Game of Thrones vs The English Premier League

George R.R. Martin has taken the world of fiction by storm with his epic saga of a Song of Ice and Fire. Not only do his books guarantee page-turner-all-nighter reads, they also quietly find their way to classic television shows. Having watched the first two seasons on the telly, I recently started the uphill struggle of reading the massive episodes. Right in the middle of the third installment, I figured the unearthly world of the author could easily be compared to the footballing world. And that, even when restricted to the English Premier League, suffices to draw enough comparison to be sold to you. Here are three, more will follow if this finds your read.

P.S. – The comparisons are essentially my opinion of the characters and the players, and don’t intend to offend.

Tyrion Lannister / Andrei Ashavin

The imp, the dwarf or the midget. Tyrion, by any other name, would remain just as caustic and sharp. He plays a very vital role in the series being the mastermind behind the war in the second installment and playing the occasional comic relief. So clearly the closest competitor for this spot is the Gunner Andrei Arshavin. He may not remain a Gunner for much longer, but his presence in itself had once lifted the squad. His physical stature was no match for his ability, which Liverpool will certainly agree with after that epic 8 goal thriller. Same goes for the first leg victory against Barcelona. The comic relief is not far away with Arshavin pulling the funniest of faces from time to time. He has the ability to get under the opponent’s skin, much like Tyrion, and pull the most unlikeliest of stunts with a nonchalant bearing. The best of things certainly warrant a small package. No pun intended.

Ned Stark / Ryan Giggs

Sean Bean may have become the stock character for quite a lot of fictional worlds, including the Lord of the Rings, but here, he portrays a strong, loyal and perseverant man. Who better than the number 11 for Manchester United to stand in for the Head of the Stark family. He has stood firm with his house and fought off many a pretender to help protect what is rightfully theirs. His name has sprouted fear in to the opposition defense and the work rate is just phenomenal. Of course, the winter blue struck last season and the Others (Manchester City) may have won the spoils, but can they hold on to it this year is the question. Stark may have lost his head literally in the series, but Giggs is far from giving up.

Joffery Baratheon / Mario Balotelli

Joffery is spoilt, does exactly what he wants, and does it exactly how he wants it. The people who were believed to have controlled him are no longer in possession of the remote, and the high will be followed by the decline soon enough. Mario Balotelli isn’t exactly a Joffery, but he is just as brash and not even Roberto Mancini can tell when his forward will erupt. Balotelli has a history of unreasonable acts which even Joffery would find difficult to replicate, and his idiosyncrasies are far from the run-of-the-mill rich boy habits. The heir to the throne may lose his way in the future books, but Balotelli cannot afford to have his future written by anyone other than him.