Thereās a term used in the football world – ānatural finisherā – and it is generally reserved for strikers such as Thierry Henry, the original Ronaldo, Robbie Fowler, Hernan Crespo, and the like. Add to that list Mr Gabriel Batistuta. The Argentine sensation set our tv screens alight, mainly in the 90s, when widespread football […]
Author : Shane Clancy
Irish Football writer. Drowning in nostalgia. Huge Liverpool fan. Share a house with two beautiful ladies (wife and daughter).
The Wagner Effect
David Wagner took over from Chris Powell as manager of Huddersfield Town on the 5th of November, 2015. Powell had spent just over 13 months in the role, leading them to 16th position in Englandās second tier at the end of 2014/15. The former Charlton Athletic defender was sacked by The Terriers on November 4th, […]
Mexico ’86 – Sombreros and Sunshine
…thatās what springs to mind when harking back to that glorious summer when football once again won the heart of the world. It could all have been so different. The finals had been awarded to Colombia but they withdrew from hosting duties in late 1982. The country had more serious issues to contend with such […]
Kevin De Bruyne – When Not Even the Sky is the Limit
Kevin De Bruyne was rightly delighted after putting pen to paper on a contract extension at Manchester City just over a week ago. āNot only are we winning ā we are playing great football. Itās a pleasure to be a part of it and Iām really excited about what we can achieve in the coming […]
Napoli and the Herculean Dream
Ottavio Bianchi and Alberto Bigon have done it. In fact, they are the only two who have done it. During Napoliās finest era, when players like Maradona, Ciro Ferrara, Alemao, Zola, and Careca donned the sky-blue jersey, Bianchi and Bigon managed their respective Partenopei teams to Scudetto titles. Bianchi had the honour of overseeing Napoliās […]
That Single Sampdoria Scudetto
Serie ‘A’ in the 90s was a thriving dreamland for players and fans alike. It was a competition where teams were still awarded just two points for a win but coming off the back of Italia ā90. However, Serie ‘A’ was regarded as the place to be as a big-name footballer. Reading over the player […]
Rafa’s Spanish Revolution
Imagine a world where Barca, Real, and Atletico Madrid, didnāt dominate Spanish football. Itās pretty much impossible. They have been the three elite teams in Spain since 2013. In fact, you have to go back as far as the 2003/04 season to find a final league table that does not contain both Barcelona and Real […]
Remembering Romario
Some dates just pass us by, disappearing into the ether before we realise their significance. April 27th, 2005 was one of those. Romario de Souza Faria – simply Romario to us – took to the pitch for the last time in the Brazilian national team colours. Almost exactly a month before the āMiracle of Istanbulā, […]