Greg Lea

This Man City away kit is very early 2000s Chelsea

fourfourtwo.comPromoted Premier League teams are so much better now - thanks to a simple stylistic tweakCoventry, Ipswich and Hull have all made positive starts to the season

Piece on the turn back towards pragmatism among promoted clubs, featuring foxes, hedgehogs and an ancient Greek poet www.fourfourtwo.com/tactic/promo...

fourfourtwo.comPromoted Premier League teams are so much better now - thanks to a simple stylistic tweakCoventry, Ipswich and Hull have all made positive starts to the season

What a 1953 essay about foxes and hedgehogs says about the Premier League's promoted clubs www.fourfourtwo.com/tactic/promo...

I'm not saying the game's gone, but it's 11 degrees in Liverpool and James Garner's wearing gloves

fourfourtwo.comThe Manchester United misery economy is holding the club back - and there's an awkward paradoxWhat happens when your team's failure is good for business?

Another busy few days for the Manchester United media machine. Wrote this last week on the incessant noise around the club www.fourfourtwo.com/person/playe...

fourfourtwo.comModel vs Medals: Why Brighton and Crystal Palace are quietly jealous of each otherThe Premier League's strangest rivalry has a new, unusual dimension

Model vs medals: Why rivals Brighton and Crystal Palace each have something the other wants www.fourfourtwo.com/person/playe...

fourfourtwo.comThe Manchester United misery economy is holding the club back - and there's an awkward paradoxWhat happens when your team's failure is good for business?

Piece on the interminable noise around Manchester United online and why it's probably not helping www.fourfourtwo.com/person/playe...

observer.co.ukFive years on from Saudi takeover, everything and nothing...Fans danced in the streets after the takeover finally ridded St James’ Park of Mike Ashley, but after some success the future looks uncertain again

Five years of the Saudis at Newcastle - a long time in Premier League football and even longer in the Middle East. Despite progress, the club faces an uncertain future observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...

fourfourtwo.comAn unintended Nations League consequence threatens to blow apart the global gameThe tournament has worked well in Europe, but it's a problem for the rest of the world

England vs Spain was great fun. The Nations League has been a huge success for Europe, but not so much for the rest of the world www.fourfourtwo.com/person/playe...

19 Sept

Some performance from Brighton this. Dismantling Arsenal, who haven't been at the races

fourfourtwo.comA Selhurst Park decision might just have sealed Crystal Palace's relegation this seasonThe Holmesdale Fanatics are no more, and that could have significant implications for Pierre Sage's side

17 Sept

No more Holmesdale Fanatics at Selhurst Park. Bad news for Palace off the pitch and potentially on it too www.fourfourtwo.com/person/playe...

fourfourtwo.comPSR wasn't perfect, but SCR is a dangerous step in the wrong direction that could destroy the Premier League's unique selling pointPerhaps football would be been better off without the acronyms...

9 Sept

The problems with SCR, another of football's dreaded acronyms www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/...

24 Aug

How do Chelsea still have Robert Sanchez in goal?

23 July

If you're missing the football, FourFourTwo's season preview edition is out today. I wrote the Crystal Palace section www.magazinesdirect.com/az-single-is...

20 July

Maradona 1986: Inspires Argentina to World Cup glory Messi 2022: Inspires Argentina to World Cup glory Maradona 1990: Leads a worse Argentina team to final, loses 1-0 Messi 2026: Leads a worse Argentina team to final, loses 1-0 Maradona 1994: Thrown out for failed drugs test Messi 2030: ?

19 July

An Argentina shot!

Seventh assist for Michael Olise, more than anyone else at a World Cup since 1966 (and maybe ever)

On the other hand, he somehow still hasn't scored. Highest xG at the tournament (2.6) without a goal

Not far off this game going to extra time, which I'm sure is what everyone involved wants

Back five time?

Goal and assist from Rice, Saka looking dangerous - Arsenal fans must be delighted to see their boys shining in this game

9 July

This has been France's most controlled performance yet. Given Morocco absolutely nothing

7 July

Desperate for one of these penalty decisions to get overturned so we can hear this ref issue another no-nonsense ruling on the mic

Kick-off pushed back to 2am then. What with the hydration breaks and possible VAR reviews, the pubs might have to kick people out before penalties if there's any further delay

Does Neymar realise Brazil are losing?

Brazil beat Germany in the 2002 final. Since then, they've exited every World Cup as soon as they've faced a European team in the knockout stage

That Balogun decision is disgraceful, as was the removal of Ronaldo's ban for the start of the tournament. What's the point in rules if they're selectively applied?

Paraguay 0-2 France. In yellow cards. Not sure how that's happened

No yellow cards for Paraguay. An example to all in the values of fair play, sportsmanship and respect for the game

Diego Simeone putting in a bid for Matias Galarza as we speak

How many players are gonna be involved in the post-match brawl then?

Paraguay in their absolute element out there - 21% possession so far, and they'll be disappointed it's that high

They'll probably still win, but France are playing into Paraguay's hands here

Can you believe some people are sleeping right now?

Oh my god

Amazing moment. And fair play to Cape Verde - usually you'd expect the underdogs with such little possession to lose patience and shoot from miles out, but they've continually resisted that to work the ball into better areas

Cape Verde well on top here

Greg Lea reposted

Rodger Sherman

@rodger.bsky.social

we are one day away from the funniest VAR offsides graphic ever

Polymarket@polymarket.extwitter.link

BREAKING: England players are reportedly permitted to use Viagra to help manage World Cup altitude conditions in Mexico City.

Don't think Cape Verde would be quaking in their boots about facing one of these teams in the last 16, let alone Argentina