Football Nerd Weekly Ramblings: Covid-19 dilutes the magic of the FA Cup just that little bit further, but should football carry on?

Even in the money-driven world of modern football, FA Cup Third Round weekend normally serves to re-fire the souls of football obsessives who are growing increasingly weary of modern football and its incessant, unwavering focus on commercial interest. The world’s oldest cup competition normally has the uncanny knack of conjuring up a refreshing underdog story, […]

Football Nerd Weekly Ramblings: We might not be anywhere near yet, but at least Mikel Arteta has got us all pulling in the same direction.

Given what has gone before: the dog days of Arsène’s reign, the confused tactics and communication of Unai Emery, the appointment of a rookie coach albeit one who could boast a pedigree apprenticeship under one of the most respected and revered managers in modern football, it would have been difficult to find any Gooner who […]

Football Nerd Weekly Ramblings: Reflections on Liverpool’s dominance, VAR, Leeds United’s return, relegation and football without fans.

So that’s it! After more than eleven months, the most bizarre, surreal and frankly weirdest season that English football has ever known is all but done and dusted. With just the FA Cup Final tomorrow and the Championship Play-off Final next Tuesday to be decided before the campaign can be called complete, what have we […]

Football Nerd Retro Ramblings Part 5: Howard Kendall and Everton change the balance of power on Merseyside and beyond.

Part 1: Clough and Taylor conquer Europe (Football Nerd Retro Ramblings- The late 70’s and the 80’s when Football was really Football: Clough and Taylor conquer Europe.)  Part 2: Bob Paisley and the legendary Anfield Boot Room dominate England and Europe (Football Nerd Retro Ramblings Part 2- Bob Paisley and the legendary Anfield Boot Room […]

Football Nerd Weekly Ramblings- Liverpool fall short of invincibility while travelling fans are shown their place yet again.

Liverpool falter at Watford So that’s it! After 422 days Liverpool’s hugely impressive run is at an end. A shock 3-0 defeat at Vicarage Road by Nigel Pearson’s Watford, who started the day in the midst of a relegation dogfight a whopping 55 points behind the runaway leaders, finally brought the seemingly unstoppable Red juggernaut […]

Football Nerd Weekly Ramblings – the FA Cup has lost a significant part of its lustre but the powers-that-be are actually making it worse.

It has become traditional at this time of year for anyone who comments upon, writes about, or simply watches English football to express a view on the world’s oldest cup competition, the FA Cup, and whether it has lost its ‘magic’? There are essentially two schools of thought at play: either that the Premier League […]