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The standard that VAR is supposed to use before overturning referee decisions. In theory, only intervene if the original call was clearly wrong. In practice, nobody agrees on what's clear or obvious, especially for handball and soft penalties. The phrase has become a punchline for whenever VAR makes a controversial call that seems subjective rather than definitive.
Arsenal fans still argue about the "clear and obvious" standard after various controversial VAR decisions went against them - the phrase became a sarcastic response whenever the technology overturned or upheld questionable calls.
Robbie Feb 6, 2026
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A midfielder whose main job is to receive the ball deep and drive forward with it. Not a classic playmaker who sprays passes, more someone who runs through the middle of the pitch with the ball at their feet. They beat the first line of pressure by carrying, not passing. Mousa Dembélé at Tottenham was the prototype - he'd just glide past people.
Mousa Dembélé at Tottenham was the ultimate carrier - his combination of strength, balance, and close control let him receive under pressure and drive through midfield, beating players without needing to pass around them.
Robbie Feb 6, 2026
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Running into space behind a defender when they're focused on the ball or another player. Defenders can't watch everything at once, and the blindside run exploits that. Timing matters - move too early and they'll spot you, too late and the pass is gone. Strikers who are good at this seem to appear in dangerous positions out of nowhere. Agüero made a career of it.
Sergio Agüero was a master of the blindside run - he would position himself behind defenders' eye line, then dart into space the moment the ball was about to be played, appearing unmarked in the box with seemingly supernatural regularity.
Robbie Feb 6, 2026
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Internet slang for a player or team that's supposedly washed up, past it, or declining. Gets thrown around constantly and almost never ages well - fans called Ronaldo "finished" after a bad game in 2008 and he played at the top for another 15 years. The term is both a genuine assessment and a way to wind people up. Messi and Ronaldo have both been declared finished about 500 times.
When Messi struggled in his first months at PSG, social media declared him "finished" - then he won the World Cup, moved to Miami, and continued dominating, proving how premature the verdict always is.
Robbie Feb 6, 2026
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Italian for "director." A deep-lying playmaker who sits in front of the defence and runs the game from there. The regista controls tempo, sprays long passes, switches play, and starts attacks while also tracking back. Andrea Pirlo is the modern example everyone thinks of, though players like Carlos Valderrama did similar things. It's somewhere between a defensive midfielder and a classic number 10.
Andrea Pirlo's performance as regista for Italy in Euro 2012 was masterful - he completed 221 passes in three knockout matches, orchestrating wins over England, Germany, and nearly Spain in the final.
Robbie Feb 6, 2026
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