Liam Tharme

It's a familiar story: a Brentford striker scores lots of goals ➡️ gets signed by another club ➡️ Brentford are tipped to struggle.

Except they don't.

The west London club are experts in centre-forward succession planning.

@liamtharme.bsky.social explains how it works ⬇️

bit.ly/4pDFMes

Eliud Kipchoge exclusive interview: Breaking records, the sub-two-hour marathon and his new 'World Tour'

I spent 30 mins talking with Eliud Kipchoge. The nicest man in athletics.

Everything about his new “world tour” (7 marathons, 7 continents, 2yrs), racing Bekele, 1:59 in Vienna, WRs in Berlin, books, mentorship & Kipyegon’s sub4 attempt

@theathletic.com 🇰🇪

www.nytimes.com/athletic/679...

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden interview: ‘I really did everything that I wanted to do this year’ The 24-year-old American’s remarkable season brought 19 wins from 20 individual races, and seven revisions to her personal bests

"I wrote down in my goal book that I want to become a 100m and 200m world champion, and then a 4x100m champion again.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden had more than a breakout year in 2025.

The American spoke to @liamtharme.bsky.social about it.

Pod tomorrow on this very subject.

Any questions for the panel?

@zonal-marking.bsky.social @markcarey93.bsky.social @liamtharme.bsky.social

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wants a dream ending at the World Championships but, whatever happens, the 38-year-old's incredible legacy is assured, writes @liamtharme.bsky.social ⤵️

🔗 theathletic.com/6615685/?sou...

Armand Duplantis, the making of a generational talent: ‘It’s like I’m a performing artist’ Armand Duplantis is just 25 but is already an all-time sports great

It’s World Champs week! 🇯🇵

First up, I spoke to Mondo Duplantis’ former coaches @lsu.bsky.social and the Swedish NT 🇸🇪 to understand how he went from child prodigy to doubly Olympic champ and 13x world records

www.nytimes.com/athletic/657...

The commonality of allegiance transferring is mentioned in the piece!

Mailbag: Send in your questions for The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast Send in your questions now ahead of a special episode of The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast

Send in your questions for @theathleticfc.bsky.social Tactics Podcast special mailbag episode!

What trend, team, or player has caught your eye from the season so far?

Or are there any tactical/data questions you would like us to address?

Let us know below!

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Why are Jamaica's Olympic medalists switching to represent Turkey?

A piece I’ve wanted to write all summer: why four Jamaican 🇯🇲 field athletes, three of whom were Olympic medalists in Paris, are switching allegiance to Turkey 🇹🇷

I asked Rajindra Campbell (shot put) + Roje Stona (discus) about their decisions in Zürich

www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Mailbag: Send in your questions for The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast

Send in your questions now ahead of a mailbag episode of the pod next week.

Drop them here, or follow the link below.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

Olympic 200m champion Thomas to miss World Championships with injury

No Gabby Thomas in Tokyo. A real shame.

She’s out with an Achilles problem which started in May and resurfaced in July.

She was the only track athlete with three golds (200m, 4x100m, 4x400m) in Paris, and took silver in Budapest over 200m.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/659...

Gjert Ingebrigtsen interview: ‘Of course there is a winner when it comes to the verdict’ Gjert Ingebrigtsen speaks after a harrowing trial in which his double Olympic champion son Jakob and daughter Ingrid accused him of abuse

Track coach Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father of double Olympic champion Jakob and his six siblings, was convicted of hitting daughter Ingrid with a towel but cleared of all of the abuse charges made by his children after a high-profile trial in Norway this year.

He speaks to @liamtharme.bsky.social.

Football Architects: The England DNA behind the pursuit of tournament-winning teams In December 2014, The FA laid out its vision for future internationals to be exceptional across four “corners” - this is what happened next

Part five of Football Architects — it's a topical one....

This is how the implementation of the FA's England DNA project supercharged the national teams — women, men, and juniors — to the most successful period in their history.

W/ @liamtharme.bsky.social:

www.nytimes.com/athletic/646...

U.S. track and field championships: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and more to watch in Eugene

US T&F trials start today! 🇺🇸

Here’s your preview:
• Qualification process
• Syd’s switch to 400m flat
• Lyles’ 200m defence
• Quincy Wilson but not Hall in 400m
• Brazier/Muhammad’s comebacks
• Houlihan’s return
+ more

Coverage @theathletic.com

www.nytimes.com/athletic/652...

Wightman and Brazier's tough comebacks show turbocharging of men's middle-distance running

Refreshing + insightful chats with Donovan Brazier and Jake Wightman at the London DL 💎 yesterday as two former World Champs attempt comebacks in the 800m and 1,500m

Faster races, aggressive tactics, less room for error. US & GB trials soon - both could make Tokyo

www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

Katarina Johnson-Thompson interview: 'I just want to continue heptathlon for as long as I'm capable'

Interviewed KJT yesterday ahead of her long jumping in the London DL 💎

Her Paris thoughts and review, chasing Thiam & Hall, reinventing herself and becoming more than a jumper, and her connection with heptathlon 🇬🇧

www.nytimes.com/athletic/650...

ICYMI

Episode one of Football Architects on Ajax is available to listen to now!

With @michaeljbailey.bsky.social @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social @liamtharme.bsky.social and excerpts of an interview with Jasper van Leeuwen and Ruben Jongkind.

pod.fo/e/2f4b77

The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast: How Belgium marched to world number one On episode two of Football Architects, we’re focusing on the rise that took a stagnant Belgium to number one in FIFA’s world rankings.We’ll hear about how they established a footballing DNA, ...

Episode two of Football Architects is LIVE!

This part focuses on the rise of Belgium to No.1 in the world.

Featuring @michaeljbailey.bsky.social @jacobwhitehead.bsky.social & @liamtharme.bsky.social

pod.fo/e/2f8cce

Kenny Bednarek knows what he wants, if he can just relax: ‘Make money, get gold medals and just run fast’ The American is on a mission to become the world's fastest sprinter

Had the privilege of chatting to Olympic and World 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek for 45 mins

Olympics review, his upbringing, racing Tebogo, block starts, relaxing off the bend, JuCo and UO dreams, wanting triple gold in Tokyo, fixing US men’s 4x100 & more

www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

What it would take for Faith Kipyegon to become the first female sub four-minute miler How learnings from the sub-two hour marathon project have been carried into Thursday's sub-four mile record attempt in Paris

What’s it going to take for Faith Kipyegon to become the first female four-minute miler?

I spoke to people from Breaking2 in 2017 (Kipchoge’s sub-two marathon shot) to understand physiological + drafting demands for Breaking4.

Spoiler: it’s a huge “moonshot” 🇰🇪

www.nytimes.com/athletic/644...

How the Premier League revolutionised academies to create pathways for Delap, Eze, Johnson and many more For a while, the footballers developed at English clubs were considered inferior. But no longer. What has changed?

The end of 2024-25 was a good advert for how youth development in England has been transformed.

But no two players have the same pathway — @liamtharme.bsky.social spoke to the Premier League’s Director of Football Neil Saunders and Liam Delap about the nation's talent revolution.

Tomorrow the Tactics pod brings you a classic: Alternative Team of The Season!

One player from every club in the bottom half of the table plus one wildcard - send us your suggestions below 👇

Jean-Philippe Mateta: My Game in My Words The Crystal Palace striker talks instincts, finishing technique with both feet and that protective headgear ahead of the FA Cup final

Jean-Philippe Mateta: My Game In My Words

“I don’t just want to be, ‘JP scores when he makes the run in behind’. I can dribble, I can shoot first touch, I can score with my left or right, and more with my head"

@mattwoosie.bsky.social @liamtharme.bsky.social #CPFC

www.nytimes.com/athletic/635...

The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast: How Forest have outsmarted the Premier League’s elite This week… we’re talking about Nuno Espirito Santo’s Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.We’ll break down how a team who flirted with relegation last season have become one of the mo...

A labour of love for me to fill in on the @theathleticfc.bsky.social tactics pod and talk #NFFC today.

@zonal-marking.bsky.social @liamtharme.bsky.social and @markcarey93.bsky.social brought the knowledge

pod.fo/e/2c2575

Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic champion who will testify against the father he accuses of abuse

The backstory to the trial is here.

Jakob’s younger sister, Ingrid, will testify tomorrow and Thursday, before three days of Gjert being questioned next week.

The trial is scheduled for 6 weeks — until mid May.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/621...

Jakob Ingebrigtsen says he was slapped, kicked by father Gjert who ‘had control over my entire life’ The 59-year-old Gjert Ingebrigtsen denies charges of abuse against two of his seven children.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen testified today (he will for 1hr 30 tomorrow too) against his father, Gjert, who is on trial for abuse charges against Jakob and his younger sister Ingrid.

A report from day two of the trial, w/ @sigvekvamme.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/athletic/622...

The Athletic FC Tactics Podcast: Who are the Champions League favourites now? We’re focusing our attention on the Champions League.This season’s competition is at the quarter-final stages — giving us the perfect moment to look back on what’s happened and what the res...

NEW POD!

It's Champions League review/preview time.

We look at the RO16 results and ahead to the quarters.

With @michaeljbailey.bsky.social @zonal-marking.bsky.social @liamtharme.bsky.social & @markcarey93.bsky.social

pod.fo/e/2b827a

Lewis Hall is Newcastle’s new attacking weapon – as Nottingham Forest discovered Why Eddie Howe's patient restructure of his defence is paying dividends

Eddie Howe stressed that, with patience, Lewis Hall would become a top player.

He was right. Hall has replaced Trippier’s creativity and brings so much out of Gordon with his underlaps.

Involved in all 4 goals v Forest yesterday. Give him his flowers.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/615...

Newcastle went with a hybrid defensive approach of a 5-4-1 mid-block and man-for-man press v City. Bounce passes and long balls unlocked them, and Newcastle conceded 3 in a PL first half for the first time under Howe — he called it a “painful watch”.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/613...

Chris Wood has now scored 29 goals in 41 Premier League appearances for Nottingham Forest under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Since his first game in charge (23 Dec 2023), only Haaland (32), Isak (31) and Palmer (30) have more Premier League goals than Wood.