Hillsborough Doesn’t Leave You – A Liverpool Fan’s Postcard from Azores, Portugal
In 2014, Liverpool was pushing to win the league for the first time in 25 years. Globetrotting Liverpool fan Pete Martin found himself in the Portuguese islands of Azores watching a title-deciding…
The Show Must Go On: An Alternative Match Report for Spurs vs Man City
The Spurs vs Man City match-up last weekend was far from the fast-paced spectacle we expected, but it gave us a glimpse into why Pep Guardiola’s men have wrapped up the title…
Punching the Glass Ceiling – Sergio Aguero, the Contender
Born into hardship, Sergio Aguero has been punching above his weight all his life. As Manchester City gain momentum, the Argentine is ready to go another round. The year is 1976. Rocky,…
Liverpool fans, You Are Allowed to Enjoy This – An Alternative Match Report
Read this carefully Liverpool fans, as not one match report will tell you this: Good things happen, and you are allowed to enjoy it. You are allowed to add the theme song from…
FC Barcelona, The Fox in a Wolf’s Den – An Alternative Match Report
AS Roma vs Barcelona played out like one of Aesop’s Fables. Barcelona, the wily fox stood philosophising triangles and combinations under the grapevine, while the wolf of AS Roma simply leapt at…
The Benediction of Ray Wilkins – A Life Lived in Service to Others
Ray Wilkins is no longer with us. Joel Slagle writes why the idea of Ray Wilkins remains relevant; and why it is important now more than ever, to recognize those that perform…
Tiémoué Bakayoko – The Anatomy of a Failed Signing
It is easy to get so wrapped up in a person’s ability to kick a ball well that his or her humanity is forgotten. Joel Slagle examines Tiémoué Bakayoko, and how his…
The Folly of Paris – How nostalgia may make Paris Saint-Germain pay
The path to glory for Paris Saint-Germain seems littered with dollar bills, nostalgia and scattergun transfer policy – an approach, which history proves, is bound to fail. Perhaps, no city has ever…
A Cultured Left Foot – An Anachronism called Andrew Robertson
Born in Giffnock, Scotland with a cultured left foot and never-say-die attitude, Andrew Robertson is channelling the spirits of great Liverpool left backs of yore. It’s 1954, and every bookstore in the…
Metronome in the eye of the Storm – So long, Michael Carrick
English football has a proud history of midfielders, most of the similar type – hard, strong. It’s amusing that they failed to recognise the kind of midfielder which could’ve landed them international…
8-Bit Marc Andre ter Stegen in the world of Virtual Reality Football
In a world of physics engines and VR, where football is played by mind-bending players doing the physically improbable, Marc Andre ter Stegen is keeping it simple. Technology, Bending Physics, and The…
Antonio Conte and the Kobayashi Maru
Antonio Conte won the league in his first season in England. 9 months later, he finds himself in a no-win situation, and perilously close to the axe. Chelsea has come in for…
Jose Mourinho: A serial-winner looking woefully out of touch with the world
There was once a time when defiance was Jose Mourinho’s biggest strength. Today, that very trait is a sign of how far he is from reality and evolution. In neurobiology, balance is…
Giovinco and Toronto FC look into the eye of the Tigres
MLS side Toronto FC caused shockwaves by eliminating Mexican champions Tigres from the CONCACAF Champions League. Danny Lewis watched it unfold. Toronto FC vs Tigres UANL. MLS vs Liga MX. Sebastian Giovinco…
All the President’s Men – Uncertainty of Mauricio Pochettino’s Second Term
Four years into Mauricio Pochettino‘s Tottenham project – the lack of silverware is beginning to cast a looming shadow over the club and its players. The Founding Fathers of the USA made…
Domination in the DNA – A perspective on Pep Guardiola’s Man City
Pep Guardiola is akin to a Roman Emperor – a man who plans, controls and wages war against opposition teams in relentless pursuit of total domination. In 2012, Manchester City began a…
Barcelona 6-1 PSG: When Neymar introduced anarchy in 7 minutes
Barcelona 6-1 PSG: The greatest legacy of the Catalans’ epic comeback was what it did to the people watching. At the centre of the anarchy, was Neymar. Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and…
Arsenal’s quiet revolution: Preparing for life after Arsene Wenger
Arsenal are preparing for life after Arsene Wenger, Harry Becker looks at the changes required for this democratic transition. Something is happening at Arsenal Football Club. For over two decades, this corner…
Ajax Academy’s Gen Next: A new hope or another flash in the pan?
Four phenomenal talents have emerged from the famed Ajax Academy. Will it be another wasted Dutch generation or the one to finally win the World Cup? In the mid-1800s, a Bulgarian…
A Square Peg in a Round Hole – The Tale of Valverde and Paulinho at Barca
Part of FC Barcelona’s charm lies in their heritage, ethos and approach to football. In Ernesto Valverde and Paulinho, they have the unlikeliest of heroes. The business end of the 2016-2017 season…
Modern Football’s Soloist Playing in an Orchestra
The debate on Paul Pogba’s tactical liberation highlights a problem modern football is facing: Teams are starting to look like soloists playing in an orchestra. I don’t read or write much poetry,…
Jordan Henderson Against the World – The Fallacy of Fan Opinions
Can a club hold the highest ambitions while being content with Jordan Henderson as captain? Spoiler alert: they can. Here’s Tom Bogert standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Liverpool skipper; busting myths with a…
Who’s your father? – A story of VAR’s early days and parenthood
With the introduction of the VAR, football faces an all-too familiar challenge of adapting to change. While it has been brought to help the referees make lesser mistakes, it’s presence has given…
Magic of the Blauwvingers: PEC Zwolle, a beacon of hope in Dutch Football
PEC Zwolle, perennial under-dogs in Dutch Football, have captured the hearts of the nation this season, read on to see why. Those who established residency in central Holland during the early parts…