A Christmas World Cup makes John Roycroft consider a new genre of seasonal entertainment, where the worlds of football and pantomime performance meet. 

One week in, John Roycroft looks at how the contenders in the Qatar World Cup have fared.

The Manchester United ship has still to be steadied since Ralf Rangnick's arrival as interim manager, John Roycroft wonders if this is part of Rangnick's attempt to revolutionize things at the club or another miss-step by the football giant?

The rivalry between Manchester United and Liverpool is a long and storied affair. But as John Roycroft points out, comes with the bonus of showcasing the talents of two of the best players in the world at the moment and the added spice of Ole Gunnar Solskjær's fate depending on the result

John Roycroft expresses his frustration that referees still can override VAR evidence in favour of their own decisions.

Many happy returns in the Premier League, as John Roycroft casts an eye over the early season events across the water.