Elano – Man City’s Brazilian Fan Favourite

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Anis Bazza, writer for Typical City, reminisces about Elano’s time in Manchester…

Elano arrived in Manchester for a hefty £8m fee back in 2007 and instantly made an impact by assisting Rolando Bianchi on the opening day against West Ham United. I guess it’s safe to say the Brazilian had a dream start at City, hitting wonder goal after another while enchanting Blues fans with his Brazilian magic. Elano quickly established himself in the team and was crucial to the early success of Sven Goran-Eriksson’s Manchester City revolution. His intricate use of possession and his ability to strike a dead ball so well meant Eriksson was heralded for completing such an intelligent signing. Comparisons to City cult hero Georgi Kinkladze weren’t far-stretched either. Continue reading

The Football Tactics Paradigm

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In defence of the Alan’s and their punditry, The False Nine debutant, Elko Born, tackles the myth of the football manager… 

These days, whoever is tired of hearing Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen repeat chewed down, romantic cliché’s every Saturday and Sunday night needs not to worry.

It’s 2013, and only a few clicks or swipes separate the modern football fan from a vast array of carefully thought out football theory. From hypotheses about the advent of the ‘false nine’ to discussions  on the merits of high pressing; on the internet, it’s all out there in abundance, nicely laid out in articles written by amateurs and professionals alike. Continue reading

The Problem with Wayne Rooney

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Scott Jenkins asks whether Wayne Rooney has fulfilled his potential as he reaches a crossroads in his career…

The issue with Wayne Rooney is simply that there isn’t one that he can solely control. It’s inherently our own problem on how we view him and subsequently what we expect.

When the boy from Croxteth burst onto the scene at Everton as a 16 year old record breaker, scoring that goal against Arsenal, something happened. Suddenly fans, players, managers and media all bolted up and took notice of him. He was the name on everyone’s lips. The player every club wanted. Instantly he was the hope of a nation too. Continue reading

Another False Dawn for England?

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The False Nine editor, James Dutton, looks into Theo Walcott’s claim that this is the best England squad in his time with the national side…

So Theo Walcott has claimed this is the best England squad he’s been part of.

It certainly is a bold claim from the Arsenal forward. After all, this is the same Walcott who was plucked from Arsenal’s reserves by Sven Goran Eriksson at the age of 16 and invited to experience, first hand, England’s 2006 World Cup debacle. WAGs, metatarsals and prima donnas dominated the headlines, whilst poor little Theo was forced to watch on helpless. Continue reading

Has England’s Bundesliga Romance Gone Too Far?

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The False Nine’s David Dodds believes that the superiority of the Bundesliga’s financial model should be a point of discussion, not accepted wisdom…

As Pep Guardiola prepares to take over from Jupp Heynckes at Bayern Munich in the summer, Bayern’s fellow Munich club TSV 1860 Munich are also welcoming new coaching staff, or at least trying to. Continue reading