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Tactical Analysis: Inverted Fullbacks
There was once a time, when fullbacks were considered the worst player on the team, with a limited influence on the game from an attacking viewpoint, whilst having one main job – stop the opposition wide midfielder. Jamie Carragher once famously quoted that fullbacks were either failed wingers or failed centre-backs. However, Over the past…
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Finding a Long-Term Sergio Agüero Replacement
Just six months ago the English tabloids were writing of an end of an era, foreseeing the departure of Pep Guardiola after a difficult season at Manchester City. The Cityzens had been steamrolled domestically by Liverpool and had been eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League by an unfancied Olympique Lyon side. With his…
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Fog, Punches And Rearranged Qualifiers: Italy’s 1958 World Cup Failure
Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup under the ill-fated tenure of Gian Piero Ventura is something many Italian football fans won’t forget. Yet it was not the first time they felt the bitter pain of missing out on the world’s premier tournament. That came on a wintry day in January 1958. …
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Jayden Bogle: Sheffield United’s Buccaneering Young Wingback
It has been far from a straightforward path to life in the Premier League for Jayden Bogle. Born in Reading, Bogle began his development with the Royals before being released at the age of 14. After a brief spell with Swindon Town, he joined Derby County’s academy on January 20, 2016, ahead of leaving full-time…
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Soccer and the Technology Behind Online Sports Betting
Sports betting has been in existence for a long time, dating back to the days when people would bet on races during traditional ceremonies. It went on to experience some significant growth following the launch of brick & mortar casinos. People would visit these casinos to place wagers on different sporting events. The advent…
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Introducing: The Double False 9
The clock has just ticked over 20 minutes and Real Madrid’s centre back partners Sergio Ramos and Raphaël Varane are finding themselves in a rapid whirlwind of calculations. Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva had both been positioning themselves within reach for quite a while, but it was only now that City were able to…
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Player Analysis: Ritsu Doan
Ritsu Doan is a 22-year-old Japanese right winger/attacking midfielder who is currently playing in the Bundesliga for newly promoted Arminia Bielefeld. Doan is on loan from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, having moved to Bielefelder Alm on a season-long loan in September. Doan was born in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan and grew up playing for Gamba…
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Benoît Badiashile and Axel Disasi: The Best U-23 Defensive Partnership in Europe?
France. Baguettes, croissants and centre-halves. Just three things they do exceptionally well. The latter is the focus today, and my word, do the French produce quality centre-backs. Perhaps best epitomised by the fact that Aymeric Laporte is still yet to have a senior cap to his name, the abundance of centre-half talent that France…
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49 Goals in 19 Games: How Schalke’s Ozan Kabak Can Plug Liverpool’s Defence
As the clock crawls towards the end of the January transfer window, Liverpool have an issue. Virgil van Dijk, Joël Matip and Joe Gomez are all injured. Whilst Matip may be close to a return, Van Dijk will be lucky to play in April and Gomez will be lucky to play at all this season.…
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Player Analysis: Ben Davies
Many feared that Virgil van Dijk’s long term injury had the potential to derail Liverpool’s title defence. The fall out from that clumsy Jordan Pickford lunge in a controversial Merseyside derby was messy, to say the least. Emotions were running high, the goalkeeper was met with a barrage of online abuse and rival fans rejoiced…
