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What is Next for Manchester United?
As Jesse Lingard pounced on Kasper Schmeichel’s error to put Manchester United 2-0 up away at Leicester on the final day of the 2019/20 Premier League season, it felt like the feel-good factor had returned to Old Trafford as the Red Devils secured Champions League football for the 2020/21 season in 3rd place — despite…
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Cristiano Lucarelli: How a Political Enemy Became Italy’s Best Goalscorer
Shirt tucked in. Captains armband. Livorno was Cristiano Lucarelli’s ninth club, but the one closest to his heart. A divisive figure, known for having La Bandiera Rossa as his ringtone, he scored one-hundred and one goals in four seasons to fire Livorno from tenth in Serie B to ninth place in the Italian top flight. …
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Player Analysis: Marash Kumbulla
The biggest surprise of the 2019/20 Serie A campaign was undoubtedly Ivan Jurić’s Hellas Verona. After going down 2-0 in the first leg of the promotion playoffs to Cittadella, Hellas Verona launched a remarkable comeback in the second leg to seal promotion after a sole season in Serie B. Jurić replaced caretaker manager Alfredo Aglietti…
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Player Analysis: Ricardo Nascimento
At 33 years old, Ricardo Nascimento has proved to be one of the best ball-playing central defenders in PSL, playing most of his matches on the left side of the Mamelodi Sundowns’ central defence. The Brazilian joined Sundowns in July 2016 from Académica in the Primeira Liga (Portugal) and seems to be getting better with…
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How Cristian Romero Will Fit Into Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta
Atalanta has constantly defied expectations since Gian Piero Gasperini was appointed as its coach in 2016 and La Dea have done so playing entertaining football. Their attacking philosophy has also exposed some deficiencies in defense though but the Orobici have acquired a defender that could play a crucial part in rectifying those problems. …
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Tactical Analysis: Asymmetry at Tottenham Hotspur
Perhaps the most notable and significant tactical element of Tottenham Hotspur since José Mourinho was appointed last November has been the use of asymmetric full backs, with the left-sided player tucking in to create a back three whereas the right-sided player sits in a more advanced position. This asymmetric fullback setup creates a…
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How Declan Rice Has Become West Ham’s Key Man
West Ham United’s English starlet, Declan Rice continues to be linked to Frank Lampard’s free-spending Chelsea for a fee north of £70 million although David Moyes is looking to keep hold of the ex-Ireland international if the Hammers are to stand any chance of staying in the Premier League and improving on their underwhelming 2019/20…
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Premier League Predictions: Matchday Two
Matchday Two brings several interesting plot points after the opening weekend of the Premier League. Which club can build on a positive start, who is already in crisis mode and who can spring a surprise? Time to look at the predictions. Everton vs West Brom Many were impressed at Everton’s win at Tottenham on…
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Gabriel Magalhães: Avenging Arsenal’s Defensive Woes
On September 1st, 2020, Arsenal announced the signing of Gabriel Magalhães from Lille for £25 million. Commonly known as Gabriel, the 6’3″ defender was subject to interest from both Manchester United and Napoli before eventually opting to make the switch to North London. For the Gunners, they’ve successfully tied down one of Europe’s most…
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Hey Google, Who’s the Most Important Player in Barcelona’s Build-up Play?
Google is one of the world’s most valuable companies, with an unquestionable hold over the search engine market, and influence in many other areas. There are many stats that show just how big Google is, but this hardly seems like something that needs to be proven. Everyone knows Google! When you ask Google a…
