Articles
-
![]()
Raphinha: Bielsa’s Brazilian Star Forcing Himself into Seleção Contention
Although many wingers this season have contributed to their sides in terms of goals and assists, few can boast a real sense of unpredictability and excitement when they get the ball. For the natural sharpshooters deployed on the flanks like Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, attacking play can become fairly routine: hugging the touchline and using…
-
![]()
Data Analysis: Harvey Barnes
While Jamie Vardy is Leicester City’s perennial talisman and James Maddison’s linear progress is receiving public acclaim, Harvey Barnes’ form has somewhat slipped under the radar. Perhaps this is apt: Barnes isn’t a player who exudes flair on the ball, he doesn’t appear to be a vociferous personality and he isn’t racking up 30 goals…
-
![]()
Henrik Mkhitaryan’s Revival at Roma
Armenian international Henrikh Mkhitaryan has arguably been Roma’s best player in the 2020/21 Serie A season so far. After impressing on loan during the 2019/20 campaign, the attacking midfielder had his contract with Arsenal terminated by mutual consent and the Giallorossi signed him on a free transfer. His form in his second season at the…
-
![]()
Player Analysis: Aaron Boupendza
Antakya, the capital of the southernmost Turkish province has borne witness to countless empires and rulers, the Akkadians, Amorites, Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians, and Persians amongst others, however, Hatay has found a new ruler, this time in the form of a Gabonese panther. Often after the panther has struck, a customary cartwheel-backflip is performed, striking fear and…
-
![]()
Leah Galton: Casey Stoney’s Protean Trump Card
Since its inception, The FA Women’s Super League has undergone several different phases of growth and has today rightly become a huge entity in the world of football. From world-class wingers to rock-solid centre backs, the players who have been part of this league for a while now, have only gotten more positionally versatile over…
-
![]()
Best of Both Worlds: England Must Alternate Ben Chilwell and Bukayo Saka at Euros
What most annoyed England fans about the Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland wasn’t the defeat itself. England’s second-round capitulation to the Scandinavian minnows was rightly seen as a national disgrace — fewer people lived in Iceland than in Leicester in 2016, to add bitter context. But what most hurt about it was that the writing…
-
![]()
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…
-
![]()
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…
-
![]()
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. …
-
![]()
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…
