Latest articles by Alex Hess
What separates Rooney, Kane and Vardy the most has nothing to do with ability
England Could self-belief actually lead to better technique? Alex Hess explains why mentality and ability are not as independent as you might think...
FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.8, Zinedine Zidane
FFT 100 Greatest Some players are brutally effective, others elegant. Few, if any, have carried both traits as comfortably as the mercurial Frenchman
Di Maria shines as United stutter: Is the player really to blame for Old Trafford nightmare?
Angel Di Maria The Argentina international is back to his brilliant best over in Ligue 1 this year. Alex Hess analyses why his big-money move to the Premier League in 2014 didn't work out...
Kicking it old school: how the traditional winger is coming back into fashion
Premier League English football has lost many things, writes Alex Hess, but it's rediscovered its love for the touchline-hugging wideman – even if they are now in modern guises...
FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017: No.22, David de Gea
FFT100 It takes a special player to win Manchester United's Player of the Year award for three consecutive seasons – but then the Spaniard is deserving of such status
FourFourTwo's 2017 review: the best, worst and most bizarre events of the year
Lists A comeback for the ages, the best teenager since Messi and a Carroll double - Alex Hess picks out the most memorable moments of the last 12 months
FourFourTwo's 100 Best Football Players in the World 2017: No.9, Sergio Aguero
FFT100 With 132 goals in 193 Premier League games for Manchester City, the Argentine is arguably English football's deadliest scorer – and 2017 was another profitable year
Timid and indecisive Mignolet is playing for his Liverpool future – contract or otherwise
Simon Mignolet Reports suggest the Belgian is set to sign a new deal at Anfield, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's set to stay for the long-term. Alex Hess evaluates his two-and-a-half years on Merseyside...
The post-match interview: invaluable insight or inane exercise? FourFourTwo hears from the men behind the mics
Premier League Alex Hess explores the after-game one-on-one – with the help of those who've been there and done it
Why New York City really doesn't love Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard Alex Hess looks at what's going wrong for the ex-Chelsea goal-getter in the Big Apple - and how his saga affects the image of the MLS...
England’s elite demonstrating true value of collectivism over stars – all except Mourinho
Premier League As Sergio Aguero and Jamie Vardy’s recent benchings have proved, nobody’s place is safe these days with a team’s best interests at heart. Alex Hess evaluates a growing trend...
Has Antonio Conte finally ended Roman Abramovich's quest for sexy football?
Chelsea Maybe – just maybe – Chelsea's oligarch overlord has found what he's been looking for all along, writes Alex Hess
9 big moves for English forwards that resulted in shock or awe – take note Danny Ings
Danny Ings Beware Danny Ings! That move to an English giant doesn't always go so smoothly. Here are nine big moves for England strikers that sparked fireworks or became damp squibs...
6 weekend talking points: Kane, Dyche, Phelan, Man Utd, Janmaat & English players' hangover
Premier League The third round of Premier League matches take place on Saturday and Sunday, and Alex Hess is on hand to examine some of the biggest questions that need answering...
Arsenal’s ‘nice guy’ Brits are more Coldplay than Sex Pistols – but are they destined for mediocrity?
Arsenal The stuttering growth of the Gunners’ rising stars suggests that Arsene Wenger has lost his touch with developing youth, writes Alex Hess…
What Messi and Ronaldo's World Cup exits say about this tournament – and why they could signal the end of an era
FIFA World Cup Football’s cult of the individual will never go away, but the success of teamwork seen at Russia 2018 might yet spark a new trend, writes Alex Hess
How European football ended up full of stranded superstars – and absolutely everybody loses
Neymar Some of football's most famous faces are in for a season of stagnation, as finding a move proves harder than ever for the game's elite
Arsene Wenger became English football’s moral compass – he’ll be sorely missed when he's gone
Arsene Wenger In a Premier League drunk on money, Wenger’s prudence and principles stood out. There’s nobody around to fill his shoes, argues Alex Hess
Where has it all gone wrong for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the Premier League?
Henrikh Mkhitaryan Just two years ago, he was voted the best player in the Bundesliga – yet the Arsenal midfielder is in danger of sinking without a trace in England, writes Alex Hess
FourFourTwo’s 100 Best Teenagers in the World 2017: No.9, Trent Alexander-Arnold
100 Best Teenagers Amid the bleak wasteland that is Liverpool’s defence, a twinkle of light: an academy-grown right-back who's been a Red since he was six
FourFourTwo’s World Cup TV review: the good, the bad and the ugly of BBC and ITV’s coverage
FIFA World Cup Smouldering Cesc, loveless Lawro and insightful Eni have all piqued Alex Hess’s interest from his sofa so far at Russia 2018
How Fabio Borini could boost Liverpool's Champions League charge next season
Fabio Borini Alex Hess suggests why the Reds could do worse than look towards a player they already own next term...
Why Liverpool against Real Madrid is European football’s ultimate clash of styles
UEFA Champions League Despite superficial similarities, Real and the Reds couldn’t be more different – both on the pitch and off it. With a Champions League up for grabs, Alex Hess explains why one side will have to give way...
