Is Being A Football 'Hipster' More Difficult Than People Think?

A term coined in the 40's which describes someone as being 'aficionados of the growing scene'. Now with the development of social media websites such as Twitter, the word 'hip' or 'hipster' now describes a football fan who supports a club who most fans wouldn't consider supporting despite their obvious amounts of quality. The team that took the 'hipster' crown last season was Borussia Dortmund. A few years ago, a majority of football fans never realised their quality but thanks to success in the Bundesliga and Champions League (sort of) recently fans have started to follow this club as a 'secondary' team because they like the way they play. But it's not just football clubs that decide whether you're 'hip' or not, players can also help you.

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The Exits At Arsenal - A Look At Marouane Chamakh (Video)

Arsenal have had a summer tidy up by getting rid of several strikers that just weren't regularly finding the back of the net. Marouane Chamakh has signed a one year deal with newly promoted Crystal Palace after failing to live up to expectations since arriving in England. What can Ian Holloway expect from the Moroccan forward?

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Which league is the best? - the players & teams (Video)

Whilst the English Premier League is the self-proclaimed greatest league in the world, and attracts the most viewers from a worldwide audience, is it actually the best league regarding quality of players, teams and football played, or is it just that the increased media coverage makes people believe that it is the finest on offer? I decided to compare it with other European leagues by looking at the players and teams that ply their trade in each country.

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Which league is the best? - trophies (Video)

Whilst the English Premier League is the self-proclaimed greatest league in the world, and attracts the most viewers from a worldwide audience, is it actually the best league regarding quality of players, teams and football played, or is it just that the increased media coverage makes people believe that it is the finest on offer? This piece analyses the number of trophies won by each European league to see if the Premiership really is the greatest.

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Jose Mourinho: A look at the Chelsea manager 10 years on

This time ten years ago, Jose Mourinho was coming off the back of a domestic campaign where he had won the Portuguese League, Cup and Super Cup.  Porto were undoubtedly the dominant force in their own country, but winning a competition such as the UEFA Cup made the rest of Europe take notice.  A year later Mourinho saw his side lift the European Cup, having reached the pinnacle of club football by winning the Champions League.

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Rafa Benitez has a point to prove with Napoli

With the signing of Gonzalo Higuain to replace Edinson Cavani, and the arrivals of Pepe Reina, Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon during the past month, Rafa Benitez has very quickly made his mark on Napoli and brought in a lot of Spanish or Spanish speaking players. Whether this is a conscious effort to surround himself with players that have been educated the 'Spanish way' and understand the type of football that he wants to play remains to be seen, although he is clearly looking for an improvement on his previous attempt at management in Serie A.

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An early Champions League prediction

With it still being the off-season and pre-season in full flow we edge closer to the beginning of the season like a snail carrying shopping on its back.

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Could Ronaldinho have an impact in the Premier League?

It is incredible to think that a player of Ronaldinho's global popularity and appeal has never played in the Premier League.

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Summer signings - Who has paid too much? (Video)

In the second part of my look at summer transfers so far, I turn my attention to clubs that have paid too much to sign a player and what they should have done with the money instead.

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Can PSG conquer Europe?

With the arrival of £27m defender Marquinhos from Italian side AS Roma, Paris St Germain have now spent close to £100m during the past month on bolstering their already formidable squad in preparation for the defence of the Ligue 1 title they claimed last year and a renewed assault on the Champions League. Can they now claim to be realistic contenders amongst Europe's elite?

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Europa League again for Tottenham man - for now

Gareth Bale will grace the Champions League once again.  The question is: When?

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What now for Xabi Alonso? (Video)

With the arrival of Spanish midfielder Asier Illarramendi from Real Sociedad for £35m, are we about to see the end of Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid or will he continue to be one of the first names on the team sheet for Carlo Ancelotti?

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Mourinho's return has not been overstated

With the recent retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho now has an unrivalled aura of respectability over any manager in the game today.

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David Villa: Barcelona's loss is Atletico Madrid's gain (Video)

News that Atletico Madrid only had to pay £4.5m to sign David Villa from Barcelona seems like one of the best pieces of transfer business we are likely to see this summer. For Spain's all-time top scorer, and still relatively young striker, to leave Catalonia for such a low fee is a real bargain for the Madrid based club, who are looking to replace Radamel Falcao. Why is he such a good player and what are Atletico going to get from him?

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A look back at Real Madrid's Glactico era

Every summer, football fans would spend hours glued to sports websites and television channels in anticipation of a strange annual phenomenon that used to occur in Madrid.

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