The World Cup

As the World Cup winds down, and the final approaches, one thing is certain. It is not coming home. Kudos to England though. Amongst the plethora of memes and countless jokes of “It’s coming home”, the English players have surely stamped themselves in the hearts of the English fans, an astonishing feat, considering that modern English greats such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney were unable to do so while playing for the Three Lions. Gareth Southgate deserves immense credit as well. Initially derided as an unknown quantity, and taking over after Sam Allardyce’s short and controversial reign, a period when England were struggling for identity, Southgate has proved to be a burst of fresh air, giving young players chance, selecting players on the basis of form rather than fame, and proving that England didn’t necessarily need big name coaches that they have tried over the years, from Fabio Capello to Roy Hodgson, just a coach who believes him himself as much as he believes in his players. They may have lost to Belgium in the third place playoff, but England have surely been one of the better sides in this World Cup, managing something that Germany, Spain, Argentina, Portugal, Italy and Netherlands all failed to do; they reached the World Cup semifinals, their first in the 28 years.

The team that England lost to in the semifinals, Croatia, have to be the story of the World Cup. While their achievement have been slightly whittled down due to their constant reminder as to how great an achievement it has been for Croatians to reach the final, (I say that because they have perhaps the best midfield, at least on paper, amongst all World Cup squads), make no mistake, the Croatians have deserved to be where they are. Luka Modric is surely the favourite to win the Golden Ball, given to the best player in the World Cup, with his performances in central midfield alongside Ivan Rakitic, the catalyst to Croatia’s run to the World Cup final. Mario Mandzukic has led the line admirably, while the defence of Sime Vrsaljko, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida and Ivan Strinic ahaead of the goalkeeper and savior on many occasions, Danijel Subasic, have looked impregnable. France will be the favourites to win the World Cup, but rest assured, the Croatians will be quite a challenge.

January transfer window

What a winter transfer window it was. Almost certainly the most entertaining winter transfer window since its inception, this January saw some really exciting stuff happen off the field and below are some moments which really stood out:

Chelsea's bizarre transfer policy:-

Antonio Conte has not shied away from criticising Chelsea's transfer market activities ever since the start of the season, and this transfer window was clear indicator of Chelsea's haphazard thinking. Conte must shoulder some of the blame, for it was his ill-timed text message to Diego Costa and his role in the moves of Nathan Ake, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham which meant that the Chelsea squad looked quite unbalanced and light in certain areas. But still, Chelsea's moves this window have been for Ross Barkley who has not played for the last six months, Emerson Palmier who has just recovered from an ACL injury, and a 31 year old Olivier Giroud. In between all this were the rumours linking them to Ashley Barnes, Peter Crouch and Andy Carroll, which is just mind boggling. Conte has been at loggerheads with the Chelsea board for quite some time now, and you get the feeling that he is not going to stick around for another season.

The Sanchez-Mkhitaryan swap:-

One of the most complex moves to have happened for quite some time, this move was one of the most surprising ones as well. Alexis Sanchez was, for all intents and purposes, a Manchester City player come January. City had tried to sign him in the summer, and the general consensus was that it would not be a long time before Sanchez wore a City jersey. But Manchester United came calling. With astronomical wages. Suddenly, City were nowhere to be seen. Initially it was thought that United would be paying a fee to Arsenal, but later it turned out that Henrikh Mkhitaryan was going in the other direction. Quite the happy ending for all parties concerned. Arsenal got rid of a player they thought was creating disharmony in the squad. Manchester United got rid of a player who never really fit into the system, and was not trusted by Mourinho. Arsenal got a player who quite clearly is suited to their system, while United got a player who is amongst the best in his position. Mkhitaryan will get more chances at Arsenal than at United, while Sanchez will be happy to get a move away from Arsenal at the very least. That is truly a happy ending.

The Aubameyang saga:-

Another transfer that went on for quite some time, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang's transfer to Arsenal finally happened, with Much Batshuayi going on loan to Westfalenstadion, because Olivier Giroud agreed to move to Chelsea. You follow,right? Aubameyang's has been brought in for a club record fee, and will surely replace Sanchez's goal output. Plus, Arsenal's forward line has become scary. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil running at you is a scary thought. But is Wenger the man to get the best out of them?

Phillipe Coutinho and Virgil van Dijk:-

Two transfers which happened quite early in the transfer window, Phillipe Coutinho completed a long awaited club record move to Barcelona. Having been linked with the Blaugranas in the summer, Coutinho was denied a move by Liverpool. However, they decided to let him go, with Jurgen Klopp admitting that he could not stand in the way of Coutinho's dream. Liverpool invested that money wisely though, bringing in Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a world record fee for a defender. van Dijk was linked with the club in the summer, with Liverpool wanting him quite desperately, before apologising for tapping up the player illegally. But van Dijk has finally come through the door, with Liverpool's defense looking a far better proposition with him in there.

Kylian Mbappe


CURRENT CLUB- AS Monaco

WANTED BY- Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Inter Milan

Unquestionably the most wanted teenager in world football right now, Kylian Mbappe's breakthrough season has aroused the interest of almost all major European clubs. His goals have played a major role in Monaco breaking Paris Saint Germain's stranglehold on the title, and rumours are rife that Liverpool's 75 million euros bid was rejected, and so was Real Madrid's monstrous 103 million pounds bid. While Leonardo Jardim, Monaco's coach, recently admitted that keeping hold of their title winning team would be difficult, with Bernardo Silva having already secured a 43 million pound to Manchester City, the principality club seem intent on keeping Mbappe for at least one more season, although Silva recently said that Mbappe himself didn't know where he would be next season.

RUMOURED FEE- Mbappe's current market value stands at about 10 million euros. However with the reported bids of Liverpool and Real Madrid, and with the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan, with their takeover having given them huge financial freedom, Mbappe's transfer value is surely well over the 100 million euros barrier.

PERSONAL OPINION- Mbappe's talent is quite evident, and he has been described as the new Thierry Henry. However many ex Monaco stars, who left the club after one good season are struggling at their respective new clubs, and it may not be a coincidence. Anthony Martial, the previous next Thierry Henry, after a wonderful first season at Manchester United, is struggling to even make it on to the squad, under Jose Mourinho. Geoffrey Kondogbia's big money move to Inter Milan has been a disaster, and his transfer is being regarded as one of the worst deals to have been done by the San Siro club in recent history. James Rodriguez, a possessor of innumerable talent, has at the very best, been an okay signing for Real Madrid, and looks certain to leave the club this summer. Mbappe's long term future is surely not at Monaco, however, at least for the next season, he would be better off playing at Stade Louis II. With the arrival of fellow wonderkid Youri Tielemans from Anderlecht, the two could form a lethal attacking partnership in Ligue I next season. Long term, Mbappe's looks like the galactico signing Fiorentino Perez would love to have at Real Madrid, and is quite clearly an upgrade on fellow countryman Karim Benzema.

RATING- 4/10. I would love to see Mbappe at Monaco next season.

STATISTICS- Total Matches- 38 (excluding domestic cups)
                        Total Goals- 21     (excluding domestic cups)
                        Total Assists- 8      (excluding domestic cups)
                        Chances Created- 37 (excluding domestic cups)
                        Shot Accuracy- 75%  (excluding domestic cups)

Hi, guys. Today I am starting with a new series in this blog, my first, and that is
             
                            PLAYERS MOST LIKELY TO LEAVE THIS TRANSFER WINDOW



ANTOINE GRIEZMANN

CURRENT CLUB- ATLETICO MADRID

WANTED BY- MANCHESTER UNITED, ARSENAL

Perhaps the most talked about transfer rumour over the last year, Antoine Griezmann's transfer to Manchester United looks inevitable. Arsenal are supposedly interested, Manchester United's financial pull might just take the deal over the line. The Champions League will have a huge say, and with Manchester United having beaten Ajax in the Europa League final, that's another tick in the box. The transfer will most certainly break the transfer record, which is currently held by countryman Paul Pogba. Another interesting fact is that Griezmann is a huge admirer of Diego Simeone, the Rojiblancos coach, and has gone on record to say that Simeone is a major factor in his staying at Atletico Madrid the previous year. If Griezmann leaves this season, surely there will be serious doubts about Simeone's future at the club.

RUMOURED FEE- If the transfer takes place, it will surely break the transfer record. Griezmann's current transfer market value stands at 80 million euros, but the transfer will likely surpass the 100 million euros barrier, with Griezmann having a release clause in his contract for 100 million euros.

PERSONAL OPINION- Griezmann has seen his star rise after his big money move from Real Sociedad to Atletico Madrid, and he has become one of the better known faces in world football. He came third in the Ballon d'Or last season, whilst at the Euros, he was named the Best Player. The question however is, is he a Mourinho forward? Jose Mourinho prefers physicality and a certain devil may care attitude in his strikers,a fact embodied by the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Costa and Didier Drogba. Having said that, United are in desperate need for a star name up front, with Wayne Rooney and Ibrahimovic looking set to leave this summer, Marcus Rashford too young and too inconsistent to lead the line on a regular basis, and Anthony Martial looking more and more like a lost cause. Griezmann could provide the impetus to propel Manchester United to a Premier League title, and with Pogba behind him, the two could form a lethal partnership. Griezmann's arrival, however, could signal the end for Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata or Martial. The pros outweigh the cons, and hence Griezmann's move to United is what I would prefer.

RATING- 7.5/10. Griezmann's transfer looks like a when and not an if.

STATISTICS- Total Matches- 53
                        Total Goals- 26
                        Total Assists- 12
                         Shot Accuracy- 60%
                         Chances Created- 80

Straight off the bat, I would like to state a fact. Class XII boards are overrated. Completely. Utterly. Having just finished giving the boards myself, let me tell you, quite honestly, it was not a smooth ride. There were more downs than ups, but finally, ultimately, the thing that mattered went well. Obviously, marks are official way of knowing of how well your exams went, but believe me when I say, or rather write, that it's not just about marks. I may have written in this blog somewhere earlier as well, I am not a science guy. I am not the guy people turn to to solve their maths problems. I am not the guy people turn to understand their concepts. I am not that guy. And thus for me, it was a long arduous journey without even knowing whether there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But the fact remains that I know where I am good at. I know where I stink. My first love is English. And I am proud of my efforts over the last two years. And another thing guys, the marks and the questions you get in the school exams are on a completely different level as compared to boards. Although there is a slight increase in the level of quality in the board questions these year, school exams are a completely different beast. So don't get too happy if you get a lot in school, and don't get disheartened if you are not scoring as well as you would like to.

 

I am back, guys!!!!

I know it has been a long time. But believe me, Class XI is perhaps the toughest class I have ever faced. There were more tears than joy, and as I wrote in an earlier blog, science is not my natural millieu. There is a couple of weeks break now, and then starts the future deciding Class XII. What's more, I have decided to put my head in the mouth of the lion, and have decided to take engineering , or to use a common word, coaching classes. Anyway, that's the reason there was a considerable gap between this post and the last one, and there probably will be very few posts between now and next year. By the way, coming to something less bitter and more funnier, I am a huge fan of Football Manager, the video game. I have played only one game in the series, the 2013 one, and I have been amazed, and astounded as to how such a game has captured the minds and hearts of many. If you do a little bit of Googling, you will find that there are full fledged addicts of this game out there in the world, but I do think it's safe to say I am not one of them. I completely enjoy playing them, yes, but not for hours and hours. The point is, I was just surfing through YouTube and I managed to find two gems. Their channels' names are Work The Space and Doctor Benjy and they play Football Manager in YouTube, but before you start judging them, let me tell you they are excellent. They are funny and they have motivated me to start a YouTube channel of my own. I will certainly pursue that avenue, thanks to them, after this year. Indeed, after a hard day of work, you sit down to watch a couple of their videos which are barely 15 minutes each, and let me tell you, you will forget about your tensions. I recommend that you check them out, not for their sakes, but for yours. You will feel good, for no reason.