Articles
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Demystifying a Legend: Ryan Giggs
Just to clear things up, the word ‘overrated’ in this context doesn’t mean Ryan Giggs wasn’t a good player, because he was a good player with great achievements. But being ‘good’ was the height of his individual abilities, nostalgia tends to make football fans (especially Manchester United fans) remember him as great or special which…
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Takehiro Tomiyasu: A Transformative Cog in Mikel Arteta’s Youth Revolution
Arsenal’s final signing of the 2021 Summer Transfer Window is Takehiro Tomiyasu. The 22-year-old Japanese international arrives highly acclaimed from North Italian outfit Bologna. Tomiyasu played a variety of roles in Bologna’s backline last season, filling in across the backline including at left back on rare occasions. His primary role is as a right-sided defender,…
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Konrad de la Fuente: Ligue 1’s Newest Wonderkid
It’s arguably premature to sensationalise a 20-year-old youngster just four matchdays into the new season. Those matches are also the first senior games Konrad de la Fuente has ever played outside of Barcelona’s B team, so we’re still in the wilderness regarding his full footballing ability. Yet Konrad, as he prefers to be called,…
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What’s Going Wrong with Leeds United?
After returning to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years, Leeds United enjoyed a superb campaign under Marcelo Bielsa, finishing 9th in the table. However, the following season has started on a bitter note as Leeds lost four preseason friendlies — including a 0-4 thrashing against Ajax — drew two friendlies, and…
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Romelu Lukaku on Course to Break Cristiano Ronaldo’s International Goals Record
Cristiano Ronaldo became the highest-scoring international player of all time with a brace against the Republic of Ireland in the European World Cup qualifiers. Both goals were his 110th and 111th for Portugal which took him past Iranian legend, Ali Daei on 109 goals who had held the record since 2006. But now that…
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Analyzing Maurizio Sarri’s First Home Game in Charge of Lazio
Lazio kicked off the Maurizio Sarri era with a 3-1 win against newly promoted Empoli, where Sarri coached from 2012 to 2015 and led to promotion. Their final match before September’s international break saw them host Spezia, coached by Thiago Motta following Vincenzo Italiano’s departure to Fiorentina in the summer. Whilst Spezia started in…
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Declan Rice: A Younger Version of Jorginho or Kanté, or Both?
A lot of the elite clubs are interested in signing holding midfielders, who will remain at the club for the next decade. Unfortunately for them, it seems the market for talented holding midfielders is very scarce. Fernandinho (36), Nemanja Matić (33), Sergio Busquets (33), Idrissa Gueye (31) … the list of holding midfielders that have…
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Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk and … Sheriff Tiraspol?
“Who?” Was the reaction from many when Sheriff Tiraspol were drawn from pot four into a group surrounded by Champions League heavyweights. The question, in this instance, is probably a fair one. Even the most dedicated Football Manager players and self-proclaimed European football experts would be hard-pressed for knowledge on these Champions League debutants. The…
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Player Analysis: Callum O’Hare
For as long as time – think Maradona vs England in ’86 or Messi exhibit one of 400 – phenomenal solo runs have often been followed by opposing fans’ cries for defenders to scythe them down at the apparent multiple opportunities to do so. After all, those slight, slippery ball carriers in full flight are…
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Beware the Apathy, Arsenal
A little over a year ago, Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side won the FA Cup. Fans were buoyant and then subsequently; expectant, hoping to carry the momentum from that triumph into the next season. It was not enough; Arsenal spluttered and stumbled to another eighth-place finish. Fast forward three games into this current season…
