Ronaldo is an extraordinary and remarkable footballer, but does his way of playing become a weakness for opponents to exploit? …Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal stats are preposterous: 165 in 164 games since he joined Real Madrid in 2009. Physically he is monstrous: he has an explosive pace but also balance and deftness; he is strong enough […]
Tag Archives: Featured
How Eric Cantona changed Manchester United
Eric Cantona: 20 years on from the phone call that changed football Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were a mess before the arrival of a mercurial Frenchman from Leeds 20 years ago. When the Premier League was introduced in 1992, Sir Alex Ferguson described it as “a piece of nonsense” that sold supporters “right down […]
Pep Guardiola the perfectionist
The former Barcelona manager would get guarantees denied others at Stamford Bridge but would he really fit there? The day Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Barcelona he walked out of the Camp Nou offices, gathered the media round him and let rip. “The philosopher broke my heart,” he spat. The philosopher was Pep Guardiola and the phrase […]
More Goals Than Milan – Messi’s 2012 in numbers
The Argentine is now just five away from Gerd Muller’s legendary mark of 85 goals and his 2012 haul is greater than the total amassed by a host of clubs Messi played his part in Dani Alves’ brilliant opener before scuffing a second into the corner with his right and rounding the keeper for a […]
Juan matters more this season
Juan Mata has had a great year, guiding Chelsea towards the club’s first Champions League trophy and scoring the last goal that helped Spain lift this summer’s European Championship. The Spaniard’s contribution to his club was phenomenal last season, during which he scored 12 goals & assisted another 20, in all competitions. In the 2012/13 […]
Off with his head – Abramovich sacks Di Matteo
After steering Chelsea to a historic Champions League trophy that had eluded owner Roman Abramovich since he bought the club, Chelsea have sacked Roberto Di Matteo. Ironically, it was after a 3-0 defeat to Juventus in the same competition and the prospect of being knocked-out in the group stages that led to his sacking. TKTG […]
David Beckham – Where next ?
The soon-to-be former MLS player will think about a move back to England, but Australia and China are the most realistic options. When David Beckham says he intends to take on one more challenge before hanging up his boots, we had better take him seriously. Since Sir Alex Ferguson ended his dream of staying at […]
How Pep Guardiola got the Barcelona players on his side
Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona were suffering an unstoppable decline into decadence, the dressing room lacking discipline and spirit. Ronaldinho had lost his status as the most exciting player on the planet, the president Joan Laporta had only just survived in office and Catalan self-esteem was at its lowest ebb for decades. At that point Pep Guardiola […]
The man who can run a game with his chest
The Belgians have taken the Premier League by storm and there is one man in particular who is leading the way – Marouane Fellaini. It can even be argued that the towering midfielder was partially responsible for Manchester United losing the title to Man City last year given the way he almost single-handledly brought Everton […]
Ballon d’Or – The case for Casillas
If one is to believe the headlines, only one of either Messi or Ronaldo deserve to win this year’s award for the best footballer in the world, the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Although other contenders such as Xavi, Iniesta and Falcao have also been mentioned, there is one highly successful player that should be considered – […]
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