Blog - Football Castle

September 6, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Player Analysis, Premier League, Tactical Analysis

Tammy Abraham the biggest vindicator of Chelsea’s loan system?

As Tammy Abraham scores goals and begins to look the part in the Chelsea first team squad this season. Parallels are drawn between his career and that of his ‘more senior’ counterpart only 29 days younger; Marcus Rashford. On the evening of 25 February 2016, Marcus Rashford debuted for Manchester United in an Europa League Round…

September 2, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Player Analysis, Premier League, Tactical Analysis

Fernandinho relevance

Champions Manchester City suffered a huge blow in the loss of Aymeric Laporte to a serious-looking knee injury against Brighton on Saturday. A very untimely incident considering he was set to make his long overdue international debut for France this month. Losing their best defender after failing to replace captain Vincent Kompany over the transfer…

August 30, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Premier League, Tactical Analysis

North London Derby Hostilities

Tensions run high across North London as one of the fiercest rivalries in world football is rekindled when Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur at The Emirates. Arsenal are unbeaten in 18 of their last 19 home games and play Spurs who have not won away to Arsenal since November 2010. Form goes out the window in…

August 27, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Serie A, Tactical Analysis

Antonio Conte is back with a vengeance

Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan have been hotly tipped to disrupt Juventus’ Serie A monopoly in 2019/2020. The Nerazurri have laid down the marker for the season. Their new ex-Chelsea gaffer is back in Italian football having taken a full season away after his English escapade. His time in England not only brought League and FA…

August 22, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Premier League, Tactical Analysis

The Potter moulding the Seagulls

Following Brighton and Hove Albion’s great escape from relegation last season, the English south coast club expectedly parted ways with manager Chris Hughton. In came Graham Potter, the English manager who famously masterminded an Europa league knockout away win at Arsenal with Swedish club Östersunds; as well as managed Swansea to a respectable 10thplace finish…

August 9, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Premier League, Tactical Analysis

Straight into the deep end

Football is back! After an arduous three-month wait for proper football; the pick of the opening round of Premier League football was saved for last in Manchester United’s Sunday afternoon hosting of Chelsea. It presents Frank Lampard’s bow as Chelsea manager against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s revamped charges. Chelsea have lost once from 20 opening fixtures,…

August 4, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Player Analysis, Premier League, Tactical Analysis

Kean for the Toffees

In 2017, he became the first player born in the 2000s to score in Europe’s top five leagues. Now Moise Kean’s transfer from Juventus to Everton in a £29M deal is confirmed. In a seemingly pre-mature end to his Serie A career, how did Italy lose it’s gem? The 19-year-old had shown so much promise…

August 2, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Tactical Analysis

The curious curtain-raiser

By Joseph Atanu On Sunday, the European Champions and the Premier League Champions will lock horns at the showpiece curtain raiser at Wembley, with the Premier League juggernauts kick-starting the 2019/2020 season with an FA community shield game between Liverpool and Manchester City. Last season’s battle for supremacy in England went down to the final…

July 26, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, Player Analysis, Premier League

The young guns: Batch of 2019/20

Pre-season games offer clubs the chance to get their players ready for the season in terms of fitness and conditioning, as well as build their club’s reputation in different parts of the world. Every year, academy youngsters and new signings look to stake a claim in the team before the season kicks off. With only…

July 20, 2019

Bolu Alabi-Hundeyin

Features, International Football, Tactical Analysis

Les champions d’Afrique

After a nine-year Western domination, the trophy goes to North Africa as Algeria claim the 2019 Africa cup of Nations after a fantastic tournament. The desert foxes lifted the continental crown for the second time as Djamel Belmadi’s side need no further validation of their philosophy. Headlined by Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, the Algerians were…