::: FistedAway welcomes a guest post from Elliott,
editor of the rather lovely Futfanatico :::
Grantland. The Classical. The FCF. Plenty of wonderful new sites have popped up in the last few years. However, none can match the uncanny and perceptive gaze of former Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez’s own blog. And it’s about to take a familiar, star-stunted turn.
Many fans will remember Rafa for his European Cup winning Liverpool side that famously came back from three goals down against AC Milan in Istanbul. Spanish fans will recall his famous quips about the club owners while at Valencia, stating at a press conference “Pedi un sofa y me trajeron una lampara” [I asked for a sofa and they brought me a lamp].
Rafa’s blogposts have flowed at a steady pace, including such topics as “blending traditions & trends“, “a football club’s structure” and even some thoughts on MLS. His site has good traffic stats and has a decent staff of writers, but Rafa has set his eyes on a pricey blockbuster columnist acquisition: Alberto Aquilani.
Aquilani, currently out with an injury at AC Milan, received a few friendly text-messages from his former skipper. With light rehab in the morning, the dashing Italian midfielder has time to kill and a few thoughts to share. He agreed. Benitez, in announcing the signing, pointed out that Aquilani could offer a composed, calming presence to the often hectic Benitez website newsroom. He noted that Aquilani could easily fit into the middle of the lineup between workhorse writer Juanma Moran and the mercurial journalist Paco de Miguel.
Still, fans of the site have their doubts. How will Aquilani adapt to the rough and tumble ways of the EPL SEO news cycle? Can he handle writing a match recap about a 0-0 away draw at Stoke on a cold winter’s night? And, of course, his injury history raised a few eyebrows. After years of injury-induced free time, could Aquilani be due for a spell of good health and thus largely unavailable?
Benitez scoffed at such concerns. “Alberto, fit? To play soccer? Regularly? Ha. That’s the least of my concerns.”
I stopped reading after you called Grantland, The Classical and The FCF “wonderful new sites.”
Well done for getting that far. Keep it up and you’ll get to the end of that paragraph someday!
I stopped reading after you started a sentence with “I stopped reading.” Rob did I miss anything of value?
That is a negative.
Though admittedly I stopped reading after you stopped reading that they had stopped reading.
i can’t even read, i’ve been clicking on random pictures
Which is why I always leave the image selection to the widely talented Nick and Rob.