The Footy Tales

 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 ...

 Manchester United take on Leeds in a crucial Premier League fixture away at Elland road with the hope of maintaining their top four position this season. United have been far from consistent this season, but a win against the struggling Leeds would surely lift the spirits ahead of a crucial Champions League match against Atletico Madrid. United, as one may remember won 5-1 on the opening day of the new season at home against the very same opponents. A lot has changed since then, a this match is crucial for both teams now, for entirely different reasons. Leeds are 15th in the table on 23 points, just five off 18th placed Watford. A win will take them over Brentford upto 14th. Leeds have been awful to say the least this season, with defensive liabilities playing a huge role in their problems. Only Norwich have conceded more goals(50) than Leeds this season(46). They haven't kept a clean sheet since November last year, and have conceded an astonishing 26 goals in just 9 Premier Leagu...

  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 ...

 The Saudi backed takeover of Newcastle United, yes, the controversial £305 million purchase which marked the end of Mike Ashley's 14 years reign at the St. James' Park sparked much debate last year. Human rights groups were strongly against such a takeover while the Newcastle fans were over the moon. And why wouldn't they be? They are a set of fans who have seen it all, from being title contenders at one point in their history to being relegated, and now struggling to stay up, its safe to say thee set of fans have endured a lot. It was no surprise that the Magpies faithful were overjoyed, visibly wearing masks of the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, when the deal of the takeover went through. Newcastle United Football Club became the wealthiest club in the whole world, and along with their finances, their ambitions also skyrocketed. The new owners promised to take the club back to the Champions League.  But things don't improve overnight in football. Since the takeover, N...

  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...