Paulo Sousa as a player was a true European superstar of the nineties and a pivotal member of Portugal’s dazzling World Youth Championship win in 1991; although as a group, they were surpassed in achievement at full international level by the Scolari line ups of the following decade. It was at club level that the unhurried and dynamic midfielder gained most success, with back to back European Cup wins in 1996 and 1997 – wearing the foreign colours of Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.Like many before him, he has subsequently followed the trail of managerial money to Britain. A troubled spell…
The Unfortunates of the Second Tier
BS Johnson’s The Unfortunates features a football reporter visiting the City Ground in Nottingham. The title of the book could almost be reinterpreted as a comment on the way Championship sides like Forest are viewed by the media at large: forgotten giants destined to last out their days in the Purgatory of sub-Premier League football.But there is another side to the story: in truth, the Championship is perhaps Europe’s most exciting league: a modern hybrid that provides the traditional appeal of English domestic football without some of the distasteful baggage of its bigger brother. This is a space for pertinent…
Matt R: I regret that the club is in a parlous state, and that it was so harsh...
Lanterne Rouge: @MattR I guess you are right about tribalism and vitriol - perhaps as ...
Lloyd: Really enjoyed this.
Plenty of comments and parallels to make at my...
PhiltheRover: I think this very pertinent and well-written piece highlights a real i...
