Aaaand, we’re off! As domestic football slowly returns for what will be one of the weirdest seasons ever (a World Cup in December *shakes head*) we continue with our round up of football writing you should be reading (and an iconic photos)
How Nacional's incredible fan campaign convinced Luis Suarez to go home
By Daniel Edwards for Goal
Although age seems to have caught up with him, it was still slightly surprising that no European club made more of a concerted effort to sign Luis Suarez. On the positive side, that inaction has led to a romantic return to his first club Nacional, a move partly driven by fan action.
877 words
EFL Players to Watch in 2022-23
By Gabriel Sutton for The Analyst
Lower league football kicks off in England this weekend and there’s no better way to prepare for it than by checking out the talent most likely to emerge over the coming nine months. So, in a list spanning a number of clubs, here are the EFL players worth keeping an eye out for.
3,622 words
Beverley Town sign Italian midfielder after chance dog-walk meeting
By the BBC
If you don’t want to read this article after reading THAT headline, I’m convinced there’s nothing I can write that will make you want to.
358 words
The 3 Chelsea kids Mourinho tipped for stardom in 2014 & how they fared
By Planet Football
Eight years ago, Jose Mourinho identified three youngsters at Chelsea and said “if [they] are not national team players in a few years, I should blame myself.” Of course, Mourinho didn’t stay at the club long enough to truly have a say on their path but what has become of them?
1,986 words
Analysing The Best Corner Teams In Europe
By Oliver Walker and Jaymes Monte for StatsBomb
Now this is a truly great piece of data-driven writing. Not to mention an extremely interesting and insightful article to read plus plenty of graphs with data to contemplate. Using StatsBomb’s data, the two authors of this piece have identified the sides who make best use of corners and analysed how they outperform the rest.
1,455 words
Something Else We Loved This Week
Lower league football has many attractions with proximity to action being one of the highlights for many. Unfortunately, that also has its drawbacks, as this gentleman found out during Elgin City’s recent 2-0 home defeat to Queen of the South.
Last Week’s Most Read: We all hear you on transfers, Brendan – but the public reality check is doing no one any favours
By Joe Brewin for The Fosse Way
Brendan Rodgers is a fine manager. He did a good job (for the main) at Liverpool and a great one at Swansea, Celtic and Leicester. Yet there is also the ever lingering feeling that the most important aspect for Brendan Rodgers is Brendan Rodgers. It seems even more so when you look at his recent comments about the prospects at Leicester which, for some fans, seems aimed at managing expectations (and the potential negative fallout which might hit Rodgers himself).
This is just fantastic! Thanks for putting it together 🍻