What's that? Something's going on with Pep Guardiola? Manchester City, you say? Yes, in the very week that City confirmed Guardiola as their new manager for next season, we have just the cover feature for you. Our latest issue investigates just what Pep will bring to the Premier League as FourFourTwo unravels the method behind his mad genius.
What makes the world's most innovative manager different from the rest? How did he transform Barcelona and Bayern Munich? We have the answers, as we reveal why Guardiola hates tiki-taka, calls formations "meaningless" and has been in search of coaching perfection since he was 13. Whether you're a Manchester City fan or just a fan of football, it's essential reading.
Only Guardiola's magic has prevented Borussia Dortmund from topping the Bundesliga table so far this season. They may be second, but their points-per-game ratio would be enough to put them comfortably clear at the summit in the Premier League right now. FourFourTwo goes inside the new Dortmund to find out just how they have coped so admirably since Jurgen Klopp departed Signal Iduna Park.
We discover the truth behind BVB's reinvention by speaking exclusively to new coach Thomas Tuchel, as well as Marcel Schmelzer, Marco Reus, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and this season's striking sensation Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He's African Footballer of the Year, it's official and everything. Sorry, Yaya.
This month's One-onOne subject is Icelandic striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who tells us about life under Claudio Ranieri and Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, explains why Bolton Wanderers' Macron Stadium is every bit as good as Camp Nou and reveals how he spent most of his career emulating Joey from Friends.
Roll up! Roll up! It's time for hard men to do battle. From Roy Keane to Graeme Souness, Edgar Davids to Carles Puyol, Dave Mackay to Billy Bremner. We like them all, but who was the hardest? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT! We trace football's enforcers from the 19th century 'demon back' to today's throwbacks, via Dirty Leeds and some incredible snaps. That's photos, not legs...
Fed up of Jim White's inexplicable penchant for the colour yellow? Bored of the incredible tension over whether Ipswich Town will get the right-back they really need before the apocalypse hits Portman Road? The transfer window is a little different in MLS, but you'll be glad to hear it's no less bonkers. We go behind the scenes at the MLS SuperDraft to find out what happens in 12 dramatic hours on the other side of the Atlantic. We also discover why the first draft pick was a lad from, er, Bolton.
It's often said that the strength of MLS is that any team can win. Back home in England, we travel to the North East to find out about the Northern League, the curious division that no one wants to win. Well, only one team, anyway. And they're 13th so we'll be honest, it's not looking good for them. We find out why the other 21 teams in the division have all refused the chance to go for promotion.
We also tell the story of the not-so-great brothers of great managers – from Martin Ferguson to Rene Hiddink and Bob Shankly – as well as investigating the real truth of losing the dressing room. Michael Owen is among the men to tell us just what it means, and just how it happens. When your star player strips naked rather than going out for the second half, things aren't going well. Plus, Action Replay looks back at the 1937/38 season featuring struggling champions and unlikely title contenders (sound familiar?).
In Upfront, Ian Wright tells us about the time he nearly decapitated Lee Dixon in Ask A Silly Question, Andy Cole is our interviewee in The Games That Changed My Life and we bump into the Brazilian Diego Maradona... in Surrey. Samuel Eto'o speaks to FFT in Planet Football, while Marc Bartra tells us about his Barcelona team-mates and explains why Neymar is the FIFA king.
We also find out why the Star Wars stormtroopers support a random Bulgarian third division side and hear the remarkable story of Martin Braithwaite, the Denmark international who spent two years in a wheelchair as a youngster. Chris Coleman picks his Perfect XI, while Romelu Lukaku explains how to shrug off your marker in Performance, where Hulk provides tips on how to steamroller opponents.
The March 2016 issue of FourFourTwo was brought to you by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Ian Wright, Hulk, Thiago Alcantara, Marco Reus, Samuel Eto'o, Michael Owen, Thomas Tuchel, Andy Cole, Romelu Lukaku, Phil Brown, Chris Coleman, Marc Bartra, Kevin Gallacher, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexi Lalas, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Martin Braithwaite, Frank Clark, Marcel Schmelzer, Barry Venison, Don Garber, Jermaine Jenas, Leonardo Blanchard, Tony Woodcock, Munas Dabbur, Alex Smith, Dom Dwyer, Ataa Jaber, Cesare, Jack Harrison, Eyad Abu Abaid, Louis Reed, Julie Foudy, Sirak Beyene, Richard Tremewan, Todd Durbin, Don Cowan, David Farrell, Mike Amos, the author of Pep Confidential and the Brazilian Diego Maradona.Available from February 3 in print, on iPad and on iPhone or SUBSCRIBE!
‘Early on, Shearer was quite rightly the main man, but being backup really grinded on me as the years wore on – I hated the role’: Newcastle United cult hero reveals annoyance at never being considered good enough for No.9 role at St. James' Park
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