Best in Football Writing Last Week: Arsene Wenger, Rich in China & 90s Crap
[ 1 ] ARSENE WENGER SHOULD HAVE WON MORE BUT ENGLISH FOOTBALL OWES HIM A LOT
Barney Ronay for The Guardian
A lot has been written about Arsene Wenger this week and so it should. Few managers get to last even a quarter of the time that he has at Arsenal so for him to do so for twenty years is phenomenal. That said, there will always be the suspicion that perhaps he should / would have won more especially following the start that he had at the club. This is what makes this article particularly good because not only does it celebrate Wenger but it also touches on those areas where he has failed.
Memorable Quote: “Wenger should have won more league titles.”
[ 2 ] A HOT NIGHT WITH GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE ‘THE WORLD’S RICHEST FOOTBALL CLUB’
Nick Rider for The Independent
Given the country’s growing economic strength and the love of football by its people, it was a matter of time before China started to make its mark on the beautiful game. That came last year when, after a period of upheaval, Chinese clubs started snapping up prime talent from Europe and South America for astronomical prices. No club has done that as much as Guangzhou Evergrande and this is a highly focused look at what a game for them looks like.
Memorable Quote: “Banners with things like “Always Red” were mixed with Chinese slogans, rhythmic waving of multi-coloured banners, songs, dragon drums and cymbals, in a uniquely Chinese take on international football fan-dom.”
[ 3 ] CRAP 90s FOOTBALL: A CELEBRATION OF THE BRILLIANTLY AWFUL
James Richardson for The Set Pieces
If you were to believe the hype of the Premier League you would believe that football only kicked off in the nineties and everything since then has been great. Clearly that wasn’t the case so it is great to come across a website like this that deflates (however slightly) the hype machine.
Memorable Quote: “When the Premiership broke away at the start of the decade, there was so much hype and polish around it. But in reality it was still cumbersome centre-halves playing long balls and some terrible football.”
