Author: John Carrafiell
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August 2022 EFL Young Players of the Month
The EFL has produced and helped develop some of the most talented players in the Premier League and across Europe over recent seasons. I want to shine a spotlight on some of these emerging stars right as they are coming to the fore by selecting a young player (21 or under at the time of…
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A Close Look at the Austrian Second Division’s Right-Backs
“Off the back of the meteoric rise of RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg and their alumni such as Marco Rose, Erling Haaland, Naby Keita, and Dayot Upamecano (amongst many, many other coaches and players), I thought this might be a good time to look in detail at the league where some of those individuals cut their…
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Houssem Aouar, Kai Havertz, and Who Could Fill the Hamšík-Shaped Hole in Chelsea’s Midfield – Improving Chelsea Part Four
“As we established in the previous part of this series, the attributes that Marek Hamšík brought (in spades) to Napoli’s midfield are entirely absent from Chelsea’s current trio of choice. After focusing on those at Chelsea who are yet to be given their opportunity, and potential signings who fulfilled some of our requirements but ultimately…
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Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and the Marek Hamšík-Shaped Hole in Chelsea’s Midfield – Improving Chelsea Part Three
“In comparing the output of Marek Hamšík to that of most other midfielders in Europe, let alone the sterile Mateo Kovačić and Ross Barkley, it becomes very clear what Hamšík brought to Napoli’s midfield and, by extension, what Chelsea is missing in theirs.”
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Timo Werner, Luka Jović, and the Hallmarks of a “Sarriball” Striker – Improving Chelsea Part Two
“Under Maurizio Sarri at Napoli, both Dries Mertens and Gonzalo Higuaín had the finest moments of their careers, scoring bucket-loads of goals. Before we start looking into which strikers in European football might be available and suit this current Chelsea team best, we should try to understand how those two forwards were so successful for…
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What Chelsea Could Look Like Six Months From Now – Improving Chelsea Part One
“If we pretend for a moment that decision-makers at Chelsea are prepared to invest further patience and resources to achieve success through “Sarriball” in SW6, then what would be the most effective plan of action?”
JohnCarrafiell 