One of those interesting Mailboxes without a real theme. Watch Man City and then mail theeditor@football365.com
Big-ups to BT
We’ve had some of the best, most memorable European football in living memory on BT Sport in the last few weeks, __with City – Monaco II still to come. Oh and United probably losing to Rostov on Thursday.
The German and French leagues which Mr. Storey shows us clips on on a regular basis are also on BT Sport.
The European Football show is in my opinion the best football programme on television.
And they’ve stopped letting Robbie Savage be on everything.
Are you still inclined to attack BT for attempting to build their brand __with paid football? For doing the exact same thing that Sky did 20 years ago, and are still doing?
Competition is always a benefit to the consumer, and BT Sport deserves credit for their efforts to break the Sky monopoly and provide a meaningful alternative, not abuse.
BT Sport is doing a far better job of European football coverage than anyone else in this country ever has, which is to all our benefit.
If you want to watch European games, don’t complain about BT not being free. Just pay the money. It’s more than worth it.
Tim Sutton
Can you turn down Champions League football?
A question following Jeremy’s earlier email, some recent sniffy Man Utd whining, and a, er, political wind you may have noticed blowing: do teams who qualify for the Champions League have to take up their place in the tournament?
The theory of some seems to be that Chelsea’s leisurely stroll to the title (/double) this year was basically inevitable as they’ve not been in Europe this year, and so the useless reserves they have on standby (Begovic, Fabregas, Zouma, Ake, Willian, Pedro, etc.) have only been required intermittently.
So on that line of thinking, could the thing which has kept Wenger in a job for so long – qualifying for the Champions League forever – be the thing which is actually causing him so much trouble at the moment? And if so, would they be better off, say, ‘leaving’ a protectionist European money grab zone; and instead allowing their focus to, say, ‘remain’ on solely domestic affairs for a while?
I appreciate this may be moot in the case of Arsenal in a few months’ time; but equally Utd, Spurs, Liverpool and Citeh might all feel they can do without season-sapping European campaigns while they’re getting their premier league heads together.
But I’m asking more for the sake of the question than an answer, really. My opinion? The degrees of income, influence, prestige and power clubs get from being in the Champions League are gargantuan and unrivalled anywhere in world football; so you’d have to be bats*** to give up access voluntarily.
Neil Raines avfc (just an opinion…)
In defence of Arsenal’s Champions League record
Yeah, I will take the bait that will lead to my eventual death – this is a response to all those using Leicester ‘success’ in UCL as yet another stick (by now there must be a whole forest) with which to beat Arsenal and Wenger with. At heart, I am a football romantic, to me the Leicester story was all about the beauty and romance and not how, on the flipside, it exposed Arsenal (and other big teams that finished below us). Man, oh man, are these people tryna kill the romantic me.
Look, can we stop looking at football (and life in general) as black or white, it is grey in all 50 (or more) shades. Now, my defence of Arsenal (and breaking and/or burning this new stick):
· In last seven seasons (of last-16 knockouts), on five occasions (71%) we have been knocked out by one of perennial favourites (much shorter odds to win UCL, meaning on paper much much better teams/squads) of the whole damn UCL thing, Barca (2011,2016) and Bayern (2013, 2014, 2017)
· Further to point above, on two of those five occasions, we were knocked out by the eventual winners of the whole damn thing – proving that they are indeed the best team in the whole damn thing.
· Bar Monaco in 2015, if Leicester had faced any of the teams that knocked Arsenal out, I would bet my continent’s entire GDP that they would have been knocked out (emphatically so) each time.
· Three (or so) seasons ago Leicester would have been third of even bottom seed in their group, and most likely wouldn’t have even made Europa. Sometimes the puzzle pieces just fall into place ☺.
. Arsenal have consistently been battling on three fronts (even in league, the battle front being securing a UCL spot for following season) every season – to the point of being knocked out in round of 16. Leicester put all eggs in one basket at a time (buckets changing between 2015/16 and 2016/17).
To be quite honest, my heart has a warm fuzzy feeling over Leicester’s progress, and I hope they get lowest seed in quarters and make the semis (circa Leeds in 2000) – I really really wanna stay happy for them. But, man, oh man, what a way to try ruin that feeling by using it as a way to go at my beloved Arsenal.
KT Mokhele (Wenger must leave, but on his own terms – gracefully), Gooner in Johannesburg
…At what point did Leicester’s recent success become the stick to which beat Arsenal. Leicester won the league last year, Arsenal haven’t won it in twelve years. Leicester got through to Champions League QF, Arsenal haven’t done it in seven. Twelve…seven…nothing better than random arbitrary numbers to make a point. Leicester won the league last year, Arsenal won it 13 years ago and qualified for the QF eight years ago!! Yeah but that’s no fun. And last time I checked, plenty of teams haven’t won the league or progressed in Europe in three, nine, fourteen years either. As a gooner, it’s nice to know that other team’s failures (you know who you are) are accepted as standard but obviously Arsenal have set the bar high and thus the expectations. Damn you Stick of Success.
Colin, Dublin Gooner
Why not just keep changing managers?
Leicester’s win last night cemented a point of view that I have held for almost 14 hours now. Changing managers should no longer illicit a shake of the head and a tut from the football supporting public. In fact, changing a manager is a fundamental part of the game. Keeping the faith is something I’ve generally always believed in and indeed advocated when it has come to my own club and the dancing moron, Pardew. Rather than seek to halt a worrying trend of poor results by staff turnover, I wanted to let the natural peaks and troughs of sports performance iron themselves out. But as Leicester have shown, the manager is no longer King, even though some aforementioned continue to call themselves such.
Leicester is one example that has helped crystallise this point of view, but Chelsea are another. Previous league winning squad, very little alterations made and a significant underperformance the following season. In both examples, by simply changing the manager clear improvements can be seen. But we are always told that the manager is the most important person at the football club. Managers like Ferguson and Wenger demand that authority but are they the exception that proves the rule? Should we be lauding the loyalty that the other aspects of the game seem to accept is a rare nice to have?
I’d argue that now that Pulis has developed some defensive solidity and consistency for West Brom they’d be better off changing him. By all means get him back in later if necessary but why not use the skills he has appropriately? The same can be said for Karanka at Boro, if from now until the end of the season they got in an attack-minded manager I’d wager they have a better chance of getting some results.
Footballers are fragile human beings. They are young blokes, asked to perform every week to an audience of millions in an age of infinite exposure. Yes, they get paid handsomely to do so but I have never seen a correlation between level of pay and mental wellbeing, nor anything suggesting that it is easier to process incidents, criticism and praise coming at you every couple of days at this stage of the season by being financially wealthier. Surely it is logical that maturity and development in your career is garnered under a variety of different teachers who each bring different levels of emotional support, inspiration, respect, even fear.
In keeping the leader of the group of young men fresh and mentally challenging you are ensuring that negativity does not spread, that ideas and freedom of expression are cultivated and that the group itself is a stronger force. So to me, it makes sense that the manager would be equally significant to a team yet more dispensable than ever.
Ant, CPFC
Who do Leicester want next?
What a brilliantly enjoyable game last night, carrying on an all-round excellent round of last 16 games. Looking at potential opposition for the next round, who would be the best possible draw?
City is boring if they get through, but I’d give Leicester a good chance of sneaking by them. Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona and probably Juventus would give an awesome memorable European night but with virtually zero chance of progression and every chance of a big loss. So that leaves Dortmund and Atletico both of who I think are ‘beatable’ with Dortmund in particular the best balance between good European side with an okay chance of progression. What do you think, get the memorable tie or aim for progression?
I finally wanted to touch on what a great game the ref had. Largely got all the key decisions right, didn’t buy into play acting and diving being done by several players; most notably Vardy. Sure Nasri’s second yellow was unfortunate, but I thought he was lucky to still be on after a cynical foul shortly before and in case was a bit of a moron for channelling his inner Arsenal to implode at the last-16 stage.
It got me thinking though, that had a referee of similar temperament been in the Barcelona game or indeed most Champions League games. A lot of soft fouls and ‘dramatics’ would disappear resulting in a much more enjoyable spectacle.
Tom Saints (Then again this is Leicester we’re talking about and I don’t think any team would want to draw them in a strange way)
Any Leicester fans agree with Souey?
After the Leicester game last night I had an idea that Souness would go off on one about the way the Leicester performed in comparison with how they performed under Ranieri and his accusation that they “downed tools” is spot on in my opinion.
I did get to wondering a couple things after his rant though – Are there any Leicester fans who are sickened by the way the players have suddenly become the Leicester of last season again? Has something similar happened to Souness in his managerial career (Newcastle perhaps?)
Macker, Dublin
Everton would not miss Lukaku
Big Rom is someone who will always divide opinion between Evertonians. Whilst we all love his presence and his goal-scoring, there are elements of his game and his personality that have us tearing our hair out at times.
With his game, he has in recent weeks, learned how to win a header, how to hold the ball up and improved his first touch immeasurably.
However, his personality of “always showing ambition” is now getting a bit too much for us.
We all know that he wants to play Champions League football and I genuinely believe that he would prefer to do it at Everton, but almost every season he comes out with all the ambition crap. I understand his desire to improve and win everything but surely that is a given with any professional footballer.
Listening to him in interviews, he is very intelligent and I don’t doubt his integrity, but I just wish he wouldn’t respond to questions that raise this issue every season.
Big Ron is building a team at Everton and Big Rom is a massive part of that, however, I do not believe that we would miss him if he left, let me explain by offering some responses to the media furore.
He hasn’t hit 20 goals in a Premier League season yet
He is only 8th in our all-time top scorers (football did exist before the premiership)
His hold-up play and first touch are often appalling
He very rarely wins a header
Whilst F365 can point to all the amazing Lukaku stats, there are still large elements of his game that need to improve if he’s going to be the player he wants to be. These are things which you can’t necessarily coach or quantify with stats ie. first touch and vision being the most tangible in this case.
So before every shouts “be careful what you wish for”, then the same should be applied to Lukaku.
Do big clubs actually want him? If they do then surely they would be prepared to pay a world record fee to secure “guaranteed goals”?
I’m not so sure and this is why I think the contract has stalled. If Everton don’t get into the Champions League (very likely) then Lukaku will leave. Everton value him very highly and want a release cause to reflect that. It’s only a starting point for negotiations and Everton will rightly want compensating appropriately.
If the release clause is the sticking point then it’s all about making him “affordable” to Champions League clubs which makes me feel a bit sick. If anyone else can fathom why this has stalled then I’m all ears, but so far, the only information that is available is related to the release clause.
With Davies, Barkley, Calvert-Lewin, Lookman and many others coming through, there is a youthful core at Everton that can grow into a championship winning team (with a few choice additions like Schneiderlin). His agent seemed happy so why not Romelu?
Fat Man Scouse, EFC
A bit of perspective on Mourinho
First off I would like to say, I completely understand how fans can feel betrayed by Mourinho now he’s managing United, it would have to sting for obvious reasons (I mean nobody likes their ex now do they?) What I don’t agree with is the level of abuse he received on Monday night, which was a bit over the top. Chelsea fans seem to forget two very important things:
1. It was Chelsea who SACKED him (not once but twice mind!). It’s not like he tore up his contract and said I’m off to United. Chelsea didn’t really give him a say in the matter.
2. Once sacked, where was he supposed to go? Barca didn’t want him, he’d already managed Madrid, Bayern had appointed Ancelotti. So you could say his options were a team in Italy, or PSG. Rationally anyone given those options, most people would choose United. There’s an argument for PSG, but maybe he didn’t fancy managing in France? Or was he expected to turn down one of the biggest jobs in football out of loyalty to Chelsea, who didn’t show any loyalty to him over his two stints.
So he’s at United, you would expect he would receive some abuse, but the level he did get was a bit over the top considering what he had done for Chelsea and how he left. And for the fans saying what did he expect, the red carpet to be rolled out? You’re missing the point a bit. He didn’t expect your adoration anymore, or songs from the terraces. But he could have at least got a little bit of respect for what he achieved, in fact completely ignoring him altogether probably would have annoyed him even more (seeing as he is a narcissist and a bit of a twat) rather then the constant stream of abuse. Although I guess that’s the modern football fan now isn’t it?
Also the mail this morning about Mourinho contradicting himself with comments about Costa and the treatment of Hazard. It’s called looking after number 1, it’s not really that much of a shocker is it?
Steve (Ireland)
…Riwaz Duggal, you want to guess what happens when any United legend comes and plays against United? They get cheered, not booed. You may have a point if Jose left Chelsea and went to United, creating bad blood, rather he got fired by Chelsea after winning the title a year ago.
I also do enjoy how all Chelsea fans point to 16th place, ignoring the fact that those same players waltzed the title a year ago under Jose looking unstoppable. The squad Conte is using is the same title winning squad, which is why many fans and experts don’t give him as much credit. Conte is just getting a team to perform like they did two years ago (under Jose) and is helped greatly by the addition of that monster called Kante to his midfield.
And off course in keeping with highlighting how petty Chelsea fans our you go with “arguably taken United a step backward”. Really? You’d struggle to find a United fan who believes that. All but the most entitled are extremely happy with the job Jose is doing, the players bought, the football we are playing and are waiting patiently for it to all come together. Even fans who were skeptical of Jose are coming around. We all expect great things next season.
Then to the gems,that made me chuckle “a coach defended his player”….stop the presses (this never happens right?). And a “coach thinks a defender fouled his striker and deserved a booking” (Riwaz is on a roll with this never seen before things in football).
And off course he has to end with Jose is “becoming a bad manager”. I mean it’s been two years since since he won the league, so he must be terrible at his job.
Jose is doing what all managers do and also the so-called criticism of Chelsea, if you actually watched what he said, was more a compliment on Chelsea’s consistency. At least that was what I got from watching that interview.
Leave it to Chelsea fans to boo their all time great manager and then off course Chelsea fans to come here to defend the fans booing rather than state that it should not have happened. Its no wonder Jose has stated that United fans are much better than you lot.
JB, (Thrilled with the football this year compared to the Van Bored days), MUFC
Blame the referee for Rojo let-off
I have found some of the reaction to the lack of punishment of Rojo for his stamp interesting. There is plenty of blame being apportioned out to Rojo, United, and the FA, yet one person has been left out entirely: Michael Oliver.
The simple fact is that the FA could not have banned Rojo because the referee mentioned it in his match report. We can argue from now until the end of the season about whether that rule is appropriate (it’s not), but you can’t dispute the adherence to that rule. As soon as Oliver mentioned it, it took it out of the FA’s hands. Bournemouth are not victims of big-club bias; they are victims of bad refereeing.
Why is no one talking about the referee’s performance now? If he saw it, why didn’t he act on it? If he didn’t see it, how could he mention it? Either way, he got it wrong.
I suspect that the reason the retrospective punishment rule is set up like that is to protect the referees from further scrutiny; the FA are willing to concede that referees can’t see everything in game, but allowing the in-match decisions to be overturned automatically implies that they are going to make mistakes – errors of judgement, which, by extension, would call every decision they make into question.
We need video technology to be implemented as soon as possible to ensure that the right calls are being made during the game, then we wouldn’t need retrospective punishment at all. I’m disappointed that Rojo wasn’t punished appropriately because that stamp was despicable, but that does not diminish the severity of Mings’ actions, and it certainly doesn’t mean his ban was harsh or should be reduced.
Ted, Manchester
A team of the season
My tuppence on the Team of the Season (and it’s a sign of how good it’s been this year that I have to leave out so many. Especially annoyed at not being able to fit in Mane or Lukaku).
The obvious picks, in a Pep-esque 4-1-4-1.
Lloris
Walker Alderweireld Luiz Rose
Kante
De Bruyne Dele Sanchez Hazard
Kane
And here’s a more left-field, underappreciated team, who deserve a little moment in the sun.
Pickford
Keane Gibson Maguire
Moses Gueye Lallana Milner
Sigurdsson
Defoe Llorente
Gene, THFC, Guyana
Ed’s mailbox thoughts
A couple of reactions to things in this morning’s mailbox before I have the afternoon off.
* Fantastic to see a the Fist of Fun reference above Tim Colyer’s mail.
* Hall of Shame is a great series.
* The ‘lie back and think of the coefficient’ mindset is one of the most tedious things in all of football. However, I did see last night that Russia has overtaken Portugal. While neither is a footballing superpower like Spain, Germany or Italy, it seems like Portugal has always been on the fringes of the elite, while Russia is a bit of an upstart (the whole Soviet Union dismantling setting them back somewhat). Not sure if this will make a great difference overall, but thought it was interesting with Portugal largely being a selling league these days.
Ed Quoththeraven (heard a rumour Zweigen have a new fan today)
This is why we have a mailbox…
Away from the Champions League, last night saw one of the most fascinating, potentially nasty and rancour filled games of the season, the latest installment of one of, if not the most poisonous rivalry in English football, so poisonous that the home team did not put the name of their opponents on the cover of the programme, reduced the ‘a look at our opponents’ pages inside from the normal seven down to one, and abbreviated their full name on the scoreboard as their full, official name.
The home team refused to offer hospitality to the directors of the visitors, and refused to accept it in the earlier game this season, enabling Sky to film the visiting chairman queuing up at the turnstiles with a ticket. Mercifully, and no doubt helped by a heavy police presence, the game went off without serious incident, and with right result, the home team winning.
The game was of course Wimbledon against Milton Keynes, and yet this website chose to ignore it, which quite frankly I cannot understand. I appreciate it’s a minor thing compared to the interminable debate about Wenger’s future, or the centre of Liverpool’s defence, but with the history of the two teams, the behaviour of the FA, the rise of Wimbledon, the implications for football as a whole, even at Premier League level, I would have thought it’s a story every football fan would have been interested in. Obviously I was wrong.
I would have loved to have heard Football365’s take on all this, but there you go. I’m not angry, just disappointed.
Please note, I won’t use the name Dons in connection with the Milton Keynes team, out of respect for Wimbledon. A few years ago, my own team were minutes away from being wound up completely, which gives you a healthy respect for fans in similar circumstances.
OK, as you were.
Paul Quinton, Wolverhampton