Sameer Chopra

Today, where so much money rests on the result of a team’s soccer season, the number of clubs that aren’t being managed with the idea of sustainable competitiveness is crazy. Players come, players go. Even top clubs such as Arsenal or Manchester United are constantly faced with the threat of superstars leaving, while Real are […]

Arsenal used to try and emulate Barcelona, but now they’re closer to Real Madrid. They used to be a side of clever, tricky players. Now the London club trots out a much more physically imposing lineup, represented in the early part of the season by the magnificent Abou Diaby. Wenger wanted to win games through […]

People have been writing about the modern association of soccer with business for many years now. Soccernomics, that beautiful book that marries football passion with economic realities, helpfully points out that the problem with this association is that clubs aren’t often treated with the same rules as a free-market business. They hardly ever close their […]

I’ve written previously about my opinion on Brendan Rodgers’ hiring as Liverpool manager. Rodgers obviously has a clear and attractive footballing philosophy that appeals to fans, heavily influenced by the Total Football style of the Dutch and Spanish. The one point of worry for supporters may have been his rapid ascent, being placed in a […]

The only path to sustainable success is stability. The only way a side without extraordinary financial backing can succeed in an environment as tough as the Premier League is through having a defined plan bought into by all its players. Perhaps what has been most disappointing to Liverpool supporters about the start to the season […]

Sir Alex Ferguson has nothing left to prove. Everyone knows this. And if reports that suggest he was recently in New York speaking to Pep Guardiola about Manchester United are to be believed, the man himself knows it too. Still, this season has the potential to be one of the man’s finest, with possibly the […]

As the transfer deadline came and went, Liverpool supporters would have become painfully aware of two things. One was that the club’s owners had basically stabbed their manager in the back. Another was that yet again, instead of strengthening, a transfer window was mainly used to clear out deadwood (an expensive habit Liverpool have picked up). […]

Ever since the start of the Premier League in the early 1990s, soccer has become a world of haves and have-nots. Clubs with ‘history’ or extremely wealthy owners have leveraged television and Champions League revenues to such an extent that most of the top six in any major league can be predicted before the season […]

Brendan Rodgers was appointed Liverpool manager in June, and has now had some time to get to know his squad. Presumably this means that the manager has decided upon those players that fit well into his system and those that need to be replaced. Worryingly for some Liverpool fans, Andy Carroll appears to be in […]

It’s been obvious to everybody watching the Premier League over the last few years that Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal have tried to emulate the way Barcelona dominate games with the ball. The acrimonious departure of Cesc Fabregas and some unsavory Champions League ties may have soured the relationship between the clubs but Wenger in days of […]

Andre Villas-Boas is a very confident man, and that’s a good thing because he has very ambitious plans. Recently appointed by Tottenham Hotspur, the man who flamed out at Chelsea is already talking about mounting a title challenge, but doing it his own way. Will his methods work this time? Last season, despite Harry Redknapp’s […]

Watching Liverpool play last season was a frustrating experience for all concerned. Clearly a team with talent, they were over-reliant on Luis Suarez for creativity while those around the Uruguayan often didn’t take enough responsibility. In fact, it could be argued that Liverpool was no closer to finding out their best eleven at the end […]

Chelsea isn't known as a team that parks the bus. The prevailing images of the London side all involve swagger and aggression, with high energy in midfield and Didier Drogba bullying defenders. Many of the players in this year’s side set the Premiership scoring record in their last championship-winning season. Yet not even Chelsea, a […]

Liverpool fans are often claimed to be some of the most rational and intelligent in the world. They hardly ever turn on a manager (and Hodgson very nearly turned on them first) and they know the difference between a bad team and a team that is being badly managed. They do not expect quick fixes, […]

Normally a European match is noticeable because of the clash of styles involved. Think Inter Milan's immovable object against Barcelona's irresistible force. Similarly, Tottenham have stunned Europe by using traditional English wingers and an old-fashioned target man. In the Europa League, Napoli played a three man backline against teams used to a more traditional back […]