Enjoy your weekend, look forward to 16 Conclusions from Storey on United v Liverpool, and send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.
The big preview
Great mailbox this week __with a range of different topics but, as a Liverpool fan, the weekend is dominated by one match-Margate v Poole Town Man Utd against Liverpool. I hate Man Utd games, genuinely __with a passion. I would be very happy if we never had to play them again. The stress and horror of the thing isn’t worth the potential of a win. My dad and my oldest friend both support Utd and I have to close down any communication because I have no sense of humour whatsoever for ‘banter’ around the matches, even if Liverpool win. I can take defeats elsewhere, I really can (even Chelsea, but perhaps not Everton- although that is only really a theoretical these days), but I cannot accept Utd winning. Especially now they are managed by Mourinho.
In terms of this match, I see a role reversal of Mega Monday™ at Anfield. Liverpool were in cracking form and Utd turned up looking for the nil-nil (with the potential for a counter attack goal obviously). Under Mourinho they were able to do this successfully. We are now facing a Utd side on a run of nine wins in a row with a monster up top. This means most (every?) right minded Liverpool fan would take a nil-nil now. But, unlike Utd under Mourinho, there are obvious question marks over whether Liverpool under Klopp can do this. Klaven cannot do this, Lucas cannot be involved, Can is debatable and we are relying on Mignolet. If Henderson isn’t fit Liverpool are in real trouble.
So, roll on Monday. I would love to wake up having witnessed a soporific nil-nil draw. No shots on target for Utd, one for Liverpool so we can endlessly claim we could have won it (in the style of the Ibrahimovic header at Anfield) and we can all move on with our lives.
Micki Attridge
Weekend Watcher (bring back Big Weekend) mentions that we were all crying out for the midfield of Carrick, Pogba and Herrera in September and October. Yes we were and it is now proving incredibly effective, but that doesn’t mean Jose was wrong not to give it to us at that earlier time.
Allow me to elaborate. Man management and squad management is not just about saying the right thing at the right time. It is about doing whatever necessary to provoke the maximum positive reaction from your players. A theory – Jose believed that would be his best midfield three, but playing them together from the start would send a message of “there you are now, my favourite combination, off you go and play”. Whereas holding them back, while everyone clamoured for said combination made them fully determined to perform well when given the opportunity.
Maybe not, and maybe I’m giving Jose too much credit. But these are the terms in which top class managers must think. Maybe it backfired a bit given that we went through such an unexpected bad run. Or maybe Jose is a proven top class manager and he has many, many other inputs into his decision making than just who is on form/injured.
Either way I enjoy thinking about other potential factors that might be at play for a manager that we as fans would not consider.
Ryan, Coillte
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Arsenal fans
Kushal,
I’m really not sure you can speak for all Arsenal fans – particularly when claiming our fans have lost their connection to the club or that we only feel connected when the club lands silverware.
Certainly, that’s when us fans party most raucously and rightly so but a lack of silverware doesn’t make any of us less connected to the club.
I don’t buy Arsenal shirts anymore but such is my connection to the club that I often forget that my oyster card holder and my passport holder have an Arsenal badge emblazoned on their front or that when I’m out on a run an old Arsenal shirt is often my dress of choice.
For some fans, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, the club is just ingrained into our lives that the connection cannot be lost – much to their annoyance. Look at Claude on Arsenal Fan TV – normal advice to someone that annoyed by something is just to give it up but we all know Claude won’t give up Arsenal.
I won’t either even if Wenger signs on for another season – I’ll just carrying on going and sending annoyed letters into this mailbox.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London
Fake news
Arsene Wenger today on Arsenal being linked with Torino striker Andrea Belotti:
“That is what you call today ‘fake news’.
Brilliant. Say what you like about his tactical naivety, but he does give cracking quotes. In his second language.
Adonis Stevenson, AFC
How I learned to stop caring and love punditry
During a 3am nighttime feed for my new baby I decided to catch up on some of the many hours of recorded football highlights my new daughter’s arrival has superseded. Whilst watching I strangely found myself nodding at all the cliches and Captain Obvious statements made by pundits where previously I would tut and sigh.
Was it the sleep deprivation? Or maybe the hours spent watching Cbeebies with my eldest had forever altered my perceptions. Prolonged exposure to Mr Tumble asking “can you see the horse” followed by a horse panning into shot and then “yes – there it is” must surely cause some lasting damage to adult brains?
Finally the overall drudge of parenting (feeding/nappies/tantrum/rinse/repeat) makes it more difficult to really care. When I see Chris Sutton grumping up the place my brain defaults to thinking he probably just needs a nap or a snack than really caring if Ryan Giggs was unfairly overlooked for the Swansea job.
Maybe bad pundits are just overworked parents?
Dan (neither topical nor relevant – he’ll be disappoitned with that), LTFC
In defence of Payet
When you’re creating a league high 74 chances so far, and this is the calibre of striker your board picked to build on the wonders of last season, is it any wonder you want to leave? While the manner this has unfolded is unsavoury, Payet deserves to ply his trade towards the top of the table, not the bottom. Granted, he could be playing better, but not much. Only a select few players can drag a team by themselves, and Payet is, unfortunately, not one of them. Is it his fault that the rest of the squad have seemed to down their tools as well?
Néill, (We might have another Merse inspired Mediawatch this weekend too), Ireland
Mediawatch extra on ‘Arry
I think ‘Arry’s Evening Standard column from last night has to get a mention. Self-aggrandising own achievements with Portsmouth? Check. Particularly enjoyed the ‘we won at Man City’ about a pre-oil money City who can’t have finished in the top flight top 10 for about two decades prior to 2005. Like boasting about a win at Stoke.
Also, slagging off the excellent Wilf Zaha. Burnt out and a failure at 23 apparently. Smacks of a Wilf rejection of Harry’s advances as Spurs boss if you ask me.
Keep up the good work!
Kieran Agnew
But did Merson have a point?
It feels a bit strange, but I’m actually going to (in part) stand up for Paul Merson when he says Sunderland shouldn’t accept anything less than £60m for Jermain Defoe.
Whilst on the face of it, it’s an absurd statement, and as mediawatch pointed out, you can hardly envisage Sunderland turning down a £59m bid were it to happen, however, when considering the vast sums on offer simply being in the top flight, the insane numbers make such a statement much less… er… insane.
I don’t know how much the bottom club can expect to receive next season, but a quick Google spits out a suggestion of £81m. Now, Sunderland are embroiled in a relegation fight that could well go down to the wire, with very fine margins determining whether they enjoy another year sat at the banquet of financial luxury, or be forced to the meagre buffet table that is the Championship.
Certainties are few and far between in football, but I think most would agree that Sunderland’s chances would be greatly reduced without the goals of Jermain Defoe. It could well be that his contribution is the fag paper thin difference required. Now, say Sunderland did opt to sell him – even for a ridiculous amount – who could they get in that would likely do as well as him? It’s all conjecture, but they could potentially go and blow the lot on a striker who just doesn’t quite hit the ground running well enough, or reinforce the rest of the team, who don’t quite gel quickly or well enough, or do everything really well, except put the ball in the net.
Again, the figure might be an exaggeration, but the assertion that Defoe is greatly more valuable to Sunderland than he might be to any potential suitors isn’t.
Nick Hamblin, Bristol
Brooks v Crooks
Niall from Denver’s dislike of the perennial Ronaldo v Ronaldo debate led him to the suggestion of why not go the whole hog and compare people in random fields such as Lionel Messi v Lionel Richie. He and your other readers might enjoy the current issue of Viz, which boasts their groundbreaking article, Who is the Greatest Garth? Brooks v Crooks. Regular readers of Mediawatch will be pleased to know that Crooks sneaks the award thanks to scoring highly in the ‘Getting number of players in a football team wrong live on TV’ round.
Happy Friday!
Tom (YCFC – yes, there are a couple of us left), Salisbury.
And the rest of those battles
Niall (for me Clive, Beckham’s hair just edges it), Denver raises some interesting points.
Firstly, clearly Benitez.
Secondly, hmmm, well Beckham couldn’t pull of a sideshow bob but Luis would looked ridiculous with curtains so I’m going to go with Beckham because he’s pretty.
Our third winner is Lionel Richie, close call but he edged it.
The fourth one is an invalid question, Pablo Aimar hasn’t peaked yet.
And finally yes, poor Pellegrini was sent right up the Noriega without a paddle. I’m not saying they were exactly the same but, you know.
Matt, AFC
Why shouldn’t we compare?
I think Niall is far too harsh on the concept of comparing Ronaldo’s. Why wouldn’t we compare? Isn’t that just human nature?
Besides, it isn’t as fatuous as two random people with the same name. I remember when Cristiano Ronaldo signed for United thinking “there’ll only be one Ronaldo as far as I’m concerned”. Is it a sign of Cristiano’s brilliance that my thoughts haven’t proved true? That one of the most iconic names in football history has been competed with and we can even talk about the “two Ronaldos” at all? And that’s a big part football is all about I think. The great names and the great histories, what gets conjured up when you hear Pele, Puskas, Zidane. Who do you think of if I hear the name “Ronaldo”? Who will be the person who gets thought of in twenty years or fifty? I think its fair, and fun, to speculate.
Luke, London
ps. old Ronaldo still for me, but I’m a nostalgic.
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Hold on a second…
Enjoyed the Ray Houghton piece by Johnny Nic, but I think he may have inadvertently stumbled across something when mentioning Ray’s goal against Italy in 1994. As Johnny wrote, you’re often better mis-hitting it. That sounds a lot like ‘he’s almost hit it TOO well, Clive.’ Who else played in that match in 1994? None other than Andrew David Townsend, that’s who. Was this the anecdote that underpins one football’s most recognisable punditry phrases?
Andy, London
More on Graham Taylor
I know we’ve already seen a few tributes to Graham Taylor over the last day but, as a Watford fan, I wanted to add to those. I don’t really think I’m the best person to articulate everything that was great about him since his first stint at Watford came before I was born but I’ll do my best.
I grew up as the youngest member of a Watford-supporting family. We had season tickets throughout my early childhood and every other week my parents would take my two older brothers and me to Vicarage Road. I had only known second- and third-tier football when Graham Taylor was appointed manager for the second time in 1996. I didn’t know anything about him at this point as I was only 9 years old, but my parents told me that he had been Watford’s greatest ever manager, and he remains so to this day. He probably always will be. I’m sure you all know his achievements by now – from the fourth division to 2nd place in the first division within five years, 3rd round of the Uefa Cup, FA Cup final, etc – but it’s not just the successes he brought on the field that make him so well loved in our little town.
As successful as he was, results were never the most important thing to him. He demonstrated that you could have success and still be a nice person. You’ll struggle to find a more dignified person anywhere in the footballing world. And he left a lasting legacy at Watford. It was vital to him that the club was at the heart of the community. Players had to understand what they represented and what they meant to the fans. Every player under his management was contractually obliged to carry out at least seven hours of community service per week. This community-based approach continues to this day, and was one of the biggest factors in attracting the Pozzos when they were looking to buy a club in England. And you can say what you like about the club being a shambles with the manager turnover since the Pozzos bought the club, but without them there might not even be a club. They saved us, and took us into the Premier League, and they did so directly because of the work that Graham Taylor started 40 years ago. Every new player we sign also comments that the club feels like a family more than anywhere else they’ve ever been.
This kind of thing is Graham Taylor’s greatest legacy at Watford. He ensured that, no matter the results on the pitch, Watford will remain a club that its fans can be proud of and feel connected to.
In addition to the above, I have also just remembered a story my mum told me a few years back from Graham Taylor’s first spell in charge at Watford. My parents were walking the 10 minutes or so between where they had parked and the stadium and suddenly realised Graham Taylor was walking next to them amongst the crowd of fans. My parents were confused and asked him why he was walking to the ground – surely he had his own parking space – and he told them that he often liked to walk amongst the fans – preferably unnoticed – to hear what they were talking about and how they felt about the goings on at the club. He then continued to chat warmly with my parents for the rest of the walk to the stadium. Just another example of how important the fans were to him.
So here’s to one of the nicest men ever to set foot on a football pitch. Watford will be forever in his debt.
Jimbles, WFC
A short letter to highlight Graham Taylors decency from an Irish perspective. Obviously when you read through his managerial career there are some stunning succeses, but his decency and humanity always shone through, and I think in no case is this more pertininent than Paul McGrath. Some might consider it hyperbole to suggest that Taylor played a role in saving McGraths life when he was at his lowest ebb, but McGrath himself praised the way he was treated for his alcoholism by Taylor, never discussing it in public and shielding him from the press, and never complaining that McGrath had become in McGraths own words, ” A walking mess”. This excerpt from McGrath’s autobiography is highly informative of the mans brilliance as a manager and a man:
“He had every reason to be furious,” McGrath wrote. “One of his big signings had turned out to be a walking mess. But he was open and caring. He’d say to me: ‘Look, if you need something, come to me. We’re all here to help you.’ That was his attitude. I felt I could talk to him on a level I had probably never talked on with anyone else in football. I don’t think I’m being melodramatic when I say that he literally rescued me. Under another manager, I suspect my career would have been over. But Graham Taylor’s sensitivity worked wonders. The more we talked, the more determined I became to repay him. I felt this urge inside. I wanted to play for this man.”
One of a number of English managers to be treated shamefully by the redtops, he carried on with a dignity and grace they lack. Many thanks to Graham for contributing to Irish successes by looking after “Black Pearl of Inchicore”.
RIP Graham
“ar dheis de go raibh a h-anam dilis”
Oisín
MUFC
Kildare, Ireland