Court Offside - The Opinionated Blog

August 14

EFL League Two Predictions 2026/27

The 2026/27 EFL League Two season promises to be another fascinating campaign, with Rotherham United, Port Vale, Northampton Town and Exeter City relegated from League One, while Rochdale and York City earned promotion from the National League. York return to the EFL as Champions after a dramatic final day of the National League season.

There are also several clubs with genuine promotion ambitions. Salford City reached last season's play-off final, Chesterfield also made the play-offs, while Rotherham United and Port Vale arrive from League One with squads containing considerable experience.

August 14

EFL League One Predictions 2026/27

There is an incredibly strong collection of clubs competing in the third tier this season, including former Premier League champions Leicester City, recently relegated Sheffield Wednesday, as well as Luton Town, Blackpool, Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town and Reading

So, who will go up, who will make the play-offs and who will drop into League Two? Here's my predictions for everyone and everything in League One!

August 14

EFL Champiosnhip Predictions 2026/27

The 2026/27 EFL Championship promises to be one of the most competitive second-tier seasons for years, with three clubs relegated from the Premier League joining a division that already contains several established promotion contenders.

There has also been a significant change to the play-off system. From this season, six Championship clubs will compete in the play-offs rather than four. The teams finishing third to eighth will qualify. But who makes the cut?

August 14

Premier League Predictions 2026/27

The 2026/27 Premier League season is almost upon us, and after one of the most dramatic campaigns in recent memory, there is plenty to get excited about.

Arsenal finally ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title last season, finishing five points clear of Manchester City after an excellent campaign. But can they do it again? Or can Manchester City reclaim their crown?

June 18

England off and running!

England supporters woke up this morning with plenty to smile about after a thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in the World Cup. It was a performance packed with attacking intent, confidence, and moments of genuine quality.

While there are still areas to improve, this felt like the kind of result that can build momentum and belief within a squad aiming to go deep into the tournament.

June 2

New Vinnie Jones Netflix Documentary

I sat down last night to watch the new Vinnie Jones documentary on Netflix, and while it tells the story of one of football’s most recognisable hard men.

Love him or loathe him, football would be a far less colourful sport to watch without characters like Vinnie Jones. The documentary captures that perfectly and offers a nostalgic look back at a version of the game that, for better or worse, we’ll never see again.

May 21

Arsenal are Champions Again.. Finally!

Arsenal are Premier League champions again, but questions remain over some shocking VAR decisions, most notably Kai Havertz not being sent off against Burnley. Can that luck continue into the Champions League Final against PSG? Or will they get brought back down to earth with a bump?

Most undeserved title in the Premier League era? The trophy cabinet is fuller, but the debate is only just starting.

May 15

VAR Is Killing The Game -Scrap It NOW!

VAR was supposed to improve football, instead it's created confusion, inconsistency and killed the emotion. Nobody signed up for this. Absolutely nobody wanted to lose that instant moment of pure ecstasy after their side score a goal.

We're left with line drawing and nose hairs being offside. We're seeing VAR get multiple decisions wrong almost every week. Just scrap it. NOW!

May 13

Premier League | Then vs Now

Has the Premier League lost its magic? Why did the late 90s and early 2000s produced so many more iconic footballers than today’s modern game?

From Bergkamp's briliiance and Cantona's aura, we're now clinging onto the one or two world level players and where are the personalities? Everyone is media trained and the characters are slowly leaving the sport...

May 8

Watered Down World Cup

48 teams. 104 matches. The greatest tournament on Earth, apparently. FIFA's move to exapnd the field has created a real lack of interest in the group phase and it's certainly going to impact the quality.

Who's looking forward to staying up and watching Iran v New Zealand at 2am? Or Ecuador v Curacao at 1am? How about Tunisia v Japan at 5am?