Tag
Media
Media
9 definitions
Someone who performs best when the stakes are highest - cup finals, title deciders, derbies. The term is either a compliment or a backhanded way to say someone goes missing in important matches. Players like Ramos and Drogba built reputations on delivering in finals. Others get labeled as players who only turn up against smaller teams.
Sergio Ramos epitomized the big game player - his late headers against Atlético Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals, plus countless decisive goals in El Clásico, made him the man you wanted on the pitch when everything was on the line.
Robbie
Jan 24, 2026
The storyline the media and fans create around a player, team, or competition. Some narratives are lazy clichés that get repeated without evidence. Others capture real patterns. "Messi can't do it on a cold night in Stoke" was a narrative, so was "Liverpool always bottle it" before 2019. Narratives shape how achievements get perceived - sometimes unfairly.
The "Harry Kane has no trophies" narrative defined how people discussed him for years - never mind his golden boots and goal records, the lack of silverware was brought up constantly and affected how his career was valued.
Robbie
Jan 19, 2026
Public statements from agents designed to pressure clubs over contracts or transfers. Usually involves saying the player is "disappointed," mentioning "interest from other clubs," or hinting they "deserve more." It works by creating fan pressure or forcing the club to respond publicly. Can backfire if the player ends up looking greedy or disloyal. Mino Raiola was the master of it.
Mino Raiola was the master of agent talk - his public statements about Paul Pogba being "unhappy" at Manchester United created constant transfer speculation, unsettled the club, and kept his client's name in headlines across multiple transfer windows.
Robbie
Jan 19, 2026
The elaborate social media campaigns clubs use to unveil new signings. What used to be a press photo and statement is now a cinematic production with teasers, cryptic posts, drone footage, and celebrity cameos. Marketing departments compete to make announcements go viral. Fans complain about it but engage with it anyway. Some announcements now take weeks of buildup.
Arsenal's announcement of Martin Ødegaard featured a series of cryptic posts, a custom video with Norwegian references, and merchandise already available at the moment of reveal - the days of a simple press photo are long gone.
Robbie
Jan 19, 2026