Maradona and Messi Walk Into a Pub: The Anatomy of a Great Debate
There is no place for the Dialectical Method in football. The rabidly tribal football fanatic will, however, engage lustily in argument and lose many hours in vociferous debate. But she is, more…
Sarri and Juventus Swiped Right for Each Other. Why Did They Fall Apart?
I’m a cultural goods aficionado, including that of classical cinema. Imagine a world where Alfred Hitchcock and Marilyn Monroe made a documentary about zebras together, with Hitchcock doing the directing and Monroe…
Charlie Davies – Between the Goalposts of Life
“He never told me until I stumbled upon it!” Charlie Davies came home from school one day with a permission slip for his parents to sign. The six year old thought this…
Frank Lampard: The Player vs the Manager
There’s no denying that Frank Lampard has received mixed reviews regarding his first year in charge of his beloved Chelsea. Some argue that, considering the circumstances – including a transfer ban, the…
Standing Up ‘Cause They Crossed My Line: Parasite & Dietmar Hopp
“Protesting and I lost my sign/ standing up ‘cause they crossed my line” speaks Open Mike Eagle on his 2018 song “Happy Wasteland Day,” a ballad about a post-apocalyptic wasteland – the…
Booze and the Boardroom – Watching Messi Leave
It must be 5:00 PM somewhere in the world. That’s what I tell myself as I pour a stiff glass of whiskey over ice before the sun sets on a gloomy day…
When Everything’s Right: Looking Back on Luka Modric’s Ballon D’or Victory
In the last article I wrote, I started by shooting the bull about actor Marlon Brando, so I fancy, “Hey, what if I do that exact same thing this time as well?”…
When a Draw Is the Greatest Result in Your Nation’s History
It may seem hard to believe that Colombia used to be football minnows. Nowadays, we are used to seeing Colombians of the stature of James Rodríguez, Falcao, Juan Cuadrado and Duván Zapata…
Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp: Where do we go now?
It would be fair to say that Klopp’s ability to construct a squad of unlikely heroes into one of Europe’s most revered sides has been one of modern football’s most impressive feats.…
Tibet, Greenland, and Football’s Power of Recognition
Football has always been entangled with notions of national identity. It’s not a simple relationship, nor a consistent one, but its unitary power is a big part of what makes the international…
FP Book Review – Pep’s City: The Making Of a Superteam
“There’s still so much I could give to these players, but I can’t give them everything I’ve got,” Pep Guardiola told a trusted member of his backroom staff in the bowels of…
Liverpool 19-20: There is no asterisk next to their name on the trophy
Frank Lampard is incensed. His eyebrows are furrowing and his voice is dipping lower in pitch with every sentence. Speaking to Sky at the post-match interview, he tries his best to suppress…
Football Academy In The Andes: Redefining football in Venezuela
In South America, the world’s longest mountain range stretches 7,000 kilometres from the very bottom tip of Argentina in the south to the Caribbean coast of Venezuela in the north. When one…
Football Statues XI: Because symbolism is never out of fashion
What a kerfuffle about big bronze blokes (hardly any women) there is in Britain today. For those who don’t know, the movement to bring down statues of difficult figures of the past…
Caribbean football administration – inches from the precipice
Sporting excellence in the Caribbean could be understandably thought to lie within the domains of athletics and cricket. In the popular imagination, Jamaican athletes with Olympic gold medals or West Indian cricketers…
Man City, Sportwash, and A Battle For Equality
It seems to me that the real political task in our contemporary society is to criticize the workings of institutions, particularly the ones that appear to be neutral and independent, and to…
Michail Antonio praises West Ham for overcoming VAR controversy to beat Chelsea
Michail Antonio was delighted West Ham could shrug off yet more video assistant referee frustration and secure a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Chelsea.
Chris Wilder has ‘decisions to make’ as Sheffield United assess pandemic impact
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder believes the financial implications of the Coronavirus pandemic could affect the club to the tune of between £20million and £30million.
Jurgen Klopp preparing Liverpool for a four-team title race next season
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool and Manchester City’s dominance of the Premier League will be challenged next season as Manchester United and Chelsea continue to improve.
Jose Mourinho confident Tanguy Ndombele will thrive at Tottenham
Jose Mourinho is backing Tanguy Ndombele to come good at Tottenham and said it is “no drama” that he is not in the starting lineup.
Pep Guardiola dismisses suggestion Jadon Sancho could return to Man City
Pep Guardiola has dismissed the possibility of Jadon Sancho returning to Manchester City this summer.
West Ham strike late to boost survival hopes and dent Chelsea’s top four tilt
West Ham’s forgotten man Andriy Yarmolenko boosted their survival hopes as he climbed off the bench to secure a last-gasp 3-2 win for the Hammers and dent Chelsea’s bid for Champions League qualification.
West Brom get promotion push back on track with win at Sheffield Wednesday
Matheus Pereira’s double helped West Brom kick-start their automatic promotion push in the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday.
Eddie Howe still retains hope that Bournemouth can avoid relegation
Eddie Howe is adamant Bournemouth can still avoid Premier League relegation after they capitulated to a humiliating 4-1 home loss to Newcastle.
Mikel Arteta hopes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang keeps hitting landmarks for Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is hopeful captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can score another 100 goals for Arsenal after he reached his Premier League half-century in a fine win over struggling Norwich.
Brendan Rodgers confident Leicester can arrest slump and seal top four spot
Brendan Rodgers insisted Leicester were still well placed to make their Champions League dreams reality despite their slump continuing with defeat at Everton.
Danny Cowley challenges Huddersfield to be consistent after beating Birmingham
Danny Cowley called on Huddersfield to grab their survival chance after a deserved 3-0 win at Birmingham.
Sabri Lamouchi hails ‘massive result’ as Nottingham Forest tighten play-off grip
Sabri Lamouchi was delighted with Nottingham Forest’s “massive result” in the race for the Sky Bet Championship play-offs as Bristol City counterpart Lee Johnson reflected on a “soul-destroying” loss.
Derby boss Phillip Cocu dedicates win to Andre Wisdom after stabbing incident
Phillip Cocu has spoken of Derby’s shock at Andre Wisdom being injured in a stabbing incident and revealed they received a visit from him at the team hotel ahead of Wednesday’s 1-0 win at Preston.
Bristol City’s struggles continue as Tiago Silva gives Nottingham Forest victory
Tiago Silva’s terrific free-kick fired Nottingham Forest to victory and extended Bristol City’s wretched winless run on a night when Ashley Williams saw red.