Dink
Over two years ago I wrote an article on Lucas Leiva. The Brazilian had become a scapegoat among Liverpool fans after struggling to adapt from the much less physical and slower Brasileirao. His faults were obvious, but the qualities that made him worth persevering with aren’t typically appreciated in English footballing culture – neat passing…
The last time Luiz Felipe Scolari coached Brazil against England, both teams were in very different circumstances. In their 2002 World Cup quarter-final, they lined up against each other as two of the best teams in the world. Scolari had rescued a trainwreck of a qualifying campaign and was on his way to guiding Brazil…
As Steven Gerrard approached his 100th England cap, a flood of articles appeared eulogising his career. Journalists across the country took it upon themselves to praise his all-round ability yet there was a twinge of disappointment that he hadn’t quite fulfilled his potential, particularly in regard to his time with England. Even Gerrard himself only…
A year or so ago, the idea that Barcelona’s current side was the best to have ever played the game was pretty popular. The ball was passed from world-class player to world-class player as Barca would patiently strangle the life out of opposition teams. One tricky season later and it seemed we had been caught…
With all the drama before the game, it was pretty typical that the match turned out to be a dull, non-eventful evening. Paul Gascoigne turned up to give fans something to cheer about, but there wasn’t exactly many of them, with attacks prior to the game suggesting the locals had a bigger influence outside of…
We have reached the penultimate side on the list, and we are now in the rather odd position where the team we have named second best in history would probably be beaten by every team that came before it in the series. The problem with judging teams from different eras is that it is near-impossible…
Having finished above Liverpool last season and started the season superbly, Everton may have gone into the game feeling confident they could come away with a win, particularly with two of their rival’s defence out injured, but then things are never that simple in the Merseyside derby. The cliché of form going out of the…
