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Words on the gaffers

A closer look at Monchi’s disappoitning stint at AS Roma

by AlexBarkerG -
Roma

The famed sporting director of Sevilla - Ramón Rodríguez Verdejo, commonly known as Monchi, was one of the most in-demand figures in football a few years back. He had overseen transfers, youth promotion and managerial choices in Seville for 17 years, after being appointed as the Director of Football in

Glass half full or empty – Through which lens should we see Solskjær’s time at United?

by Hrishikesh Dabir -
Solskjær

In December 2018, an already under-pressure Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United travelled to Anfield to face their perennial rivals Liverpool, in what would prove to be his final game as the manager of the club. Xherdan Shaqiri came off the bench in the second half to score a brace and deliver

Getafe – A fascinating tale of a club punching above their weight

by Hrishikesh Dabir -

It has almost been 5 years since Leicester City, a team which barely survived relegation the season before, a team which had fewer odds of winning the Premier League than Mahatma Gandhi being alive, won the Premier League. It's been 4 years since a country with the same population as

The game’s new boardroom masters – How directors of football are pulling the strings off the pitch  

by Nitish Brunth -
director

There is often a sense of mystique associated with the terms ‘Director of Football’, ‘Sporting Director’ or ‘Technical Director’. While it’s not easy to provide a definition for these roles, they tend to have a specific purpose - to bridge the gap between the footballing side and the business side

The Sleeping Giants Awaken – Conte’s Inter

by Bhargav Joglekar -

Edited by Anaamaya Mishra Let’s rewind our memories by an entire decade. The year is 2010; the month is April. It’s time for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with the clash of two historic clubs – FC Barcelona and Inter Milan. Barcelona, led by an array of world-class footballers like

Quique Setién- Passion, Instruction, Rejuvenation

by Aaryan Parasnis -
Setien

The news of Ernesto Valverde's departure from the position of FC Barcelona head coach was received very positively by fans across the globe. It is no secret that the vast majority of the Barça faithful were desperate for a change in personnel. Barcelona were quick to announce the appointment of

Pulling it back against all odds – A Hasenhüttl inspired turnaround

by Varun Kumar -

Football never ceases to amuse us. The Premier League has always managed to throw up interesting stories in the seasons gone by, and this campaign is no exception to the rule. Whether it be Liverpool's mentality monsters going on a rampage or Chris Wilder's Sheffield drawing all the plaudits, there

Julian Nagelsmann – The Managerial Wonderkid

by Hrishikesh Dabir -

As stated in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, Geology is mainly about pressure and time. Carbon crystallizes under intense heat and pressure over a period of time so a diamond is formed. Little grains of sand get into the oyster shells and due to, again, pressure and time, pearls are formed at

Marco Rose – A world-beater in the making

by Bhargav Joglekar -
rose

The Bundesliga has been a hotbed of innovation in football for a long time. Be it the youth setup, tactics or sports technology, German clubs leave no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence. The famous mantra ‘Football as it’s meant to be’ is definitely put into practice by clubs in

The Bielsa Way – A Brief Explanation

by Enzo Karema -
Bielsa

READING, ENGLAND - MARCH 12: Marcelo Bielsa, Head Coach of Leeds United looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Reading and Leeds United at Madejski Stadium on March 12, 2019 in Reading, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Getty Images) Written by Enzo Karema “Football rests on four fundamentals, as outlined

Antonio Conte and Inter’s next step

by Hrishikesh Dabir -
Conte

Written by Hrishikesh Dabir Ever since Jose Mourinho led the blue half of Milan to European glory, the club has hit a stagnant point in their attempts to relive those glory days. 12 manager changes in 9 seasons with the league table positions in those seasons being, more often than not,

Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles – One of the greatest stories in the Premier League era

by Varun Shah -
wenger premier league

Written by Varun Shah Played 38, won 26, drawn 12, lost exactly none. Words that will echo in the ears of Arsenal fans for years to come. Arsenal’s last Premier League triumph is easily their most memorable and arguably the greatest achievement of the Premier League era. This league is one

Florentino Perez – The man behind Real Madrid’s ascent to the pinnacle of club football

by Hrishikesh Dabir -

By Hrishikesh Dabir | Edited by Anuli Vyas On March 6, 2019, Real Madrid suffered their most jarring home defeat in the club’s history that ended their 3-year long undisputed run as European champions. It marked the end of an era for that generation of players. Popular opinion dictates that fans

Boom! – How Jürgen Klopp revolutionised what we think of football

by Ganapathi Ramanathan -

By Ganapathi Ramanathan My first taste of the German manager goes back to when I was in 11th grade.   7 years ago, in 2012, I was woefully ignorant of the existence of one certain Jürgen Klopp. I had recently started following football, and I had a friend - a rare Borussia

A Cocktail of Color, a Potpourri of Persona: The Modern Football Manager

by Anirudh Madhavan -
manager

By Anirudh Madhavan Our game continues to be one of the greatest forces to unite people on the planet. With fervor and frenzy the world over, fans spend hours and days discussing their team's fortunes. The players that don the jersey for their teams are subject to immense love and adulation.

Why Brighton’s sacking of Chris Hughton sets a precedent for the rest of the Premier League

by Ervin Ang -
Brighton

“A man without ambition is like a beautiful worm; it can creep, but it cannot fly”. Tony Bloom, owner of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, is a professional gambler who owns Starlizard, a full-time gambling syndicate making its money from dishing out betting advice based on complicated statistical models. To

Remembering Rafa Benitez’s Valencia side that took spain by storm

by Hrishikesh Dabir -

Written by Hrishikesh Dabir Rafa Benitez is renowned to be someone who believes in the ‘system’ of a football team. He does not shy away from changing roles of players or providing them with detailed instructions in order to fit the system of the team perfectly. His Valencia side won them

Chelsea need to buck the trend and back Maurizio Sarri for long term stability

by Aman Sridhar -

It is imperative that Maurizio Sarri is given full backing at Chelsea - Letting go of the Italian will change nothing at a club in dire need of managerial stability. Aman Sridhar shares his thoughts on the current state of affairs at the club. In the Roman Abramovich era, Chelsea have

The Marcelo Bielsa Conundrum – Reminiscent of the ‘Last Envoy’

by Sayan Chatterjee -
Bielsa

Marcelo Bielsa was moving his hands furiously, not in anger or nervousness - he was explaining a power point presentation showing hours of analysis on Leeds United's opponents. He had admitted sending a club employee to spy over Derby County and made a presentation of his analysis of rival teams.

Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjær – A breath of fresh air

by Anirudh Srinivaas Eswaran -

Six wins in six and Manchester United have sprung into life under Ole Gunnar Solskjær. José Mourinho’s sacking took place a bit too late if anything, but it was absolutely the right decision. In fact, irrespective of how United do this season under Solskjær, the call to bring him in

Lucien Favre and Michael Zorc leading Dortmund’s youthful charge

by Aman Sridhar -
dortmund

There’s a reason we cannot go more than a day without hearing the name-Jadon Sancho. And there is also a reason why the former Manchester City winger’s name is ever-present in the footballing world. The cause for both of these is undeniably Borussia Dortmund. Despite signing for the German club

Mourinho at Manchester United – Where did it all go wrong for the Special One?

by Anirudh Madhavan -
mourinho

Manchester United, a brand synonymous with winning. Jose Mourinho, the biggest winning coach in the sport. When the pair was combined, everyone in world football seemed to sit up and take notice. United, a club whose supporters proclaim proudly they're 'Not Arrogant, Just Better'. That seems like the title Mourinho

The men in contention to replace Mourinho – Howe, Zidane, Jardim & Pochettino

by Anirudh Madhavan -
howe

In May 2013, Sir Alex Ferguson implored an emotional Stretford End to 'stand by your new manager'. United fans duly complied, roaring on David Moyes to make a good fist of world football's toughest job. 'The Chosen One', as a huge banner across the Stretford End proclaimed Moyes to be,

Breaking Down The Brand: A Tactical Analysis of Sarri-Ball

by Sagarneel Chakraborty -
sarri

“I’ve come to realize that there’s a child in every footballer, a child who is playing a game. That’s where the fun part is. And when players are having fun, they are more productive." - Maurizio Sarri  Chelsea Football Club have been having a lot of fun in the past four

Arsenal’s Unbeaten Streak decoded – What Has Emery Done Right This Season?

by Varun Shah -
match emery

After two successive defeats to begin their season, Arsenal have well and truly found their feet and turned things around. The 13 games following their defeat at the hands of Chelsea have given the footballing community a glimpse of what can be expected from Emery-ball. There has been no looking

Why Manchester United Should Part Ways With Jose Mourinho

by Anirudh Srinivaas Eswaran -
manchester united mourinho

The international break is on and frankly, excluding some interesting games, it is a tad tedious for most of us and I think we can consensually agree with that. But let us not forget Manchester United and the mess they are in right now. Languishing in 8th in the Premier

Never Too Late To Have Fun – Maurizio Sarri’s Journey To The Top

by Sagarneel Chakraborty -

  Maurizio Sarri writes really well. He can almost always be seen scribbling away on his pad, writing notes, mostly when he's not chewing cigarette filters on the touchline. His slanted, well-spaced writing comes from his years of experience working in finance after failing as a professional footballer. He loved art

Can Sarri Inspire Chelsea To Challenge For The Title?

by Anirudh Srinivaas Eswaran -
sarri

Four weeks after the start of the Premier League season, we’re heading into the first international break of the season and there have already been a number of surprises just as you have come to expect in the Premier League. Of course, there also have been some amazing games which

Luis Aragonés – The Architect of Spain’s Golden Generation

by EADF Feed -
aragones

A first exclusive by Elchino21201 The Ernst-Happel stadium saw Spanish players creating chance after chance with their short passes and attacking football. Russia were barely given a shot at the goal. This was followed by an impressive second half where Spain scored three goals and confirmed their spot in a major

The Curious Case of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

by EADF Feed -
prophecy

Sociologist Robert K Merton defines self-fulfilling prophecy as, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come true. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of

Jürgen Klopp: The Man Steadying The Ship at Anfield

by Marcelino Da Silva -
klopp

Liverpool was the club to watch out for during the 70s and 80s when legends Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley led the club to 11 League titles and seven European trophies. However, to the dismay of the supporters, the club was unable to find a figure who could lead the

Inter Season Preview: Can Spalletti Galvanize The Nerazzurri?

by The Taylor TakeOver -

Inter finished the 2017-18 campaign in dramatic fashion; Matias Vecino’s late header against Lazio sealed their place in the 2018-19 Champions League at the expense of their opponents, rounding off a promising first season under Luciano Spalletti. There's been a renewed sense of optimism around the club in the summer

Is Mourinho Trying to Recreate His Pragmatic Approach From The Inter Days at United?

by EADF Feed -

Written by Supermanunited Manchester United have had a decent pre-season in the United States by drawing their first two games, winning the International Champions Cup opener against AC Milan on a long-lasting penalty shoot-out and being humbled by Liverpool last night. The tour has given fans some positives and an insight

Profiling a Modern Manager- Julian Nagelsmann

by Ajay Skimmer -
Nagelsmann

“Football is 30% tactics and 70% social competence.” Born on the 23rd of July 1987, Julian Nagelsmann had a dream that every football fan once had in their lifetime; playing football at the highest level. Nagelsmann had represented 1860 Munich and Augsburg at the youth level, playing in the centre

Arsene Wenger – Lights Will Guide You Home

by Ayushnav Sarker -

He did not seem at ease accepting a bespoke gong from his erstwhile nemesis. Nor was he comfortable in receiving kindness and what seemed like genuine ‘respect’ from Jose. There was more than a hint of hesitancy in his smile and it took addition countenance from Sir Alex for him

Jose Mourinho:The Devil is in the Detail.

by Varun Purty -

Football, since its inception, has witnessed drastic changes. The primitive football where players had one job of running the length of the field, charging for the ball, was left ages ago. Continuing on Darwin’s Theory, the game changes, if not, then it is decided on the sheet itself. Formations tend

VfL Wolfsburg 08/09 : The Felix Factor.

by Alankrith Shankar -
wolfsburg

The 2008-09 season had a surprise in store for Bundesliga watchers. VfL Wolfsburg were managed by Felix Magath, a manager who knew his ways around the Bundesliga. Yet, no one imagined them to build on their previous 5th place finish to become Champions of Germany. How did Felix Magath manage

Pep Guardiola – The Conductor

by Ayushnav Sarker -

A detailed look into Pep Guardiola’s journey from a footballer to a genius manager empowering every team that was fortunate enough to be managed by him. It is difficult to quantify force. Sure, Mass times Acceleration, I know, I have received schooling (if not an education). But what about the force

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