10 Reasons why Paul Pogba is the most complete midfielder in the Game

Paul Pogba

Pogba is first to reveal Juventus’ new 2016/17 kit!
(Image source: Official Paul Pogba Facebook Account)

For all the Amauris, Felipe Melos and Diegos that the club’s fans were made to witness following their promotion back to the Serie A after the 2006/07 season, Juventus seem to have finally got it right. Having captured Paul Pogba on a free transfer from Manchester United in the summer of 2012, the Bianconeri have an absolute gem in their ranks.

Still just 23 years of age, I consider French star Pogboom (as he is known due to his explosive style and energy on the pitch) to be the most complete midfielder in the world. I have little doubt that if, or rather when, Juve come to sell him, Super P will fetch a fee that challenges Gareth Bale’s world record.

These are the top 10 reasons why I’ve given Pogba this title: Continue reading

F2 Train with FC Barcelona | Video Review

What is the Barcelona way?

In this video, the F2 Freestylers are joined by five of the world’s best players. That’s right, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gerard Pique, Arda Turan and Marc-André ter Stegen all join Jezza and Billy to show off their skills. Talk about taking it up a notch! But wait, there’s more, the sponsors Beko are going to fly 22 winners to the Barcelona to get coached by the experts and a game on the pitch at the Camp Nou.

Check it out below:

The video starts off with a cheeky touch from Leo Messi – always be ready to receive the ball! – followed by some top defending tips by Gerard Pique. Marc-André ter Stegen and Luis Suarez then show off Barcelona’s philosophy of developing players who truly understand the game and can play in every position. You guessed right, Marc is showing us his shooting technique with Luis in goal, reminiscent of his save against Ghana in the 2010 World Cup (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn_oYeugGiw). Suarez then admits that he wasn’t involved with the passed penalty by Messi in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Celta Vigo last February and that it was actually meant for Neymar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xf83P79UGQ).

A cool game of foot-tennis featuring Arda Turan and ter Stegen follows along with an excellent bit of advice:

“Love the ball, want the ball, be comfortable on the ball. No matter what position you play.”

It’s no wonder that Barcelona’s philosophies have been such a driving force behind Spain’s football dominance over the past few years.

We finish off with some brilliant finishing skills by Leo Messi and Luis Suarez. In a tribute to the sponsors, Suarez then takes on the Beko Washing Machine Challenge.

Bartolo Bros Video Rating: 9.6

If you enjoyed this video as much as we did, tell us what you think in the comments section below!

10 Reasons you Have to Read Alex Ferguson’s Autobiography

Click the cover image to grab your copy of Alex Ferguson’s Autobiography

1. He’s a Knight

Knighthood doesn’t come cheap; it’s proof of great achievement. You should always be looking to learn from the best. Why else do you think I’ve just placed an order for Sir Richard Branson’s autobiography?

2. 13 Premier League Titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 2 Champions League Trophies

… and the list goes on. Oh, and those are just the titles he won with Manchester Utd.

3. He’s Scottish

So was William Wallace. ‘Nuff said.

4. He started off at £40 per week

It was never about the money and always about passion for the game. The guy dedicated his life to the game. Continue reading

Crunching the Data on Malta’s 2015/16 Premier League Play-off

Image Source: www.ugo.cn

Just a few days after Valletta F.C. were crowned Champions of Malta, keen nationwide football fans will now turn their attention to this Friday (6th May), as debuting BOV Premier League side St. Andrews F.C. fight to retain their place in the highest division of Maltese football for a second season.

The Pembroke-based club takes on Senglea Athletic F.C., who have enjoyed a fantastic first season in the BOV First Division, in an all-important play-off match which will be played at 19:30 (CET).

BOV Premier League

The final match in the BOV Premier League 2015/16 Season will be played on Friday, 6th May 2016 – a match which is that little bit more magical than the rest. (Image source: TVM Official Website)

The rise of both these clubs in recent years has been inspiring, and their fate for the 2016/2017 season will be decided in front of a passionate crowd at the Hibernians Stadium in Paola. This is due to a new league competition system, introduced as from the 2015/16 campaign, in which the tenth placed Premier League club (the division contains 12 teams) goes head-to-head in a play-off against the third placed club from the First Division.

“The rules are simple: the winning team will ply its trade in the Premier League next season, with the defeated side having to settle for First Division status. If the match is draw after extra-time, a normal penalty shootout will settle the score.”

Let’s take a look at the two clubs, and what each will offer to this enthralling fixture:

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VIRAL Football | Video Review

So here’s my first ever video review and we’re going to start off with one of my favourite freestyle videos of all-time by the F2 Freestylers Billy Wingrove and Jeremy Lynch joined by.. well, watch the video and you’ll see who else features in it.

I’ve seen better freestyle skills and I’ve seen better effects and editing, so what exactly makes this video so brilliant? It’s full of swag, has fantastic interaction with the audience and it’s and on a completely new level of cool – well apart from Obama’s mike-drop – but it’s up there with the best of them. Check it out below!

Bartolo Bros Video Rating: 9.4

Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Is this the best freestyle video you’ve ever watched? If not, post a link to your favourite so we can check it out!

Individualism… or the Lack of it!

By Andrea Vella

I am no Mourinho or Guardiola; but after undergoing the Level 1 and Level 2 Coach Education courses, together with the Licence Holders Course, organised by Premier Skills, I look back at my first three years as a football educator and realise how false my sessions used to be! Premier Skills have also opened my eyes to the problems I see with coaching in Malta today.

Andrea Vella

Andrea in his role as Academy Director of Swieqi United F.C. Image source: Jeffrick Cachia

I see many ‘know­-it-­alls’ and ex-­footballers who talk, talk and talk, believing they can coach purely because of their position or playing reputation, but who quite frankly, can’t! I see a lot of coaches who focus on their personal success and results when they should be focusing on developing players – it’s all about how many games they’ve won! I also see a lot of coaches who coach as a hobby or as a side job to earn some pocket money, without realising how delicate their role is.

“What most of the coaches have in common is that they don’t understand that coaching isn’t easy!” Andrea Vella

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Why Real Madrid should use their option on Morata… and why they should not!

Image Source: www.alvaromorata9.com

Álvaro Morata baffles me. He’s good on so many fronts, yet I’m concerned that he will never be great.

Born in Madrid on the 23rd October 1992, the Spanish international joined Real Madrid’s academy at the age of fifteen following stints at Atlético Madrid and Getafe. The attacking player represented Spain on a number of occasions at youth level, and debuted for Real Madrid Castilla in August of 2010. It took just four months for his efforts to be recognised by a certain José Mourinho, who handed him his debut for the first team on the 12th December 2010. For the next three seasons, Morata was a key figure in Real’s Castilla side, averaging almost a goal every other game in nearly 100 appearances. Continue reading

1 Simple Trick to Score More Goals

You look up, assess the position of the goal and the goalkeeper, make some quick calculations in your head, decide where to put the ball and hit it. Too often, this process takes too long or you’re still uncertain of the decision by the time you hit the ball, resulting in a miss or an easy save for the goalkeeper. The solution? AIM FOR THE NET!

This is a fantastic way to improve your finishing and should be practised by players of all ages. Here are my top 3 reasons why this works:

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