The talk at FFT Towers after Romelu Lukaku signed for Everton in 2014 was all about the transfer fee. The Toffees had brought in the Belgian goal-getter for a club-record £28 million, which at the time felt like it might be his peak value.
Well, how wrong we were. An indication of just how crazy the spending has been is that when Lukaku signed for Manchester United in July, the question of whether this represented good value wasn’t even a consideration. In a market where a full-back costs £50m, £75m for one of the league’s best forwards was a no-brainer. By the time that Neymar had rocked up in Paris, Lukaku had become a £75m bargain.
At the opposite end of the pay scale, we speak to Prince Choudary, the 21-year-old boss of non-league AC London, a club started in response to the London riots with a single pound coin. But furthest from the glitz and glamour of the Premier League is the incredible story of Rochdale's midfielder Joe Thompson who, as part of our brand new interview format, talks about twice beating cancer and playing again.
New signings special
In a summer of earth-shattering Premier League cash-splashing, Romelu Lukaku’s switch to Manchester United made the biggest headlines. But will he and the transfer window’s other high-profile movers be worth the huge outlay, or will English football’s heavyweights be left suffering from a case of buyer’s remorse?
Matchday with the riot squad
Having seen the violence and destruction caused amid the London riots in 2011, 16-year-old Prince Choudary wanted change – so he decided to set up a football club. Now, aged 21, he has become the FA Cup’s youngest ever manager.
Team chemistry
Getting the right mix of characters can be the difference between humiliation and glory. FFT speaks to those out to prove that team chemistry is an exact science.
"We're s**t, and we know we are!"
In 2007/08, Derby made Premier League history by notching the fewest victories, suffering the most losses, scoring the lowest number of goals and enduring the earliest relegation. We talk to some of the key men in the Rams’ annus horribilis.
Between The Lines
Joe Thompson’s life and career were thrown into utter chaos after he was diagnosed with cancer twice within the space of three years. The 28-year-old midfielder shares his remarkable story in the first of a new series of interviews.
The greatest Champions League matches ever!
It’s 25 years since Europe’s holy grail got a revamp and, to celebrate, FFT counts down the best and most bonkers games. All together now: “THE CHAAAMPIOOONS...”
One-on-One
Former Liverpool midfielder Luis Garcia answers your questions in this month's One-on-One, including: did the ghost goal really go over the line? Does he still enjoy a Sangria now and then? And who'd be the better boss: Gerrard or Carra?
Upfront
Rafael opens up about life at Lyon and admits how often Alex Ferguson got him confused with twin brother Fabio; Gary Lineker talks FFT through Tottenham's 1991 team goal against Porto; and Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves reveals how he likes to get the word 'toga' into as many conversations as possible. Obviously.
Action Replay
In 1979 the British transfer record was smashed four times in nine months. Never mind Neymar going to Paris Saint-Germain, this is when football moves went really mad. Plus, we look back at Brian Clough's 1965 managerial debut at Hartlepools, learn the bizarre history of Feyenoord and kick off a new feature, Fight Club, by recalling Alan Shearer and Keith Gillespie's cutlery kerfuffle outside a Dublin bar.
Performance
FourFourTwo Performance speaks to David Luiz, who discusses pre-match prep, coping with criticism and the role of the modern defender. We also hear how Mo Farah helped Adnan Januzaj get sharp for the new season and find out how to add a yard of pace to our game thanks to Brentford's strength and conditioning coach.
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The October 2017 issue of FFT was brought to you by Luis Garcia, Geoff Shreeves, Rafael, Gary Lineker, Bernardo Silva, Davy Klaassen, Billy Davies, Paul Jewell, Darren Moore, Craig Fagan, Joe Thompson, David Luiz, John Swift and Benni McCarthy.
Grab it now: available in print and on iPad and iPhone from Wednesday, September 6. Subscribe to FourFourTwo here!
