AUTHOR PROFILE: Zarif Rasul

Football journalist who spends far too many of his waking hours mentally debating the virtues of 4-2-3-1 and wondering exactly when it was that every Premier League player started to wear those silly under-vests. Also spend an unjustifiably large chunk of my time lamenting the current state of the music industry. Avid Liverpool fan, rejuvenated and revitalised by the return of the King! For more Zarif-based fun, follow me at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Blogs by Zarif Rasul

Gone but certainly not forgotten at Anfield

Date: 16th May 2012 at 7:04 pm | Filed under: Football Blogs,Liverpool | Author: | Tags: , , ,
And so it’s happened. King Kenny has left has his throne for the second – and final – time. After being parachuted in to rescue the side from previously unthinkable lows, Kenny Dalglish has been jettisoned out by the very same men who first sought his fire-fighting…

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Why Wolves’ approach beggars belief

After firing long-serving manager Mick McCarthy earlier this month, Wolves chairman Steve Morgan has struggled to settle upon a definitive replacement for the straight-talking Yorkshireman. Zarif Rasul wonders whether Wolves could have benefitted from a more defined approach. And so another pair of targets have been locked in the…

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Young English footballers aren’t alright…or are they?

A series of early international tournament exits in the last year have placed question marks over the quality of English footballers. Unsurprisingly, the finger of blame has yet again been pointed at the system responsible for developing young players. Zarif Rasul investigates the English youth development system. THE diminutive young…

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Why Kolo Touré is right about discrimination

In a little over six weeks’ time, the curtain will rise on the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, ushering in the 28th edition of the continent’s showpiece international tournament. While the event is an undeniably joyous, vibrant celebration of football in the region, it has steadily evolved into a biennial…

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Does Vorm’s view of Liverpool stack up?

Date: 11th November 2011 at 1:34 pm | Filed under: Football Blogs,Liverpool,Premier League | Author: | Tags: , , ,
An overreliance upon a single player has been a recurring theme in football throughout the ages. It is an accusation that has been levelled at several Premier League sides, but over the course of the last decade few have been tarred with the ‘one-man team’ tag with greater frequency…

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Harry’s ‘nuisance’ starting to prove anything but for Tottenham

Harry Redknapp is a seldom a man who likes to mince his words. Whether it’s expressing admiration for someone else’s player, or providing a flippant appraisal of Darren Bent’s finishing ability, he rarely leaves anything to the imagination. The Europa League, the scourge of domestically-inclined managers across the continent, is…

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City drawing inspiration from Manchester United

Over the last week and a half we witnessed a star-laden Manchester side snatch a dramatic last-gasp victory in the Champions League, and then follow it up by inflicting a crushing defeat at the home of their bitter cross-city neighbours. If one were to illustrate this scenario just four years ago, it would…

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The key ingredient needed for QPR, Norwich and Swansea City

AFTER seven games of the season, all three newly-promoted teams find themselves safely nestled in mid-table, with tenth-placed Swansea City sandwiched in between ninth-placed Norwich City and 11th-placed QPR. It is of course, quite a common occurrence for top tier newcomers, fuelled by early season optimism and momentum, to propel…

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Premier League’s Blueprint For The Elite

The FA, the Premier League and the Football League, the three bodies involved in the administration and delivery of youth development, have all pledged to improve existing practices over the last eighteen months. Zarif Rasul looks at the measures which could eventually turn England into world beaters. LAST year, The…

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An Interview with Ray Wilkins

Date: 6th October 2011 at 1:05 pm | Filed under: Chelsea,Football Blogs,Premier League | Author:
On Tuesday night in the serene surroundings of Canada Water, 12 bloggers (myself included), one Sunday League team and decorated former England international Ray Wilkins descended upon Bacon’s College as part of Nivea’s enterprising ‘The Great Football Experiment’ campaign. The event itself comprised a host of engaging activities,…

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