world cup

How Pep Ruined Germany (And Why It’s Not His Fault)

Published on June 30, 2026June 30, 2026 by Martyn GreenLeave a comment

The downfall of German football has been remarkable to watch.

When Die Mannschaft won football’s ultimate prize in 2014, it was the culmination of a process that had taken over a decade, and looked set to compete at the top of the game for years to come. The majority of that squad were just hitting their peaks, and had at least one, if not two, World Cup cycles left in them. Of those who didn’t, Per Mertesacker was already in the process of being replaced, losing his place in the team when Mats Hummels regained fitness, and Toni Kroos was ready to step up and replace Bastian Schweinsteiger. Then there was Philipp Lahm, whose retirement did cause chaos and confusion until the rise of Joshua Kimmich, in many ways a neo-Lahm, in 2016. The future of German football looked set, which was worrying for the rest of the world.

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El Divino Manco – The One-Armed Wonder

Published on November 23, 2021March 21, 2022 by Martyn Green

Winning the World Cup is the pinnacle of any player’s career. So few get the chance to even play in the competition, let alone win it, that the feeling is preserved just for the rarefied few, whose magic has lit up the global game. But only one side can claim the be the first World Cup winners, and when Uruguay romped to the title (scoring 15 goals in just four games), their final goal was scored by a one-armed man.

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Should We Introduce Pre-Qualifying?

Published on November 17, 2021March 14, 2022 by Martyn Green

Following England’s 10-0 demolition of San Marino over the international break, there have been questions asked over the value of these kinds of fixtures, and whether the micro-nations should have to pre-qualify in order to join the Qualification groups with the nations that stand a realistic chance of reaching the main event. I’m sure Harry Kane very much enjoyed his four goals, taking him past Jimmy Greaves in the England scoring charts, but really shouldn’t those goals be a thing of the footballing past?

The short answer, the TL:DR, is no.

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Norway are on the Edge of History. Can they Achieve Greatness?

Published on November 10, 2021November 15, 2021 by Martyn Green

As we head into the international break, Norway are optimistic. They haven’t been to a World Cup since the 1998, and haven’t had this much confidence in a side since a halcyon period in their footballing history where they performed well in 1938 and at the 1936 Olympics, where they beat hosts Germany. But they are beginning to believe that maybe, just maybe, this is their time. A win against Latvia, and a draw against the Netherlands, should see them into the playoffs for World Cup Qualifying. A slip up by Turkey will make that easier. And the playoffs are a lottery. Unlucky and they will have to get past Portugal or Spain. But if the draw goes their way they might end up with a much simpler proposition – Finland, or Ukraine, or Scotland. And with this group of players, nothing is impossible.

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