Cultured Football #189
Nigel Winterburn. Alejandro Garnacho. Red Sox Lessons. Serie B Tussle. Kompany Risk Paying Off.
Nigel Winterburn On Arsenal Success And Working Under George Graham And Arsène Wenger
By Callum McFadden for World Football Index
Do players like Nigel Winterburn exist is today’s football? Signed by a big club after a couple of seasons in the lower leagues, he became a fixture in one of the most heralded defences without ever garnering much attention or plaudits. Perhaps for that reason, people will not give too much attention to an interview like this but they should as he gives some very thoughtful answer to a career that not only spanned two great managers but saw a radical transformation to the game.
Bonus Pick: "I have considered retirement... it has been a difficult situation to recover from”
[Jack Kenmare x SportsBible]
Few players have had their careers as marked by a single game as Loris Karius. And few have found it so hard to recover from that game as him.
Avoiding burnout: Why Alejandro Garnacho should be spending more time on the bench
By for
One of the few bright spots at Manchester United over the past eleven months has been the emergence of Alejandro Garnacho. Yet, whilst his form demands that he be picked, should his minutes be managed for the long term good?
Liverpool must look to Red Sox and Betts amid contract dance with Salah
By Ryan Baldi for The Guardian
Whilst Moneyball is undoubtedly the one term that has made the transition from baseball to English football, Liverpool fans could soon be learning a bit more Mookie Betts, the player common owners FSG too easily traded by the Boston Red Sox and which has come to haunt them. The parallels with Mo Salah are all there.
Bonus Pick: The Perennial King
[ x ]
“If you feared Klopp’s emotional farewell, you should be terrified of Salah’s future departure.”
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Why Serie B’s Tussle At The Top is Producing a Title Race to Remember
By Calcio England for Destination Calcio
It is tight at the top of the Serie A. And it doesn’t get much looser at the top of the Serie B.
Bonus Pick: SC Paderborn’s Youthful Charge: Five Talents Shaping the Club's Bundesliga Push
[ x ]
A youthful looking squad is leading SC Paderborn back to the Bundesliga. How many will still be there in a year’s time?
Risk and Reward: The Tactics Behind Vincent Kompany’s New-Look Bayern
By Edward Stratmann for Hudl
There were few appointments last summer as surprising as that which saw Vincent Kompany take over Bayern Munich. So far, however, so good.
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Last Week’s Most Read: How Clubs Got Their Colours
By Various for ESPN
Did you know that a now defunct Nottingham football club inspired AC Milan’s kit? Or that River Plate owe their iconic red sash to a Buenos Aires musical called "Los Habitantes del Infierno" ("The Inhabitants of Hell")? I didn’t, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed this dive into the origins and evolutions of some of the world’s most famous football kits.
Bonus Read: Can Francesco Farioli get Ajax back on top in the Eredivisie?
[Ross Kilvington x Fotmob]
Speaking of iconic clubs, after one of the worst seasons in their history, Ajax seem to be on the way back thanks to their young Italian coach, Francesco Farioli.
