The Guy in the Stands

  Shaun Wright-Phillips showcasing the Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, and FA Community  as part of City's special India tour  | Pic Credit: India Today  Shaun Wright-Phillips compares Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho's football philosophies, sharing personal insights from his time at Chelsea and admiration for Guardiola's transformative impact at Manchester City. By Naman Suri When you think of the greatest minds in football, the first few names that will come to your mind will be; Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Jurgen Klopp, etc. But how do these great minds separate themselves from the rest of the pack? Former Manchester City winger, Shaun Wright-Phillips - who played under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and is currently witnessing Pep Guardiola mould Manchester City into one of the strongest European clubs in modern-day football - had some insights to share with The Guy in the Stands during his club's Champions 4-in-a-row Trophy T...

Shaun Wright-Phillips with Manchester City's Premier League trophy | Pic Credit: India Today Shaun Wright-Phillips reflects on Manchester City's journey to dominance and suggests that Manchester United must rebuild strategically to reclaim their former glory. By Naman Suri Once a languishing side in the English third tier, Manchester City has come a long way, winning the Premier League four times in a row. Shaun Wright-Phillips, their former winger, believes their city rivals, Manchester United, will need to take a similar approach to return to their glory days. “I don’t think they’re there yet (as a top-four Premier League team). Ten Hag still doesn’t know what his best XI is. And if you don’t know your strongest team, you’re setting unrealistic expectations for a top-four finish,” Shaun told The Guy in the Stands during the club’s Champions-4-in-a-row trophy tour in India.  “There is too much team rotation. Even when I watch them, I don't know how they are trying to play...

Pic Credits: Durand Cup By Naman Suri As Punjab FC embarks on a new chapter under Panagiotis Dilmperis with limited resources, the club’s new tactical setup will be the focal point for fans and analysts alike. The first team ever to be promoted into India’s top-tier football league, the Indian Super League (ISL), in 2023 after securing the I-league title for the 2022-23 season, will be looking to improve on their last season’s turbulent start and focus on becoming a consistent top-six side. Although, securing a play-off spot will be much tougher this time around given the talent the team has parted with, while other playoff contenders significantly reinforced themselves. North India’s club representative in the ISL, Punjab FC finished eighth in its debut season under the then-coach Staikos Vergetis. The team which plays its trade in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, had a sluggish start last season after failing to secure three points in the first ten rounds of the league. The t...

Pic credits: Punjab FC Instagram  By Naman Suri  The new Indian Super League (ISL) season has started and all 13 clubs in the top flight of Indian football are raring to showcase their bolstered attacking prowess, immediately. One such, feast for the eyes moment for Indian football fans could be when they get a bit of Erling Haaland, Manchester City’s prolific striker, on display. Not that the Norwegian Terminator will be plying his trade in the Indian league but rather another Norwegian striker, Mushaga Bakenga, who Haaland looked up to during his teen days, will be on display.  The 32-year-old from Trondheim, Norway was brought in by one of the fastest-rising clubs of Indian football, Punjab FC as part of their squad overhaul.  The club, representing the North in the league, became the first team to be promoted into the much-fancied ISL, last season after winning the I-League in 2022-23. However, Punjab FC had a horrid time during its initial days in the league try...

Dale Steyn | Getty Images A few days back, former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn posted a question on his social media account – The most beautiful fast bowlers' action of all time…? While conjectures may be many and varied, the question is a bit hard to answer without a proper reading of every fast-bowling action there is.  From the smooth and daunting action of the Rolls Royce, Michael Holding to the wrist-extending unorthodox tennis ball cricketer-like action of Jasprit Bumrah, the list goes on. Point to be made, for Steyn, Alan Donald’s action stands atop but his own isn’t any less of a poetry in motion either. However, it might be difficult to interpret whose action is the most beautiful; it might not be to analyse the greatness of the action through their dominance in the longest format. Longest format because every great fast bowler in order to prove their mettle has to perform there; it takes a lot of grit and determination to bowl incessantly, especially on the uncov...

Indian Tokyo Olympic stars  Aspirations to reach the skies - that high are the expectations the Indian athletes have set up for themselves at the international events. With less than four months left for the biggest bragging rights of all, the Paris Olympics, Indian athletes will again be at a crossroads to prove their mettle. After securing its highest-ever medal tally of seven at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including a first-ever gold in a Track & Field event, India has been steadily making strides in the sports, which is not just limited to cricket. The country last year achieved a century of medals in the Asian Games in China and had a reasonable 2022 Commonwealth Games in England. Except for a hiccup during the 2016 Rio Olympics, where India achieved only two medals, the subcontinent nation has been able to increase its medal tally every four years. This July, when the Indian contingent will be heading to Paris with an assortment of Olympic medallists and world champions, exp...