Analysis

Aston Villa have become one of the best and most exciting teams in Europe ever since Spanish manager Unai Emery took the job. They have signed young, talented players that have massively helped them qualify for the UEFA Champions League. He has developed so many good players and won on so many difficult grounds, it is hard to call this anything less than a success job. However, it is not just on the sporting forefront where Emery has been doing such a fabulous job. One of the most important things Emery has done is build concrete interpersonal connections with his own players, which he has tried to do at every club he has been a part of. So many players at Villa have upped their game ever since the Spanish coach took over, and it is not surprising when he says so many good things abo...

Liverpool are always on the lookout for new forwards to bolster their attack for the present and future, as we've seen an attacker being signed more often than not in the last few years. Most recently, Liverpool have signed Federico Chiesa from Juventus on a bargain - just 12.5 million pounds for a player who clearly has a lot of potential, even though he has been riddled with injuries in the last few years, is a good deal. Worst case scenario, it brings them a good squad player for the foreseeable future. But now, the Reds have been looking at yet another winger. According to The Sunday Mirror and BILD, Liverpool are interested in Jamie Gittens, and have sent scouts over to Germany to watch him play. Gittens is a creative hub with a lot of technical quality with the ball, and any...

Brighton were one of the biggest spenders in all of world football this summer. The Seagulls spent nearly £200m on some of the most in demand players in Europe. Now that we’ve actually seen most of these players in action, let’s rank all of Brighton’s summer transfers. Georginio Rutter: A Fabian Hürzeler took his time bedding in Georginio Rutter after Brighton signed him for a club record fee of £40m from Leeds. It’s still early, but now that we’ve seen what the Frenchman can do, it’s looking like he's worth every penny. Rutter’s technical ability, work rate, versatility has been essential to making Brighton’s attack work while João Pedro has been injured. We saw all three aspects of his game on full display against Tottenham, where he scored a goal and later fought free from three Sp...

Manchester City have the world's best defensive midfielder in Rodri, who is one of the top Ballon d'Or candidates for 2024 after a sensational 2023/24 campaign at the base of the Citizens' midifeld. Alongside him, Man City have three great players capable of manning the second spot in a double-pivot - John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, and Mateo Kovacic. However, Man City have been left thin at the position due to injuries to these players, with Rodri's looming largest. Furthermore, Man City don't have a young player in the center midfield positions. With Kovacic linked to Saudi Arabia and Gundogan likely on his last legs at the elite level, the 2025 transfer windows could be the right time for Man City to strike with a move for an elite 6. Here are five options for Manchester City to c...

Here are the five most underrated Wolverhampton Wanderers players from 2010 to 2019. LW Matthew Jarvis Matthew Jarvis' peak for Wolves was around the tail end of the 2000s and the start of the 2010s, and he was a darn good player for Wolverhampton. Jarvis scored 4 goals with 6 assists in the 2010/11 season and then 8 goals with 4 assists a season later. He was the one saving grace for Wolves, and it says something that he played that well in 2011/12. only for Wolves to finish dead last in the Premiership anyway. And without him, they would have definitely been relegated a season earlier than that anyway. Jarvis was unplayable at times when he was in his peak, though that peak sadly only lasted for a few seasons. His trickery and skill ranked among the best wingers in England, with ...

LaLiga is renowned for its rich history, iconic clubs, and world-class talent. However, beneath the surface, the league grapples with several significant challenges that threaten its integrity and global reputation.  The quality of play is subpar, stadiums are partially empty due to high ticket prices, and many teams are in financial turmoil. Worst of all, the league has been in the spotlight for almost all the wrong reasons possible (the abuse in various stadiums, controversial refereeing decisions, etc). If all this wasn’t bad enough, LaLiga continues to get weaker every season as its best players and managers leave to sign for other leagues, such as the Premier League, Serie A, and even the Saudi Arabian league.   It’s a concerning period for the league, but why has LaLiga declined...

5. Alex Stepney Alex Stepney was Manchester United's starting goalkeeper from 1966 to 1978 after a brief spell at Chelsea, and he ended up playing over 400 games in the English top flight for the Red Devils. Although Stepney's name doesn't come up as often when discussing the great Manchester United goalkeepers, he won the league, FA Cup, and European Cup with the club, producing an acclaimed save in that European Cup Final at Wembley against Benfica. The save game from short-range to stop a scorcher from Benfica striker Eusebio, who is widely regarded as one of the best players in world football history. In fact, Stepney's save was so remarkable that Eusebio himself applauded the Manchester United goalkeeper. Stepney recalled, "I saw it on telly afterwards and what had happened ...

From Bruno Fernandes and Martin Odegaard to James Maddison and Cole Palmer, the Premier League is filled with top-class playmakers who provide highlight-reel assists and slick dribbles. Here is a ranking of the best playmakers in the English top flight in 2024. 10. Andreas Pereira, Fulham A lot of people wrote Andreas Pereira off after he put up mediocre numbers for Manchester United for years before going to Brazil, returning, and turning his career around with another historic Premier League side in Fulham. Now, Pereira is playing the best football in his career at the age of 28 and has become one of the best passers in the final third in the entire Premier League. He is a playmaker in his prime and one of the premier set-piece specialists in the English top flight. Pereira had a...

Obviously the superstars of Real Madrid and Barcelona are going to dominate a list of the best midfielders in LaLiga, but the entire top 10 list doesn't belong to the biggest two clubs in Spanish football alone. Here are the top 10 midfielders you need to know in 2024, including some stars from Real Sociedad and Villarreal. 10. Brais Mendez, Real Sociedad Brais Mendez has always been a great player, and he should have received more acclaim at Celta Vigo, where he was an excellent partner in crime for the legendary Iago Aspas. In 2022, Brais got a chance to break out of his shell a little more on a competitive Real Sociedad side that was stacked to the brim with underrated talents and top LaLiga stars in the midfield and the attack. During the first half of the season, Mendez was as...