Cultured Football #177
Sven-Göran Eriksson. Football in the River. Cruyff to Dumbarton? Valencia. VAR.
Sven-Göran Eriksson, English revolutionary
By Jonathan Wilson for UnHerd
Sven-Göran Eriksson did not achieve the success that was expected of him whilst he was England manager but even so people seem to have largely positive warm memories of him. Judging by the words of his final interview he would be quite pleased by that. Even if, of course, he was a great manager who achieved some exceptional results during his career.
Football in the River
By Tom Reed for Terrace Edition
I had, I have to admit, never heard of football being played in water but it seems that this is a century old tradition in Bourton-on-the-Water where the game is played in a shallow river. Can’t imagine why anyone would think of doing that but it certainly seems fun!
Cruyff to Dumbarton? You won't believe how close it came!
By Martin Greig for Nutmeg
When you think of Johan Cruyff, you think of flair, total football, Barcelona and Holland. You definitely do not think of Dumbarton. Yet it seems that history could have been slightly different and such a thought would not have been at all outrageous.
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The Battle For The Soul Of Valencia
By Archie Willis for Futbolista
No club - not even Atletico Madrid - has managed to disrupt the duopoly of Real Madrid and Barcelona as Valencia did in the four year period between 2001 and 2004. Yet that is ancient history because for the past years the club has been struggling against mediocrity or worse. And the fans are no longer having any of it.
Why VAR is the worst thing that has been inflicted on football
By Martin Cloake for The Football Fan
I like the idea of VAR and the use of technology to get fairer judgement calls. It has been used brilliantly in other sports and even in football (goal line calls are no longer an issue). Yet, too often I’m finding myself not celebrating my team’s goals because of the fear that VAR will find some infringement that will rule it out. And if you can’t celebrate goals, why watch football at all?
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Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you will enjoy reading.
Last Week’s Most Read: Why Is Soccer’s Most Famous Scoopster Doing PR Work For Mason Greenwood?
By Luis Paez-Pumar for Defector
Social media - particularly Twitter - is awash with ‘journalists’ whose only contribution is to feed the ever churning transfer rumour mill. The most famous of these manage to build huge followings of super-loyal fans who hang by their every word even though they’re either mouthpieces for agents or merely rip-off the news from other, proper journalists. Few stop to ask why these individuals do what they do and much less hold them accountable for what they say.
VAR article is certainly thought provoking.