Daily Archives: January 6, 2025

How Bruno Fernandes’ unusual positioning exploited Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive issues

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“When the post-match discussion focuses on the player who has been dominating headlines in the previous days, it’s fair to question if that analysis is reasonable, or whether it’s simply a convenient narrative to keep everyone talking. On this occasion, the analysis was entirely fair: Trent Alexander-Arnold, subject of a transfer approach by Real Madrid, had a very difficult game in Liverpool’s 2-2 home draw against Manchester United on Sunday. The idea that Alexander-Arnold can struggle defensively is, clearly, nothing new. He is, at heart, a playmaker who got converted into a right-back because that was the simplest pathway into Liverpool’s first team. The last couple of seasons have featured attempts to field him more centrally when they are in possession, but he remains a problem without the ball. …”
NY Times/The Athletic
NY Times/The Athletic: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 2 – Something for everyone in incredible rollercoaster game at Anfield

Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is the king of the six-yard box

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“Talk to Newcastle’s greatest ever goalscorer Alan Shearer about the scoring of goals and he will bring up the importance of the ‘second six-yard box’ — meaning the space between the actual one and the penalty spot. For him, it’s where strikers should get their chances. No 9s, however, have idiosyncrasies. Current Newcastle centre-forward Alexander Isak’s winner away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday was his latest in a growing collection of tap-ins from within the actual six-yard box. It made the Sweden international the third Newcastle player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games, after Shearer in 1996-97 and Joe Willock in 2020-21. …”
NY Times/The Athletic

Irish Football – A Sine Wave Through Time

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“Ireland, like many nations, possesses an incredibly strong appetite for sport. Consistently medaling in the olympics,being ranked among the best rugby teams in the word, producing countless professional combat athletes competing at the highest levels and being the home of the GAA which is a totally unique sport to Ireland, it is not a stretch to say that Ireland is truly a hotbed of sport. If we take this to be true though, a question is raised. Why is one of the most popular sports in Ireland done at such a poor level throughout the country? … Alongside the sheer number of players involved, football remains one of the most watched sports in the country with massive amounts of people supporting an English Premier League team. …”
Football Paradise
BBC: Is this the biggest upset in the Irish Cup’s 144-year history?


This poem was written by a journalist after the final and passed on to Dundela captain Bobby McAuley (centre).

How does this end? Amorim’s best Man Utd XI? Is 1-0 to the Arsenal a problem? – The Briefing

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“Welcome to The Briefing, where every Monday during this season The Athletic will discuss three of the biggest questions to arise from the weekend’s Premier League football. This was the weekend when Manchester City recorded a convincing scoreline (if not performance) against West Ham, Chelsea dropped more points, Newcastle’s fine form continued and Southampton arguably reached a new low with their 5-0 home defeat to Brentford. Here we will ask if the remainder of the Premier League campaign is a confusing mess, whether Ruben Amorim has found his best team and whether Arsenal have a 1-0 problem. …”
NY Times/The Athletic