Cultured Football #149
Cultured Football #149
Troyes Betrayed. Luton Fightback. Heavy Metal Football. Defoe. Fascination with the Dead (Abandoned Football Stadia).
Troyes fans left feeling used by Man City’s multi-club model
By Daniel Storey for iNews
ES Troyes once possessed a distinctive identity before falling under the control of the City Football Group and becoming just another team in the group’s stable. The discontent among their supporters is palpable, and their narrative warrants acknowledgment. Every club’s fanbase deserves owners who want to achieve what is best for them, and not be pawns in another entity’s strategy.
Bonus Pick: Yet another story that underlines why Everton fans should be worried about the house of cards on which the business of prospective new owners 777 seems to be built.
From Conference North to Premier League: Rob Edwards has come a long way
By Ed Aarons for The Guardian
Few would have imagined it after a tough start to life in the Premier League but Luton Town are slowly clawing their way to safety or at least making a fight of it. Much of that is down to the work of manager Rob Edwards who has slowly worked his way up the leagues. Given the hype that usually surrounds young English coaches, it is surprising that there hasn’t been more enthusiasm over the work he’s doing.
Bonus Pick: Another reason for Luton’s recent form has been the renaissance of Ross Barkley, one of English football’s great lost talents.
Heavy Metal: The History of Jürgen Klopp (So Far)
By for
I know what some of you might be thinking: not another piece about Jurgen Klopp! Not a week has passed since the announcement of his resignation that someone writing about him hasn’t forced their way into Cultured Football. And whilst I do try to keep this as varied as possible, I cannot ignore writing like this one which dives into the often overlooked changes that Klopp has made to his team’s playing styles, evolving way beyond the moniker of ‘heavy metal football’ attributed to him would suggest.
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Jermain Defoe exclusive interview: The hunger that drove him, the impact of Bradley Lowery, and being a manager
By Adam Bate for Sky Sports
For all that the headlines screams of 'exclusivity' this is just one of a slew of interviews with Defoe ahead of a release of a documentary on his career. Having read a number, however, this is the most poignant one. Imagine thinking that you're about to become a father only to be told otherwise by a paternity test!
Home Soil
By Eanna Mackey for Terrace Edition
There is something eerily fascinating about abandoned football stadia, they seem to be the physical embodiment of nostalgia. Heavy flooding in 2017 made nomads out of Institute FC and, whilst there are plans of build a new stadium one on their old site, their old home sits empty, waiting for fans who will never return.
Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you should be reading.
Last Week’s Most Read: Why Xavi’s Barcelona Dynasty Crumbled Before It Ever Got Going
By Robbie Dunne for The Analyst
It wasn’t that long ago that Xavi came in at Barcelona hit the reset button. With a side built around fresh talent from La Masia and playing the traditional attractive football, he put them on the path to success much faster than anyone expected, winning La Liga in his first full season. That brilliant season has been followed up by a rather dismal second one where nothing that Xavi tries seems to work out as he, like many of Pep’s heirs, is finding it hard to maintain excellence with so many difficulties within the club. That he decided to step down, before being pushed, came as a surprise to very few.