Articles
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Player Analysis: Raphaël Varane
Raphaël Xavier Varane. Elite. World-Class. The 27-year-old centre back has always been regarded as one of the world’s best in his position amongst football fans for the best part of a decade. Early on in his career, he was a highly coveted young prospect, who was bought by Real Madrid in June of 2011, just…
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Player Analysis: Ben White
As Mikel Arteta’s rebuilding project continues to take shape, one position some may not have expected to be on Arsenal’s shortlist was a centre-back. During the 2020/21 campaign, the Gunners had the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding 39 goals. Arteta has already signed two centre-backs in Gabriel Magalhães and Pablo Marí whilst…
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The Statistical Ranking of Europe’s Top 5 Leagues
There’s no doubt in most football fan’s minds; the top five European leagues are the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, the Bundesliga, and La Liga. For some perspective, the market value of the top 20 European leagues outside the ‘Big Five’ is £7.6 billion. You have to triple that figure to reach the £23…
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Stuart Dallas: The Versatile Footballer
Despite being promoted to the Premier League after 16 years, Leeds United have had a wonderful season. Marcelo Bielsa’s side has played effective football at the same time, they have equally gifted spectators with amazing football. Leeds’s free-flowing football, the constant rotation of the players, the gradual attack with holding the ball possession delighted the…
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Player Analysis: Pierluigi Gollini
Moving from Italy to England is a switch that many Italian footballers have struggled with over the years. While the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Paolo Di Canio, and Gianluca Vialli were able to have respectable careers in the English Premier League – Zola in particular is a legend at Chelsea – there have…
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The Team of Euro 2020
Euro 2020 is officially in the books, with Roberto Mancini’s Italy edging Gareth Southgate’s England on penalty kicks at Wembley Stadium, making it the latest final defeat for the host country after Brazil’s loss to Argentina in the 2021 Copa América Final and France’s loss to Portugal in the 2016 Euro Final. Plenty of players…
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The Zweite Bundesliga: Europe’s Most Entertaining League Next Season
The footballing world has barely recovered from the European Championships, and yet the domestic season is already here, with Germany’s second division starting today. Another 38 gameweeks of gut-wrenching drama is upon us, impossible to call, yet still certain to end with Hamburg failing in the most spectacular of fashions at getting promoted. Whilst…
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Did the Old Trafford Protests and ESL Debacle Force the Glazers to Wake Up?
In all the bucket load of chaos that was football in 20-21, the biggest game in English football was postponed due to fan protests spilling over. In extraordinary scenes at Old Trafford before they were scheduled to play Liverpool, a large group of protestors painted the sky red with flares and bellowed chants making their…
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Tactical Analysis: Cycle Over Division
Football is often divided into the ‘four moments’ (in possession, out of possession, attacking transition, defensive transition) as a framework for analysis, however, by doing this, are we ignoring the complex, fluid nature of the game? Watching and analysing Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli (17/18 especially) and Italy at Euro 2020, alongside reading the intriguing Pep Confidential,…
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Player Analysis: Nicolò Rovella
Italy won its first European Championship for the first time since 1968 when it defeated England on penalties in the Euro 2020 Final but its path to the final was impressive and delightful. Coach Roberto Mancini encouraged a more possession-based philosophy compared to his predecessors and the Azzurri embraced that proactive mentality. Nicolò Barella,…
