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Ranking the 10 best center backs in the world for 2023
Champions League, Features

Ranking the 10 best center backs in the world for 2023

The center back position is one of the most difficult to evaluate in football, because much of what makes the best center backs so effective is what they do off the ball. Paolo Maldini was famous for being able to shut strikers out of the match without even having to make a tackle, famously remarking that this was a sign of a great defender.  Yet at the same time, the best center backs in world football need to show they are capable of making decisive interventions when called upon. And there are even other central defenders who have the responsibility of pushing higher up the pitch to win the ball, particularly for possession-based, pressing teams like Bayern München. So here are the 10 best center backs in football today, ranked based on a combination of current play in the 2...
Ranking the 10 best goalkeepers in the world in 2023
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Ranking the 10 best goalkeepers in the world in 2023

Goalkeepers don't get enough praise in the modern game, even though the best goalkeepers so often make the difference between victory and defeat. Look no further than Thibaut Courtois' heroics throughout the 2021/22 season for LaLiga and Champions League winners Real Madrid. Let's rank the 10 best goalkeepers in world football right now, at this very moment in time. That means the GOAT Manuel Neuer has to be taken out, but once he returns from a broken leg and gets back in form, he will surely rank on this list again. 10. Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG A hero for the Italian national team in the 2020 European Championships, Gianluigi Donnarumma is a phenom who started his first Serie A match for Milan at the age of 16. Within just a few years, Donnarumma became the best goalkeeper in...
Kit numbers in football, the how and why
Features

Kit numbers in football, the how and why

I like kit numbers, there I said it. I'm weirdly invested in what numbers players wear, why? God knows, best not to question it, leave that to the litany of therapists who'll try and work out why I know about Serie A number assigning in the 1990's and not why I cry myself to sleep. In 2023 they're wild, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I believe as a self-styled kit number aficionado we could all do with a refresher. The origins of kit numbers Kit numbers were first spotted on the backs of players in the 1910s, and by the early 1930's they were beginning to catch on, having first featured in European football competitively in 1928, but were still different to what we would see now. There were no set rules on how numbers should be assigned yet, so in the 1933 FA Cup Final Everton ...
Why Mauricio Pochettino should not return to Tottenham
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Why Mauricio Pochettino should not return to Tottenham

Tottenham's season under Antonio Conte hasn't been going as many had originally expected. The Italian came in the middle of the 2021/2022 season and changed the team's fortunes by qualifying for the Champions League ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal; a competition that the club had not qualified for since 2019. After sticking with Conte, there was a sense that Spurs could not only win that long-awaited trophy, but also be outside challengers for the Premier League title. However, those Premier League chances quickly evaporated and so have their hopes of winning a trophy. Domestically, they were eliminated by Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup and then by Sheffield United in the FA Cup. Meanwhile, they were eliminated in the Round of 16 stages of the Champions League by AC Milan who (despite th...
Ranking the 10 best strikers in Ligue 1 history
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Ranking the 10 best strikers in Ligue 1 history

Known as the "League of Talents", Ligue 1 has produced so many wonderful footballers over the years, particularly attacking players. There has always been a rich pool of attacking talent in the French top flight over the decades, as Ballon d'Or winners and world-class goal-scorers have made their names initially in Ligue 1. So in honor of that, let's take a look at the 10 greatest strikers to have plied their craft in French football. There are a number of active players on the list, but there are also plenty of stars of the past to celebrate. 10. Edinson Cavani, PSG It was always sad to see Edinson Cavani "fail comps" make rounds on social media, because while Cavani was not known for being a finisher on the level of the players ahead of him on this list, you won't find many more wel...
The 10 biggest breakout stars of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season
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The 10 biggest breakout stars of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season

Ligue 1 is known as the "league of talents" because of all the wonderful up-and-coming players and hidden gems who develop in the French top flight. The 2022/23 season has given us a number of breakout stars worth celebrating, including some players who have escaped any sort of mainstream attention. So let's take a closer look at the biggest breakout stars of the Ligue 1 campaign thus far. Lorient DM Enzo Le Fée Bournemouth's owner has a minority share in Lorient, and the Premier League side already plucked one of Ligue 1's big attacking breakout stars, Dango Ouattara, in the winter transfer window. They were close to signing Enzo Le Fée, but Lorient were able to hold onto their current best player. Le Fée is legitimately one of the best players in Ligue 1 and one of the best yo...
The problem with Antonio Conte at Tottenham
Features

The problem with Antonio Conte at Tottenham

Although Tottenham are in the thick of the top-four race in the Premier League and are, in fact, in fourth ahead of Liverpool and Newcastle, there is a feeling that Spurs could part ways with manager Antonio Conte. That feeling has been echoed by the man himself, with Conte even publicly admitting he could be fired before the season ends. There are plenty of intelligent Spurs fans who have been swayed to the "Conte Out" camp, such as Cartilage Free Captain's Ryan Ratty. When it comes to the basic skills a manager needs, such as his tactical acumen, Conte is undoubtedly one of the best in the world. His accomplishments with Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and the Italian national team speak for themselves. However, in many of those cases, his final split was far from clean, and he has...
Features

Why the PSG project has failed

Since Qatar bought PSG in 2011, they have dominated Ligue 1 but have continually failed in the Champions League. For a second straight season, they have been knocked out of the competition in the first round of the knockout stages, the Round of 16, failing to score a single goal across two legs against Bayern München in a 3-0 aggregate loss. The previous year, they fell victim to a rapid-fire Karim Benzema hat-trick as part of a Real Madrid "Remontada". PSG have spent more than any other club on player salaries, signing Kylian Mbappé to an unprecedented contract this past summer to convince him to stay instead of signing with the club that eliminated them, Real Madrid. Yet keeping Mbappé alongside other blockbuster earners Lionel Messi and Neymar, hiring a new manager, and signing se...
Ranking the 20 best players in Real Betis history
Features, LaLiga

Ranking the 20 best players in Real Betis history

Real Betis are one of the most historic clubs in LaLiga with a fanbase that any club on the planet would envy. The culture of the club, the support they give to their players, and the way they remember their legends is truly something that must be respected and given honor to, especially in the more corporate modern game. So from the stars of the past to those in the present like Sergio Canales and Nabil Fekir, let us take a look and rank the best 20 players in the history of Real Betis, including two star strikers as bonus honorable mentions. 22. ST Pepe Mel Another great Real Betis striker, Pepe Mel made a profound impact on the Seville-based club despite only playing for them for a handful of seasons. Pepe Mel scored 50 goals in over 100 appearances, winning the Pichichi in S...
Ranking the 10 best center backs in Real Madrid history
Features, LaLiga

Ranking the 10 best center backs in Real Madrid history

Although Real Madrid is a club famous for its attacking superstars and dominance on the offensive side of the ball, they've also boasted some strong defensive spines over their many decades of excellence as an organization. So let's take some time to recognize the great center backs who have plied their trade for the Merengue club over the years, ranking the top 10 central defenders in the history of Real Madrid. 10. Iván Helguera Capable of shining as a defensive midfielder or center back, Iván Helguera was a talented footballer who could pick out difficult passes and lead the line. An intelligent defender, Helguera is one of the most underappreciated players in Real Madrid history, and you wonder if he would be cherished by more fanbases around the world for his unique skill set ...