Will Taylor @will-taylor ?

The best myths in football are born on the terraces as large groups of fans engage in a fascinating game of ‘Chinese Whispers’. It all begins with a simple and perhaps mildly interesting fact that quickly snowballs and makes every effort to distance itself from all truth and reason. You can’t help but accept the ramblings [...]

Howlers, we’re all prone to a wiffy performance or two. There’s nothing worse than realising you’ve forgotten your shooting boots or your touch has let you down once again. There are times when it’s even a struggle to move around the pitch without tripping over your own feet. If you’re lucky this lasts at most, for [...]

West Ham’s recent exposure on social media giants Groupon is testament to the new measures clubs are resorting to in their constant battle with declining attendance figures. Cut price deals now circulate news feeds and message boards as clubs seek to attract new audiences and drive them into the stands on match days. Is this a sign [...]

Whether they’re festering in the reserves, constantly shipped out on loan or have simply achieved all they can at their club, there are a number of individuals who’ll have one eye on the exit this summer. With the rapidly approaching international tournaments, it’s not just their current club status that will dictate their future. Failure to [...]

Let’s face it. The Premier League elite are like devious little school children, running amok in constant defiance of the rules set by the FA. If David Bernstein asked Manchester City to go to bed, Sheikh Mansour and all his Citizens would sulk upstairs before sneaking out of a window to enjoy a night full of [...]

English football will soon witness a new dawn, as the arrival of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) looks set to spark a complete overhaul in the structure of youth development. The impending migration of the countries best talent towards the top flight surely presents us with the perfect opportunity to revitalise the matches that [...]

Are we about to witness a cultural shift in English football? It would appear players are increasingly eager to gain Oscar recognition for their performances on the pitch, with an array of theatrics that wouldn’t look out of place in the WWE. You’ll often hear pundits and commentators yearn for the ‘good old days’, when football [...]

The phrase ‘living legend’ is brandished around all too easily, but perhaps Tony Adams deserves such an accolade in the eyes of the Arsenal faithful. At the tender age of 21 the English leviathan was decorated with the club’s captaincy, an armband that would remain firmly in place throughout 669 appearances, which saw him lift [...]

The art of good punditry is a somewhat underappreciated talent, there’s a misconstrued belief that if you’ve enjoyed a career in professional football – however brief – you’ll be able to offer wise and insightful opinions. However, we know this is simply not the case, as television studios across the country are constantly cluttered with figures [...]

Fact: Chelsea would not be the force they are now had they not been bestowed the sacred gift of a Russian Billionaire’s blank cheque book. Roman’s vast wallet has undoubtedly been the source for the most significant period of success in the club’s entire history, and yet he has still received his fair share of [...]

Football thrives on its reputation as the seed that sprouts a million different opinions. If we all simply sat still nodding in agreement then stadiums across the country would resemble an advert for Churchill Insurance and not the rapturous, euphoric scenes we all know and love. There would be no need for fans forums, post-match analysis [...]

The transfer market isn’t officially open for business and yet clubs are seemingly eager to set their stalls out and begin haggling for bargains. If you’ll excuse the pun, Chelsea’s capture of Marko Marin came completely out of the blue whilst Arsenal were finally able to confirm their purchase of Lukas Podolski, after what seemed [...]

It’s a Saturday evening; you’ve secured the prime sofa position for optimum television viewing and struggled through an entire episode of Casualty. Now all that’s left is to ‘look away now’ at the end of the news and you can saviour the delights of another set of Premier League fixtures. Now, Saturdays can be somewhat demanding, [...]

The importance of supporters in football will never find itself up for debate, with expressions like ‘the 12 th man’ and ‘the driving force behind the team’ becoming synonymous with a club’s loyal legion of followers. As a single entity they thrive on creating an intense and intimidating atmosphere, serving to inspire their own team whilst [...]

Only yesterday I penned an article regarding the fact that Scott Parker’s diminishing standard of performances have mirrored his clubs ailing fortunes. I was keen to highlight how the intensity of the Premier League demands rotation and that Redknapp’s persistence with his favoured starting XI was beginning to take its toll. It would appear that this [...]

A blip, a bad patch, a baron streak and now freefall, Tottenham Hotspur are sinking without a trace from the summit of the Premier League. You could be forgiven for believing the dark clouds hovering over London at present were destined for White Hart Lane. Their solitary victory in nine league games makes for grim [...]

You can be blessed with the quick feet of Lionel Messi, the vision of Paul Scholes or the technique of Cristiano Ronaldo but it will all amount to nothing without the vital ingredient of self-belief. The psychological demands of the beautiful game are all too easily overlooked, when in fact they help contribute to some [...]