Analysis News and Analysis

Did Roberto De Zerbi’s Own Staff Member Reveal His Next Move?

22Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Analysis

Did Roberto De Zerbi’s Own Staff Member Reveal His Next Move?

Roberto De Zerbi is one of the most in-demand managers in club football right now. The Brighton boss has been linked to Liverpool, Barcelona, and almost every other big job open right now. No one knows what the future holds for De Zerbi, but his assistant manager, Andrea Maldera, may have just given us a massive hint about where De Zerbi will be next season. Speaking to Radio Goal on Kiss Kiss Napoli this week, De Zerbi’s right-hand man, Maldera, revealed that his boss might be interested in taking the Napoli job someday. Maldera talked about De Zerbi's attachment to Napoli “De Zerbi at Napoli? He is in love with Italy. It is his country, and Napoli is among his favorite teams. We're fine at Brighton. We have another two years on our contract, then if a proposal came from Italy, and...

Real Madrid suffer two season-defining injury setbacks

21Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Analysis

Real Madrid suffer two season-defining injury setbacks

Real Madrid’s injury list went from bad to worse this week when news broke that both David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois apparently suffered major injury setbacks. Thankfully, it now seems Alaba will be fit sooner or later. Courtois, though, is likely out for the rest of the season. Alaba tore his ACL in his left knee in Real Madrid’s 4-1 La Liga win versus Villarreal last December. It was always a longshot that he would return to the side this season, but now it seems very possible. According to Miguel Ángel Díaz of COPE Radio in Madrid, Alaba’s recovery from his ACL injury has not gone well. The Real Madrid left back reportedly flew to Austria this week to receive special treatment from world-renowned doctor Christian Fink on his left knee. David Alaba is becoming injury-prone Rea...

3 positions Brighton must upgrade in transfer window after Europa League exit

21Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Analysis

3 positions Brighton must upgrade in transfer window after Europa League exit

Brighton qualifying for the Europa League was one of the best stories in world football last season. A 4-1 aggregate loss to Roma in the Europa Round of 16 and poor Premier League performances in 2024 have brought the South Coast club crashing back down to earth this season. The Seagulls are currently 8th in the Premier League. They likely won’t qualify for Europa League again this year, but hope is not all lost. Brighton can get back to the mountaintop again next season with some smart investments into their current squad. Here are the three positions Brighton need to improve the most if they are going to be in the race for European football next season. Right back Why Brighton need to sign a right back Brighton’s only true right backs coming into the 2023/24 Premier League sea...

Why is the Spanish national team burning another Real Madrid standout?

20Mar

By Javier MartinezNo Comments

Analysis

Why is the Spanish national team burning another Real Madrid standout?

After much speculation, it’s been confirmed that Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz has decided to play for Morocco after receiving little interest from the Spanish Federation to play for the national team. A lot has been made about his absence and the fact that neither the national team manager nor anyone from the federation had ever spoken to him about the possibility of playing for the national team. While Luis de la Fuente is perfectly within his right to pick whoever he wants, his behavior with Brahim has been different to other players. He publicly stated that he only selects the players and doesn’t speak to them about whether they will be picked or not. Yet it’s also been reported by media outlets close to the federation that he spoke to several players to either inform them of th...

Ranking The 10 Worst Chelsea Transfers Of The Todd Boehly Era So Far

18Mar

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Analysis

Ranking The 10 Worst Chelsea Transfers Of The Todd Boehly Era So Far

In the summer 2022, Todd Boehly kicked off a new era at Chelsea that can only be described as disastrous. The former 2020/21 Champions League winners under Thomas Tuchel quickly fired the beloved German manager, brought in Boehly's pick Graham Potter from Brighton, promptly fired him, and have since entered a tumultuous relationship with ex-Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea have gone from regular Champions League contenders and European champions to a team that basically has little hope of getting back into any sort of European competition. They are spending more money than anyone else yet getting results equivocal to the likes of Wolves and Fulham within the Premier League. Other than success under Pochettino in cups, there isn't much to love about the Blues right now. ...

The 3 Best Liverpool Academy Prospects Jürgen Klopp Developed

17Mar

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Analysis

The 3 Best Liverpool Academy Prospects Jürgen Klopp Developed

As Liverpool prepare to wave farewell to Jürgen Klopp and thank him for everything he has accomplished at one of the most prestigious institutions in world football, many are taking time to reflect on his impact and legacy at Anfield. For the most part, Klopp upgraded Liverpool by making shrewd signings on the transfer market - such as the vaunted trio of Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah - and changing the mentality around the club both tactically and, in a matter of speaking, spiritually. He also helped develop young talents into the stars they are today, including a trio of players who have been, are currently, and, most importantly, will be important to Liverpool's success. Here are the three best Liverpool academy players Jürgen Klopp helped develop. Trent Alexa...

Real Madrid Transfers: PSG are already waving goodbye to Kylian Mbappé

10Mar

By Parshva ShahNo Comments

Analysis

Real Madrid Transfers: PSG are already waving goodbye to Kylian Mbappé

We are set for a big transfer window in the upcoming summer as there are already huge developments as we head toward the conclusion of the ongoing campaign. Kylian Mbappé is set to call an end to his seven-year chapter at Paris Saint-Germain, the player deciding to leave the French capital as a free agent this summer. It has become somewhat of a foregone conclusion as to where Mbappé will play come the 2024-25 season, and all (not most) signs point towards Real Madrid. In February 2024, Mbappé communicated his decision to not trigger an extension in his contract to PSG chief Nasser al-Khelaifi and everyone else that matters at the club, according to a report from The Athletic's David Ornstein. The Parisian outfit have already started to prepare for life without their biggest pl...

3 managers who can fix what ails Bayern Munich

8Mar

By Javier MartinezNo Comments

Analysis

3 managers who can fix what ails Bayern Munich

Calling Bayern Munich current situation a “crisis” would be an understatement. In fact, it almost feels as if you can’t go one day without hearing about some sort of issue within the team. After last season’s issues, which saw Bayern Munich change managers and miraculously win the Bundesliga on the last match day of the season, it was thought that the Bavarians had learned from their mistakes. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge returned to the club after Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidžić were sacked. They had a Champions League-winning manager with Bundesliga experience in Thomas Tuchel, who would have a full preseason to prepare the team. Bayern Munich strengthened their squad by signing defender Kim Min-jae and striker Harry Kane for a club record £100 million. However, despite all t...

The 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history

29Feb

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Analysis

The 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history

Bayern Munich are in the news for all the wrong reasons right now. The club were embarrassed by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Bundesliga Matchweek 22. They followed that performance up by losing 1-0 to Lazio in the Champions League and letting lowly Bochum beat them 3-2 in the Bundesliga. Now, Thomas Tuchel says he will leave the club at the end of the season. As bad as things are at Bayern now, things have been much, much worse in the past. Because FC Hollywood are at such a low point now, let’s look at some of those bad times and look at the 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history. Concealing payments to players in the 1960s & 70s Bayern Munich are one of the biggest football teams in the world, but it wasn’t always this way. As the story goes, Bayern were just a ...

Best Premier League U23 Player Rankings: Arsenal dominate; Hope for Chelsea; Don’t sleep on Everton

26Feb

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Analysis

Best Premier League U23 Player Rankings: Arsenal dominate; Hope for Chelsea; Don’t sleep on Everton

Here is a ranking of the 10 best U23 players in the Premier League right now during the 2023/2024 season. 10. Everton CM James Garner Everton may be near the bottom of the Premier League table, but they do have a number of young talents worth betting on for the future, with center midfielder James Garner quietly standing out alongside Amadou Onana. While Onana is the one getting looks from the likes of Barcelona, Garner has been arguably even better this season with 2.6 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game. He's even making a difference offensively with 1.2 key passes and 1.3 fouls drawn per game. At 22, Garner is a young general in midfield for Everton and can become one of the best at his position in the Premier League. 9. Manchester United RW Alejandro Garnacho Famou...