View From The Bridge

International football is a strange paradigm. The same fans who pushed England to the brink of their best result in 55 years are the same fans that have brought nothing but disgrace to themselves and the nation after Sunday nights heartbreaking exit at Euro 2020. After just 1 minute at 37 seconds, Luke Shaw raised a nation to it’s feet, only for Italy to bring us crashing back down to our sofas with our heads in our hands 66 minutes later. Despite the outrageous home advantage, it was always Italy’s game to lose and with a 33 game winning streak on the line, they showcased not only why they are the best team in Europe, but maybe even on the planet - something our young lions may one day possess (just not in the immediate future).   There were several major errors both on and off the pitch that ultimately cost the lions their first international trophy since 1966. In fact, England’s problems started long before any ball was placed on a penalty spot. After a scintillating 45 minutes ...

In terms of bold statements, I may have slightly overstretched with this one but before a dozen angry French and PSG fans come and bite my head off, just let me plead my case.  As of now, the future for Kylian Mbappe is surrounded by question marks. After a fairly mediocre performance and a crucial missed penalty against Switzerland in last nights Euro 2020 Round of 16 matchup, a few questions have been raised surrounding the ability of footballs number one wunderkind. In  390 minutes of football at the Euro’s he managed 4 shots on target out of 14 attempts and was a major contributing factor in France’s early exit. Nevertheless, this is far from the end of Kylian Mbappe. At 22 years old he has a lot more football to play, but where he chooses to play may just decide his fate as an all-time great or a wunderkind bust.  Mbappe - thegaurdian.com I get it, it’s all a little dramatic. One bad game and Mbappe has gone from comparisons to some of footballs greatest ever talents...

With the group stage drawing to a close, Euro 2020 has proven to be just what football fans ordered after 18 months of multi-tiered lockdowns and empty stadiums. However, with plenty of football still to play, now seemed a good a time as any to look back at the good, bad and ugly of football’s first return to normality on an international scale.  Winners: Italy Having been a notable absence from 2018’s FIFA World Cup, the Italians have regained their position among world footballs very best. Coming into the tournament, they had previously gone 27 games undefeated and have since increased this total to 30 - 5 shy of Brazil’s all time record (1993-1996). Incredibly, this run isn’t the mark of one incredible individual, but a team made of young stars and old war dogs set on returning their old school nation back to the top. 3 convincing wins out of 3 have placed Italy among the favourites to take it all the way.  Italy at Euro 2020 - thegaurdian.com Winners: Aaron Ramsey & Ga...

Unfortunately for fellow Brits like myself, the time has come for another major international tournament and if previous attempts are any indication, we’re in for another whole summer filled with good weather, cheap pints and another round of crushing disappointment. Some might gasp at that statement and point toward the likes of Phil Foden, Mason Mount, and Harry Kane as suitable talents to lead England to their first European Championship in 2021. However, with the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Wayne Rooney unable to produce on the international stage, I don’t give our boys much chance either. I know that’s a pretty negative note to start on but I have tried to remain positive. Gareth Southgate has assembled quite a side that (on paper) that looks poised for at least another visit to this years semi-final before obviously being quickly dismantled by the likes of France or Germany. Last weeks Champions League Final was a fine example of some of the talent that England po...

The position of manager at Arsenal has been a cursed one ever since Arsene Wenger’s retirement. Those who have followed the great Frenchman have seen nothing but mediocre performances and mid table finishes behind the likes of West Ham. Despite initial excitement, the addition of Mikel Arteta hasn’t brought any additional glory to London’s north end and has managed only two 8th place finishes and a FA cup trophy. Now for a mid-table team this would be acceptable, but for a side who is supposedly within the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’, it hardly stands up against the achievements of Arsenal’s rival clubs. The need for change is severe, but the next manager to run through the gauntlet will certainly have their hands full.  As of now, there are two big name managers on the market, Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane. Both men have had great success in their managerial careers, combining for 15 trophies between them, but in terms of style and philosophy they couldn’t be more different....

Right now isn’t exactly the best time to admit to being a Spurs fan. No manager, no European football, stuck behind West Ham, and now at risk of losing their one and only hope of retaining any sort of dignity from the 2021 Premier League season. In an interview that has since gone viral, Harry Kane stood for a chat with Gary Neville and discussed his desire to move past Spurs and start clearing off some of the cobwebs of his very empty trophy cabinet. However, this isn’t something we haven’t seen before and in my mind will undoubtedly end with Kane remaining in the number 10 shirt at Spurs for the foreseeable future.  There’s no question that Harry Kane is a world class talent and has the price tag to match. Any big club that want the chance at signing Kane are going to have to liquidate a serious amount of Bitcoin in order for Spurs to let him go and is valued at around £77 million according to data from the CIES Football Inventory. At 27 years old and arguably coming off his best...

Like it or not, modern football clubs are a business. In order for them to stay afloat and keep fans happy, money needs to be generated and is mainly why the Premier League remains the place to play for many of the worlds top footballers. Although it was met with a lot of heated opposition, the introduction of the Super League was just an extension of this - another way for big clubs to make big money. To many’s relief the plans were overturned and at this point the Super League lays in tatters. However, this act of so called ‘greed’ from team owners has opened them up to a world of abuse from their very own fans, the worst of which occurring between Manchester United fans and the Glazer family. Now, no matter how angry these fans may be, it is not excuse to cause more harm than good.  I realise I may have angered a few people just through the title of this very article, as for many, it isn’t ’just a football club’. However, the attacks that occurred between Manchester United fans ...

It’s that time of year once again. As the end of another Premier League season draws to a close, pundits and fans all begin to focus on who have been the standout stars from around the league in the last 9 months. Not only is this a time to highlight the achievements of some of footballs rising all-stars but is a dream come true for controversial fans like myself who always like to throw a curveball to upset the nearest Chelsea fan. In that spirit, here are our picks for the 2020-2021 Premier League Team of the Season.  Formation: 4-4-2  Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea)  After a rough start to the year for Chelsea which saw them drop to 9th, putting them solidly in Arsenal territory, the emergence and signing of Edouard Mendy has become a major contributing factor to the clubs continued success. In 27 appearances, Mendy ranks 2nd in the Premier League for fewest goals conceded (22) and has kept 15 clean sheets in his time at Stamford Bridge. His influence in between th...

To say that the 'Super League' has been met with mixed reactions would be an understatement. Millions of football fans, pundits, players, and former managers have voiced their joint "disgust" toward the creation of the new breakaway league that aims to create another opportunity for big-name clubs to clash on a more regular basis. On paper, who wouldn't want to see Liverpool vs Barcelona or Manchester City vs Juventus on a weekly basis? Unfortunately, the idea has been utterly torched just because a couple of old school football pundits say it's wrong. So, just before you jump up on the hate bandwagon, let's set a few things straight.  The European Super League already has the signatures of 12 top football clubs which include Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. The basic concept is that these clubs will break away from UEFA competi...

Racism in sport is worse than it has even been previously. For many, sport is a platform. Some use it as a place to display greatness and achievement. Some use it for political agenda's or propaganda. But some use it to abuse others, and for one reason or another, racial abuse is a continued form of mistreatment that remains largely unpunished within pro-sport.  Now, by "unpunished", I don't mean that any racial abuse is quickly swept under the carpet and forgotten. Governing bodies have taken major steps in minimising the racial abuse that professional athletes may receive by launching campaigns such as the Premier Leagues "No Room for Racism" and "Black Lives Matter".  Penalities for fans or athletes who continue to engage in racism can be given a plethera of punishments that include fines, stadium bans, point deductions, or even arrests. Although this has slightly improved the behaviour of fans in attendance, the athletes themselves are actually...

From 2007-2019, every Champions League semi-final appearance featured the talents of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. This stat alone is more than enough to cement them amongst some of the greatest talents that football has ever seen, but in recent years this talent has gone stale. With Messi\"s Barcelona squad failing to reach a Champions League Final since 2014 and Ronaldo continuing to struggle at Juventus, the world has been on the lookout for the future of football. It is without a doubt that Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are that future.  In the most recent Champions League campaign, Messi\"s Barcelona saw an eased exit against Mbappe\"s PSG, in which the Frenchman netted 4 goals over 2 legs. Similarly, Haaland smashed 5 past Sevilla over 2 legs, pushing Dortmund into their first Champions League quarter-final since 2017.  In my mind, these acts represented a lot more than a space in this year\"s quarter-finals - it\"s the changing of the guard.   Mb...

For Chelsea, the start of their 2020/2021 Premier League campaign was much like the British governments handling of Covid-19 - lot's of money spent, full of controversy, and an overall s**t show. However, after the dismissal of Frank Lampard and the hiring of Thomas Tuchel in January, Chelsea has gone from mid-table wannabes to Champions League contenders, all in the space of 13 games. So, with a place in the Champions League final on the table and a top-four league spot all but guaranteed, is Tuchel's takeover of Chelsea the most successful in recent history?  Your first guess would probably be "No", as minds dart straight to the successes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his takeover of Manchester United in late 2019. Here, he set a new standard for caretaker managers and collected more points from his first ten games than any other manager in Premier League history (26). This included wins against 'Big Six' rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City and pushed t...

€105 million goes a pretty long way these days. You can buy yourself a couple of holiday villas in Spain, a Bugatti or two - hell, maybe even a yacht. However, in the football world, you get Paul Pogba - the worlds most expensive super-sub. E ven the most hardcore Man United fans have to admit that this particular investment hasn't exactly worked out the way they wanted, as they were promised the midfielder of the century when in reality they got a Frenchman with bad ankles.  But it hasn't all been bad. Impressive performances at Juventus is what conjured up a return to Old Trafford in the first place and he certainly earned that €105 million price tag. In 178 appearances for the King's of Italy, Pogba racked up 74 goal contributions including 34 goals and 40 assists, pushing Juventus to 4 consecutive league titles under Antonio Conte.  This form did continue for a period at Old Trafford, as even with continuing chemistry and management issues, he still produced 24 goals an...

On the surface, Liverpool is in dire straights at the mid-way point of the 2020/2021 Premier League season. After 6 straight defeats at home, something that has never happened in the club's 129-year history, and having fallen to 8th in the table, this is where fans and owners start to try and find someone to blame. Jurgen Klöpp is the man in charge and has single-handedly brought Liverpool back to the top of European football with the sensational signings of Virgil Van Dijk, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. However, with a string of injuries plaguing his once-great side, is it time to bring in someone new to guide Liverpool through the rest of this rocky season?  As angry as Liverpool fans may be right now, I think the firing of Jurgen Klopp would be premature. Premier League football is a cut-throat business, with several managers ending the year jobless due to their inability to produce top-flight worthy results. Since his arrival in October of 2015, Klöpp has rejuvenated a once-great En...