As per the news today, the Big Six of the Premier League have signed up to the proposed European Super League with Juventus (Agnelli was the proponent so no surprises here), Inter, AC Milan, Real, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Just when we thought the expanded Champions League format would end this prospect, it seems more real than ever. Is it greed or an evolution?

European Super League — Greed?

From the emerging proposals, the ESL will be a closed competition of 12 (or some more) clubs who will play ESL games in midweek while also playing in their respective domestic leagues.

The move has understandably…

Great piece Kawtar as a 15 y/o, incredible perceptive. Really liked the staircase example and how you explore the various angles to this problem Science today needs a moral framework more than ever. The best way to do that is to revisit ancient societies who knew about science but took care to present science and scientific principles within moral wrapper. This allowed science to do its work while not getting ahead of itself - and falling off the staircase that you mention.

TotalFootball brings the GoalPost series which this time features 3 videos from the TotalFootball YouTube playlist that are interesting and informative .

Sheffield United — an owner’s perspective

Synopsis

In light of Chris Wilder’s exit from Sheffield United by “mutual consent”, this interview by Prince Abdullah puts forward the owner’s perspective. A very calm and well-balanced interview that shows his views and gives an insight into how clubs operate and how owners thing. An authentic interview worth watching in full.

My View

Football is a business. While we see the spectacle, behind the scene there is someone paying for that. A person or a group has invested money in…

No one likes to experience a “No”. Rejection and acceptance however are two sides of the same coin. In any interaction, where there is criteria based acceptance, there is by definition, also a rejection path. I classify three types of rejection paths along a spectrum and reflect on implications of each path for experience design.

Firm (general, immutable)

Anchoring one end of the spectrum is the firm “No” — as in the “No means No” type “No”. This is common in mass-transactional and compliance scenarios. The focus here is clarity and command. A “no” signal is communicated directly and unambiguously. …

“When I have spent too much time in a conference room, that’s generally when things have gone awry. When I go to spend time on the factory floor, or really using the cars, thinking about the rockets, that’s where things have gone better.”

Elon Musk exhorted CEOs and leaders to spend more time on the frontline. In a rather high profile way, his comment brought to light the importance LEAN places on going to the gemba. In this post, I look at this powerful concept and its centrality to LEAN operations.

Genchi Genbutsu

The word gemba comes from Japanese and literally means…

There are many philosophies on life. It’s a complex subject that is also, by definition, idiosyncratic. Everyone has their own experiences which result in their own philosophies and world-views. One common understanding of life is that it has cycles — ups and downs, peaks and troughs, highs and lows.

I put this theory to a test. I ranked every year of my life and found some conclusions which were surprising, and then also not.

Down memory lane — with a rating scale

All of us periodically reflect on the time that has passed. Since we are human, this will always be subjective and dependent on how we are…

Dear Subscribers,

I’m excited to announce the release of my book Superlative Football, which is based on the best acclaimed writings in this blog. Published as a paperback, the book is available on Amazon. Further information is in the below link.

📙 Superlative Football — the book

From the ARCHIVES

As Inter claim pole position in the Serie A, this post reflects on the legacy of the club and its undisputed pedigree.

Read more: The perplexing pedigree of Inter Milan

Superlative Football salutes the finest exponents of football by featuring seven mini-essays on players, coaches, teams and ideals that encapsulated the brilliance, beauty and wonder of the world’s most popular game.

Based on the TotalFootball blog, the book features the best acclaimed posts, repurposed into a narrative and edited to suit a book format. Featuring original artwork and full colour print, the book is ideal for reference or as a gift for anyone who loves football.

Kindle and paperback editions now available on Amazon.