Cultured Football #29
Season Preview: English Championship, League One & League Two
Not sure if I mentioned this before but I love to go through season previews. Not only do they signal that real football is about to begin once more but they provide me with the illusion of really knowing what is happening everywhere. Now that you know this, I’m sure that you won’t be too surprised to learn that season previews feature heavily in this issue of Cultured Football.
Messi saga springs from Barcelona’s grotesque mismanagement
Avoiding articles about Lionel Messi was a virtually impossible task these past few days so I’m not going to try to do that. What I will do, however, is point you to the ever great Jonthan Wilson who looks at how Barcelona managed to fritter away so much money and lost sight of the philosophy that made them the world’s best team to such an extent that they could not afford a new contract to the world’s best player.
PS – If you want to read more along this line, Simon Kuper’s upcoming book The Barceona Complex will be perfect for you. However, if you’re after something more positive about Barcelona, check out this piece on Yusuf Demir, the young talent around whom they can build their future (along with their other young talents Pedri and Ansu Fati)
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The remarkable inside story of Leon Bailey and his journey to Aston Villa
Another club that lost a significant player this week were Aston Villa but, contrary to Barcelona, they seem to be building quite an exciting team with the money they’ve made from the sale. Getting Danny Ings for £30 million seems to be quite an astute deal but the transfer that has gotten most fans talking is that of Leon Bailey. The Jamaican winger ought to light up Villa Park but his journey to the top has been filled with challenges that he’s overcome thanks to a mixture of talent and perseverance.
Reading Time: 9 minutes
The natural leader who was initially reluctant to become a coach
They took their time to find their man but once Crystal Palace opted for Patrick Vieira to be their new manager they quickly embarked on an exciting project that has seen them make a few very interesting signings. Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Connor Gallacher are all incredibly talented young players whilst Joachim Andersen excelled for Fulham last year. Most of the attention, however, will still focus on Vieira himself. The feeling that he was destined to be the next manager at Manchester City might not be as strong as it once was, but there are many who believe that he now has the right amount of experience to go with his footballing ideas and make a success out of his time at Palace.
Reading Time: 10 minutes
12 young players to keep an eye on
Having signed Gini Wijnaldum, Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos (with a certain Leo Messi reportedly on the way), Paris St Germain are the runaway favourites to win the French league. This gap is so huge that I failed to be excited by any season preview for French footballl. So instead, I’d like to share this Twitter thread looking into the talents worth keeping an eye on as the season unfolds.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Season Preview: English Championship, League One & League Two
I’ve read quite a few previews of the season in England’s lower leagues but none come even close to this one for their detail and research. So, if you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of why things are looking so bad for Derby or why Exeter will be looking for automatic promotion after a series of play-off heartbreaks, these are the previews for you.
Reading Time: 30 minutes
Last Week’s Most Read
He might not be as successful as he once was but Jose Mourinho remains a star attraction. That is the obvious conclusion after the article on the challenge that he faces at Roma was last week’s most read. If you want to see what the Special One is up to, here you go once more.
Reading Time: 4 minutes