During close seasons football is all about Recruitment, Recruitment, Recruitment. Match the right players with the right club, with the right coach, the right teammates, at the right time and success on all fronts – from trophies, to financial, to social and political – is assured. Here we consider 3 of the most transformational signings since the 1970s; then consider a team disruptor from way back; then come up to date.
Of all the big questions of the present day: Sterling and or Saka? Hermoso or Vilda? Lineker or Le Tissier? the biggest is, Which clubs are using astrology, how, and why? A few fearless, old brujos have been candid: Luis Scolari, after winning the World Cup with Brazil, said ‘I believe in astrology’ for player profiling. ‘All parameters have to be considered and I have added one by saying there is astrology involved’ in team selection, said Raymond Domenech after taking France to the World Cup final. There are reasons why no English or Welsh coaches and recruiters have been so bold including, as Robert M. Pirsig explained: “There is an Invisible Wall of prejudice, a cultural Immune system” creating a psychologically safe space for those inside. Their gatekeepers claiming “Astrology is a pseudo-science and therefore not worthy of investigation”, rather than seriously investigate and risk the Wall falling on them.
So what! say the mavericks using astro-logical insights for:
• Player profiling
• Astro-Locality – identifying where players will out-perform (there is no such thing as lucky and unlucky grounds!)
• Cohesion – optimising fluency
Profiling: Identifying character types and a player’s instinctive, natural style of play helps build resilience and increase tactical options. Once a playing philosophy and winning formula has been established within a squad, profiling is used to identify like-for-like replacements to provide continuity for injuries, suspensions, and rotation. For example, Newcastle United’s best performances over the past 12 months have coincided with fielding a resolute midfield unit:
Longstaff Sun Scorpio
Willock Mars Scorpio
Guimaraes Sun Scorpio
When Joe Willock was injured, with no front line like-for-like replacement, their problems were harder to resolve. After three straight losses at the start of the 2023-24 season, coach Eddie Howe tried to stop the rot by deploying 20-year-old ex-Wallsend Boy Elliot Anderson (Sun Scorpio).
It worked! Coincidence? Tactical genius? Desperation, or Star Wisdom?
Astro-locality: Briefly, some players find it almost impossible to play their best football in certain locations: For instance: Paul Pogba at Manchester United and David Beckham at Real Madrid (see Why Pogba Flopped blog – aka Location and the Spiritual Journey).
Cohesion: Is the ability of a team to maintain integrity, poise, and fluency regardless of the quality of the opponent, no matter how important the match or intimidating the environment.
In this article we will focus on Cohesion. My research, over many years, shows a strong correlation between astro-logical compatibility between players (Sun and Mars connections) and cohesive teams. There have been countless star players who failed to impress at new clubs because they didn’t gel with teammates. On the other hand, a few have been inspirational, motivating teammates and propelling a club to achieve over and above expectations. A few of the Few include Jamie Vardy, Garry Birtles, and Sergio Aguerro. We will also look at Rodney Marsh, who starred at QPR, then flopped at Manchester City.
Vardy
Aguerro was a proven goalscorer with Atletico Madrid when he signed for Manchester City, whilst Jamie Vardy was unproven at Stocksbridge, Halifax, and Fleetwood, before Leicester paid £1Million for him. Asian Football Investments had bought Leicester City in 2010, at a price reflecting their status at the bottom end of the Championship. In 2014 they were promoted to the Premiership and somehow managed to survive.
Jamie was born in Sheffield on the 11th January 1987, when the Sun was in Capricorn and Mars in Aries. He was on the books at Wednesday as a junior but released into the wild aged 16 and marauded his way through non-league until, fatefully, ex-Wednesdayite, then City manager, Nigel Pearson took a one million pound punt on him in 2012. In 2015 Nigel’s gamble seemed to have failed: Vardy wasn’t pulling up any trees and the Foxes were struggling. Pearson paid the price. Claudio Ranieri took charge in June 2015. Within 12 months, Leicester were champions of England for the first time ever. What had happened? In addition to Buddhist monks meditating, chanting and visualising under the King Power stadium, on match days, it was down to Vardy. He was the inspirational focus on the field. All that was good about Leicester was channelled through him. On the way to the top he broke Van Nistelrooy’s Premier League goalscoring record run. From journeyman to England international within a season, Ranieri proclaimed: ‘Vardy is priceless’. Klopp called him world-class after he took Liverpool to the cleaners in February 2016. By the end of 2015/16 Vardy had scored as many goals as Aguerro. How? On the 3rd June 2015, Leicester signed Christian Fuchs on a free transfer from Schalke (Pearson’s last signing). On 26th June, Ranieri signed Okazaki from Mainz and on the 3rd August signed Ngolo Kante from Caen.
2015-16
Vardy Sun Capricorn Mars Aries
Kante Sun Aries
Okazaki Mars Capricorn
Fuchs Mars Capricorn
Simpson Sun Capricorn
Drinkwater Mars Capricorn
Schlupp Sun Capricorn
Ulloa Mars Capricorn
In 2016 Leicester cashed-out, selling Kante and Drinkwater. They didn’t recruit well enough, slipped down the table, Ranieri was sacked, and the rest could be a PhD case study.
Birtles
If Vardy was great value, Nottingham Forest struck football gold with Garry Birtles (Sun Leo, Mars Pisces). On schoolboy forms at Aston Villa, but not considered good enough to sign professionally for the Villans, Birtles found his feet playing non-league at Long Eaton. Doing well in the Midland, Garry was recommended to Forest. Brian Clough and Peter Taylor went to watch. After the match, Clough said the Bovril was better. However, Taylor saw something and persuaded Clough to sign him anyway. After a year learning the tricks of the strikers’ trade, Garry was a goalscoring sensation and a talismanic leader of the line. With Birtles, Forest won the European Cup in 1979 and, unbelievably, retained it.
Birtles Sun Leo Mars Pisces
Barrett Sun Leo
Robertson Mars Pisces
Gemmill Mars Pisces
Anderson Mars Pisces
Manchester United manager Dave Sexton also thought Birtles was the ideal spearhead and made a £1.25Million offer. Forest accepted netting a £1.248M profit. Garry made his Old Trafford debut in October 1980, didn’t score, and didn’t score a single league goal all season. He had ‘suffered a mysterious loss of form…’ Sexton was wrong and paid the price. When Ron Atkinson took charge, his priority was to create a partnership. He thought Frank Stapleton had the right profile. He did, and Garry rediscovered his shooting boots.
Stapleton Mars Pisces
Not so mysterious after all!
Aguerro
Sheikh Mansour invested in Manchester City in 2010 and soon after spent £35Million to sign Sergio Aguerro. In terms of return on investment it was one of the shrewdest moves anyone could have made. Pre-Sergio the sky blues were Football League champions twice, in 1937 and 1968. With Sergio they won the Premier League 5 times in 10 years. He is the club’s all-time top goalscorer with 184 in 275 appearances.
Born in Buenos Aires on the 2nd June 1988, when the Sun was in Gemini and Mars in Pisces, from day one Sergio was a good fit on Moss Side. Even through the transition from Roberto Mancini to Pellegrini and the rebuild under Guardiola Sergio’s star continued to shine bright.
2011
Aguerro Mars Pisces
Adebayor Sun Pisces
Dzeko Sun Pisces
Barry Sun/Mars Pisces
Zabaleta Mars Pisces
2019
Aguerro Sun Gemini
Walker Sun Gemini
Mahrez Mars Gemini
Foden Sun /Mars Gemini
Gundogan Mars Gemini
B Silva Mars Gemini
Stones Sun Gemini
Marsh
Manchester City haven’t always signed the right players. Rodney Marsh was one that didn’t fit. With more or less the same players that won the Cup Winners Cup in 1970, City were 4 points clear at the top of the First Division in March 72. To put the finishing touches, to what looked like being a great season, they broke their transfer record to sign the most skilful, and flamboyant, No 10 in England. By the end of the season they had dropped to fourth. The following season, they finished 11th. In 1973-74 they jogged in 14th. Rodders was banished to train with the reserves and put on the transfer list. ‘I have to hold my hands up – I cost City the league championship.’ He regretted signing for City and never really got over it.
Manchester City 1972-74
Marsh Sun / Mars Libra
Oakes Sun / Mars Virgo
Book Sun Virgo Mars Scorpio
Booth Sun Scorpio Mars Virgo
Summerbee Sun Sagittarius Mars Scorpio
Towers Sun Aries Mars Scorpio
Davies Sun Pisces Mars Gemini
Bell Sun Pisces Mars Cancer
Law Sun Pisces Mars Taurus
Lee Sun Taurus Mars Cancer
But was it his fault? No. He was still the skilful Rodney but, as you can see, he wasn’t on the same wavelength as any of their first teamers – adversely impacting his own performance and negatively affecting results. If City’s management had considered the astro-profiles of the players that made Marsh look good at QPR – the likes of Gerry Francis (Mars Libra), Keith Sanderson (Sun Libra) and Mark Lazarus (Mars Libra) – City would have been better off, and so would Marsh.
2023-24
Bellingham
One of the most expensive signings of the year, is 19-year-old Cancerian and ex-Dortmunder, Jude Bellingham. Manchester City were keen to sign him to partner ex-Dortmunder and fellow Cancerian, Erling Haaland, but as it turns out, Bellingham has chosen to follow his childhood dream and join Real Madrid. His favourite player of all time is former Los Blancos’ star Zinedine Zidane (Sun Cancer).
Bellingham Sun Cancer
Valverde Sun/Mars Cancer
Junior Sun/Mars Cancer
Alaba Sun Cancer
City will try harder next time. On the other hand Real Madrid will try to sign Haaland. In the meantime:
Doku
On the 24th August, Manchester City paid £55M to acquire winger Jeremy Doku (Sun/Mars Gemini) from Rennes as a replacement for Riyad Mahrez (Mars Gemini), who had signed for Al Ahli on the 28th July. On Jeremy’s second start for the sky blues, at West Ham, he scored, was Man-of-the-Match, and fitted seamlessly alongside:
Rodri Mars Gemini
Walker Sun Gemini
Foden Sun/Mars Gemini
Silva Mars Gemini
Kane
In spite of the German popular press criticising the Bayern Munich board for ‘wasting’ 100M euros on a striker who has won ‘nix’, they have good astro-logical reasons. Let’s not forget, Bayern have won the Bundesliga the last 11 seasons and over the years have accumulated 6 European Cups. They know what they are doing. Which is? Harry is the type of predator they like and a natural replacement for Leonine legend Robert Lewandowski. He also gels:
Kane Sun Leo Mars Virgo
Goretzka Mars Leo
Kimmich Mars Leo
Muller Sun/Mars Virgo
Gnabry Mars Virgo
Laimer Mars Virgo
Davies Mars Virgo
On his full debut, away at Werder Bremen, Harry scored his first goal for Bayern, converting a cross from wingback Alphonso Davies. The Bavarians went on to win 4-0. Kane is also on the same tactical wavelength as manager Tomas Tuchel (Sun Virgo), which will help him settle.
Maddison
Ange Postecoglou (Sun Virgo) was appointed Spurs’ coach on 6th June 2023. On the 28th June, Spurs signed James Maddison from relegated Leicester City for around £40M.
Maddison Sun Sagittarius Mars Virgo
Johnson Mars Sagittarius
Udogie Sun Sagittarius
Van de Ven Mars Sagittarius
Porro Sun Virgo Mars Sagittarius
Bissouma Sun Virgo
Sarr Sun / Mars Virgo
Richarlison Mars Virgo
After scoring on his debut, Spurs didn’t seem to be missing Harry Kane. However, such an astro-mix is a high risk high reward strategy.
Rice
The Arsenal’s title challenge petered out in April 2023 coinciding with major planetary shifts corresponding with loss of form among key players. Part of the remedy is their more ‘balanced’ approach to team building this season. OK, but why break the bank for Declan Rice? With Xhaka (Libra) moving on and Kai Havertz lined up in the summer, coach Mikel Arteta (Mars Libra) needed a cohesive midfield unit.
Rice Mars Libra
Odegaard Mars Libra
Havertz Mars Libra
Russo
After finishing 11 points behind Super League champions Chelsea last season, the Arsenal Women’s recruiters have been busy signing some big name players. One of the biggest is England’s star striker Alessia Russo. Anticipating a host of high pressure League and Cup fixtures this season, Russo was signed to compete/rotate with their established striker Stina Blackstenius:
Russo Sun Aquarius
Blackstenius Sun Aquarius
Having been unexpectedly knocked out of the Champions League by Paris FC Feminines, coach Jonas Eidevall (Sun Aquarius) has some difficult decisions to make.
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