Articles
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Scouting Report: Jack Grealish
With Aston Villa likely relegation candidates, the future of their star player and talisman Jack Grealish is becoming the topic of conversation. This report seeks to provide an objective insight into Grealish’s current abilities and performances, before delving into a subjective analysis about potential transfers for Grealish. Career Context Grealish has been loyal…
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The Sweetest Scudetto Of Them All: Sampdoria’s 1990/91 Season
Every team has a golden period that defines their club. Real Madrid have their five European Cup trophies won consecutively between 1956-60, Arsenal have the Invincibles and Manchester United have the Busby Babes. For Sampdoria, their glory years came at a time when Italian football was the toast of European club football. Ever since…
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Tactical Analysis: Manchester City vs. Liverpool
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City took on newly crowned champions Liverpool this past weekend. Despite the Premier League being wrapped up following City’s loss against Chelsea, this game was an opportunity for City to warn Liverpool of next season’s title challenge. Guardiola clearly had a plan in mind to spoil Liverpool’s title celebrations, and his team…
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Patson Daka: The Youngster at the Forefront of Zambia’s Football Revolution
On 12 February 2012, Zambia took to the pitch against Ivory Coast for that year’s final of the African Cup of Nations. Being the underdogs against a team that contained the likes of Didier Drogba, Wilfried Bony, Yaya Touré and more, the scenes that night in Libreville, Gabon, would inspire a generation. After a…
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Fußball als Widerstand: Austria’s Resistance to the Nazi Regime Through Football
Despite the insistences of the Nazi Party, who claimed Austria would enthusiastically embrace annexation by Germany, many Austrians were less than enamored with having their country absorbed into the greater German Reich, a feeling which was strengthened as World War II wore on. As a result of these feelings of discontent resistance to the…
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Scouting Report: Matty Cash
It is becoming increasingly common to see wingers reinvent themselves as fullbacks, with Alphonso Davies and Bukayo Saka both enjoying terrific breakthrough seasons after making the switch from attack to defence (although Saka has recently established himself in a more attacking role for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal). The pair have established themselves as two of…
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How Manchester United Built the Most Potent Attack in Premier League History: Part 3: European Journey and Regression to the Norm in 2008/09
Since their historic treble in the 1998/99 season, Manchester United had fared with varying success in European competition. Despite Ruud van Nistelrooy’s prolific scoring, and adapting a 4-5-1 formation to compete tactically, United were typically knocked out by more ‘complete’ sides such as AC Milan and Real Madrid. In 2005/06, United didn’t even progress out…
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The Glory Days of Diego Forlán
March 7, 2009, La Liga Matchday 26. It is twenty-three minutes to eight in El Derbi Madrileño, and Real Madrid have just turned over possession following an errant corner. Diego Forlán, Sergio Agüero and Simão begin to run like possessed men, as the 20-year-old Agüero exchanges a one-two with Simão and sets off on an…
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Crystal Palace: Roy Hodgson’s Eagles Are Overachieving but Lack of Youth a Real Concern
Despite laboured defeats against Leicester and Burnley over the last week, Roy Hodgson has his Crystal Palace side overachieving in the Premier League this season. With an average sized budget and wage bill compared to other sides around them in the standings, the former England manager has made his South London side difficult to break…
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Tactical Analysis: Atlético Madrid vs. Barcelona
With five La Liga matches left to play, a crucial tie pitted 2nd place Barcelona against Diego Simeone’s 3rd place Atlético Madrid at the Camp Nou. The Colchoneros sought to break their 19-match winless streak against Barcelona in the league. Under the reign of the Argentine, Atlético’s defensive block has caused the Catalans trouble…
