Bethany Limb

Breaking The Lines • 24th June 2022

The Austrian Wunderteam: The Greatest Team You Don’t Know About

When we think of incredible football teams, the mind immediately wanders to the likes of Brazil 1970, West Germany of 1974 or more recently Manchester United’s 1999 Treble winners, Arsenal’s Invincibles or the Spain team of 2008-2012. What about the Wunderteam? It could be argued that the icons of Austrian football tend to get overlooked when we talk about the great teams of the past.

The Wunderteam is the name given to Hugo Meisl’s Austria team of the 1930s who became renowned for the quick pa

Breaking The Lines • 24th June 2022

Made in Morocco, Flourishing in France; Is London Calling For Nayef Aguerd?

As the transfer rumours continue to swirl, one that appears to have legs is that of Moroccan centre back Nayef Aguerd being constantly linked to a move to the Premier League. David Moyes’ West Ham team are considered to be the team most likely to land Aguerd’s signature. This article will look at the sought-after centre back’s career thus far and use data from Wyscout to see how well he would perform should he make the transfer to the London Stadium.

Born in Kenitra, North-West Morocco, Nayef A

Breaking The Lines • 24th June 2022

Using Data to Find a Morgan Gibbs-White Replacement for Sheffield United

The use of data-led scouting is rapidly increasing as the use of numbers in football becomes more and more relevant. Data collated from sites such as Wyscout allows for comparison between players from different leagues across the globe without clubs having incur the cost of sending scouts.

This provides football clubs with the facility to draw up a longlist of potential signings based on the metrics required to fit their style of play. Of course, a signing would rarely be made purely based on n

Breaking The Lines • 24th June 2022

Scouting The A-League: Midfielders

The Australian A-League has had a rather turbulent time since its establishment back in 2005. The last few years have seen something of a revival, after a period of stagnation there has been a new lease of life for the A-League.

There has been a renewed quality of players not only moving to the league but also those being developed through the academies, Connor Metcalfe and Nathaniel Atkinson being great examples and who will undoubtedly be mentioned later in this article and others.

The leagu

Breaking The Lines • 24th June 2022

Under The Lens: How Jonathan Clauss Became a Driving Force in Lens’ Sensational Return to Ligue 1

RC Lens have struggled since winning the Ligue 1 title back in the 2001/2002 season. They were powerless to stop the dominance of the Lyon side that followed their title win and eventually found themselves relegated to Ligue 2. Having returned to the topflight in 2020 Lens have impressed many with their consistency which resulted in a seventh-place finish in both the 2020/21 and 21/22 campaigns.

The right wing back Jonathan Clauss has proven to be a key player under Franck Haise. He is fundamen

Medium • 23rd June 2022

Kouadio Kone: A Diamond in the Rough

Kouadio Koné is a young midfielder who has been making waves in the Bundesliga with his performances for Borussia Monchengladbach. A product of the Toulouse youth system, Koné recently made the move to Germany in an £8 million transfer, but he has already adapted well to the physicality and pace of the German topflight.

In fact, Koné has been one of the most impressive players in the Bundesliga this season, showcasing his versatility, athleticism, and technical ability. Standing at 6'1", Koné i

Medium • 23rd June 2022

UWCL Final 2022: A Tactical Masterclass from Sonia Bompastor

The 2022 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final (UWCL) was highly anticipated, arguably the best two teams in Europe going head-to-head: FC Barcelona, who defeated Chelsea 4–0 in last year’s Final in Gothenburg, and Lyon, who have won every single UWCL since 2016 with the exception of Barça’s 2021 triumph.

This match-up was supposed to be something of a redemption for holders Barcelona as they looked to exact revenge after the 4–1 defeat, they suffered at the hands of Olympique Lyonnais in the 201

Medium • 19th June 2022

Scouting the A-League: Midfielders

The modern-day central midfielder rarely has just one role, they are very often expected to be the link between defence and attack. This manifests itself in many different ways, midfielders are required to be ball carriers, willing to run with the ball at their feet in order to have a progressive influence on the team’s attacking phase. A CM is also expected to be able to pass the ball incredibly well to play through the lines and release the attackers into goal scoring areas, they are then expe

Medium • 19th June 2022

Being an Autistic Student

I’m currently half way through a History degree, about three months prior to starting my uni course I was diagnosed with Autism. After years of feeling like the odd one out and struggling to maintain relationships with others it came as a relief. I had suspected I was autistic for quite a while but after the long process of a two year waiting list just to be assessed, it was quite a pivotal moment for me to receive a diagnosis.

It’s important to note that whilst this piece is documenting my exp

Medium • 17th June 2022

The Coming of Age of Castello Lukeba

The Coming of Age of Castello Lukeba

The Olympique Lyonnais academy is famed for bringing through talents such as Karim Benzema, Clement Grenier, Nabil Fekir, Houssem Aouar and Hatem Ben Arfa. The latest talent to break through is young centre back Castello Lukeba. The 19-year-old made the step up to the first team after long term injuries forced manager Peter Bosz to turn to the youth setup.

The young defender has taken his opportunity and put in such good performances; he was nominated for t