Alex Hess
Latest articles by Alex Hess

6 of the most shocking Premier League runs of form EVER
By Alex Hess published
Premier League Will Norwich ever win again? Alex Hess remembers six even worse top-flight streaks and the teams behind them

The making of Ronaldinho – how the Brazilian superstar broke through at PSG
By Alex Hess published
Year Zero Looking back at the season Ronaldinho broke onto the European scene, which ended with him in magical form and heading to the World Cup

From frustrator to difference maker: how crafty Coutinho finally got it right
By Alex Hess last updated
Philippe Coutinho The Brazilian has dazzled since the turn of the year for Liverpool, after two years of working towards making it happen consistently. Alex Hess evaluates his ascent...

How belated replacements Kante, Xhaka and Pogba could usher in new era of dominance
By Alex Hess published
N'Golo Kante Claude Makelele, Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane were the heartbeat of title-winning sides of yesteryear. Alex Hess explains why their former clubs' most recent engine-room acquisitions could have a similar impact...

7 Premier League veterans who defied age to dominate in the top flight
By Alex Hess last updated
Premier League With Glenn Murray in the form of his life aged 35, Alex Hess takes a look at other players who continued to shine in the autumn of their careers

How the nature of English captaincy has changed - and in contrast to events in the outside world
By Alex Hess last updated
Manchester City Times they are a changin', writes Alex Hess, who explains the remodelled role of the Premier League skipper with reference to other forms of leadership…

6 big questions to be answered in the Premier League this weekend
By Alex Hess published
Paul Pogba Alex Hess takes a look at some of the big questions ahead of this weekend's round of fixtures...

Why is it so difficult to retain the Premier League title?
By Alex Hess last updated
Premier League With champions Chelsea languishing in the bottom half of the table, Alex Hess examines why English sides struggle to win consecutive championships...

David Luiz, the constant enigma – how the mercurial defensive talent defines Unai Emery's Arsenal
By Alex Hess published
Arsenal He's captained Brazil, scored a penalty in a Champions League final and amassed more than £100m in transfer fees. So why does the suggestion David Luiz is a clueless buffoon persist?

How Antonio Valencia came to epitomise the Man United way
By Alex Hess last updated
Antonio Valencia Alex Hess explains why the Ecuador international has become such an important member of the Red Devils side

Why Pep Guardiola has cashed in his values at Manchester City
By Alex Hess last updated
Manchester City The acclaimed coach was supposed to bring an exciting new dawn – instead, he’s just another spendthrift boss, explains Alex Hess

FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Teenagers in the World 2017: No.3, Marcus Rashford
By Alex Hess published
100 Best Teenagers He's recently left teendom behind, but Manchester United's brilliant academy graduate is eligible for this list (honest). Just how did he go from complete unknown to heir of the throne at Old Trafford?

David Moyes and Big Sam: broken by dream jobs, or are their struggles just coincidence?
By Alex Hess last updated
Premier League The huge managerial posts that could have left them with ever-lasting legacies served only to dent their steely reputations – and now both of their teams are staring relegation in the face. Alex Hess evaluates the damage done by disaster

Theo Walcott at 30: a strange, muddled career where reality was never as good as the fantasy
By Alex Hess last updated
Theo Walcott The Everton winger leaves his 20s behind on Saturday, prompting Alex Hess to ponder what comes next for a player who has failed to live up to the early hype

Why Arsene Wenger is standing at his most defining crossroads yet with Arsenal
By Alex Hess published
Arsenal The Frenchman's football blueprint could still be vindicated this season, but his north London rivals are worryingly instilling it more successfully, argues Alex Hess...

Newcastle can never succeed with Mike Ashley's identity-draining ownership
By Alex Hess last updated
Newcastle United The Magpies could be drifting towards a second relegation to the Championship in seven years. Alex Hess explains why all of the club's problems can be traced back to the boardroom...

Why Frank Lampard is ignoring history for romance - all for an unhappy ending
By Alex Hess published
Chelsea The Chelsea great is gambling with his legacy by returning to Stamford Bridge. As Alex Hess writes, more accomplished managers than him have been discarded in recent years

The heartwarming tale of Radamel Falcao's spectacular rebirth
By Alex Hess published
Radamel Falcao He looked an irreparably broken player at Manchester United and at Chelsea, but the Colombian striker has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance in Monaco

Pepe Reina: the semi-tragic tale of a keeper in all the right places at the wrong times
By Alex Hess last updated
Pepe Reina The former Liverpool shot-stopper's career is one littered with misfortune and near misses, as Alex Hess recalls...

Why it might be time to recognise Brendan Rodgers for the elite coach he is
By Alex Hess published
Brendan Rodgers The Leicester boss has impressed at every job he's had – yet self-mythologising and cringe quotes have made him a divisive figure. Will he guide the Foxes back into the Champions League?

Why Rafa Benitez is a legitimate manager of the season contender
By Alex Hess published
Rafael Benítez Keeping Newcastle clear of relegation – and well clear at that – is easily among the season's finest achievements, writes Alex Hess

FourFourTwo’s 50 Best Football Managers in the World 2017: No.9, Jurgen Klopp
By Alex Hess last updated
FFT 50 Managers The two-time Bundesliga winner hasn’t yet achieved glory with Liverpool, but Merseyside's Mr. Charisma has consistently performed above his resources

The sorry story of Cesc: how Fabregas became a sad victim of football’s changing times
By Alex Hess last updated
Chelsea The 31-year-old was once considered among the Premier League’s great technicians, but has somehow become a relic of a bygone era, writes Alex Hess. But how?

Is the rise of the Premier League's lower-league heroes about to end?
By Alex Hess published
Premier League The top flight has greater strength and spending power than ever before, but that hasn't stopped players from further down the English football pyramid rising to the top. But will it continue? Alex Hess investigates...
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