Football Legends: Lionel Messi

The 2022 World Cup Final, between reigning champions France, and 2014 runners-up Argentina, was in many ways about the apprentice supplanting the master. French superstar Kylian Mbappe had helped France win the trophy four years earlier; now he hoped to emulate the great Pelé in winning consecutive tournaments. In his way? A towering icon of […]

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The New Football Manager Story P10 – The Big Time

The 24/25 season brought with it the pinnacle of English football for little old me. I’d somehow guided Blackburn Rovers to promotion, and now I’d rub shoulders with elite managers like Klopp and Guardiola. I expected a tough season. The squad that won promotion was generally good, but retaining the talented loan stars was next […]

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Writing Prompts: England’s Football Nadir

Whilst I am loathe to suggest that England’s footballing fortunes have dramatically improved (and I seriously doubt they will win a major tournament any time soon), when one pauses to look at arguably the lowest point of the 21st Century, it might be suggested that some progress has been made. It was the summer of […]

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The Meerkat Muse – 22/3/23

Here we go again! The Weather If there is a pastime all Brits indulge in, it’s moaning about the weather. At the start of this Muse cycle, the weather was bleak. We had a bit of snow (which thankfully didn’t settle), followed by relentless, torrential, cold rain. The other Thursday was particularly damp. The skies […]

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The New Football Manager Story P9 – Battling Back

So, the 23/24 season had seen me join Middlesbrough, swiftly get fed up with them, leave them, and join fellow Championship side Blackburn. Blackburn were enjoying a better season than Middlesbrough, though they were very much a mid-table side after 23 games. The second phase of the season would get underway at home to 2nd-placed […]

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