June 2012
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Reading Rec: Italy 0-0 England: Pirlo dictates the... →
By Zonal Marking
We’re still waiting for Italy to produce completely convincing display – for all their dominance here, their finishing was dreadful. They’ve only scored one goal from open play in the competition, and have only beaten one side, Ireland, who had already been eliminated. Their possession play is impressive and Pirlo has been one of the competition’s star players, but they’ll...
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May 2012
2 posts
March 2012
15 posts
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Reading Rec: Death by Committeee; FA in Pass the... →
Excerpt:
You can always tell when an organisation is in denial. They set up a lot of committees to look into the symptoms rather than the causes of their problems. From the look of the FA’s response to the DCMS Football Governance Enquiry of last year, it is quite clear that Freud would have a field day if he had them on his couch. Somehow or other, the urgency for root and branch reform has...
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2g Reblog: When Peyton Manning Cried, I Cried
philolzophy:
I wrote something about sports for a sports blog.
It’s filed under ‘douchebags’ and ‘NFL’ here: The Sport Hole
Anyone who has ever played a sport understands that it’s about more than kicking a ball around. It’s the lowest common denominator of the human story – you push yourself physically, you rely on the teamwork of others and your work pays off or it doesn’t. By playing you...
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Hockey parent uses laser pointer to distract... →
What a role model!
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Reading Rec: Guardian writers on their footballing... →
Particularly appreciated David Conn & Paolo Bandini’s submissions…
There is one thing worse than this rule, by which when a club falls into administration, as has happened 55 times since the Premier League clubs broke away to keep all the TV money in 1992, other clubs and players must be paid in full, but all other creditors get pennies. This rule has meant that St John...
February 2012
31 posts
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Reading Rec: Milan v Napoli Post-Match Thoughts →
If you missed the Milan-Napoli game today, catch up with @MilanPete’s piece for @themilanguy for in-depth dissection of the tactics, the mistakes, and the occasional positive moment in the match.
Excerpt:
For me, Urby Emanuelson still hasn’t found his “role” as a player yet. Not to say being a utility player isn’t a role, but what is it exactly that Urby does? He’s become more timid...
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Reading Rec: Why SCAF Is To Blame →
Excerpt:
“Since its founding in 1907, Al Ahly S.C. has been known as ‘the people’s club,’ representing resistance against the many forms of colonialism that have long plagued the African continent. Initially the first sporting club to allow Egyptians to join, Al Ahly remains the most popular of Egyptian teams, wearing to this day the red kits that honour the pre-colonial Egyptian flag.
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“Oh! la la! I was about ten years. With my brother and some friends, we strolled...”
– Yoann Gourcuff, when asked what is the dumbest thing you remember most from your childhood?
(via tunisiana)
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“I can do without flares very easily, I don’t even find them particularly...”
– Uli Hesse, ESPN Soccernet. From a very fair piece on the pragmatism needed to deal with ultras’ flares/pyro based on the Bundesliga, give it a read. (via pitchinvasion)
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Reading Rec: The Only Play →
A great article by Pete Acquaviva (@MilanPete) for The Milan Guy (@TheMilanGuy) on a winning formation for Milan.
Excerpt:
This year, Milan’s combative midfield consistently manages to boss around the smaller teams in the league but not the bigger teams in the league this year or even the clubs in the Champions League over the last two years under Allegri. The “Milan default” was successful...
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