Cultured Football #57
Escape from Ukraine. Poya Asbaghi. Next Man U Manager. Valencia's Struggles. Breaking the Line.
Unlike a certain oligarch, I am not looking to quickly liquidate all my assets. Instead I’ve spent the past few days reading through and selecting five articles I feel you would enjoy reading.
Would You Look At That!
James Watson celebrated Middlesborough’s latest FA Cup success with this graphic of goalscorer Josh Coburn that I happen to really like. Do check out his portfolio.
Rising soccer star's harrowing escape from Ukraine
By Zayn Nabbi for CNN Sport
As with many other footballers, Amilcar Djau Codjovi found himself trapped in Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s invasion. His escape involved packing chocolate, lots of driving and the intervention of a Prime Minister.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
‘I still think about the people that died. It was just chance’
By Ben Fisher for The Guardian
At just 36, Poya Asbaghi has already been the manager of Swedish giants IFK Gotheborg - whom he led to a Swedish cup success - as well as managed the Sweden U21 before taking over at Barnsley. Then again, having to flee your home country to escape persecution and just avoiding death in a plane crash probably gives you a different perspective and the desire to pack in as much life as possible.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Who should be Man United's next manager?
By Ryan O’Hanlon and Mark Ogden for ESPN
When Ralf Rangnick was appointed as temporary manager at Manchester United, there was a suspicion that he would end up being given the role permanently. Results, however, have transformed that into a non-option which is why there now seems to be a race to determine who the next manager will be.
Reading Time: 9 minutes
Valencia’s Struggles under José Bordalás
By Astorre S. Cerebronè for Breaking The Lines
As someone who grew up with the great Valencia sides led by Hector Cuper and Rafa Benitez, it is always a bit disorientating when I look at the La Liga table and see them struggling. The club has, clearly, been mismanaged but it could also be that they don’t have the right manager in place.
Reading Time: 5 minutes
Breaking the first line: quantifying the risk reward of progressive passes in build up
By Elliott Stapley for Analytics FC
With so many teams pressing high up the pitch, defenders have to find a way to break that first line of press. There are a number of ways to do this, but which one works best?
Reading Time: 7 minutes
Last Week’s Most Read
Have you ever wondered what would happen if a team of Eric Baillys were to face one made exclusively of Joel Matip? Really, you have? Well, there’s no need to wonder any more.