Jacksonculley

With the spectacular signing of Yohan Cabaye completed last month, Crystal Palace FC added a marquee name to a squad that has racked up some impressive victories over the past two seasons. The deal broke Palace’s previous transfer fee record and was an impressive combination of three factors: the new TV money empowering mid-table Premier League […]

During the summer leading up to the 2014-15 season, Roberto Martinez recognized that Everton did not have the squad to meet the new challenges of the coming season. It had been six years since the Toffees had competed in Europe and Martinez was fully aware that his team, particularly the aging defense, would be put […]

Start with a bang, end with a sigh. In the penalty shootout defeat to Argentina in the semi-final the Netherlands can be proud they managed to contain the opposition defensively without so many fouls this time but were again found wanting when the ball crossed the halfway line. Given their group, the indifferent form of […]

The Round of 16 is over, the optimism and joyous attacking play of the group stage have given way to the need for ruthless precision and unyielding determination. Though we saw teams depart the tournament in the group stage those are exits we could often see coming, make our peace and begin to figure out […]

The round of 16 has begun and brought plenty of drama along with it. This tournament continues to spoil us, a shootout and a flamboyant display of individual brilliance on Saturday followed by another heavyweight clash on Sunday. The early kickoff this Sunday will see the most high profile clash yet of this World Cup's […]

Of all the teams arriving in Brazil with question marks over them, France began the journey with one of the heaviest loads. The long shadows cast by the events in South Africa meant that Les Bleus couldn't just arrive at the tournament and win games, as most expected them to, having been handed one of […]

Throughout qualifying and even into the tournament itself, there were questions about who would line up along the US back four. Pundits, fans, and even Klinsmann himself went through the combinations, looking for the perfect balance. The one thing those four players have going for them is that the name of the man between the […]

The ubiquity of digital media has led to a common lament that it's almost impossible to be truly surprised by players or systems featured on the world's stage. While that's often the case, it's still been excellent and a novelty to watch a few of the early round standouts play the under-used and tricky 5-3-2/3-5-2. […]

No manager would ever wish for a Ballon d’Or nominee to pull out of a World Cup squad injured. However Didier Deschamps may have inadvertently found the opportunity that Les Bleus and the French public having been waiting for since the infamous implosion of 2010. After the dramatic 3-0 win against Ukraine to secure their […]

As the Gunners scrape toward another fourth place finish in the Premier League, both fans and the media are embroiled in the annual debates about the future of Arsenal. The failings of seasons past now have a familiar rhythm to them, though the scale and manner of multiple humbling defeats at the hands of title […]