The Art of Positional Play
Positioning in football, not to be confused with playing positions, refers to the strategic placement of players during play to achieve specific ends. A key attribute that players must have to compete at the highest level is an understanding of gameplay. While the focus is usually on technical brilliance, the best players are usually tactically […]
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: The Last of a Dying Breed
“Ever since I left France, you have nothing to talk about. France needs me, I don’t need France. Even if you have Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, it doesn’t help you because you don’t have God.” Show the above quote to any avid football fan and they instantly know whose words they are; no other person […]
Jude the Sixth: Bellingham rocks up at Madrid
The England midfield dynamo Jude Bellingham recently became the sixth Englishman to sign for Real Madrid and the second most expensive signing in the club’s history. This massive investment won’t be surprising to those who have followed the teenager’s career. We at HTT Academy often use Bellingham’s example as an illustration of proper development and […]
Better late than never: Eze wins first cap
The Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze recently made his long-awaited England debut. It would have come at Euro 2020 had he not been injured Eberechi Eze encountered many stops on his winding path to success. Starting on the streets of South London, Eze trialled unsuccessfully at West Ham before Arsenal signed him up. His union […]
Team work makes the dream work: Fiorentina’s story
The season before Vincenzo Italiano took the helm as Fiorentina manager was an agonizing one for the club as they spent much of it fighting the drop. Hardly had he begun the task of setting things right than top scorer, Dusan Vlahovic, was shipped off to Juventus in the January transfer window. Given these circumstances, […]
Karim Benzema: From academy to football royalty
It was the practice, in the Lyon dressing room of the 00s, for new players to address their teammates upon joining the team. When, in 2004, it was time for him to honor this practice, 17-year-old Karim Benzema found himself the subject of japes and laughter from senior teammates. With legends such as Florent Malouda, […]
Man City’s Quest for a Champions League Trophy
In a recent episode of Ted Lasso, following his side’s 2 – 0 defeat at the hands of their fictional challengers, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had a few words of advice for his AFC Richmond counterpart: ‘“Don’t worry about the wins or losses. Just help these guys be the best version of themselves on […]
