False Nine editor, Andrew Belt assesses the excitement building over Crystal Palace star, Wilfried Zaha, and looks at a few recent examples of hyped English players to wonder where the future lays for the Ivory Coast-born winger and others likely to attract the attention of youth-hungry Premier League clubs…
£27 million. The cost of two of the players in the England Under-21 team that beat Northern Ireland U-21s on Tuesday night. Continue reading
Steven Gerrard through the ages
With Steven Gerrard in-line to earn his 100th England cap in Sweden this week, The False Nine’s James Dutton looks back at his career and the perpetuation of certain media perceptions…
It has been a ceremonial few weeks for Steven Gerrard. He netted his 150th goal in professional football during Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United in September, a poignant strike in the wake of the revelations about the Hillsborough disaster, of which the youngest victim, Jon-Paul Gilhooley, was his cousin. At the beginning of this month the Liverpool captain made his 600th appearance for his club; this week he will earn his 100th cap for his country. Continue reading
Emile Heskey – wrongly maligned?
Last week The False Nine brought you an assessment of the ‘false nine’ role in football. This week editor James Dutton looks at one of the most-maligned proponents of the old-school centre-forward…
Have you heard the one about Emile Heskey? Continue reading
Arsenal’s astonishing 7-5 win at Reading put them into the quarter-final of the League Cup for the 10th consecutive season. False Nine editor, Andrew Belt, looks back on their efforts over this time and finds a club who have been involved in some fantastic games without winning the ultimate prize…
Arsene Wenger surprised no one when he claimed that the Capital One Cup was not a priority for Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ Fourth Round tie versus Reading. Under the Frenchman’s stewardship, Arsenal have fielded youthful sides in the League Cup, using it as a vehicle for promising players at the club to get some competitive experience under their belts. Continue reading
Bolton’s gain, Crystal Palace’s loss.
Another series of managerial movements in the Football League has prompted False Nine editor James Dutton to suggest some changes…
It’s that time of year again. The clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in, the dust has settled from Halloween, the night sky is adorned by fireworks and the high street stores are gearing their sales towards the biggest consumerist event known to mankind. In the football world media discourse is again dominated by sub-standard refereeing and a ludicrous obsession with diving. It is also that time of the year when the managerial landscape of the Football League is once again metamorphosing before our eyes. Continue reading
Fives years on from the creation of MyFootballClub, False Nine editor Hugo Greenhalgh takes a look at Ebbsfleet United and their unorthodox owners…
The past fortnight has offered some respite for a club currently sitting 22nd in the Blue Square Premier. Continue reading