division’s top 50 footballers are.
What is ‘load management’? Why does it apply to Rice and Palmer’s England withdrawals?
New terms introduced into the football lexicon can take a little while to get used to. Transitions? They’re just counter-attacks for hipsters, aren’t they? A low block is a newfangled way of saying defend your own penalty area. We used to call a ‘high press’ closing down in my day, etc. “If someone talked to me about a ‘high press’ when I was playing, I would have thought they were telling me to iron my shirt,” shouty pundit and former England striker Chris Sutton told the BBC last year.
Perhaps we will follow the controversies, perhaps we will find an issue to dissect, or perhaps we will go in search of meaning. Maybe we will pick a fun-looking game, just for the hell of it. It might be serious or frivolous, but over the course of the season, we promise to write about every club and try to explain how it feels to actually be there. No filter. The boos are what generate the headlines — ‘Tottenham Hotspur booed off after winless league start continues’, etc.
Some onside goals look offside. Why? Blame parallax
Was that goal actually offside, or did the visual phenomenon known as ‘parallax’ merely give the viewer an optical illusion compared to the actual reality of the real-life images? That’s not a question that gets asked too often on Super Sunday but Erling Haaland’s Manchester derby match-winner for City against United was the perfect example of how certain camera angles can distort, in a parallactic sense, whether a player looks offside or not.
Arsenal vs Chelsea live updates: Premier League match team news, predictions, more
|
Arsenal vs Chelsea live updates: Premier League match team news, predictions, more Follow live as champions Arsenal host Chelsea in a London derby today. September 6, 2026 at 4:20 PM GMT+2 Arsenal welcome London rivals Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium today. Getty Images Arsenal vs Chelsea — latest The weekend’s Premier League action concludes today with Arsenal hosting Chelsea at the Emirates.
By George Ramsay Verified, Max Mathews Verified, Jack Lang Verified, Art de Roche Verified, Nancy Froston Verified, Tim Spiers Verified, Simon Johnson Verified, Nick Miller
|
The New York Times
Verified
Ranking all 154 Premier League transfers in the 2026 summer window from worst to best
Just when you think the Premier League couldn’t get any madder or more disgustingly gluttonous, the 20 clubs go and spend around £3.44billion between them on 154 players. Whatever way you look at it, the 2026 summer transfer window was pretty astonishing and, here at The Athletic, we like to rank that astonishment in order from worst to best. Yes, by unpopular demand, we’re back. A futile exercise, they said. How can you even compare a cheap third-choice keeper to a big-money striker, they queried.
Ranking all 154 Premier League transfers in the 2026 summer window from worst to best
Just when you think the Premier League could not get any madder or more disgustingly gluttonous, the 20 clubs go and spend around £3.44billion ($4.6bn) between them on 154 players. Whatever way you look at it, the 2026 summer transfer window was pretty astonishing and, here at The Athletic, we like to rank that astonishment in order from worst to best. Yes, by unpopular demand, we are back. A futile exercise, they said.
Man United 5-2 Ipswich: How good was Fernandes? Why did VAR allow ‘Maguire goal’? How did Rashford do?
Bruno Fernandes starred with a hat-trick (and almost scored from the halfway line) as Manchester United came from behind to hammer Ipswich at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford starting his first United Premier League game since December 2024 was the talk beforehand, while Kobbie Mainoo also impressed in the midfield, but it was the Portuguese midfielder’s goals that made the difference.
Chelsea 4 Brighton 3: Ruthless counter-attackers, clean-sheet problem, how was Martinez’s debut?
Chelsea beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 on Sunday — with three goals before half-time — to give new manager Xabi Alonso a victory in his first official match at Stamford Bridge. A mix-up between goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and defender Mats Wieffer from a corner in the fourth minute allowed Romeo Lavia to poke the ball home for 1-0, and that set the tone for the early stages.
Premier League Forum: Who still needs reinforcements? Which signings have impressed?
This is the final round of Premier League fixtures before the summer transfer window closes on Tuesday, and with it comes the excitement of watching new talent on the pitch and anxiety about potential departures or obvious weaknesses not being addressed. Liverpool will doubtless look to replace the Netherlands international, who was in the starting line-up on Saturday as they twice fought back from a goal down against Nottingham Forest for a 2-2 draw at Anfield.
How Guendouzi sparked huge brawl after Fenerbahce beat Lyon in Champions League play-off
How was your Wednesday night? Did you spend it being mercilessly barracked by 55,000 Lyon supporters, then, after your team won, did you swear, celebrate, and goad pretty much everyone in a volatile stadium, sparking a mass brawl and almost causing a riot? If you answered yes, your name is Matteo Guendouzi.
In a volatile Premier League, only the punditry is predictable. But is that a problem?
The new Premier League campaign is awash with dozens of new signings, nine new managers, at least 100 unreasonably priced new home, away, third and goalkeeper kits and newfound hopes, dreams and fears. Given how much churn has taken place this summer and with the gap from top to bottom shrinking in recent years, predicting numbers one to 20 in English football’s top flight is a more challenging task than it has been for a while, as some of the opening weekend’s eyebrow-raising results suggested.
How to watch the Premier League in the U.S. and the UK
Remember Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi’s Golden Boot race for the ages? Remember that atmosphere at the Azteca? Remember Vozinha? Well, you need to get over it. The World Cup is long gone and, 33 days later, the Premier League is back. That’s right, get ready for bad VAR decisions, perennial questions about when Manchester City’s 115 charges will be resolved, and Chelsea attempting to fit 232 first-team players into an XI.
Football dressing rooms are no longer ‘sacred’. Is the docudrama era too invasive?
As dramatic television scenes go, it’s one of the most open, raw and unfiltered you’ll see this year. “Guys, I want to confess something,” an emotional man announces to a room of colleagues. “I’m f***ing divorced from the most beautiful woman on your planet.” The loud, passionate, somewhat frantic man wildly gesticulates with his flailing arms as he continues to unleash his feelings on the group, with eyes wide and bright.
BBC announces Thomas Frank, Ashley Young to join new-look Match of the Day line-up
Former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank will be a pundit on the BBC’s Match of the Day highlights show for the 2026-27 season, the broadcaster has announced. Frank, sacked by Spurs last season, was part of the BBC’s World Cup coverage over the summer. He will be joined by retired players Ashley Young, Robbie Keane and Toby Alderweireld who are also set to feature regularly as part of a shake-up of their punditry line-up.
Ranking the 50 best players in the Premier League before the season begins
Who is the best player in the Premier League? It’s a simple question with a complicated answer, one that The Athletic will attempt to answer throughout the 2026-27 campaign. We’re launching our Premier League Player Rankings, with the aim of using form, data and the eye tests of Phil Hay and Tim Spiers to assess exactly who the league’s top 50 footballers are.
Arteta as Phil Collins? Carrick as Michael Buble? Just how ‘rock n roll’ are Premier League managers? Original
We had heavy-metal football, a phrase coined by Jurgen Klopp to describe high-intensity, counter-attacking play, or samba football to describe the Brazilian style, but what about rock-star managers? What is a rock-star manager, and why does that question even matter? Well, Newcastle United’s new head coach Matthias Jaissle has been described as exactly that by the club’s chief executive David Hopkinson.
Football’s most controversial transfers: ‘Judas’ chants, mocking billboards and a pig’s head Original
As Cristian Romero pulls on the famous red shirt, he hums the words to North London Forever before making his way into the tunnel at the Emirates Stadium. As the team walk out onto the pitch, Romero high-fives mascot Gunnersaurus, who points to the Argentinian’s brand new ‘Once a Gooner, always a Gooner’ tattoo on his right calf and gives a thumbs up. Unlikely? FantasyLand? Well, if Arsenal pursue their surprise interest in the 28-year-old centre-back, perhaps not.
Tour de France stage 20: Richard Carapaz wins Queen Stage after Sepp Kuss crashes twice in thrilling finale
Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France was the toughest on this year’s slate, and it duly served up a wonderful day of racing on Saturday. Richard Carapaz, dressed in the polka dot jersey, sealed his second stage win of this year’s race after a brutal battle with Sepp Kuss, which saw the American crash twice in the run-in to Alpe d’Huez and hand the advantage to the Ecuadorian.
Tour de France stage 18: Carapaz gets his win, Pedersen bounces back, and are ailing UAE in trouble?
EF Education-Easypost brought a team to the 2026 Tour de France to hunt stage wins and they finally have one after Richard Carapaz attacked from a small group to win stage 18 at Orcières-Merlette. It was the perfect end to a superb performance from the Ecuadorian, who played his cards perfectly as the race reached the Alps.
Lionel Messi proved at the World Cup he is the GOAT. But has Rodri entered the conversation? Original
The crown of football’s GOAT was surely settled once and for all during the 2026 World Cup. For many, it hasn’t been a debate for some time, while for others it’s been unequivocal for at least a decade or longer.
What next for 10 of the World Cup’s biggest stars? This is how to follow them on The Athletic Original
After 39 days, 104 games, 16 host cities, 48 competing nations, 208 hydration breaks and 308 goals, the 2026 World Cup is over. It has been a great tournament and, in contrast to some previous editions, most of the famous global stars showed up with big performances and lots of goals. But if you’re new to the sport, loved the World Cup and want to continue to watch some of the famous faces as they return to their day jobs in club football, what do you need to know?
The story of the 2026 World Cup - told in 21 remarkable pictures
It has been one of the most enthralling and memorable World Cups of modern times. There has been endless late drama, the big players turned up, there were three competitive and fully engaged host nations with the matches mostly in front of full stadiums. And, to cap it all, there was a thrilling late finish in the final. Mexico kick off the tournament It’s been a big World Cup in every which way; more teams and matches, huge stadiums and an abundance of color and bombast.
The story of the 2026 World Cup – told in 22 remarkable pictures Original
It has been one of the most enthralling and memorable World Cups of modern times. There has been endless late drama, the big players turned up, there were three competitive and fully engaged host nations with the matches mostly in front of full stadiums. And, to cap it all, there was a thrilling late finish in the final. We have picked out the best images from the tournament (all provided by Getty Images) to tell the tale.
Ranking the World Cup teams from one to 48 based on their 2026 performance Original
6. Belgium What a strange tournament they had. Unimpressive when drawing against Egypt and Iran, Belgium coasted past New Zealand to win the group on goal difference and then, after looking dead and buried against Senegal when 2-0 down in the 86th minute, they somehow launched an improbable comeback and looked like a proper team thereafter. They beat Senegal 3-2 after extra-time, then smashed the U.S. 4-1 in the round of 16 despite manager Rudi Garcia leaving out Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
Ranking the World Cup teams from one to 48 based on their 2026 performance
3 hours ago Rutherford, United States - July 19, 2026 IShowSpeed performs during opening ceremony for final game between Spain and Argentina during FIFA World Cup 2026 at New York New Jersey Stadium at Rutherford in New Jersey, USA on July 19, 2026.
How Argentina turned the World Cup final dirty with shoves, skulduggery and squealing Original
If you were hoping to finish the World Cup with a free-flowing game full of great football, endless attacking and loads of goals, you should have made the third-place play-off your last match to watch. Spain versus Argentina in the final was never going to be a purists’ classic, but what unfolded was undoubtedly the dirtiest final since 2010, when Spain were again faced with an aggressive, uncompromising opponent in the Netherlands.
The World Cup half-time show was slick, surreal and entirely unnecessary Original
It’s football, but not as we know it. It is American sport, exactly as we know it. Football broke new ground with the World Cup final’s first ever half-time show, interrupting the biggest match the sport has to offer for 27 minutes so that Justin Bieber could serenade half the planet with a guitar while looking ever so slightly bored. Was it any good? Will we be talking about it for years to come? And, more importantly, was it worth it?
Spain are World Cup champions after late Ferran Torres goal defeats Lionel Messi’s Argentina Original
Spain won their first World Cup in extra time in 2010 and they did the same on Sunday against Argentina to become world champions for a second time. The substitute Ferran Torres was Spain’s hero, shooting past Emiliano Martinez in the 106th minute of the game to break Argentina hearts and stop Lionel Messi and his team winning back-to-back World Cups. The 39-year-old Messi had his quietest game of the tournament, with just a single touch in the opening 15 minutes — and that was from the kick-off.
Spain are World Cup champions after Ferran Torres’ late goal defeats Lionel Messi’s Argentina
Spain won their first World Cup in extra-time in 2010 and they did the same on Sunday against Argentina to become world champions for a second time. The substitute Ferran Torres was Spain’s hero, shooting past Emiliano Martinez in the 106th minute of the game to break Argentina hearts and stop Lionel Messi and his team winning back-to-back World Cups. The 39-year-old Messi had his quietest game of the tournament, with just a single touch in the opening 15 minutes — and that was from the kick-off.
Morgan Rogers’ £117m Chelsea transfer: How do they keep doing it? Original
There are a few immediate takeaways from the news that Chelsea have a verbal agreement in place to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117million (€137m, $157m) — exclusively revealed by The Athletic’s David Ornstein. One: How much? Two: Premier League champions Arsenal must be pretty miffed at missing out on one of their top targets to a team who finished below Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth and Sunderland last season. Three: How do Chelsea keep doing it?
England’s World Cup exits: From Turin to Leon, where does Argentina in Atlanta 2026 rank? Original
Sixty years of hurt… and counting. England’s most recent and sole World Cup final appearance will remain their 1966 victory on home soil until at least 2030 and, let’s be honest, probably a while beyond that too. Not even when they are 1-0 up in the 85th minute of a semi-final can England break their six-decade-long drought. Their last-gasp 2-1 defeat against Argentina was heartbreaking/gut-wrenching/all Thomas Tuchel’s fault/fantastic news because I’m Argentine or Scottish (delete as applicable).
Can Argentina retain their title? Re-ranking the World Cup teams with two games left
3 hours ago Bellingham slaps Argentinian player as England knocked out of World Cup The Independent - Holly Bishop • 3h Jude Bellingham gave Valentin Barco a slap on the back of his head after England’s disappointing 2-1 loss to Argentina. England conceded two heartbreaking late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez in their World Cup semi-final with rivals Argentina on Wednesday (15 July).
Lionel Messi sets up stunning World Cup comeback, Argentina in final, did Tuchel cause England collapse? Original
Lionel Messi and Argentina will play Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday after they scored twice in six minutes and 24 seconds at the end of a ferocious semifinal to break England hearts.
Is it Spain’s tournament to lose? Re-ranking the World Cup teams with three games left Original
6. Belgium What a strange tournament they had. Unimpressive when drawing against Egypt and Iran, Belgium coasted past New Zealand to win the group on goal difference and then, after looking dead and buried against Senegal when 2-0 down in the 86th minute, they somehow launched an improbable comeback and looked like a proper team thereafter. They beat Senegal 3-2 after extra-time, then smashed the U.S. 4-1 in the round-of-16 despite manager Rudi Garcia leaving out Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
Is it Spain’s tournament to lose? Re-ranking the World Cup teams with three games left
14 hours ago "For the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo's last one," the Argentina players sang as they celebrated their round-of-16 win over Egypt. Malvinas, Spanish for Falklands. Diego, for Maradona. Leo, for Messi and what is expected to be his final tournament. Up next, a World Cup semi-final meeting with England …
France face Spain in 2026 World Cup’s first semifinal: Live updates
|
France face Spain in 2026 World Cup’s first semifinal: Live updates France and Spain go head-to-head for a place in the World Cup final today. July 14, 2026 at 1:15 PM EDT Kylian Mbappe is in the hunt for the Golden Boot. Getty France vs Spain — Latest France and Spain go head-to-head in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals in Dallas today. After the group stage and three knockout rounds, two of the tournament’s most impressive teams are looking to book a place in Sunday’s final.
By George Ramsay Verified, Henry Bushnell Verified, Chris Vannini Verified, Tim Spiers Verified, Oliver Kay Verified, Alex Connor Verified, Steve Madeley Verified
|
The New York Times
Verified
What is the history of the Mexican Wave and how did it make its way into soccer? Original
It’s a simple concept: one person stands up and waves both hands upwards in the manner of frenziedly shushing a stray cat away with the backs of their hands. A person next to them performs exactly the same action a millisecond later. As does the next. Ad infinitum. Do this with 90,000 people in a stadium at great pace and a Mexican Wave can look spectacular.
Do England or Argentina have enough to challenge in final? Re-ranking the World Cup teams with four games left
Do England or Argentina have enough to challenge in final? Re-ranking the World Cup teams with four games left And then there were four. The World Cup is at the semi-final stage: 44 teams have gone home, and a quartet remain standing. England battled through their quarter-final, Jude Bellingham dragging them past Norway with his two goals. Thomas Tuchel wasn’t impressed with the performance, but they keep …
The final four of FIFA dreams? Is this Jude Bellingham’s World Cup? Day 31 recap Original
Did anyone predict that Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane would all fail to score during the last two quarter-finals of this year’s World Cup? They had scored 21 goals between them and all drew a blank, leaving Julian Alvarez and Jude Bellingham to step up to fire Argentina and England into the final four. Argentina’s 3-1 victory over Switzerland after extra time was the first time Messi had failed to score in his last 10 World Cup appearances.
Show More
loading
Actions
Get in touch with Tim
Contact Tim, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack