Kevin Parvizi, Author at The Trivela Effect

Two concerns Bayern Munich have with hiring Roberto De Zerbi

2May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Two concerns Bayern Munich have with hiring Roberto De Zerbi

Bayern Munich are still hunting for a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, who will leave the club at the end of the 2023/24 season due to a disappointing Bundesliga campaign that has seen Bayer Leverkusen already secure the league title. Although Tuchel has alienated a large number of fans and players, Bayern Munich have fallen victim to a historically great Leverkusen side, while they are tied 2-2 with European Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League Final. Therefore, there are some doubts as to whether or not Bayern Munich will even hire a better manager than Tuchel, whom they canned Julian Nagelsmann for just last season. Xabi Alonso has already said "no", Arne Slot is going to Liverpool, Zinedine Zidane appears mostly uninterested, and reunions with Hansi Flick and Nagel...

Transfer Rumors: New Raphael Varane suitor may signal end of top-level career

2May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Transfer Rumors: New Raphael Varane suitor may signal end of top-level career

Manchester United are preparing to clean house in the summer transfer window, and while many fans hope that cleaning of house includes manager Erik ten Hag, INEOS' biggest key seems to be parting ways with expensive veterans. The best of those players on the transfer shortlist, so to speak, is upcoming free agent Raphael Varane, who joined Manchester United from Real Madrid after the 2020/21 season. Although Varane brought an upgrade of class to the Manchester United back line, the 2023/24 season has exposed the fact that Varane is no longer an elite center back. He was on the decline in the 2020/21 season, which is why Real Madrid were so eager to sell him, as they saw Eder Militao was already a better center back. Varane is still an above-average player, but at his wages, Man...

How Toni Kroos has become even better with age

2May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

How Toni Kroos has become even better with age

Real Madrid center midfielder Toni Kroos took center stage on Tuesday night in the Champions League, as he was arguably the Man of the Match against former employers, Bayern Munich. For years, Kroos has made Bayern regret their decision to sell him to Real Madrid for just 25 million euros, as he has become the best possession-oriented midfielder in the world - a deep-lying playmaker for all time. Kroos nabbed the highlight of the night with his assist for Vinicius Junior, which proved vital to Real Madrid getting a 2-2 draw out of Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. With seven assists in LaLiga this season, Kroos is as good as ever from an offensive standpoint, creating chances from the utter nothingness while dictating play like only he can. As a 34-year-old, Toni Kroos is sti...

The Real Madrid star LaLiga snubbed from the Team of the Season nominees this year

2May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The Real Madrid star LaLiga snubbed from the Team of the Season nominees this year

Real Madrid and Barcelona tend to dominate the LaLiga Team of the Season every year, which comes as no surprise, but with the Merengue club clearly leading the league by 11 points over their bitter rivals in 2023/24, the expectation was for Los Blancos to thoroughly dominate the end-of-season lists. For the most part, they did. Andriy Lunin, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Carvajal have been nominated as potential La Liga Team of the Season players in defense, while Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, and Toni Kroos made it in midfield. Yet conspicuous by his absence is Aurelien Tchouameni, one of the best midfielders in the world and, for this season, one of the best center backs in Europe, too. Splitting his time in the defensive midfield and at center back due to season-ending injuries t...

The whole world watched Manchester United’s most grievous error laid to bare

2May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Premier League

The whole world watched Manchester United’s most grievous error laid to bare

Manchester United have basically condemned themselves of any chance at qualifying for the Champions League next season, and there are so many issues with the squad that is a daunting task to begun a proper retooling of the team this summer. Yet when it comes to Manchester United's biggest mistake of the season, determining that most crucial error has become just a little bit easier in light of what the whole world witnessed on Wednesday night. Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho put on a clinic on one of world football's biggest stages, torching PSG's suspect defense to the tune of 13 dribbles completed, setting a new high mark for the 2023/24 Champions League campaign. It was an all-time great performance by the Borussia Dortmund star in the Champions League semifinals, a testa...

The player who cost Real Madrid the most against Bayern Munich

1May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The player who cost Real Madrid the most against Bayern Munich

Real Madrid can feel fortunate to have come away from their Champions League semifinal first leg battle against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena with a 2-2 draw. For most of the match, Real Madrid were outplayed by a more fervent Bayern side, perhaps out to prove that they are much more than their Bundesliga results have showed this season. Coming into the tie as favorites, Real Madrid looked like they were fighting to stay afloat. Through top players Toni Kroos and Vinicius Junior, Los Blancos found a way despite Jude Bellingham feeling under the weather, and they will like their chances of making it to the final since the second leg is at the Santiago Bernabeu. At the same time, this could have been a better game from the perspective of Carlo Ancelotti and the Real Madrid supp...

Ronald Araujo isn’t even Barcelona’s best defender

1May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Ronald Araujo isn’t even Barcelona’s best defender

Barcelona had the best defense in European football last season, as the likes of Ronald Araujo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Alejandro Balde, Jules Kounde, and surprise star Andreas Christensen led the Blaugrana to the summit of LaLiga. This season, unfortunately, the Barcelona defense has taken a step back. New additions Joao Cancelo and Inigo Martinez haven't made the team better, while the loss of Sergio Busquets took the back four's greatest shield away. Individual performances have waned, too, with ter Stegen going back to frustrating fans. And recently, star center back Ronald Araujo has been responsible for some negative results, including a head-scratching red card in the Champions League crumbling vs. PSG. Make no mistake, Araujo is one of the most talented players in world foo...

The player even Barcelona need to stop underrating

30Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

The player even Barcelona need to stop underrating

On the one hand, Barcelona will be disappointed with their 2023/24 season, as they have fallen far behind Real Madrid in the LaLiga title race after pretty handily winning the league last year. Perhaps just as bad, Barcelona were humiliated by PSG in the Champions League knockout stages, making it yet another season in which the Blaugrana failed to deliver on Europe's elite stage. They blew a 3-2 lead and were taken down 4-1 in the second leg. But amidst all the negativity, there are some positives for Barcelona to take away, specifically the emergence of a few more excellent young players. Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi have understandably soaked up much of the plaudits as teenagers who already look like elite players in LaLiga. Yet it seems like even Barcelona are underrating y...

Barcelona can’t make the same Pedri mistake with Lamine Yamal

30Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Barcelona can’t make the same Pedri mistake with Lamine Yamal

Barcelona right winger Lamine Yamal has been one of the biggest breakout stars in world football this season, following in the footsteps of a handful of world-class youngsters in Catalunya who have taken LaLiga by storm over the last several years. Yamal already looks like the future face of Barcelona, with PSG reportedly keen on signing the teenager to a 200 million euro offer, presumably to pair with another former Barca star in Ousmane Dembele as future Real Madrid man Kylian Mbappe's replacement. Instead, Barcelona are standing firm on keeping Yamal, which is music to the ears of Culers. Although many players are for sale at the Camp Nou, the likes of Yamal are too priceless to ever part ways with and should be building blocks of the team for the next decade to come. Pedri sta...

Aston Villa might actually have the Premier League Player of the Season

29Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Aston Villa might actually have the Premier League Player of the Season

Since Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City are competing for the Premier League title, much of the conversation regarding the Player of the Season race has centered around Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka, Rodri, Phil Foden, and now Kai Havertz. But perhaps the Premier League Player of the Season is starring for another club in the top four, Aston Villa. Because when assessing the overall impact one player is having on a team, Ollie Watkins just might be in a league of his own. Watkins has been one of the best strikers in European football this season and has arguably usurped Harry Kane as the most well-rounded No. 9 on the planet in 2023/24. Thanks to Watkins' 19 goals and 12 assists, Aston Villa are obtaining an even firmer grip on the fourth and final Champions League qualificatio...