Daily Archives: February 12, 2026

Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1 – How did Konate get on vs Brobbey? First-half issues? Right-back options?

“Liverpool came through a bruising encounter away to Sunderland, with battles across the pitch and a serious-looking injury to Wataru Endo. Virgil van Dijk’s goal just after the hour was enough to seal three points at the Stadium of Light and inflict the hosts’ first home defeat of the season after a first half in which Liverpool missed several chances, before Endo had to be carried off a few minutes later to add to their right-back concerns. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
YouTube: Highlights: Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool | Van Dijk Goal Secures Away Win!

Headed clearances are rising significantly – football should not ignore the health risks

“A couple of weeks ago, two football stories which seemed unrelated were, in reality, very much connected. The first story was Arsenal’s apparent inability to score goals from open play, in the aftermath of their 3-2 defeat by Manchester United. The second was the inquest into the death of former Scotland and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 70. The latter, clearly, is of greater importance. It wasn’t simply about McQueen. The report from senior coroner Jonathan Heath was stark about the impact repeatedly heading footballs had upon his life, and indeed upon his death. …”
NY Times/The Athletic – Michael Cox (Video)

Sean Dyche at Forest, and why the Wolves game could be pivotal to his future

“Sean Dyche was right when he observed that Evangelos Marinakis was unlikely to sack him on the back of one poor performance by his Nottingham Forest side at Leeds United. But there is a reason Forest’s match tonight (Wednesday) against fellow relegation candidates Wolverhampton Wanderers feels as though it will carry an additional weight for their head coach. It is not just one game that has left Dyche’s position in the spotlight less than four months into his tenure as Forest’s third head coach of this season, but the cumulative effect of several recent displays. …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)