Cultured Football #159
Noooo-nez? Paul Mullin. Inter's Derby Ecstacy. Maghreb Madness. Robinson Crusoe Island.
Should Liverpool Sell Darwin Núñez?
By for
Some lacklustre performances - and a horrific miss against Everton - coupled with Liverpool’s fatal slips in the title race have re-ignited the debate around Darwin Nunez. In reality, debate is too strong of a term for there seems to be a growing consensus that Nunez simply isn’t good enough for the job as evidenced by how many chances he misses. Yet do the numbers truly support that conclusion? An insightful, data-driven analysis of Liverpool’s ‘best worst player’.
Bonus Pick: On the flip side to Darwin Nunez there’s the story of Dominic Solanke who finally seems ready to make the step (back) up to the big time.
Wrexham’s Paul Mullin: ‘As soon as we leave the pitch, Ryan’s first to text’
By Donald McRae for The Guardian
A tipping point seems to have been passed when it comes to Wrexham. Their second consecutive promotion has changed the direction of the narrative, with those ‘neutrals’ who previously cheered them on now expressing antipathy towards their money fueled success. Yet it is hard not to like Paul Mullins, an old school striker who has become a global star. “The bit that bothered me most is that three words on the side of a football boot offended some people a lot more than starving children do.”
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Black and Blue Heart
By Giulia Sala for Terrace Edition
Is there a better way to seal a league title win then by defeating your neighbours in the derby? Don’t think that there are many Inter fans who will argue against that.
Bonus Pick (1): The architect of Inter’s success was coach Simone Inzaghi who, for all his achievements, does not really get too many plaudits.
Bonus Pick (2): Another major figure for Inter has been their CEO Beppe Marotta, who has managed to put together a strong squad despite largely absent ownership.
Maghreb Madness
By for
A couple of weeks back I commented on how football has helped me learn more about the world and different cultures than anything else. This was latest lesson, a piece that starts with a team unable to fulfill a continental fixture because their kits had been seized at the airport for geopolitical reasons.
Robinson Crusoe Island, a Chilean football fairytale
By Jonathan Harding for DW
Ready for the best feel-good story of the week? Cause nothing can beat the story of a volcanic island named after a fictional character whose team finally makes it into the domestic cup competition.
Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you will enjoy reading.
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Last Week’s Most Read: Thomas Piketty and the decline of football
By Jonathan Wilson for UnHerd
In recent weeks I have been writing on-and-off an article about the importance of competitivity in football. Then this article pops up, using the work of major economists to analyse that same problem with such depth that made me scrap the whole project.
Bonus Pick by Ben Morse for CNN: What the Premier League does with its billions of dollars is riling 72 other soccer clubs. This week’s decision to scrap FA Cup replays has not helped the situation. It is very much looking like ‘Peasants vs. Marie Antoinette’.