(In)coherent Ramblings

A letter to my favourite footballer. -- 2016. Elimination game in the Europa League. All senior strikers injured. Manager calls up a baby-faced 18 year old from the academy. Starts the game and scores a brace on debut. Following weekend, starts against Arsenal. Bang bang. Another brace. 4 goals in 2 for the teenage wonderkid. Since that day, I was hooked. My WhatsApp profile picture was Rashford. My phone wallpaper was Rashford. In a drab, dull team, watching him kept you on the edge of the seat. -- 2019. PSG in the round of 16. 2-0 down coming into the second leg away from home. United claw their way back to go 2-1 up on the night. 90th minute penalty and up steps Marcus Rashford. Smashes it in and gives me one of the best moments in football. When I close my eyes, I can still hear the commentator going "Oh he's smashed it in!". -- 2020. Pandemic has brought football to a halt. The UK government stops providing free school meals as schools are shut. Rashford teams up wit...

Or, how Ted Lasso motivates you to be a good person. -- I recently watched the show 'Ted Lasso' starring Jason Sudeikis. If you've not watched it yet (in which case, go watch it right now!), it's a funny and heartwarming story of an American football coach who takes charge of a (real) football team in England. Though the premise seems jovial, the show deals with numerous heavy topics in a nuanced but light manner, getting a positive message across without being too in-your-face. In this post, I want to focus on a subtle but important theme that carried on throughout the length of the show. (Spoilers ahead!) To recap, Season 1 starts with Ted Lasso being hired by AFC Richmond's new owner, Rebecca Walton. The team is in dire straits, and is on the brink of relegation from the first divison of English football. Ted, being an absolute newbie to the sport, predictably makes a clown of himself and his team initially. To add to their woes, their best (but hugely arrogant a...