
Getting into soccer? You’re in the right place.
Welcome to The Tap-Inn. We serve simple, witty, twice-weekly explainers to help you understand soccer, the world’s most popular sport. No assumed knowledge, no PhD-level tactics, no nonsense.
—Joe, your Irish bartender (no, really)
Previous Editions
Browse all past issuesSound Like A Regular
“Lost the dressing room”
/lɒst ðə ˈdrɛsɪŋ ruːm/
phrase · soccer
- Definition:
- Team chemistry and collective harmony are gone. Some senior players lead a mutiny against the coach, who usually gets fired within weeks.
- Origin:
- A pretty literal one, this. The dressing room is where players change, talk, and, when things go south, vent. The phrase started cropping up in British soccer media in the 1990s to describe the moment a manager loses the trust, respect and buy-in of the squad.
“Did you see Real Madrid's training ground stories this week? Arbeloa's lost the dressing room. Three bust-ups in seven days. He'll be gone by June.”
ASK THE BARTENDER
Games At The Bar
Find Your Premier League Club
New to the Premier League? Take our quick quiz and discover which team matches your personality, values, and style!
Want to get into soccer? Start here.
Answer ten questions about how the game works and we'll tell you what kind of fan you already are — and how to fill in the bits you don't know yet!
Understand soccer? Let’s find out.
Ten things we’ve overheard at the bar. Ten chances to prove you know what they mean. Plus: get your own personalised soccer 'style of play' at the end!
MOST READ EXPLAINERS
Browse allWhy do soccer teams play in so many competitions?
Why clubs juggle their domestic league, knockout cups and European tournaments across the same season.
What do soccer formations like 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 mean?
How to read the numbers in common soccer formations and what they reveal about a team's intentions.
What is the Carabao Cup?
England's second domestic knockout competition, why it keeps changing names, and why clubs care more than they admit.


