The Footy Tales

  Football transfer market is something that has always fascinated the faithfuls of the game, from the times when spending a million quid on a player seemed too costly, to the modern game, where someone like a Harry Maguire will cost a team 80 million British pounds. Yes, the times have changed, and so has the tactics of the teams involved. No longer is a transfer just a simple negotiation between two clubs. There are agents, lawyers and a host of middle men involved who charge exorbitant fees for their services. This results in an over inflated market, which, by all means, has entered a state of emergency. A newly promoted club like Nottingham Forest signed 21 players this summer, yes 21!! That's a whole new squad out there. While European champions Real Madrid have signed only two players, Antonio Rudiger being a free signing along with Aurelien Tchouameni for 87 million euros.  So how does a beginner view this transfer market from the outside? How does someone not get lost ...

 Dear Kylian Mbappe,  Hello Kylian, how you doing? I hope you are pretty good, after all the fresh bag you just got must have made you feel like a God, innit? How is the smell of those crisp euros or dollars or whatever the f**k they paid you in....does it smell good? Fresh? Or does it smell of blood? Blood from the dream you just killed, blood from the soul you just sold. We, the faithful Madridistas, have encountered a lot of turmoil over the years, but yours truly stands out, for we loved you, we adored you, we wanted you to play for us at any cost.....we made extraordinary sacrifices for you, we had a DREAM for you, the one you just killed yourself. I remember seeing a picture of your younger self, in a room full of posters of my club, of my favorite player, of OUR favorite player....the one who meant the most to you, to me and to millions worldwide.... Cristiano Ronaldo. Wasn't he like a God for you? Your everything, according to your former teammates? Didn't you dream of...

 There are a few things that are certain in life...death, taxes and Cristiano Ronaldo rescuing his team again and again. At the ripe age of 37, when most players hang up their boots, here we have one of the most decorated footballers of all time pulling his team out of the mud week in week out. Sure, the match was against a less fancied Norwich, sure it was against side who have lost all their matches to the top 7 this season...but don't you dare say it was an easy win for Manchester United. As it has been the case this season, United let go a two goal lead thanks to some dreadful defending at the back, but once again it was that Portuguese messiah who brought the valuable three points for the team. The match was marked with protest both in and out of the stadium against the gross mismanagement of the club by the Glazers spanning over decades of ownership. Rangnick started with a 4-1-4-1 formation which essentially transformed into his preferred 4-2-2-2 as the game went on. Elanga ...

  It's February, the shortest month of the calendar, the month which marks the gradual transition of winter to summer, via the spring. The beautiful flowers, the blue sky, the songs of the birds are enough to stir the soul of even the most rock hearted men and women. Add to that, this is the month which celebrates love, the passionate and intimate bond which has captivated mankind since the dawn if the human civilization. Yet, this month has something to offer for others too, the single people out there who haven't yet been charmed by the beauty of a fellow human being, but are fiercely attracted to a game, a sport loved all over the globe. Yes, the pinnacle of club football, the UEFA Champion's League returns in February, and its safe to say that it has already captivated the masses pretty well. So, who's gonna win the Champion's League this season? Well your guess is as good as mine. The unpredictability of the Champion's League, the swift nature with which th...

 League leaders Hyderabad FC were beaten by two goals to one when they faced ATK Mohun Bagan in the ongoing Hero Indian Super League 2021-22. Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco were both on target as ATKMB eked out a narrow win to get back into top four. The teams played out an entertaining end to end match dominated by both teams in certain phases of the game. ATKMB manager Juan Ferrando opted for a 4-2-3-1 with Lenny Rodrigues and Carl McHugh starting as the holding midfielders. Williams started again in absence of Roy Krishna, while Manvir, Hugo Boumos and Liston were playing just behind Williams. The game started with ATKMB on the offense, but that rhythm was soon disturbed due to the subsequent injuries to Hugo Boumos and Carl McHugh. In came Finnish Joni Kauko and young star Kiyan Nassiri. Kiyan provided much needed support upfront for Williams while Kauko generally played box to box and was solid in the defense too. He contributed one assist for the team, during the second goal ...

  Hi everyone, how are you doing? Hope you are absolutely in the best shape and rearing to go and shine in 2022. Its special, after all its a new year, a World Cup year. Yes, the FIFA Men's world cup takes place this year in Qatar. The mere mention of the world cup is so special to any football fan, the passion, the drama, the joy, the tears and all the sacrifice one makes to make their country proud in front of the whole world is something I can just admire. 2022 is also special for me because it marks 8 years of me being a dedicated football fan. Yes, THAT world cup in Brazil, 2014, was enough to make a 12 year old me fall in love with football. It was one of the best tournaments in recent memory, with the suspense continuing till the final match itself. Mario Goetze putting the ball in the net in extra time broke a million hearts, but it made another million dance with joy. Here's me reflecting on my journey as a football fan since then, and I feel many of you can relate wit...

 I love watching football, be it club football, age specific tournaments, or even international football. Truth is football came into my life at a time I was really down bad and it sort of became my savior, my motivator, my source for happiness. As someone who watches most matches live, it was obvious for me to tune into the 33rd AFCON going on at the moment in Cameroon (if you wanna know more about the AFCON read my blog). When I started watching I was full of excitement and hope, after all I was going to watch a new tournament, new countries, new players of whom I had never heard of, new styles of play and the new tactics I was gonna get exposed to....it was like a wet dream for me. But since I've watched a few matches, I'll be totally honest here.....I really didn't enjoy it that much. I mean, sure I wasn't foolish enough to expect European level of football, but still a part of me was really hoping for real entertainment. That not being the case, here are my thought...

 Modern football is a tactical game. For the spectators, it might be just another game of football, but for the manager and his players, it is nothing short of a game of chess. The players are the pawns, with some being as powerful as the queen, and the manager is the one controlling every movement and decision. The goalkeeper protecting the king, that is the goal. This battle for supremacy has spiraled down the ages through the brilliant minds of genius coaches who revolutionized the game with their uniqueness. Today I'll be discussing about some of the most popular formations throughout the world in this day and age. If you are already familiar with these formations, you still might want to read on. I will only be talking about the formations here, and not the different styles of play which is unique to each manager. So sit back and enjoy; The 4-3-3 The 4-3-3 is by far the most popular formation and is used by a number of coaches throughout the world, both for its simplicity and ...