The Weekly Take, Issue 138: So Much for All of That

Over the opening weeks of the current La Liga season, it seemed as though Real Sociedad might have been mounting a genuine challenge to win their first league title since 1982. The Basque club started the season in red-hot form and even led the league at one stage. However, the Txuri-urdinak's form has declined dramatically in recent weeks, so much so that they now face an uphill battle to even finish in the top four and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Real Sociedad's woes continued with a 2-0 loss to Atlético Madrid. Goals scored by Mario Hermoso and Marcus Llorente handed Real Sociedad (yes, convention dictates that they do not have a "short" name) their third consecutive loss in the league. Real Sociedad are also now winless over their last six league matches, picking up just three points out of a possible 18 over that span.

Even more alarmingly, they have already played more matches than each of the clubs directly trailing them. Villarreal, Sevilla, Granada, and most worryingly of all, Barcelona are poised to overtake Real Sociedad and knock them out of the top four in the process.

It's not as though this is a team without much talent. Real Sociedad have several solid players on their roster including Nacho Monreal, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Mikel Merino. What's more, they have a youngster who has been tipped to have a breakout year soon in Swedish striker Alexander Isak. On top of all of this, they landed perhaps the biggest signing in club history by bringing in legendary midfielder David Silva from Manchester City during the past offseason.

Real Sociedad came into this season with higher expectations than in most previous years. They were building on a season in which they finished sixth in the league, qualifying for the Europa League by doing so. They also reached the final of the Copa del Rey. As was mentioned, the acquisition of Silva only served to boost the mood around the club when the season started.

It looked good at first. After a slow start, Real Sociedad reeled off six consecutive league victories to take possession of first place in the league. However, in spite of all this success, one key fact was overlooked: during this winning streak, the club from San Sebastián did not defeat even one club in contention for either the league title or a Champions League spot except for Granada. From their five matches to date against clubs in the top seven of the league, they have won one, drawn two, and lost two.

In the upcoming January transfer window, it would be in Real Sociedad's best interest to sign another striker. Right now, their attacking line is simply not cutting it. Their strikers have combined for just nine of their 25 league goals to date. To put this figure into perspective, the player who currently leads La Liga in goals scored is Villarreal's Gerard Moreno; he alone has scored eight goals.

Willian José has been especially disappointing in this area. Over the past four seasons, the Brazilian has averaged 12 league goals per campaign. However, with the halfway point of this season approaching, he is on pace for just seven league goals. This would be the lowest haul of his career since becoming a regular La Liga starter for Las Palmas in the 2015-16 season.

That isn't all. If Real Sociedad don't make next season's Champions League, they might very well have to say goodbye to Oyarzabal soon. Clearly their best player right now, the Eibar-born winger has courted interest from several leading European clubs. At just 23, his best years have likely not yet come. Oyarzabal will probably leave soon; however, Real Sociedad can delay his departure by landing their first top-four league finish since 2013.

It may be true that Real Sociedad's hot start to the season was not sustainable. That being said, their recent slump has seen them drop points where they shouldn't have. Dropping points against Alavés, Eibar, and Levante is simply unacceptable for a club with Champions League aspirations. They can't afford many more slip-ups like those.

Though making the top four is still a realistic goal, it doesn't look good at the Anoeta right now.

The Weekly Take, Issue 137: Lads, It's Tottenham

First of all, my apologies to Tottenham fans for the title of the post; however, the opportunity was too obvious not to be taken. I just had to, you know?

Anyway, on to the main point of the post.

The latest set of Premier League features included a showdown between the league's first- and second-placed teams. In a pulsating match which saw much action from opening kickoff to the final whistle, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Anfield. Roberto Firmino's header just before stoppage time ensured that the Reds left the match with all three points. The victory also ensured that Liverpool overtook Spurs in the league standings, becoming the new league leaders as they pursue back-to-back Premier League titles.

Despite a valiant effort, Tottenham were once again left to lick their wounds. Even though this season has gone better than most fans of the North London club could have expected at its beginning, their strong league form hit a wall in this most crucial of matches.

There is arguably nothing more difficult in the sporting world than overcoming both history and a mental block. Often, as is true with Tottenham, the two are intertwined. Consider the fact that this is a club which have not won the league since 1961. What's more, Tottenham have not won a trophy of any sort since the 2008 League Cup, and if you restrict the criteria to just major trophies (i.e., the league, main domestic cup, and main European competition), the drought dates all the way back to the 1991 FA Cup.

Unfortunately, there is a reason why "lads, it's Tottenham" has become an inside joke among football fans the world over. Time and again, Tottenham have folded when the stakes have been at their highest. The most striking recent example has to be the 2015-16 Premier League season. For most of that season, Tottenham were embroiled in a tight battle for the league title with Leicester City. However, in the final stretch of the season, Tottenham's form declined so dramatically that they not only surrendered the league title to the Foxes; much to the chagrin of their fans, they even lost second place in the league to North London arch-rivals Arsenal.

The very next season, while they did not implode as they had a year before, they again lost the Premier League title in a way that detractors would say "only Tottenham could". In 2016-17, they scored the most league goals while conceding the fewest at the other end. Their points tally of 86 was the highest in the club's history, and by finishing second in the league, they obtained their highest final league position in 54 years. Harry Kane also claimed his second consecutive Premier League Golden Boot.

In spite of all these factors working in their favour, Tottenham somehow managed to lose the Premier League title to London rivals Chelsea. They finished seven points behind the Blues, missing out on yet another golden opportunity to snap their league title drought. On top of this, they were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, then were subsequently upset by Belgian club Gent in the Europa League's round of 32.

At this point, it's clear that many of the issues plaguing Tottenham right now are mental. On paper, they seem to have it all - perhaps the greatest coach of all time in José Mourinho, a superstar duo leading the line in Kane and Son Heung-min, and a solid supporting cast featuring players such as Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele, Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, and Toby Alderweireld. Yet, as always seems to be the case with this club, it just feels as though a cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

This is exactly why I believe that the hiring of Mourinho to take over from Pochettino was an absolute masterstroke. There is perhaps no coach in world football today who is better at playing the mental game than the Portuguese legend. That being said, he faces a challenge in this area unlike any other he's ever faced. Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Manchester United are all clubs with glittering histories full of titles upon titles. While Chelsea's history hadn't been as trophy-laden as those three clubs, they had won an FA Cup in 2000, just four years before Mourinho's arrival. Even Porto had a European Cup title to their name in 1988. None of these clubs were battling the burden of history to the extent that Tottenham are.

It's still early in the season; however, Tottenham's loss to Liverpool is definitely a worrying sign. It seems as though they're not quite over their mental block.

The Weekly Take, Issue 136: They Surely Can't Fire Him Now

The standout fixture of the latest La Liga matchday was the latest edition of the Madrid derby. Real Madrid emerged with an impressive 2-0 victory over city rivals Atlético Madrid. Casemiro opened the scoring in the 15th minute. In the second half, an own goal scored by Jan Oblak off Dani Carvajal's shot that struck the post ensured Real's victory.

Real's win put Los Merengues within three points of Atlético, who currently lead the league. It also eased the pressure on head coach Zinedine Zidane. Rumours that Zidane might soon be fired have been circulating for some time now. They only intensified after a recent slump in form.

However, the events of the derby showed that not only would it be a colossal mistake on Real's part if they were to fire the Frenchman; the club's top brass ought to pull out all the stops to make sure that Zidane remains in the Santiago Bernabéu dugout for the foreseeable future.

Consider the fact that although Zidane was going up against one of the top five overall coaches and perhaps the best pure strategist in the world in his Atlético counterpart Diego Simeone, it was in large part thanks to Zidane that Real Madrid came away victorious. His tactical setup was on point, his substitutions were timely and effective, and he ably adjusted to everything Simeone threw at him. It's not often that a great coach like Simeone is so decisively countered. Yet, that's exactly what happened against Real.

I'd actually say that "Zizou" is the most underrated coach in world football at the moment. After all, no one else has ever led a team to three consecutive Champions League titles - that fact alone speaks for itself. While his detractors may claim that his Real Madrid team of 2016 to 2018 was carried to those titles by Cristiano Ronaldo, consider this: to win those three straight European crowns, Real beat Simeone's Atlético in 2016, Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus in 2017, and Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in 2018. For those counting, that would be two all-time great coaches and one excellent one.

Last season was Zidane's first full season in his second stint at the helm of Real. Notably, it was also his first full season as Real head coach since Ronaldo's departure for Juve in the 2018 off-season. Despite having a squad which was clearly weaker to that of his first go-around, Zidane led Real to the league title, finishing ahead of arch-rivals Barcelona by five points. This league triumph came despite key players such as Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale missing large portions of the season through injury.

What Zidane had to deal with upon his return to Real cannot be overlooked either. When he replaced Santiago Solari in March 2019, Real were a club in disarray. They were nowhere near either Barça or Atlético in the league. They had also been knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 after an upset loss against Ajax. Fast forward almost two years later and Real, despite currently trailing Atlético in La Liga, are likely to claim back-to-back league titles for the first time since 2008. They also topped a tough Champions League group containing Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Real's front office is notorious for being trigger-happy with regard to coaches. However, if they break with their history and retain Zidane's services for an extended time period, the club will be likely to experience much current and future success. Given Zidane's track record to date, there is no reason why he shouldn't remain at Real for at least a decade, racking up titles along the way while establishing himself as perhaps the greatest coach in Real's history - and maybe, just maybe, of all time.

It is beyond crucial that Real do not act in their usual knee-jerk manner, especially if results start going against them later in the season. Zidane has clearly built up a body of work which clearly proves that he is an outstanding coach. Firing him would be an epic mistake of almost unparalleled proportions.

The decision should be obvious. Only one question remains: will Real finally "get it", or will they revert to type?

The Weekly Take, Issue 135: The Newest One-Man Team?

The most recent Champions League matchday saw Borussia Dortmund and Lazio play to a 1-1 draw. Raphaël Guerreiro opened the scoring just before halftime to put Dortmund a goal ahead. Ciro Immobile would later secure Lazio a share of the points against his former club by converting his 67th-minute spot-kick.

However, probably the biggest talking point of the match was not about who was on the field, but rather, who was not: none other than Dortmund's young ace Erling Håland. The Norwegian centre-forward missed the match with a hamstring injury. He will be out of action until January.

The difference between Dortmund with Håland and Dortmund without him was glaringly obvious against Lazio. Die Schwarzgelbe lacked that final touch up front which Håland would normally have provided. In place of the Yorkshire-born number 9, Marco Reus started up front. While Reus is a solid player in his own right, he does not even come close to approaching Håland's level. Moreover, Reus is neither a natural centre-forward nor a false nine. He was well out of position against Lazio, and it showed.

Dortmund's performance against Lazio also raises a pertinent question: has the team from the Rhine region become too dependent on their young star? Consider the fact that Håland alone is responsible for almost half of Dortmund's Bundesliga goals thus far this season.

The gap between Håland and the rest of Dortmund's players is not only larger than many might think: as Håland is still just 20 years old, this gap will continue to grow until he hits his prime or (and it pains me as a Dortmund fan to say this) inevitably leaves the club.

Any team overly dependent on just one player is playing with fire. We've seen this story before with many other clubs. Think of the following examples: Luis Suárez at Liverpool, Lionel Messi at Barcelona, and Gareth Bale during his first stint at Tottenham, just to name a few. What happened when the superstar couldn't play? And in the cases of Suárez and Bale, what happened to the team after they left? That's right - the team ended up playing nowhere near its full potential.

For Dortmund, it would be especially disappointing if they have, in fact, become too reliant on Håland. Dortmund have an intriguing group of youngsters including Jadon Sancho, Jude Bellingham, and Gio Reyna. While these players' potential is obvious and they will likely go on to successful careers in their own right, it is somewhat concerning that already, in many situations their modus operandi appears to be "let Håland take care of it". This mentality certainly won't be to their benefit as they go forward in their careers.

This is a Dortmund team which on paper, you'd have expected to easily handle Lazio even in Håland's absence. The fact that they were unable to do so is not a good sign for the coming weeks as Håland goes through an extended spell on the sidelines.

Although it's never been the "Dortmund way", if Dortmund are to make a serious push for a first Bundesliga title since 2012, make a deep Champions League run, or both, they might need to take out the big bucks and make a splashy signing in the January transfer window. They need a player who, while not necessarily on Håland's level, is one who will be the clear-cut second-best player on the team. Such a player will not only benefit the team in general; he would also give Håland the help he needs. If Håland were to miss a match or have a below-par performance, this other guy could step in, take charge, and lead Dortmund to the win.

Considering the fact that Dortmund is a small-market, relatively unglamorous team, Håland will probably leave Signal Iduna Park at some point. Thus, time is of the essence with regard to finding his sidekick. With the right running mate for Håland, once Dortmund's youngsters develop more, this team could potentially contend for titles.

It's not as though this is a Dortmund team without any hope. After all, the draw against Lazio did seal their place in the last 16 of the Champions League. However, if they are to come close to the glory days of the Jürgen Klopp years any time soon, they need to get Håland some help, pronto.

The Weekly Take, Issue 134: A Legend Like No Other

"There goes (Diego Armando Maradona), the best there ever was in this game." - modified quote from The Natural

There really could only be one topic for this week's post.

Diego Maradona, considered by many (myself included) to be the greatest footballer to ever walk this planet, died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 60.

If you ever wanted to know Maradona's true impact, consider the following:

- Alberto Fernández, the president of Argentina, declared three days of national mourning after the legendary number 10's passing. Unsurprisingly, Maradona will also receive a state funeral
- FIFA postponed its annual awards which would have been held on December 17 as a show of respect for Maradona
- In Buenos Aires, electronic signs around the city which would normally have been used for public transport updates were modified to pay tribute to Maradona
- All over Naples, murals and other tributes were displayed on walls of buildings across the city.

These are but a small snapshot of what the kid from the slums grew up to mean to so many.

If you're still not convinced that Maradona is the greatest of all time, I'd like to bring up a few points.

Most of you probably remember his legendary 1986 World Cup campaign in which he put Argentina on his back and dragged them to a world title which almost no one could have expected. It is regarded by many as the greatest individual tournament performance of all time and was highlighted by his iconic quarterfinal performance against England. Maradona memorably gave Argentina the lead after controversially fisting the ball over Peter Shilton's head and into the net. The infraction, of course, went uncalled. Soon after, Maradona scored perhaps the greatest goal in World Cup history, torching England's defense with a blistering run before putting it in to make it 2-0 to the Albiceleste.

But with that being said: his 1990 World Cup campaign was arguably even better. Argentina were a much weaker team than they had been four years prior. Maradona carried a team which had no business making it to the final all the way to the showpiece match against West Germany. Somewhat ironically, Maradona was denied an even more incredible World Cup victory by a refereeing error: Roberto Sensini's tackle on Rudi Völler was incorrectly ruled as a foul, allowing Andreas Brehme to score the title-winning penalty for West Germany.

Although the record books say that Maradona was never a Ballon d'Or winner or the FIFA World Player of the Year, the Ballon d'Or was not open to non-European players until 1995, while the FIFA award did not exist until 1991.

Had Maradona been allowed to contend for the Ballon d'Or throughout his career, he would have probably won it in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, and 1991. He'd also have been, at the very least, in the top five every year from 1981 to 1992 and in the top three in most of those years.

That's not even all. Consider the fact that on many occasions, Maradona was denied the opportunity to play in what was then the European Cup because this was before countries could send more than one representative. Under the current rules, Maradona would've featured in the tournament in 1983, 1984, 1987, 1989, and 1990. The last two appearance would have seen Maradona's Napoli run headfirst into an AC Milan dynasty. However, who's to say that his Barcelona teams of 1983 and 1984 or his Napoli team of 1987 couldn't have been a contender for Europe's biggest club prize?

Such was the shadow Maradona cast over all his successors that many an Argentina number 10 between Maradona's retirement and the emergence of Lionel Messi wilted simply by wearing the iconic number. Ariel Ortega, Andres D'Alessandro, Juan Roman Riquelme - none were scrubs by any means, but it is almost a travesty that they all wore the 10 for Argentina in a major tournament.

It's almost impossible to believe, but somehow, in spite of his unquestioned brilliance on the football field, Maradona might very well actually be underrated. Never has there been a player who could carry a team as he did. Similarly, never has there ever been a player who forced opposing teams to craft game plans specifically to account for him to the extent that Maradona did.

Anyone who does not have Diego Maradona on, at the very least, their Mount Rushmore of footballers is flat-out wrong. For me as well as so many others, he is the greatest there has ever been and perhaps the greatest there will ever be.

I can't say anything else except RIP to the GOAT.

The Weekly Take, Issue 133: Still on the Outside Looking In

Unquestionably, one of the most memorable league campaigns in recent memory (and indeed, of all time) was Leicester City's victorious 2015-16 Premier League season. The Foxes capitalized on various errors and slumps by their more established title rivals to defy the odds and claim a maiden league title. With a team armed with players such as Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, Kasper Schmeichel, Wes Morgan, and of course, ace midfielder N'Golo Kanté, the future looked extremely bright at the King Power Stadium.

Unfortunately, the fairytale came to a screeching halt almost as soon as it had begun. Kanté left for Chelsea in the off-season of 2016. It soon became evident that the Frenchman had been the lynchpin of Leicester's title run; despite fielding a largely unchanged squad from the previous season, Leicester only finished 12th in the league. They then continued to struggle over the following two seasons.

Things began to turn in the 2019-20 season. Leicester were on course to return to the Champions League for the first time in four years but lost their last two league matches to surrender fourth place and the last Champions League spot. Nevertheless, there was cause for Brendan Rodgers' team to be optimistic heading into the 2020-21 campaign; perhaps this would be the season in which they would seal their return to Europe's biggest stage.

However, during the most recent Premier League matchday, Leicester received a stern reality check, losing 3-0 to Liverpool. To make matters even worse for Leicester, only Schmeichel's excellent performance between the posts prevented the Reds from really running up the score on a completely overmatched Leicester team.

Leicester had come into the match on the back of three consecutive Premier League victories and were actually ahead of Liverpool by one point in the league. Despite these facts, it became clear as the match unfolded that Leicester are not likely to be top-four material come the end of the season unless some major changes are made during the upcoming January transfer window.

This is a team which is quite simply not on the level of other top-four contenders. The other teams which are most comparable to Leicester at the moment are Everton, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur; despite currently leading the league, Tottenham are likely to fall back into the pack at some point, while Manchester City will probably begin their climb up the standings before too long.

When you look at Spurs, you can see that in Harry Kane, they have someone who is capable of putting the team on his back and single-handedly willing them to victory when the pressure is at its highest. Kane is ably supported by Hugo Lloris, Son Heung-min, Eric Dier, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. With José Mourinho in the dugout on top of all of that, there's no reason why Spurs shouldn't be in the top four.

Looking at Everton and Manchester United, while neither have a player of Kane's calibre, both nevertheless have squads which, player for player, are clearly better than what Leicester are currently fielding. Everton can boast of the likes of Jordan Pickford, James Rodríguez, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lucas Digne while also being coached by Carlo Ancelotti. United, meanwhile, have Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, and David de Gea, among others.

Leicester just do not stack up. They have done well to be where they are right now. However, as was shown by what happened against Liverpool, staying there will be a tall order indeed. It is one thing to beat the odds with the level of players they had four years ago. It is quite another to do it with their current roster.

It's much too early in the season to jump to any conclusions about Leicester. That being said, it is beginning to appear somewhat likely that their achievements last season might very well represent the high point for this iteration of the team.

If Leicester are to make a genuine push for the top four this season, they need to strengthen the squad in January. However, this time they face the problem of a relative lack of financial might. Every other team around them can easily outspend the Midlands club if they so desire.

It might not be impossible for Leicester to make next year's Champions League, but the outlook is definitely grim.

The Weekly Take, Issue 132: Who Will Pick Up the Torch?

The latest round of UEFA Nations League fixtures saw Portugal take on France in a match which would see its winner qualify for the Nations League Finals. France emerged with a 1-0 victory and thus became a part of the tournament's final four. N'Golo Kanté scored the only goal of the match to give the reigning world champions an opportunity to add a Nations League title to their world title from 2018. They also denied Portugal the opportunity to claim back-to-back Nations League titles.

As for Portugal, the match revealed a harsh truth which they will soon have to confront. Cristiano Ronaldo was not quite at his usual excellent standard against Les Bleus. Thus, the task fell to Portugal's supporting cast to step up and chip in when it counted most, but none of them managed to do so.

This fact becomes particularly worrying when one realized that Ronaldo is now 35. He does not have much longer at this level. With this in mind, the big problem facing Portugal right now which was also made evident against France was this: who is going to become the leader and driving force of this team after Ronaldo's looming decline and retirement?

One name which might come to mind for some is Bruno Fernandes. The Manchester United midfielder has been extremely impressive for his club ever since signing for the Red Devils in January. He has already established himself as the club's best player and has also shown considerable leadership qualities, leading many United fans to tout him as a future United captain.

However, his performances for his club have thus far not translated on the international front. This was once again evident against France; apart from a few moments when he set up teammates for goalscoring chances, he largely looked lost on the field as he was completely outplayed by his United teammate Paul Pogba. The evidence to date seems to paint Fernandes as the type of player who thrives for his club but struggles for his country.

Some might claim that João Félix could become Portugal's next ace. At just 21 years old, the Atlético Madrid winger has begun to live up to his lofty price tag after having endured a slow start to life in the Spanish capital. He already looks as though he is the future for Atlético; what's more, at his young age, he is likely years away from his peak.

Unfortunately, that may also be the problem for Félix: just how high is his peak? Does he truly have the potential to become, if not a Ballon d'Or contender, at least one of the five best players in the world at some point? As great as he has been thus far, the signs currently do not point to Félix having that kind of sky-high ceiling.

Looking at the rest of this Portugal team, there are a lot of very solid, above-average players who will be key contributors both now and in the future. Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota, Francisco Trincão, and Rúben Neves come to mind. Unfortunately, it is even more unlikely that any of these players will ever be good enough to be the centrepiece of a team contending for international silverware.

Portugal clearly have a collection of formidable young players who will form an impressive core for the next four to six years. The problem, however, is that any team intending to truly contend for a World Cup title or even a European Championship requires, at the very least, that one guy who can say "give me the ball and get out of my way" and take over a match all on his own. After Ronaldo leaves, who do Portugal have who can even come close to filling the void? At the moment, their best player is Fernandes, but as I mentioned earlier, he hasn't quite figured it out for Portugal the way he has for United.

It is somewhat ironic that Portugal won Euro 2016 with a far inferior squad to the one that they will be taking to Euro 2020 (yes, it's retaining its name despite the postponement) or the 2022 World Cup, yet they have almost no chance of winning either of the two upcoming tournaments.

The Ronaldo years have been truly incredible for Portugal, but now the future looks murkier than it has in a long time.

The Weekly Take, Issue 131: Bouncing Back Immediately

The most recent Champions League matchday saw RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain square off in a rematch of last season's Champions League semifinal. This time around, Leipzig claimed their revenge over their Parisian opponents with a 2-1 victory. Emil Forsberg's penalty proved to be the difference between the two sides. That being said, PSG's attempt to equalize was hampered by two red cards: one issued to Idrissa Gueye and the second to Presnel Kimpembe. PSG also played without their full complement of players. Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, and Mauro Icardi all missed the match due to injuries.

With all of that being said, Leipzig deserve much credit for their performance. Considering that their prior result in the competition had been a crushing 5-0 loss at the hands of Manchester United, it would have been all too easy for Die Bullen to have folded against PSG and slumped to another defeat. Instead, the club from Saxony dug deep and demonstrated their resilience and guts on their way to an impressive win.

Apart from their disaster in Manchester, this season has thus far gone well for Leipzig. They are once again firmly in the Bundesliga title race. What's more, their victory against PSG left them well-positioned to advance to the next round of the Champions League while also putting a serious title contender in jeopardy of being eliminated after the group stage.

One encouraging sign for Leipzig lies in the fact that their win over PSG was not even predicated on the performances of multiple shrewd off-season signings. Leipzig signed up Hwang Hee-chan and Alexander Sørloth from Red Bull Salzburg and Crystal Palace respectively. They also picked up Angeliño and Justin Kluivert on loan deals. Thus, they experienced absolutely no problems as they compensated for the departure of Timo Werner to Chelsea. Once these new additions acquire more of a presence within the team, Leipzig will only improve. The fact that a combined total of just €29 million was spent to bring all four players to the Red Bull Arena is especially remarkable, given their actual quality of play.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann has also been continuing to prove himself as the best young coach in world football. I have sung his praises time and again, but it is true: even at this early stage of his coaching career, Nagelsmann is already one of the five best coaches in the world. He first worked wonders at Hoffenheim and has since enabled this Leipzig team to play at a level above their apparent level of talent. If Nagelsmann were to lead Leipzig to the club's first Champions League title this season, he would certainly be a part of the discussion as perhaps the best coach in the world. Although it once seemed likely that Nagelsmann would soon leave Leipzig for a more historic and iconic club, the signs now point to his remaining there for years to come.

Leipzig is a team which has been seamlessly put together. Despite never having had a true elite-level superstar on the team ever since they rose to the status of league title contenders, Leipzig have always been among the very best with regard to roster construction as well as player development. It is highly unlikely that players such as Forsberg, Werner, Dayot Upamecano, and Naby Keïta, among others, would have reached the heights which they attained if they had been at almost any other club. LeipIzig has clearly managed to get their front office, players, coaching staff, and everyone else involved with the club to truly buy into the system. As a result, they are now one of the best-run clubs on the planet. For all that can be said about how Red Bull took over the club, it can't be denied that they have since done incredible things there.

Despite their ultra-corporate exterior, Leipzig are a shining example of a club which have done things "the right way". A first Bundesliga or perhaps even Champions League title would be a just reward for the excellent culture which has been built at Leipzig. Will this be the season when Leipzig make a breakthrough and win either of these titles? Maybe not, but do not be surprised if a decade from now, RB Leipzig's trophy room is overflowing with silverware.

The Weekly Take, Issue 130: A Season Hanging in the Balance

Napoli's strong start to the Serie A season hit an unexpected roadblock this past weekend. The Campania-based club crashed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of this season's surprise package Sassuolo. Goals scored by Manuel Locatelli and Maxime Lopez ensured that Gennaro Gattuso's team would not finish with any points to show for their efforts.

This has become a familiar story for Napoli: their team once again appears better on paper than it actually is on the field. It has seemed as though for years now, they have been a step away from making a breakthrough but never actually do so. Already, it appears as that may again be the case this season. They are clearly behind Juventus, Inter Milan, Atalanta, and AC Milan in the current pecking order in Italy. If Sassuolo continue their form throughout the season, it is going to be very difficult for Napoli to make next seasons Champions League.

There were certainly questions about Napoli heading into this season. Last season, they finished seventh in the league. This was their worst league finish since 2009 when they were eighth. They accumulated just 62 points in the league; their lowest tally in eight years. On top of that, they were also knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage. That being said, Napoli also did pick up some silverware by winning the Coppa Italia.

Napoli's future remains somewhat unclear. This is especially so after losing midfielder Allan to Everton for €25 million during the past off-season. They did replace him by picking up Tiémoué Bakayoko on loan; however, despite this fact, Bakayoko's impact on this team is yet to be truly determined. Unless Napoli make some moves in January, this could end up being their worst season in years.

It is somewhat surprising that over the past decade, Napoli have never made a true breakthrough. Despite the immense talent which has sometimes graced their squad, they have not won a league title during this span. Even more damningly, they have not even made it to the Champions League quarterfinals even once. Not even the likes of Edinson Cavani, Gonzalo Higuaín, Dries Mertens, Marek Hamsík could turn Napoli into a true force at the highest level.

However, it isn't all bad news at the Stadio San Paolo. Despite the problems they currently face, they should be able to at least make a top-four push. A team with a core containing Mertens, Hirving Lozano, Kostas Manolas, and captain Lorenzo Insigne can never be truly overlooked. Gattuso, meanwhile, has another year of coaching experience under his belt; for all we know, this might be the year in which he really begins to figure it out. It must also be remembered that prior to the Sassuolo match, Napoli had won four of their first five Serie A matches. If those wins represent their true level this season, their fans have reason to be optimistic.

One step which Napoli could take which would undoubtedly improve their prospects for the rest of the season would be signing a new starting central midfielder during the next transfer window. A midfield with the likes of Fabián Ruiz, Diego Demme, and Bakayoko, while decent, clearly lacks the punch that those of Napoli's Serie A rivals have.

Napoli should also consider adding a new, younger winger who will someday be Mertens' replacement. The Belgian is now 33 years old and thus does not have many years left. Signing Victor Osimhen from Lille was therefore a good move in this area. That said, Napoli can definitely afford to get a little younger, especially if Osimhen ends up not panning out.

If this season ends up being a wash for Napoli, they might even have to take another look at whether Gattuso really is the coach for them going forward. In his coaching career, Gattuso has shown an ability to raise a team's floor. However, he has not shown that he can really team a good, above-average team into an upper-level one, let alone an elite one. Another season in which Napoli fail to make the top four could spell the end of Gattuso's tenure.

Napoli are truly at a crossroads right now. They have many decisions to make. If they choose wisely, they could soon be once again among Italy's top clubs. Get it wrong, however, and the road back will be long and arduous.

The Weekly Take, Issue 129: Has the Magic Run Out?

When the draw for this season's UEFA Champions League was released, one of the fixtures which caught the attention of many was the match between reigning champions Bayern Munich and perennial title contenders Atlético Madrid. However, despite the expectations heading into the first matchday of the tournament, not many could have predicted just how one-sided this match would be.

In a dominant display that illustrated why they are the defending champions and clearly the team to beat this season, Bayern utterly torched Atlético, beating the Madrid club 4-0. Kingsley Coman scored two goals, while Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso also made their way onto the scoresheet.

This was an unexpected result because not only are Atlético typically in the mix for the title; they have also been the gold standard for overachievement with limited resources for the past decade. Despite their relative lack of financial might and glamour when compared to many of Europe's other leading clubs, Atlético have been very competitive over the past 10 years and were just minutes away from what would've been a legendary first Champions League title over city rivals Real Madrid in 2014.

During the past off-season, Atlético even managed to land the services of former Barcelona legend Luis Suárez. After a glittering six-year run in Catalonia, the arrival of new head coach Ronald Koeman saw the Uruguayan forced out of Camp Nou, leaving Atlético free to take advantage and make one of the biggest signings in club history.

However, the way that events transpired proved to be worrying for Atlético. Although they have outperformed expectations for many years now, at some point they will no longer be able to keep it up. Sadly for fans of Los Rojiblancos, their heavy loss in Bavaria may have shown that this could be the year when it all comes crashing down.

Atlético were not even remotely a threat throughout the match. While it is true that their German opponents were clearly the superior team, one would nevertheless have expected a far better performance out of Diego Simeone's team. It is clear that this iteration of Atlético Madrid is nowhere near the level of their 2013-17 team.

For years, Atlético have been able to handle departures of players such as Diego Forlán, Sergio Agüero, Fernando Torres, Thibaut Courtois, and Antoine Griezmann without letting these departures have a severely negative impact on the team's performance. However, this may very well be coming to an end soon. Atlético have already begun to show signs of decline, especially over the past two seasons.

Although Atlético finished second in La Liga in the 2018-19 season, they did so with just 76 points. This tally represented their lowest in six years. They also failed to qualify for both the Copa del Rey and Champions League quarterfinals; this had not happened to them since 2007. Last season, their league points total of 70 was their lowest since 2012. They were also eliminated from the Copa del Rey in the round of 32 and the Champions League in the quarterfinals.

This is a team of which much more than what they have produced thus far was expected at the beginning of the season. They have by far the world's best goalkeeper in Jan Oblak. Apart from Suárez, their squad also boasts the likes of Kieran Trippier, Ángel Correa, João Félix, Saúl Ñíguez, and Yannick Carrasco, among others. Add in iconic head coach Simeone in the dugout, and you have a team which should on paper be one of the top seven or eight in Europe.

It might very well appear that the law of averages has finally caught up to Atlético. Their entire club - front office, scouting, coaching staff, players, everyone, really - has been a role model for every other football club in the world in virtually every way. However, given their limited resources when compared to their rivals at the top table, they might no longer be able to defy the odds as they have done so valiantly for so long.

Make no mistake about it - the Atlético Madrid team of 2011 until the present day will be remembered with the greatest fondness even decades from now. If the club is appropriately grateful, someday a statue of Simeone should proudly guard the front gate of the Wanda Metropolitano.

That being said, we might be witnessing the beginning of the end - and maybe a subsequent rebuild.

The Weekly Take, Issue 128: One Injury Might Change Everything

The latest edition of the Merseyside derby had everything. Heading into the match, this clash already carried more weight than did any other iteration of an Everton-Liverpool match in a long time. Everton's decisions to hire legendary head coach Carlo Ancelotti and sign 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodríguez have clearly paid dividends. The Toffees have now established themselves as a genuine force in the league and could potentially have their best league campaign since 2004-05, when they finished fourth.

This time around, the highly eventful encounter between the city rivals ended in a 2-2 draw. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored Everton's equalizer to keep the club in first place in the Premier League, while what initially seemed to be a winning goal for Liverpool courtesy of Jordan Henderson was waived off by way of VAR. Just to add to the drama, Everton striker Richarlison also received a late red card.

And yet, in spite of all these events, probably the most notable incident of the match took place early in the first half. A dangerous tackle by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford left Liverpool's ace defender Virgil van Dijk severely injured. It would later be found out that van Dijk had suffered a torn ACL and would almost certainly miss the rest of the season.

It cannot be overstated just how devastating a blow this is to Liverpool's season. In 2018-19, van Dijk was clearly the best player on the team and the driving force behind the Reds' victorious Champions League campaign. If not for a miracle shot by Vincent Kompany, Liverpool would have claimed a Premier League and Champions League double that season. Van Dijk, who was almost certainly robbed of a Ballon d'Or despite the finest season by a defender since Fabio Cannavaro's effort in 2006, backed up his breakout season with equally brilliant play at the back during the following season. Liverpool romped to an easy league title victory - their first in 30 years.

Van Dijk has clearly established himself as the best player on this Liverpool team and the best defender in world football. He has been that since around the midway point of the 2018-19 season. As of right now, the gap between the Dutchman and most of his closest competition is massive. Realistically, only Bayern Munich defender Joshua Kimmich and van Dijk's teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold are even in the discussion.

Van Dijk also brings the intangible advantages to Liverpool. Although Henderson may be Liverpool's captain, van Dijk is their unquestioned leader on the field. His leadership, intelligence, and in-game savvy combined with his outstanding play have allowed him to strike fear into any strikers who dares to challenge him.

This injury is a crushing blow to Liverpool's season. Van Dijk is a force who is truly irreplaceable. His injury hands the status of Premier League title favourites to Manchester City. It also knocks them out of the group of leading Champions League contenders alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid; I'd have put them in that tier before the injury.

The bad news doesn't stop there for Liverpool fans. There have to be questions raised about how van Dijk will perform upon his return. A torn ACL is arguably the most devastating injury in sports. Long-time Liverpool fans will recall the fact that former Reds superstar Michael Owen was never the same after suffering the same injury. Other players such as Robert Pires, Radamel Falcao, and Jakub Blaszczykowski saw their careers derailed by ACL tears. If van Dijk returns as a shell of himself, Liverpool might not be a Champions League contender for quite some time.

Apart from a 3-0 Champions League semifinal first-leg deficit against Barcelona in 2019, this van Dijk injury is probably the most severe adversity which Liverpool have faced ever since the arrival of Jürgen Klopp as head coach. While the Merseysiders were able to overturn the three-goal deficit against Barça, overcoming the loss of perhaps a top-five player in the world for almost entire season might prove to be a step too far.

This season will be a true test for Liverpool. That said, this Liverpool team have shown that they can never be counted out. If they can summon the spirit of that one magical April night at Anfield over a whole season, don't be surprised to see them once again exceed all expectations.

The Weekly Take, Issue 127: The Young Lions' Deafening Roar

The latest UEFA Nations League matchday saw England and Belgium facing off in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup third-place playoff. However, this time the result went the other way with England picking up a 2-1 victory. Romelu Lukaku's 16th-minute penalty opened the scoring for Belgium before Marcus Rashford equalized with a spot-kick of his own in the 39th minute. Mason Mount would later score the winning goal for the Three Lions.

This was a confident, assured performance by England. They clearly displayed the mentality of a team which truly belong at the top table of international football. For a team this young, their maturity and poise was evident; not once did they even seem slightly rattled, even after falling one goal behind. What made the victory even more impressive was that their best player, Tottenham star Harry Kane, was restricted to a substitute role due to injury concerns.

The rise and evolution of this England team has been as swift as it has been remarkable.

Two years ago, Gareth Southgate's team had not been expected to make a deep World Cup run but ended up reaching England's first World Cup semifinal since 1990. England took an extremely young and inexperienced team to the tournament; at the beginning of the tournament, only one of their 23 squad members had at that point accumulated 40 caps or more. However, ever since defying the odds in Russia, England have only gone from strength to strength.

In the time since their World Cup run, right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has clearly established himself as the world's best at his position and the clear second-best player on this team behind Kane. The once widely-criticized Raheem Sterling, who despite being absent from the Belgium match, has silenced his doubters by showing remarkable improvement since 2018. Of course, Kane has continued to perform at his usual excellent level.

You then have to look at the supporting cast, some of whom were not even part of the World Cup squad. England's stars are capably backed up by players such as Rashford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jadon Sancho, Jordan Henderson, Kieran Trippier, and Mason Greenwood. It is also possible that Rashford, Sancho, and Greenwood might eventually rise to the level at which they would be considered truly elite players.

What makes this even more exciting for England is the young age of this team in general; it is likely that they are nowhere near their peak. If they are already arguably a top-three international team in the world now, just imagine how great they could possibly become. No one can deny the obvious any longer - this has to be England's most talented team since their 1966 World Cup-winning roster featuring legends such as Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, and Gordon Banks.

England have all the elements for a possible 2022 World Cup victory in place. Two superstar-level players in Kane and Alexander-Arnold. A well-balanced and young supporting cast. Southgate, a coach who is definitely able to get the best out of this roster. And arguably most importantly of all, something England teams of the past have historically lacked: boatloads of mental strength and fortitude.

However, the biggest obstacle they face might very well be found off the field rather than on it: the notoriously merciless British media. At even the slightest sign of a possible dip in form, they are likely to be eviscerated by the press; often unjustly, too. Even for the toughest and most resilient teams, the media onslaught can end up wearing them down and hindering their performance.

Nevertheless, at the moment, I would place England as the second-most likely team to win the next World Cup, only behind reigning champions and arch-rivals France. They will be even better then when compared to now because more of their players would have reached or be approaching their peak in 2022.

What's more, there is one other factor to consider: will France wilt under the pressure of defending a World Cup title as many teams before them have done? If they do, the door would be wide open for England to claim their second world title and first in 56 years.

Is it coming home? It very well might be.

The Weekly Take, Issue 126: This Season's Potential Dark Horse Contender

Before I begin, let's rewind the clock to the final of last season's Europa League which saw Sevilla face off against Inter Milan. On paper, the only question before the match was not which team would emerge victorious, but by how many goals Inter would win. After all, this was an Inter team which many had considered to be too good for Europe's secondary club tournament; it was loaded with talent and featured the likes of Alexis Sánchez, Lautaro Martínez, Christian Eriksen, Milan Škriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Christian Eriksen, and player of the tournament Romelu Lukaku.

However, Sevilla defied the odds and emerged victorious by a 3-2 scoreline. Interestingly enough, a Lukaku own goal proved to be the difference between the two teams. The victory should have put more teams on notice than it did; by taking down a powerhouse like the Nerazzurri in a cup final, Sevilla proved that they could probably do some serious damage in the 2020-21 season in the Champions League as well as domestically.

This past La Liga matchday, Sevilla showed that they were able to continue from where they left off last season by holding Barcelona to a 1-1 draw. Sevilla striker Luuk de Jong's opener was cancelled out by Philippe Coutinho's goal; nevertheless, Sevilla showed plenty of heart and grit throughout, stifling Barça's attacking threats on multiple occasions and making life difficult for their Catalan opponents from whistle to whistle.

Sevilla have clearly improved in several ways since their Europa League triumph in August. During the past off-season, Sevilla made some shrewd signings which are likely to bear fruit over the coming season. The Andalusian club signed Óscar Rodríguez from Real Madrid for €13.5 million. Rodríguez had shown some flashes of potential after two solid years on loan at Leganes; however, he and everyone else knew that upon his return to the Bernabéu, he would be unlikely to get much playing time. Sevilla seized their opportunity and made the signing; while not yet a regular starter, do not be surprised if he soon becomes one.

Sevilla also brought back Ivan Rakitić for his second stint at the club after six years at Barça. The Croatian had previously spent three-and-a-half years from 2011 to 2014 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. The signing of Rakitić might very well prove to become one of the best signings made by any club this season. It cost Sevilla just €1.5 million to secure his services. Rakitić is already playing as though he never left. He has slotted into the team seamlessly and has clearly been able to elevate this team as the primary creative force in midfield.

Head coach Julen Lopetegui also deserves a lot of credit for the job he has done since taking the reins at Sevilla. After difficult stints in charge of the Spanish national team and subsequently Real Madrid, Lopetegui has completely restored his reputation as a coach and then some. He has shown more tactical nous than most initially assumed he has while also demonstrating the ability to adapt to changing situations mid-match - an area in which far too many coaches of top clubs are lacking. When Lopetegui eventually leaves Sevilla, expect him to be in demand by many of Europe's leading clubs.

However, as shown by both their Europa League victory last season as well as their recent match against Barça, perhaps the greatest attribute of this Sevilla team is their resolve, determination, and fearlessness no matter the odds. It almost seems as though Sevilla thrive on being the underdogs; time and again they have proven that they can never be counted out despite seemingly being overmatched. This attitude has translated to results on the field and with Real, Barça, and Atlético Madrid not being at their very best, there might never be a better opportunity for Sevilla to gatecrash the party and perhaps even clinch their first La Liga title since 1946.

Sevilla were also handed a favourable Champions League draw; they will face Chelsea, Krasnodar, and Rennes. Sevilla should sail into the round of 16 with absolutely no problems at all. From that point forth, it may seem difficult for them to make a deep run, but underestimate Sevilla at your peril - we could be witnessing the beginning of a season which could take many observers by surprise.

The Weekly Take, Issue 125: Just What Is Their Future Direction?

To say that Juventus have had a turbulent off-season would be quite the understatement. Somehow, even in an off-season which was severely truncated by the Covid-19 pandemic, Juve went through more drama than most other clubs would have during an ordinary one.

Not long after the club's elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Lyon, the Turin club fired head coach Maurizio Sarri despite the fact that he had just left Juve to yet another Serie A title after fending off tough challenges from the likes of Lazio, Atalanta, and Inter Milan. Sarri would be replaced by Andrea Pirlo, the legendary midfielder who spent four years at Juventus.

The transfer window also did not go as planned for Juve. They had initially intended to sign Luis Suárez from Barcelona after it emerged that the Uruguayan was deemed surplus to requirements in Catalonia. However, before Suárez could have made the switch, he had to obtain Italian citizenship by passing an Italian exam due to rules governing the signing of players without European Union citizenship. When it turned out that the exam had been rigged, the move fell through; Suárez would end up signing for Atlético Madrid. As Juve felt that they nevertheless needed a striker, they made a last-ditch panic signing and brought in Álvaro Morata on a season-long loan deal from Atlético.

The difficulties and disruptions experienced by Juve during the past several months appear to have translated into their play. They were held to a 2-2 draw against Roma and, as has been the case on many an occasion, were saved from a loss by Cristiano Ronaldo whose two goals matched the brace scored by Roma midfielder Jordan Veretout.

It was evident throughout the match that Juve were nowhere near the level at which they are capable of playing. They seemed disjointed and discombobulated; they showed hardly any evidence of team chemistry. As has been mentioned, much of this is due to the difficult off-season which they had endured.

It should also be noted that the signings which Juve did make were likely not of sufficient benefit to the team. Their signing of Arthur from Barça was almost certainly a massive overpay at €72 million. Although this signing was part of a trade which sent Miralem Pjanić to Camp Nou, Barça sent €60 million to Juve to acquire the services of the Bosnian midfielder - a much more reasonable figure.

The Morata loan signing is also something of a head-scratcher. He has proven that at this level, he just cannot get it done. His career-highs in league goals and total goals in a season are just 15 and 20 respectively; he managed these figures for Real Madrid in the 2016-17 season. Furthermore, he has already proven that he is not suited to the style of play in Serie A; during his previous two-year stint at Juve between 2014 and 2016, he scored just 15 league goals in 63 matches. Although Morata was a signing made out of desperation more than anything else, Juve might have been better served by attempting to sign a striker like Alassane Pléa, Lucas Alario, or Gerard Moreno.

As is often the case when a new coach takes over, it could also take time for Pirlo to fully adjust to his new team and figure out the optimal tactics to be used. Since this is Pirlo's first time in such a position, his lack of experience could be exploited by opposing coaches over the course of the season; this could ultimately prove to be Juve's downfall when all is said and done.

In general, the main problem facing Juve at the moment is that they seem to have no clear direction for both their immediate future as well as the next few season. Ronaldo can't keep saving them again and again; he will be 36 in February. It's a cliché, but it's true - Father Time is undefeated. The "cliff" will come for him at some point; it could even be later this season.

It is certainly possible that they will successfully defend their Serie A title and perhaps even claim the Coppa Italia to seal the domestic double. However, based on the evidence thus far, while it's still far too early to make a complete judgment, a first Champions League title for Juve since 1996 which would also be Ronaldo's sixth appears to be an unlikely prospect at the moment.

The Weekly Take, Issue 124: The Gift that Keeps On Giving

Borussia Dortmund opened the Bundesliga season with an impressive 3-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Although Erling Håland scored two of Dortmund's goals, the outstanding performance of the match belonged to Giovanni Reyna. Reyna scored one goal, earned a penalty which was converted by Håland, and tormented the Gladbach defense from start to finish.

Dortmund have done it yet again. The brilliance of the Ruhr club's scouting department and youth development program has made itself evident once more. Their track record over the last decade or so has been truly remarkable.

This is a club which has allowed the following players to rise to prominence: Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, Mats Hummels, Shinji Kagawa, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Christian Pulisic, Jadon Sancho, and now Håland; Reyna and Jude Bellingham appear to be next in line. The club was also the place where Jürgen Klopp emerged as one of the world's best coaches.

This leads to the question: just what have Dortmund been doing that has put them so far ahead of the curve in this area?

Just as is true of any other football club, it all starts from the top. Reinhard Rauball has done an absolutely incredible job. His emphasis on and investment in young rising stars has become a core part of Dortmund's identity. It is largely thanks to his efforts that many players who cut their teeth at Dortmund have become so coveted by the world's leading clubs.

Dortmund have also always been extremely savvy in the transfer market. Although they might not possess the financial might of rivals Bayern Munich, let alone the wealthiest clubs in the world like Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, Die Schwarzgelbe are almost always able to maximize their limited transfer budget by picking up emerging players from unlikely sources who might often be overlooked by other top clubs.

To provide examples of this fact, Lewandowski was signed from Lech Poznan. Aubameyang was brought in from Saint-Étienne. Håland came to Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg. Kagawa was signed from Cerezo Osaka.

For a club to have that kind of success from signings made from clubs like those over a sustained period is almost unheard of. Yet somehow, Dortmund have managed to pull it off again and again.

Dortmund's youth academy might very well be the world's best right now. When people think of clubs with some of the best youth academies in the world, those which often come to mind include Ajax, Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United. However, Dortmund's is not only often overlooked - it might very well be the best of the lot.

This factory of talent has produced players such as Pulisic, Sancho, Reus, Marcel Schmelzer, Nuri Sahin, Antonio Rüdiger, and Mario Götze, just to name a few. The success rate of Dortmund's youth academy is truly remarkable. A tremendous amount of credit must be given to youth coordinator Lars Ricken as well as the rest of the academy staff - it is they who in large part have made it a relentless generator of footballing talent.

Another factor which is not often considered but undoubtedly plays a role in Dortmund's success is the culture of the team. The most obvious example of this, however, cannot be seen right now due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Yes, you've guessed it - the iconic "Yellow Wall" t the Westfalenstadion - perhaps the most intimidating home stand in word football. When playing in front of a raucous, almost rabid crowd like that, how could a young player not get a psychological boost?

The fact that the club has always encouraged and promoted the development of young stars as well as players often overlooked has also shaped the club's culture for the better. This is a team which thrives on its culture, and its results over the last 10 years clearly speak for themselves.

Hopefully I am not letting my biases cloud my opinion when I say this, but I honestly believe that Borussia Dortmund are in the top five and perhaps even the top three as far as the best-run football clubs in the world are concerned. Dortmund are truly a club which should serve as a role model for a great many others, and there seems to be no reason why this should end any time soon.

The Weekly Take, Issue 123: Another Tough Season Ahead

Tottenham Hotspur have not begun their Premier League season the way they'd hoped they would.

The North London club lost 1-0 in their season-opening match against a revamped Everton team. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the only goal of the match to defeat a Spurs team which was devoid of any real threat throughout proceedings.

After a turbulent 2019-20 season which saw a mid-season coaching change as well as the departure of Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan, many wondered just how Tottenham would fare with an off-season which would be expected to provide the club with a little more stability. However, things did not go as planned off the field.

For one thing, the stability mentioned never materialized. As noted after the Everton match by head coach José Mourinho, the club's pre-season preparations were disrupted by several Covid-19 cases within the team as well as multiple player departures for international matches. This instability and lack of preparation was clearly on display as Tottenham slumped to a tame loss.

Furthermore, Tottenham failed to land any signings of note during the off-season. The biggest name to arrive at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who was signed from Southampton. Not only did Tottenham fail to adequately replace Eriksen; they did not strengthen their squad at all and even lost Jan Vertonghen to Benfica.

The failure to find a quality replacement for Eriksen in particular has to sting for Tottenham for one key reason: they are coached by Mourinho.

When looking at Mourinho's most successful teams over the course of his coaching career, one feature stands out: they tend to be built around an elite midfielder who is equally comfortable at either the number 8 or number 10 position. Players such as Deco, Frank Lampard, Wesley Sneijder, Mesut Özil, and Luka Modrić come to mind. Eriksen is just such a player and could easily have served as the fulcrum of this Mourinho team just as the names mentioned did.

Making this season even tougher for Tottenham is the fact that the chase for the last two Champions League spots will be very tight. Liverpool and Manchester City should easily finish first and second in the league in some order. However, behind them is a mass of teams which could all easily finish between third and ninth depending on circumstances such as injuries, suspensions, fixture congestion, or even perhaps (but hopefully not) the effects of another season hiatus caused by yet another severe Covid-19 outbreak.

Chelsea and Manchester United will be favoured to once again occupy the final two Champions League berths. Tottenham will also have to fend of challenges from North London rivals Arsenal as well as Leicester, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the much-improved Everton team which just beat them if they are to return to the biggest stage in European club football next season.

After their surprising run to the Champions League final in 2019, many expected Tottenham to take the next step and become regular contenders for titles both domestically and in Europe. One reason this has not been the case lies in the fact that some of their players have not developed to the degree which had at one point been expected of them.

The likes of Dele Alli, Davinson Sánchez, Eric Dier, and Harry Winks had been expected to make improvements beyond what they have achieved to this date. This is rather disappointing because at that point, Tottenham looked like a team with a bright future and perhaps even a title or more on the horizon. However, this now appears to be a far-off dream.

The biggest worry of all for Tottenham has yet to be realized, but it very well could at the end of this season if things continue as they have: Harry Kane might just leave the club.

Having just started his ninth Premier League campaign as a Tottenham player, the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner must surely have become frustrated with constantly being on the outside looking in as far as silverware is concerned. With his club now in decline, another poor season might end up causing him to run out of patience with the club.

It's not really possible to pin down Tottenham's struggles over the past year to any one factor. Players? Coaching? Front office? All have played a role. Right now, the only thing that seems to be certain is that Tottenham are likely to face another difficult season.

The Weekly Take, Issue 122: Still the Team to Beat

When the draw for this season's UEFA Nations League was released, much of the attention turned to the World Cup final rematch between France and Croatia which would take place during the second of two matchdays with which the tournament would commence.

In an interesting coincidence, the match ended with the same scoreline as did their prior encounter in Russia in 2018: France emerged with a 4-2 victory. Antoine Griezmann, Dayot Upamecano, and Olivier Giroud found the back of the net for Les Bleus. France were also assisted by an own goal scored by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković.

This match had been expected to be a hard-fought one between two of world football's powerhouses. However, after Dejan Lovren scored the opening goal of the match for Croatia, France moved into another gear and never looked back from there.

With under a year remaining before the European Championships begin and under two before the World Cup kicks off, it was evident that the reigning world champions are still the team to beat on the international stage. For the vast majority of the match, France dominated a team ranked within the top 10 of FIFA's world rankings and pegged as a possible dark-horse contender at next year's European Championships.

Clearly, France have hardly let up ever since their World Cup victory in 2018. Apart from a surprising slip-up in which they were upset by the Netherlands in the 2019 Nations League, it has generally been smooth sailing for France. What makes this even more impressive is that they might arguably be even better now than they were during their run to the World Cup title two years ago.

Among the players who took to the field in the navy blue jersey at the Stade de France included Wissam Ben Yedder, Anthony Martial, Ferland Mendy, Upamecano, and Clément Lenglet. None of these players were part of France's victorious World Cup squad. Even more remarkable is the fact that every one of these players would represent an upgrade at their respective position if they were to be plugged into the World Cup team.

France's strength in depth was also on display against Croatia. This was a team missing the services of two of its best players in Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappé following the duo's positive Covid-19 tests. As it turned out, France did not miss a beat. Ben Yedder and Steven N'Zonzi seamlessly fit in with the rest of the team as they made the starting lineup in a rare occurrence that only happened due to the unfortunate circumstances. Considering that France easily dispatched a team like Croatia despite not being at full strength, it shows that when they have their full squad at their disposal, they are going to be very difficult to stop.

Furthermore, after a difficult and turbulent season at Barcelona, it appears that Griezmann once again seems to be close to his peak form. Griezmann produced an outstanding performance against Croatia as he reminded everyone why he was the player of the tournament at Euro 2016, the recipient of the Bronze Ball at the 2018 World Cup, and a perennial Ballon d'Or contender at his best. Griezmann scored France's first goal, set up another scored by Upamecano, and was a constant thorn in the flesh of the Croatian defense who had no answer for a player who, if he can bring this form with him back to Catalonia, might be able to successfully take over the mantle of the leader of Barça's attack in the post-Lionel Messi era which could begin at any time.

Of course, it's not as though France will be unchallenged during the tournaments to come. Teams such as Belgium and England, as well as Brazil during the World Cup, will provide stern tests. The likes of Germany, Portugal, and the Netherlands have all either rebuilt or retooled; if they reach their full potential in time for Euro 2021 or the 2022 World Cup, they too could serve as threats to France's supremacy.

That being said, the way France are playing right now, it will take something truly remarkable to deny them a third European Championship title and first since 2000 when the tournament begins next year. Could they even become the first team in 60 years to win back-to-back World Cups? It will be difficult, but if any team could, it surely has to be them.

The Weekly Take, Issue 121: End-of-Season Special: Top 10 Moments of the Season

To say that this has been a truly remarkable season full of twists and turns would be an understatement. So much has happened during the 2019-20 European club football season that it is almost impossible to choose just 10 moments which stood out.

However, I have proceeded to do so. As you can probably imagine, so bizarre has this season been (both on the field and away from it) that some of the moments selected have never been seen before and will probably never happen again.

Antoine Griezmann signs for Barcelona (July 12, 2019)

Barcelona made a clear statement of intent during the transfer window by signing Griezmann for €120 million from Atlético Madrid. It was a transfer which at the time made Barça the favourites to win the Champions League for the sixth time.

Griezmann's debut season at Camp Nou, however, did not go according to plan. His nine league goals were his fewest in eight years and his form throughout the season was inconsistent. His Barcelona team also ended the season without any titles for the first time since 2008.

The impending departures of Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi, however, will make Griezmann the leader of Barça's attack next season; a role in which he thrived at Atlético. It remains to be seen if he can return to the form in which he struck dread into the hearts of opposing defenders all over Spain and beyond.

Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 Bayern Munich (November 2, 2019)

Bayern Munich started the season in abysmal form. They dropped points in Bundesliga matches against teams they were expected to beat handily such as Hertha Berlin, Hoffenheim, and Augsburg.

It all came to a head when Bayern were destroyed by Eintracht Frankfurt to cap off a run in which they picked up just four points in four matches and conceded 10 goals while scoring six.

However, as it turned out, this crushing defeat might very well have been the best thing that could have happened to Bayern because it led to the firing of head coach Niko Kovač. After Kovač was replaced by Hans-Dieter Flick, Bayern's season took off and they never looked back thereafter.

Ernesto Valverde fired as Barcelona head coach (January 13, 2020)

Barça made a somewhat surprising decision when they chose to fire Valverde. While he had not always delivered at the level which many had expected, he had up to that point done well enough that most assumed his job was safe.

However, a slump which saw Barça win just one match in five saw Valverde lose his job. This was seen as something of a risk, given the fact that despite the slump, they were still top of La Liga and in contention for the Champions League title.

Valverde would be replaced by Quique Setién - a move which would go on to have disastrous effects on Barça's season. Setién was neither able to properly utilize his players nor connect with them; this led to Barça's finishing the season with no trophies and Setién's own firing.

Serie A suspended (March 9, 2020)

Just like all other areas of life all over the planet, the football world was not spared from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Italy was the first European country to suffer a mass Covid-19 outbreak. Thus, it came as no surprise when the Italian government suspended the league as well as all other professional sports leagues across the country.

As the virus spread across Europe, all other major leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League would soon follow suit. The season had now truly entered uncharted waters.

Liverpool 2-3 Atlético Madrid (March 12, 2020)

This match was notable for two different reasons. The first was that it marked one of the most impressive upset victories of the season as Atlético stunned a Liverpool team in pursuit of back-to-back Champions League titles, knocking them out in the round of 16.

However, this match also served as a major catalyst for the eventual suspension of the tournament. It would eventually be discovered that the match was the cause of 41 Covid-19 deaths while also accelerating the spread of the virus in the UK.

Not surprisingly, the tournament would be suspended shortly after and not return until August.

Bundesliga resumes (May 16, 2020)

Germany was one of the European countries in which the Covid-19 outbreak subsided earliest. Thus, the Bundesliga was the first of the four major European football leagues to resume play.

With every match held in an empty stadium and with appropriate social distancing protocols in place, great care was taken to prevent a resurgence of the virus which may have been caused by unsafe holding of matches. It would not be long before other leagues would follow suit.

Bayern Munich would win all their league matches after the restart and won the league title by a large margin; a remarkable turnaround after their slow start to the season.

Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City (June 26, 2020)

This match will be remembered not for what happened on the field, but instead for what happened to a team not playing in it because of the implications of the result.

A penalty scored by Willian ensured that City would not be able to catch Liverpool at the summit of the Premier League. It was Liverpool's first league title in 30 years.

Such had been the magnitude of their drought that most Liverpool fans had longed for a league title far more than a Champions League title in spite of the fact that it is the less prestigious of the two honours.

Barcelona 2-8 Bayern Munich (August 14, 2020)

By this point, Bayern had clearly established themselves as the dominant force of the club football world, while Barça were in complete disarray after having tamely surrendered their La Liga title to Real Madrid. However, no one could have anticipated what was about to ensue.

In this Champions League quarterfinal, Bayern produced a performance for the ages as the Bavarian club made Lionel Messi and company look like complete amateurs. It was Barça's heaviest loss since 1951.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, this result also led to the firing of Setién from his position. It also set the stage for one other moment to be mentioned shortly.

Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich (August 23, 2020)

Bayern completed their dominant treble-winning season by beating PSG in front of an empty Estádio da Luz. Just to rub it in for the Paris club, ex-PSG player Kingsley Coman scored the only goal.

The victory completed Bayern's second treble after having won it in 2013 under Jupp Heynckes. Regardless of what he does next at Bayern, Flick has forever etched his name into club lore.

Bayern unquestionably enter the 2020-21 season as the team to beat, especially given the fact that they are the only team in the modern era to have won every single match of a Champions League campaign.

Lionel Messi announces departure from Barcelona (August 25, 2020)

The season's final turn of events was not completely unexpected; however, it was perhaps the most noteworthy and game-changing of them all.

After much speculation, Messi finally confirmed that he planned to depart the club at which he had become perhaps the greatest player of all time. Messi had played for Barça since 2004, scoring over 600 goals and winning four Champions League titles.

Manchester City, PSG, and Inter Milan are the teams which are reportedly leading the chase for the Argentine. At the moment, it appears that City are the most likely to land him and thus reunite him with former coach Pep Guardiola.