ON ROSS BARKLEY, AND THE FEARLESSNESS OF YOUTH

Courage is a term thrown about recklessly with regards to sport. One may attribute this to the role sport fills in our lives; an argument can be made that in the absense of armed conflict, games played on a court, pitch or field fulfill a primitive urge to compete, and to be victorious. The tribalism that accompanies sport is a by-product of this, and helps to explain the mania of supporters who feel intrinsically tied to a club by geography, heritage or social standing. This is why such words as 'courage', and 'heroic' are tied so often with athletic feats, as sport brings out an energy and passion that is perhaps only rivaled, albeit to a far greater degree, by war. We may say that 'battles' are fought on the pitch between rival clubs, but as fans we know this to be hyperbole, an overdramatization of something that has greater importance to us than perhaps it should.

ON OUT-AND-OUT STRIKERS & SUPER-SUBS

There is something almost 'anti-football' about a true number 9. Whereas the other outfield players must have minds which continually process the events around them, the positioning of 21 other players as well as the movement of the ball, a striker plays with a singularity of thought which functions almost irrespective of events beyond his immediate realm of influence. He need be neither technically superb, nor physically impressive to perform his duties; the above-pictured Gerd Müller was affectionately known as 'kleines, dickes Müller' (short, fat Müller) in his native Germany. He must, however, be different. I would argue that the best pure strikers on earth are so devastating because of their ability to detach themselves from the rhythm of the play, what commentators refer to as "drifting out of a match", while those around them are embroiled in tactical battle. This displacement-of-thought lasts until circumstance, combined with incisiveness of movement and intelligence, provides that crucial moment where instinct and muscle memory dictates that the out-and-out striker ends up with the ball in a position where contemplation becomes obsolete, and he guides the ball into the net...

ON VAN PERSIE TO UNITED

     On January 22nd 2002, Manchester United had a 7 million pound bid in the January transfer market accepted for one Diego Forlan. Viewed by scouts as a potential scorer of important goals for United's run-in, Forlán joined the third-placed Reds and was expected to help guide United back to the top of the Premier League table for the clubs fifteenth championship. What happened in the next 5 months for the Uruguayan is still looked back on ponderously by Premier League fans; Forlán made 18 appearances for United before the end of the season, contributing not a single goal. United ended the season still languisihing in third place, and trophyless for the first time since the 97-98 campaign. Furthermore, Diego Forlán would spend three more wretched seasons in Manchester, before being transferred away to Villareal, where he would most certainly play out the rest of his career in relative anonymity...