“Our panel of 169 experts from 63 nations compile a list of the greatest male players in 2017. Click on an individual to read more about their year. …” Guardian

“It’s been 18 months since I signed for Celtic. During my first season, I impressed with a clean sweep of domestic trophies and qualification to the knockout stages of the European Champions League. At this point, this year’s campaign promises much of the same, and the board, press and fans love me. But things are boiling over in the dressing room, and I’m fast losing the confidence of my players. How did this happen? Six months earlier, star man Tom Rogic turned in a few dodgy performances and was dropped to the bench. Several weeks later he came knocking, unimpressed with his situation. I promised him more first team football, but failed to keep my word. And as one of my most influential players, my untrustworthiness sparked an internal revolt. To make matters worse, the media has now caught wind of our troubles. Introduced to the series this year, Football Manager 2018’s new Dynamics system is its most distinguished feature. …” PC Gamer, W – Football Manager 2018, Football Manager (Video)

“No matter what level you start at on Football Manager 2018, it’s imperative that you get your recruitment right. The best way to achieve this is to ensure that your scouting department is working effectively to provide you with accurate reports on potential targets. Here are a few ways to get the most out of scouting on FM18… Upon joining a new club on FM18 one of your first priorities should be to evaluate the staff you’ve inherited and decide who to keep and who to get rid of. It’s a cruel world, football. …” The Set Pieces

“When most people think of the Portuguese league, they think about youngsters and exciting, creative players. Overall, I think they’re right: wingers and attacking midfielders are our thing and, whether they are Portuguese or foreigners who came to make the jump, this is very much a hunting ground for the European elite. …”” StatsBomb

“With the first half of the decisive Libertadores final second leg drawing to a close, Gremio’s excellent Luan produced a moment worth of winning any competition. The 24-year-old support striker found space on the left and drifted in-field towards a retreating and uncharacteristically ragged Lanus backline, before effortlessly waltzing past a couple of defenders and exquisitely dinking the ball over Esteban Andrada to make it 2-0 on the night and three ahead on aggregate. …” Outside of the Boot

“Three at the back formations have largely become the trend in football right now with many successful teams using them, most notably Antonio Conte’s Chelsea. This article will analyse why they are so successful and will discuss potential weaknesses. The most obvious advantage of three-man defences are the fluidity they offer: a team can defend with five and the wing backs can then easily turn into wingers when they get the ball. This can create overloads in many areas of the pitch and in turn free up half spaces. These formations are also very hard to break down as the teams tend to defend in a deep compact shape which minimizes the space the opposition has. With most formations this era containing one striker, three at the back formations almost always render him useless due to the striker being outnumbered. …” Outside of the Boot