Cultured Football #91
The other Lionel: How Scaloni's tactics led Argentina and Messi to World Cup triumph
By Tim Vickery for ESPN
Whilst most of the attention over Argentina’s win focused on Lionel Messi, perhaps more should be made of the other Lionel of the story: manager Scaloni. Not only has he built a team that supports their star player but he always seemed to make the right moves at the right time whilst also quickly learning from any mistakes made. In time, this will come to be seen as a genuinely great management performance.
The Staggering Decline of Romanian Football
By Eduard Holdis for Breaking the Lines
Romanian football was once as celebrated as Croatia is today. Yet it has almost completely disappeared from the footballing map not only as a national team looking to qualify for major tournaments but even in the ability to bring through players capable of playing at the highest level. Sadly, it does not seem as if that might change any time soon.
The position every Premier League club should be targeting in January
By Fraser Spinney for Post & In
Premier League football is back! An the January transfer window is about to open! Why not combine those two and look what each club needs to look out for this January?
Inside the turmoil at Charlton: Thomas Sandgaard, SE7 Partners Ltd and why fans again fear for club’s future
By Malik Ouzia for the Evening Standard
Charlton Athletic, who returned to prominence this week following their League Cup upset over Brighton, were once seen as a model club, managing to keep its place in the top flight despite not being the biggest whilst harnessing the power of its supporters to deliver an emotional return to their home ground of The Valley. Sadly, all of that is no more. When Thomas Sandgaard bought the club from the loathed Roland Duchatelet he promised a return to the Premier League within five years. Two years on, it is more likely that Charlton end up in the lowest tier of English football instead. Surely fans deserve a system that properly vets prospective owners.
The Hundred: 2023
A few years back, when independent football sites were far more common than they are today, In Bed With Maradona was a favourite of many for its combination of quality writing and quirky subjects. Sadly, IBWM has gone the way of most of those sites in being mothballed. All except for one annual feature where they pick the 100 most promising players in world football. This is the list to follow for 2023.
Something Else We Loved This Week
Throughout all of 2023, ever child born in San Marino will be given a (tiny) shirt of the national football team. What a way of encouraging a new generation of fans!
Last Week’s Most Read: The World Cup's New High-Tech Ball Will Change Soccer Forever
By Ben Dowsett for Five Thirty Eight
Sometime back in the mid-90s, I remember reading an article in a technology magazine predicting how controversial decisions in football would eventually come to be judged with the help of advanced tech installed in equipment like football boots. It looks as if that is finally happening with new footballs helping make decisions.