Chris Nee

FourFourTwo

05/20/2026

The Europa League final isn't now-or-never for Aston Villa but time is running out for a beloved...

Unai Emery is aiming for a fifth Europa League win but Aston Villa have an ageing squad and a need to rebuild

FourFourTwo

05/16/2026

The FA Cup wasted a chance to be a sanctuary from VAR - maybe it still could

VAR will be in operation at Wembley in Saturday's final but it should never have been used in the FA Cup

FourFourTwo

05/08/2026

Emery masterclass or minor miracle? It doesn't matter for Europa League finalists Aston Villa

Aston Villa lurched from the ridiculous to the sublime in the space of five days. Suddenly, all their targets are back in view...

FourFourTwo

04/22/2026

Frank Lampard and Premier League newcomers Coventry City have turned 25 years of turmoil into...

Coventry City are promoted as Championship winners and will return to the Premier League in 2026-27

Goalkeeper.com

Jed Steer Interview: Ex-Villa goalkeeper on retiring with 'no regrets'

Jed Steer discusses the nature of retirement from pro football

The i Paper

03/24/2026

'Frank Lampard has been so good to me': The Coventry star who has his swagger back

In an exclusive interview, Coventry City midfielder Jack Rudoni opens up on injury struggles, the influence of his manager and the importance of expressing himself on and off the pitch

High Protein Beef Paste

03/05/2026

Not very nice! An exclusive interview with the footballer sent off for taking down Borat

Faced with a pitch invader in a lime green mankini, Ashley Vickers took matters into his own hands and paid the price

FourFourTwo

03/04/2026

Why Aston Villa vs Chelsea is a make-or-break game for BOTH, in the quest for the Champions League

Aston Villa and Chelsea are fundamentally and philosophically different but a win either way will change the course of both of their seasons

FourFourTwo

03/04/2026

Benjamin Sesko is succeeding at Manchester United where Rasmus Hojlund failed - and the reason is...

Sesko is starting to succeed where Rasmus Hojlund didn't: he could be the difference in the fight for Champions League places

FourFourTwo

03/04/2026

Who exactly is Riku Handa? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report

Japanese Under-23 international Riku Handa is coming of age - but who is Gamba Osaka's defensive linchpin?

FourFourTwo

02/23/2026

Everton and Manchester United matches are the Premier League distilled

From Peter Beardsley's Old Trafford strike to the slap heard around the world, these Premier League ever-presents have always been box office

FourFourTwo

02/20/2026

Brighton are nine points behind Brentford and bold management is the difference between two...

Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford have quietly upset the established order to seize their places in the Premier League - they're starting to move in opposite directions

FourFourTwo

02/17/2026

Alan Shearer is RIGHT about VAR - but Newcastle's injustices aren't an 'advert' for technology

Newcastle United were on the wrong end of some big decisions against Aston Villa, with Alan Shearer delivering big opinions on VAR once more

FourFourTwo

02/17/2026

Who exactly is Jacob Devaney? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report

Manchester United prospect Jacob Devaney is on loan in Scotland - but who is St Mirren's teenage midfielder?

FourFourTwo

02/12/2026

Every time James Milner played with and against Gareth Barry as Brighton veteran equals Premier...

James Milner has joined Gareth Barry as the Premier League's record appearance maker

FourFourTwo

02/09/2026

Coventry City haven't bottled it: Why the Sky Blues are STILL favourites for the title

Coventry have lost their lead at the top of the Championship but they can draw on the experience of last season to put things right

FourFourTwo

02/09/2026

Wolves are doomed - how much is their impending relegation down to a basic lack of goals?

Wolverhampton Wanderers are heading for a dismal Premier League relegation and the inability to score is one of the most obvious symptoms

FourFourTwo

02/04/2026

Tottenham Hotspur transfer slammed by former boss after Arsenal battle - why the Premier League...

Spurs beat Arsenal to a deadline day signing but is a loan deal to play under-age football really the best incubator of talent?

FourFourTwo

01/30/2026

Who exactly is Sota Kitano? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report

Red Bull Salzburg's Sota Kitano is an electric creator who shot to fame in the J.League - so who is Japan's newest international star?

FourFourTwo

01/29/2026

Who exactly is Victor Torp? FourFourTwo's two-minute scout report

Coventry City's Victor Torp has a fan in Frank Lampard - but who is the Sky Blues' Danish maestro?

FourFourTwo

01/28/2026

Aston Villa re-signing Douglas Luiz addresses a major crisis - and keeping this team on track is...

Aston Villa's loan move for Douglas Luiz highlights the extent of their injury issues, which are concentrated in one key position

High Protein Beef Paste

01/20/2026

The J.League is in the middle of changing its football calendar in a World Cup year - this is the...

Introducing the 100 Year Vision League, the reward-laden bridge between J.League seasons

FourFourTwo

01/18/2026

Aston Villa signing Tammy Abraham proves that their biggest transfer window gamble was the deal...

Aston Villa allowed Donyell Malen to leave and Ollie Watkins is the only senior striker available to Unai Emery

FourFourTwo

01/17/2026

Michael Carrick couldn't have picked a better game to set the tone as Manchester United boss

Carrick will lead Manchester United as manager for the first time in Saturday's Manchester derby and it could be the making of the Red Devils' season

FourFourTwo

01/15/2026

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Raul Jimenez won't top the Premier League scoring charts but both are...

Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago are running away with the Golden Boot race but two strikers are upsetting the odds in their shadow

FourFourTwo

01/10/2026

Wrexham are in the hunt for a fourth consecutive promotion but the FA Cup is a chance to add a...

Wrexham have fulfilled their narrative responsibilities under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney but a run in the FA Cup would write a fresher chapter in 2025-26

FourFourTwo

12/20/2025

Aston Villa have broken football data and now find themselves in the Premier League title race

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery doesn't want to talk about the title but his results are making those questions unavoidable

FourFourTwo

12/04/2025

The Specials One

An interview with Frank Lampard, FourFourTwo's EFL Manager of the Year

FourFourTwo

12/02/2025

The Barcelona boy emerging as Birmingham City's Powerhouse precursor

Paik Seung-ho is maturing into his midfield responsibilities in his second season in the Championship

FourFourTwo

11/27/2025

West Bromwich Albion need to find their voice to be heard above noisy West Midlands neighbours

West Bromwich Albion played two West Midlands rivals in five days and failed to capitalise on the lead against both of them

FourFourTwo

11/17/2025

Thomas Tuchel's England are in a better place than ever. Now the real work begins.

Tuchel hasn't taken the easy route to World Cup 2026 but England made light work of qualification and finished the campaign in their best shape yet

FourFourTwo

11/08/2025

Stop looking at Jack Grealish's numbers: he's integral to Everton, whether the stats show it or not

Jack Grealish started the season with a flurry of assists but he's always been a player capable of defying science

FourFourTwo

10/31/2025

'A Doug King masterstroke': Frank Lampard is putting Coventry City back on the map and showing he...

Lampard and Coventry are sitting pretty at the top of the Championship

AVillaFan.com

10/27/2025

‘Football is bigger in the music community than people give it credit for’: the heavy metal hero...

Aston Villa and heavy metal have had a connection since the beginning. Birmingham is the home of heavy metal, Black Sabbath its progenitors.

FourFourTwo

09/16/2025

'Pure hatred': Southampton, Portsmouth and a long-awaited south coast derby that never burst its...

The south coast's Championship bubble match never got its big moment but utter contempt is alive and well in Hampshire

MUNDIAL

09/08/2025

How Cardiac Risk in the Young are making football a safer place for young people

Chris Nee explores how the sudden and tragic death of Everton teenager John Marshall helped save dozens of lives.

AVillaFan.com

08/08/2025

Aston Villa exclusive: Jed Steer on Dean Smith, Emiliano Martínez and the art of goalkeeping

Premier League promotion winner Jed Steer talks about playing for Aston Villa, Emi Martinez, Dean Smith and big decisions in life.

High Protein Beef Paste

England's mighty EURO Lionesses are growing the game in real-time

Sarina Wiegman's European champions are fully fledged stars and women's football will reap the rewards

FourFourTwo

07/30/2025

Tom Brady's Birmingham City documentary makes big promises: 'We will get to the Premier League;...

Built in Birmingham: Brady & The Blues examines a changing club culture

FourFourTwo

07/27/2025

Why Tom Brady and Birmingham might just leave Wrexham in their dust and shock the Championship

Prime Video's Blues documentary series will soon be aired but all the focus in Birmingham is on the Championship kick-off

AVillaFan.com

07/21/2025

Aston Villa news: Francesco Calvo's 'orchestra' pledge and vital Villa revenue opportunities

The financial requirements of the Premier League and UEFA have come to define everything Aston Villa are doing as a football club.

AVillaFan.com

07/23/2025

Aston Villa transfers can't include an Ollie Watkins sale without losing the right to act 'premium'

Whatever plans Aston Villa have for the rest of the summer transfer window, allowing Ollie Watkins to leave cannot be a part of them.

We Are Terriers

Huddersfield Town strengthen at the back with the signing of Joe Low

Former Wycombe Wanderers centre-back makes the move north as Lee Grant's new defensive bedrock

FourFourTwo

07/19/2025

'The scent of change is in the air': Women's Euro 2025 is likely to be the end of the road for...

Sarina Wiegman has taken England to unthinkable new heights but the edges are starting to fray in a turbulent summer - even though it could still end in success

FourFourTwo

07/12/2025

'Sometimes a club, a situation, is just right': Morgan Gibbs-White is a great fit for Spurs but...

From Jack Rodwell and Steve Sidwell to Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish, England has a troubled past when it comes to big money moves

FourFourTwo

06/27/2025

'There hasn't been a whiff of panic': Bournemouth's defensive decimation is the harsh consequence...

Bournemouth have never finished higher or experienced more demand for their players in the transfer market - but it might not be a disaster to lose so many stars at once

MUNDIAL

06/20/2025

From Mighty Meatball to Champions League captain

The legend of John McGinn, told by the people who know him best...

High Protein Beef Paste

Football is community: the St Mirren supporters paying it forward in Paisley

Never underestimate the gift of the game

FourFourTwo

04/10/2025

'He calls it a batch': Frank Lampard, Jamie Paterson and the Coventry City who made a miraculous...

Late goals have given Coventry a shot at the play-offs and their stunning winner against Portsmouth was the emotional pinnacle of their season so far

High Protein Beef Paste

Brackley Town's National League North promotion push is leading them down a painfully familiar road

National League North promotion hopefuls go toe to toe with Kidderminster Harriers for a title shot

FourFourTwo

02/12/2025

Football talks a good game on homophobia but must stand strong against online fan vitriol

On the ground in the EFL during Football v Homophobia's Month of Action

High Protein Beef Paste

How football in Yokohama was defined by a malicious merger and a supporter revolution

The story of three inextricably linked teams in one fractured football city

FourFourTwo

03/21/2025

'Moriyasu's top players are Champions League regulars with genuine experience at the highest...

Samurai Blue breezed through AFC qualification and Hajime Moriyasu will lead them at his second World Cup finals

High Protein Beef Paste

Léo Ceará and Yuma Suzuki: Kashima's new power partnership in pursuit of the title

Kashima Antlers target the top with the best strike force in Japan

FourFourTwo

01/30/2025

'He's a crucial player for us and I was gutted to see him get injured': how Tomoki Iwata became...

Birmingham's vital midfield anchor was carried off the pitch on his return from injury

High Protein Beef Paste

The Beef: Lee Downer

LOWLIVES frontman on West Ham United and following English football from America

Freelance football and sports writer specialising in West Midlands football, EFL, J.League and supporter culture