Spoiler

You probably know this already, but The Spoiler is now CLOSED

To everyone who ever derived any pleasure from The Spoiler, thanks for laughing at our jokes, but in case you’re dropping back in the hope we’ve miraculously sprung to life again, we haven’t. And we won’t.

With fond regards,

The Editors

The Spoiler’s six favourite things about Euro 2012

This guy definitely wasn’t only there for the sing song…

Player: Federico Balzaretti Andres Iniesta and Andrea Pirlo were drenched in adulation, but The Spoiler’s inherent contrariness forces us to adulate a less lauded soul. This summer was Balzaretti’s turn. Domenico Criscito getting smeared by the match-fixing scandal and a swift shift back to 4-3-1-2 gave Balzaretti an unexpected opportunity and our hero seized it [...]

What would you do – if you were underused Spurs striker Defoe?

Hope they don’t sign anyone? Embrace the bench? Do a runner?

Jermain Defoe’s present position is rather barmy. Despite being deemed worthy of only 11 Premier League starts last season, he is currently the only striker left at Tottenham.

The England forward has spent and at times wasted seven-and-a-half years of his career at Spurs and after a campaign spent glued to the bench despite a [...]

Mystic Mancini dusts his magic 8 ball off for the Euro 2012 semis

Man City boss has joyous news for the people of Italy and Portugal

Roberto Mancini was easily the most entertaining man in the Premier League over the final two months of the season (yes, even flying clear of Mario Balotelli) as he brought out a box of mind games that this country had never seen before.

Little did we ignorant Brits know that in addition to the tried-and-tested [...]

The Spoiler’s ratings out of 10 for England’s Euro 2012 ensemble

Contrary to expectation, the Liverpool bunch weren’t responsible

A wise man once said that it is impossible to quantify a player’s worth with an arbitrary and slightly suffocating mark out of ten. The Spoiler wasn’t listening during that sermon though sadly, so here are our ratings for England’s Euro 2012 target-meeters…

Joe Hart 6 No career-curtailing mistake but nothing memorable either. Proved that [...]

AVB’s threat to pull out of talks with Tottenham oozes petulance

Ex-Chelsea boss confused by the concept of an interview process

The Spoiler won’t tackle the logistics of how one resigns from talks as Barney Ronay has nailed that on Twitter, but there is much to find fascinating about Andre Villas-Boas’ alleged anger at being told Tottenham were discussing their vacancy with other candidates.

Perhaps, and it’s a lingering per-ha-psss at that, Jose Mourinho [...]

Arsenal boss may regret Serie A baiting reaction to RVP rumours

So if Italian clubs are rubbish and Spain’s aren’t keen that leaves…

The Spoiler is often reluctant to direct its daggers at Arsene Wenger when he errs as there is so much to admire about him, but if he wants to go poking his tongue out at our favourite league then a line has clearly been crossed.

Admittedly, if one of his key Serie A criticisms relates [...]

Czech Republic and Portugal to spoil Euro 2012-starved viewers

Tournament’s return from massive 48-hour hiatus to be gripping

After the UEFA schedulers had the audacity to leave us with a whole Wednesday devoid of football, Czech Republic and Portugal have a chance to make amends in the first quarter-final of Euro 2012.

To many this is the least intriguing of the four rather succulent steaks available to feast on in the last eight, [...]