Blog - FromTheStands

Should Cristiano Ronaldo Leave Manchester United?

Nate Bennett July 5, 2022 Football Opinion 0

Since David Ornstein broke the news that Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to leave Manchester United on Saturday – the fanbase has become polarized on the subject. Should Manchester United keep one of their club legends and arguably the greatest player of all time, or should they sell him to expedite Erik Ten Hag’s revolution at Old Trafford? Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United last summer brought a euphoric feeling back to the club. Following the conclusion of the 2020-21 season under Ole Gunner Solskjaer, where United placed second in the Premier League and runners-up in the Europa League, it was evident the squad was on an upward trajectory. Ronaldo was deemed by many to be the piec... »

Xavi’s Revolution is in Full Swing at Barcelona

Nate Bennett March 25, 2022 Football Opinion 0

FC Barcelona legend Xavi Hernández took over as manager from Ronald Koeman this past fall, following the Dutchman’s sacking in October. Koeman left the post after a slew of poor results and performances on the pitch, which culminated in a fragmented dressing room and discontent amongst the fanbase. In five short months, Xavi has rejuvenated the club by unifying the current squad and bringing in proven talent that improves the team for now and in the future. This new managerial direction comes at a perfect time. Over the past fourteen months, Barcelona have been in a period of transition. In January 2021, their president resigned, which was followed by a complete change in leadership on... »

Premier League Trophy is Liverpool’s to Lose

Nate Bennett March 17, 2022 Football Opinion, News 0

Following a convincing 2-0 victory against Arsenal, Liverpool finds themselves one point off Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. Arsenal went into this match in fine form, having won their previous five Premier League fixtures. Head coach Mikel Arteta deserves the most praise for the Gunner’s upswing in results, fine-tuning his youthful squad into a legitimate top-four contender this season. However, even with Arsenal’s improvement, they were no match against an ebullient Liverpool. Liverpool in 2022 has been consistently elite. They’ve won their last nine Premier League fixtures in a row since the beginning of January; beating the likes of West Ham, Lei... »

Impact of the UK’s Sanctions on Chelsea

Nate Bennett March 11, 2022 Football Opinion, News 0

Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich has owned Chelsea Football Club since 2003. Under his stewardship, the club has won every major trophy possible in professional soccer, accruing 19 major honors in total. This figure ties Manchester United for the most trophies won by an English club in that span. Before Abramovich’s involvement with the club, Chelsea won 15 trophies in its 98-year history leading up to 2003. On paper, Abramovich has been one of the most successful owners during the Premier League era, but it would appear the best thing going forward for the club would be to cut ties with the Russian. In a statement by the club last week, Abramovic said, “I have always taken deci... »

Why Are Manchester United Not Among Europe’s Elite?

Nate Bennett March 8, 2022 Football Opinion 0

Manchester United suffered a 4-1 defeat against league leaders Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday. The result provided two significant takeaways. One, how wide a gap there is in the quality of play between the crosstown rivals, and two, just how far away Manchester United is from the elite European clubs. After finishing runners-up in the Premier League and Europa League last season, Manchester United supporters were optimistic that the club could build on those performances and mount a legitimate title challenge for the Premier League crown this season. These expectations were further reinforced after a strong summer transfer window that saw the arrival of Jadon Sancho, Cristia... »