OSCAR dos Santos Emboaba Júnior, to give his full name, arrived this summer from Internacional and was promptly given Didier Drogba’s number 11 shirt. If the diminutive Brazilian can achieve half of what the Ivorian legend managed, he will be a rip-roaring success.
Tag Archives | Chelsea

Michael Ballack: Farewell to a Chelsea Legend
LAST week, Michael Ballack called time on his career. As a Chelsea legend, I could not help but be surprised by how little media coverage his retirement received. After Chelsea finally won the Champions League last May, ironically in Munich, many supporters said Ballack was the former player they felt would have been most deserving […]

England’s Central Defensive Options: Who Replaces Terry?
With John Terry’s retirement from International football recently, how are England looking at the heart of their defence? Do they have the players to replace Terry, will he be a massive loss, or is his unavailability for Roy Hodgson’s lineup a blessing?

Premier League Week 4: Review & Selected Observations
A post-international Premier League weekend delivered a fairly tepid round of fixtures. Until Monday night that is, where Everton vs. Newcastle produced the most thrilling game of this season so far. All 10 grounds played You’ll Never Walk Alone, we had another ridiculous handshake-gate, and there were more calls for goal-line technology. All in a […]

Premier League week 2: Selected Observations
This was another fascinating weekend in the self acclaimed, “Best League in the World”. This article looks at 3 selected matches, with observations on tactics, team selections, and talking points going forward. And it’s LIVE.

Branislav Ivanovic: A Right Back in a Centre Back’s Body
Branislav Ivanovic is a Chelsea cult hero. He’s also a world class defender. But is the Serbian defender a centre back who can reluctantly cover at right back, or a right back with the physical attributes to cover in central defence?

Chelsea 2012-13 Season Preview
I have decided to do this preview by category to allow for easier reading. As with any season preview at this stage of the transfer window – almost 2 weeks to go – there may still be significant movement, and even one quality signing can alter the squad’s balance enormously.
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PSL Transfer News 2018-19: All the Completed January Deals January 2, 2019
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Rulani Mokwena Explains Liverpool Visit November 22, 2018
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Pirates Omit Bafana Trio and 2017/18 Top Scorer from CAF squad November 13, 2018
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PSL Transfer News 2018-19: All the Completed Deals June 2, 2018
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PSL Transfer News 2017-18: All the Completed January Deals December 27, 2017
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Grant James: Johannes is a transfer for the end of the season, ...
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David: Robyn Johannes to Wits...and Wome not released...
- PSL 2017-18: Season Predictions featuring Top SA Journalists - Football Analysis: […] Read: PSL Transfer News 2017-18: All th...
- Spectres of Cruijff: The Legacy of La Masia, Totaalvoetbal, and the 3-4-3 – Part 2 of 3 – Telos: […] a certain Josep Guardiola – once t...
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Keenan Davy: Hi, Want to enquire about when, where and how t...

Grant James
Grant James is a professional football analyst and coach who holds an FA Level 2 Coaching License, FA Youth Module 2, CAF B License, the Prozone Level 3 in Performance Analysis and has a one-year diploma in Sports Coaching Science from ETA. All views are his own.
Ebrahim Sadien
Ebrahim Sadien is an Italian football writer who also covers Bafana Bafana and local South African football.
Andy Forrester
Andy Forrester is a professional football match and opposition analyst based in Qatar. All views are his own.