Olivier Giroud: A Legacy in Backheels
We list the qualities that defined Olivier Giroud and his time at the club, and show why this consummate professional will always be welcomed back. The score was 2-2. The occasion, the…
The Unlikely Italian Education of Jurgen Klopp: An Alternative Match Report
While incompetent refereeing ruined Liverpool v Tottenham, it has revealed the lessons Jurgen Klopp learned from Arrigo Sacchi and Wolfgang Frank. Let me just start off by saying that all the 3-3 draws and…
Eric Wynalda: A journey from the pitch to the corner office of US Soccer
Eric Wynalda was the bad boy of American football a couple of decades back. Now, with suits and ties replacing shin-pads and anklets in his locker, he’s running for the president of…
Theo Walcott and the sin of being just good enough
Theo Walcott could never come out of the shadows of the number 14 jersey at Arsenal and expectations to emulate his predecessor. Perspective is a funny thing, and those making real-time decisions…
Jesse Lingard: The predator who works hardest
We take another look at Jesse Lingard’s rise through the ranks at United and his myriad loan spells. It tells us a compelling story about his perseverance. When he arrived in Berlin…
Obrigado, Ronaldinho: Bidding farewell to the king of good times
We say goodbye to the most joyous and fulfilling footballing career of the 21st century. With Ronaldinho, you remember how you felt more than how he played. In the seventeenth century, enslaved…
Jesse Lingard – The Krillin who came good for Manchester United
We look into the story of Jesse Lingard, and how he has battled a lack of physical and technical gifts to graft his way into the Man United first team. Two things…
Standing tall amidst the body blows: The story of Lasse Schöne at Ajax
Lasse Schöne is Ajax’ veteran: a composed playmaker in a youthful and vibrant squad. We look into his story and the lifetime of experiences at the club. He came to the club…
The Foundations of A Dynasty – An Ode to Victor Valdes
World football’s most thankless job was Victor Valdes’ bread and butter, cementing his legend in the dynasty that is modern Barcelona. Building a dynasty requires immense preparation and conviction. Merely believing in…
Jurgen Klopp’s Groundhog Days – Defeating Deja Vu and the Dross
Sun rises in the East and Liverpool concedes goals to tin-pot teams. Jurgen Klopp was trapped in a perpetual purgatory until one fine day deja vu gave in. Phil: It’s the same thing…
A Metalhead with the measure of Mozart – A Farewell to Tomáš Rosický
Tomas Rosicky is a metalhead, but his play exhibited the time signatures of Mozart. We say farewell to Arsenal’s most painful “what ifs” in recent history. January 2014, the third round of…
“Ricardo Kaká made me love Liverpool and quit my job” – A Tribute
I blame Ricardo Kaká for turning me into a romantic. For me being at constant odds when I had job security but never the satisfaction. Here’s my tribute. I don’t know about…
Ernesto Valverde: Building A Steadier Barca – An Alternative Match Report
Display at the El Clasico held at the Bernabeu calls for us to take a deeper look at Ernesto Valverde’s role in building a steadier version of FC Barcelona “Buffalo soldier, dreadlock…
Pep Guardiola and Man City Breaking the Levee: An Alternative Match Report
Man City and Pep Guardiola are surging through the Premier League. Their flow is an affront to Brexit and the bulwarks of English football’s old insularity. Cryin’ won’t help you, prayin’ won’t…
Jürgen Klopp in the Middle – An Alternative Match Report
Between the dysfunctional defence and selection dilemmas, there is a spot. Jürgen Klopp will meet you there. Here’s why anger over the 1-1 Everton draw is justified, maybe even useful. As I…
Luis Alberto – From Doubt at Liverpool to Deliverance at Lazio
We look into the career of Luis Alberto, once a hitherto unknown face roaming the grass at Melwood Training Ground, who’s now beginning to take on the world. In a city that…
David de Gea, The Whip of Manchester – An Alternative Match Report
David de Gea was cracking his invisible whip against the Alamo-siege of Arsenal’s attack on Manchester United’s goalpost. This is the start of his legend. At night the chimney fire shed the…
A gypsy who could kick a ball: The chronicles of Christian Vieri
We take a look at the life of Christian Vieri, a man who almost didn’t play football, but when he turned to it, had a career many would kill for. Change is…
Ravel Morrison, An Englishman in Mexico – Trading the crown for Sombreros
One of the most promising youth players in Man United’s history, Ravel Morrison now finds himself playing football in Mexico’s burning cauldron of a league. The ecstasy, the bewilderment, the sheer passion.…
A lifetime of lessons: In reverence to Professor Pirlo
We applaud in gratitude to Andrea Pirlo and how he taught an entire generation the importance of poise, patience and staying still in the midst of a storm. I waded through the…
The FA Women’s Super League: Building The Future For Women’s Football
We take a dive into the genesis of WSL and The FA’s efforts into laying the groundwork for making women’s football UK’s 2nd most popular sport. A crowd of 30,000 has gathered…
Arsenal Ladies – The Foot Soldiers of Women’s Football
Carrying forward the legacy of Dick, Kerr’s Ladies FC, there’s perhaps no other club in the world that did more for women’s football than Arsenal Ladies. It’s 1971. The world is seeing…
Body Over Mind? – Daniel Sturridge and the Certainty of an Uncertain Fate
To be or not to be? Daniel Sturridge’s career as one of football’s finest showmen is caught in a Shakespearean struggle between a matter of mind and body. Injured. Sounds like a…
Lucas Pezzini Leiva – The Man in the Arena, Um Tributo
Lucas Leiva’s journey from a boy to a man coincided with many Liverpool fans’. Here’s one writing his farewell and thanks fit for a man in the arena. It is not…