Cultured Football #198
Real Sociedad. Irony of Dominant Teams. Irish Football is Cool. Looser Age. Carlos Mac Allister.
Real Sociedad are struggling with their own equation
By
forThe biggest challenge for a club that looses key players is to alter its way of playing to adapt to that loss. And that is a challenge that Real Sociedad haven’t managed to overcome after the summer loss of Robin Le Normand and Mikel Merino. One of the hardest pressing team in Europe still presses as hard but results aren’t going their way.
For the first time in a long time, Irish football is cool
By for
Ireland's domestic football league has often been neglected not only by fans who prefer to follow Scottish or Premier League clubs but also by its own governing body. However, all that is changing with a groundbreaking television deal and growing attendance numbers being visible signs of an upturn in fortune.
Why Dominant Teams Don’t Always Make for the Best Transfer Targets: the Curious Case of Bodø/Glimt
By Neel Shelat for Analytics FC
One would think that a dominant team in a smaller league would be developing players that are good enough to excel at a higher level. Yet that isn’t the case. Especially if you consider the case of Norwegian powerhouse Bodø/Glimt.
Bonus Read: Stabæk Fotball - Europe's Most Underrated Talent Developers
[
for ]The flip side to Bodø/Glimt are Stabæk who have developed a knack for unearthing talent that goes on to do well elsewhere despite the club itself being in Norwegian 2nd Division.
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Is football entering a looser age?
By for
Of late, the world is becoming less controlled and more open to spontaneity, seen in politics, media, and football; there seems to be some form of pushback against tightly managed systems. In football that does not seem the case, with creativity and freedom of play still being frowned up. Will that remain the case, however?
Bonus Read: The Rough Guide to becoming a Globetrotting Footballer
[Cillian Sheridan x ]
The biggest freedom footballers have, however, is where they go to play. Some take that to the extreme, becoming globetrotters. If that path intrigues you, here’s a guide to achieving it.
“There Aren’t Many Players Like Alexis”: Carlos Mac Allister on Playing Career, Alexis’ Progress at Liverpool
By Zach Lowy for RG
Carlos MacAllister is a thoroughly fascinating man. Not only was he an excellent footballer who played with some greats but he retired at 30 because he was tired of the responsibility (something he regrets) and set up a football club that is entering its third decade. Oh, and he has fathered three good-to-great footballers. And he talks about all of these in this fascinating interview.
Every Saturday, Cultured Football brings you five great football articles you will enjoy reading. And you get a free copy of the book Master of the Azzurri.
Last Week’s Most Read: Cole Palmer: Made in the Caribbean
By Neil Johnston for the BBC
"The truth is when you look at Cole Palmer, you don't naturally think about St Kitts and Nevis." That thought, expressed by the country’s sports minister Samal Duggins in this piece, is a massive understatement. Yet Palmer’s links to the Caribbean islands are very real, as detailed in this fascinating article.
Bonus Read: Innit innit boys and Super Eagles: how Nigerian Londoners found their identity through football
[Aniefiok Ekpoudom x The Guardian]
A revealing long read on the Nigerian community in London and their struggle for belonging in a city shaped by colonial and post-war conflicts whilst highlighting the impact of Nigerian players in the English Premier League and their role in shaping the country's footballing image.