Articles
-
![]()
Tactical Analysis: Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund
After spending the start of the decade in the shadow of the Premier League and La Liga, German football enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-2010s. 2013 saw an all-German Champions League Final between Jürgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund and Jupp Heynckes’ Bayern Munich, whilst the following year saw Joachim Löw’s Die Mannschaft write their names into…
-
![]()
Player Analysis: Jude Bellingham
The trouble with Jude Bellingham, is he’s absolutely brilliant. Born in the year 2003 – that’s the year Thierry Henry was robbed of the Ballon D’Or and Ruud van Nistelrooy won the Premier League’s golden boot, for those who’d like to be slapped in the face by Father Time – Jude Bellingham rose to…
-
![]()
Jan Paul Van Hecke: Blackburn’s Dutch Colossus Formidable As Rovers Battle It Out For Promotion
Jan Paul Van Hecke has been instrumental in Blackburn’s recent ascent to the automatic promotion spots, going under the radar in comparison to Ben Brereton-Diaz’s international recognition and Darragh Lenihan gaining more notoriety at the back. His red card against Fulham in a 7-0 drubbing could have seen his Rovers loan derail, a reckless…
-
![]()
How PSV and Cody Gakpo Have Pushed Ajax for the Eredivisie Title
It takes a lot to topple Ajax off of the Eredivisie at the best of times, let alone when they’ve only conceded just five (!) goals in 20 games. Yet until PSV succumbed to a 1-2 home loss to Erik Ten Hag’s side on the 23rd of January, Roger Schmidt’s side were doing just that.…
-
![]()
Achraf Hakimi: Morocco’s Blazing Fullback in Attack
Morocco’s African Cup of Nations campaign came to an end on January 30 when they were defeated by North African rivals Egypt in the quarterfinals. A Soufiane Boufal penalty put them ahead within 10 minutes, but Mohamed Salah’s equalizer sent the affair into extra time, where substitute Trézéguet scored the vital winner. The Atlas…
-
![]()
Analyzing Chelsea’s January Window and What It Means for Thomas Tuchel Going Forward
Amidst all the drama in the January transfer window, especially late on towards the dying week of it, Chelsea stood still. No business done for the senior team, no additions that could potentially aid a team that Thomas Tuchel stated time and time again that he was worried about due to the congested fixture list.…
-
![]()
The Reasons Behind Jordi Alba’s Declining Impact in Attack
Barcelona’s season has started poorly, and the Catalan club has yet to overcome the absence of Lionel Messi in every aspect of their performance. After Ronald Koeman was fired in the middle of the season and Xavi was named as the new manager, the situation didn’t change much. The Blaugrana has already been eliminated…
-
![]()
David Raum: The Latest Talent Catching the Eye in German Football
The January transfer window is notorious for desperate business and last-minute loan deals as clubs pay far over market value for disgruntled stars and injury stopgaps. For every Virgil van Dijk and Nemanja Vidic, there are countless examples of players introduced with massive expectations, only to vanish out of view almost as soon as…
-
![]()
Player Analysis: Javi Galán
Javi Galán is, at least statistically, one of Europe’s best dribblers, and the fact that he is a left-back makes it even more surprising. He began to shine in LaLiga at SD Huesca but when they got relegated, Celta Vigo managed to pick one of the best performing left-backs of the league. It has…
-
![]()
Giacomo Raspadori – Sassuolo’s Star Destined for Greatness
Giacomo Raspadori, perhaps the definition of a Sassuolo-made talent, and subsequently one of the best players that former Sassuolo youth coach, and current Fiorentina youth coach, Christian Papalato has ever seen. That’s not a statement filled with hyperbole, either. There’s several reasons why Papalato, and many others, see 21-year-old Raspadori going straight to the…
