Seb Stafford-Bloor
Seb Stafford-Bloor is a football writer at Tifo Football and member of the Football Writers' Association. He was formerly a regularly columnist for the FourFourTwo website, covering all aspects of the game, including tactical analysis, reaction pieces, longer-term trends and critiquing the increasingly shady business of football's financial side and authorities' decision-making.
Latest articles by Seb Stafford-Bloor

What we've learned from European football restarting: expect mistakes in the Premier League
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Without fans, players' concentration levels seem to have suffered, creating a spectacle of errors

Why does Dominic Calvert-Lewin get ignored? The Everton forward has made a case for an England call-up
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti may sing his praises, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin's progression sometimes seems to go unnoticed outside of Merseyside

How does Sheffield United's story end? Champions League qualification would be more than just money for the Blades
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
The ceiling for Chris Wilder's innovative, overachieving side has yet to be found – and Europe would open new questions of what exactly they're capable of

Moves for Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech shouldn't set back Chelsea's youth project – they should improve it
By Seb Stafford-Bloor last updated
Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi have prospered under Frank Lampard. But they have no reason to fear new arrivals now Chelsea's transfer emargo is over

A transfer to the Premier League won't reverse Philippe Coutinho's fall from grace
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
The Barcelona playmaker has been linked with Tottenham and Chelsea – but after a wrong career step it's hard to shake his new image as a complementary midfielder

Newcastle are stuck between owners – leaving a club where no one takes responsibility
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Comment A lack of communication from inside St James’ Park during the coronavirus downtime has a predictable outcome: fans losing out

Mason Mount's success story lays the blueprint for a new Chelsea era
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
The England international's debut season at Stamford Bridge has had its ups and downs. Here's why that's a good thing...

Why tribalism is no excuse for the abuse that fans direct towards players
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Troy Deeney has been the subject of vitriol for supporters over his stance in Project Restart - and there's nowhere to hide for the perpetrators

What we learned from Der Klassiker about elite games in empty stadiums
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Analysis Bundesliga's clash between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich showed how exposed players become without crowd atmosphere

Excitable, gangly and a bit uncool: Erling Haaland’s appeal is precisely that he’s not your average footballer
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Haaland An interview clip showing the Borussia Dortmund striker giving monosyllabic answers divided the internet. But unusual things like that are simply part of Haaland’s charm

Games in empty stadiums are a reminder that fans are an important part of football's product. So will supporters start getting a better treatment?
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Is it possible for football to run as a global business and provide for match-going fans? It might have to learn how to

Why the standard in the Bundesliga this weekend was better than you might have expected
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Despite no matches in two months and little training to prepare, the football on show in Germany revealed the advances of the modern game

Football’s PR war: Why Project Restart could lose sight of what’s important
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Many are raising concerns about whether it's safe for the Premier League to return – but the optics of staying home while others work could hit the game hard. So what's right?

The financial implications of coronavirus could change the Premier League's whole transfer market
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
When football returns, clubs that have struggled to make ends meet will have to adapt – and so will players

Whatever happened to utility players?
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Players who can comfortably perform a number of different roles should be in demand more than ever – but they barely seem to exist

One mistake: why goalkeepers' reputations hinge on howlers
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Loris Karius's failed rehab loan move only proves that goalkeepers very rarely return to their former glory

No more smoke and mirrors: Premier League must be transparent about return plans
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Fans, players and the media have been kept in the dark about the season's return long enough

In a difficult season, Giovani Lo Celso might be Tottenham's biggest success story
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
The Spurs playmaker has dealt with a new country and league astonishingly well, largely without the manager who signed him

Why Sadio Mané is the most captivating footballer in the Premier League
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
He might be the player of the season or he might not be - but he's certainly the player we miss watching most right now

Timeless goals: Glenn Hoddle's chip against Watford in 1983
By Seb Stafford-Bloor last updated
The Tottenham midfielder's turn and chip would drop jaws in any era

How stories get made: why press conferences remain vital to football
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
Most of what we think about managers is still influenced by the bits that don't make headlines at the humble old presser

Would Brian Clough have been a good England manager?
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
The legendary Derby and Nottingham Forest boss had an unsuccessful interview for the England job in 1977, altering the course of history forever.

How will Gareth Bale be remembered?
By Seb Stafford-Bloor published
There's such a thing as staying too long in football - and Gareth Bale may have outstayed his Real Madrid welcome far too long to be considered a great
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