So the weekend is over and it’s now time to analyse what happened, in the most honest, unbiased and fair way… Or just the opposite. It depends on how you see it. Barclays Premier League Chelsea stayed true to their ‘one goal margin’ name when they defeated Manchester at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. And
Newcastle United have had their moments in the sun, but this season has yet again been topsy-turvy for the Toon Army. Who should remain and who should suffer the chop at the end of the campaign? Goalkeepers This is arguably the easiest part of the squad to analyse. Tim Krul should be kept. The
October 5 2014, Juventus beat Roma 3-2. This is what Roma manager Rudi Garcia said after the match; “This game made me realise who will win the Scudetto. We are stronger than Juventus, Because we are stronger, we have to win tomorrow (versus Chievo), because we have to talk about results.” That was a huge
Italy is a beautiful, complicated, passionate country filled with a rich and dramatic history. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the country’s favorite sport of Italian football, or “calcio”, would be steeped in rich history… and drama, as well. History of Italian Football In 1898, the Federazione Italiana Giuco Calcio was started in Turin, Italy.
Playing football is all about how you control the ball with your feet while running. There are three elements at play - your feet, the ground, and the ball. To streamline their interaction, the single most important thing that a football player must own is a good pair of cleats. Choosing the perfect pair of
Well, that was a disappointment. And that’s putting it lightly. Russia bowed out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil without a victory to their name, and it’s a tournament that all Russian fans want to forget immediately. Pedestrian football with a toothless approach doesn’t sound like a recipe for success, and so it
Wiyaala did not just amaze Africa with her fierce ball winning and tackling abilities during her time at the Upper West Girls team, she is now back dazzling the world with her singing prowess. ‘The Young lioness of Africa’ from Wa, otherwise known as Wiyaala, blends the use of tribal drums, big stadium choruses, three
Lucien Favre couldn’t hide his emotions after the final whistle in the last match of the Hinrunde against Wolfsburg, throwing his bottle before storming out of the dugout immediately in utter frustration. Despite the late equalizer from the visitors that denied the Foals all three points at home for the first time this season, Borussia
The Premier League has always boasted its competitiveness compared to Europe’s other top leagues, although in reality it was only two, sometimes three teams that were really in the title race. So far this season, that has changed quite dramatically. Here we are in January and the top 6 places are changing on a weekly
The Arsenal have done remarkably well. They have even done far better than what most critics would have anticipated. The loss at The Emirates to Aston Villa followed by the introduction of German’s maestro, Mesut Özil, seems to be the catalyst of this unbeaten streak in the Premier League. An ambitious Borrusia Dortmund may have
A season full of mystery, confusion and what might have been surrounded Manchester City’s 2012/13 campaign. Reigning champions City, had to come back even stronger after their infamous title win in 2012. Preparation for the season could not have been much worse. A list of Roberto Mancini’s targets in hand, then Director of Football Brian
It’s been a real Jekyll and Hyde season for AC Milan this year. Although Milan managed to narrowly clinch a Champions League qualifying berth, it was anything but straightforward. The Rossoneri only registered three wins in their first 10 Serie A games of the season, including a derby loss to Internazionale to further add insult
About a year ago, shortly after the appointment of Brendan Rodgers, I wrote that Liverpool needed evolution, not revolution. The departure last summer of club legend Kenny Dalglish was a difficult one, particularly for older fans who still have fond memories of his glorious first tenure as manager at the club, as well as a
Paul Lambert’s first season at Villa Park has been anything but easy. Tasked with bringing stability back to a club which had seen 4 different Managers take the hot seat since O’Neill’s shock departure 5 days before the start of the 2010/11 season – MacDonald (Caretaker Manager), Houllier, McAllistair (Caretaker Manager) and McLeish – Lambert
There was a buzz around Chelsea football club in the summer of 2012. Winning the Champions League against all odds made many feel that this would be a season in which Chelsea would really challenge for the title, especially with exciting, young and creative talents Eden Hazard, Oscar, Victor Moses and Marko Marin as well
The target for Manchester United last summer was simple, to wrestle the Premier League title off neighbours Manchester City whom they’d heartbreakingly surrendered the trophy to months before. Losing hurts Manchester United but because it was City, it hurt more. There simply would be no repeat, no let up as the Red Devils embarked on
It has been one hell of a season for Zenit Saint Petersburg. From the major coups of world-class stars Hulk and Axel Witsel, to the Igor Denisov fiasco, the 3 time Russian champions have experienced just about every emotion that there is possible this season. And as the saying goes, all’s well that ends well,
Despite winning the Copa Del Rey, 11/12 was not a season to remember for Barcelona and the Blaugranes and following Pep Guardiola’s departure the club was open to criticism from the Spanish press. Some newspapers disapproved of Tito Vilanova’s appointment because of his lack of experienced and they blamed his ‘over complication’ of tactics as
“I am the best, I AM THE BEST” – Paul Breitner on the winning mentality of FC Bayern München. On 19th May 2012, “Our City, Our Stadium, Our Cup” was the message sent out by the Bayern fans, but, it ended up being “Your city, your stadium, our cup”. Perhaps even worse, they were beaten
Spurs began the season in a transition of sorts. Andre Villas Boas was brought in to replace Harry Redknapp, while star players Luka Modric and Rafael Van Der Vaart both left the club for pastures new. It is fair to say that many Spurs fan had their doubts about AVB given his troubles during his
Even before the season began, Real Madrid were being hyped as potential treble contenders and by looking at their squad and the special man sat on the bench, it would be foolish not to believe that they had a genuine chance at ending the Barca era. The intensity at which Real Madrid ended their 2011-2012
All good things inevitably come to an end. The world was treated to an electrifying season finale of the Premier League. Arsenal had a fairly glorious season. With the trophy drought still the elephant in the room, they however concluded the season in a joyous mood having secured a Champions League spot in the expense
Everton’s season started with a magnificent Marouane Fellaini-inspired victory over Man Utd and ended meaninglessly with defeat to Chelsea to confirm an unwanted sixth place and David Moyes’ exit. A year that proved Moyes’ last offered some of the most genuine hope seen at Goodison for years, yet ultimately yielded routine feelings of frustration and
Video games and football have gone hand in hand for decades, with games like FIFA 13, Pro Evolution Soccer and Football Manager hitting the bestseller lists year on year, giving players the chance to play at managing or playing as their favourite teams. A new game that is currently under development aims to turn the
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona are the final four out of the 32 teams that qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Borussia Dortmund replace Chelsea if you take last season’s semi-finalists into context. Real, Barca and Bayern have been consistent over the last two seasons and their qualification