Posts Tagged ‘Antonio Conte’

Why Did Alexis Sánchez “Choose” Manchester United Over Manchester City?

Posted: March 2, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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That’s an easy one, we can almost hear you say. Money, money and even more money!

Sorry, far too simplistic a reason and always the first excuse used when a player moves from one big club to another. In the case of Nemanja Matić, for example, he may be collecting a bigger pay packet at United but his primary reason for jumping the Chelsea ship was to rejoin José Mourinho, so the club and the salary whilst important, were secondary considerations.

Many players, over the last few years, have left Arsenal and, while Stubborn Old Man is in charge, will continue to do so. This again isn’t about money it’s about ambition and wanting to win trophies. Yes, if they are good enough, the player in question will always receive more money when he moves to a bigger club, but what difference to his lifestyle is an extra £50k per week really going to make when added to the £150k he is already being paid? (more…)

It’s Manchester 2 London 0, While Tottenham & Chelsea Trade Places In The Top Four

Posted: February 26, 2018 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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So another big day in the footballing calendar came and went as Manchester took on London yet again. Yes folks, two teams from England’s premier city lined up to play, in the first game which was a Premier League fixture, Chelsea, and in the second game which was the Carabao Cup final, Arsenal.

Prior to this starter and main course, however, there was an aperitif, which was a second-city derby between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park.

This was a game which could have gone either way or straight down the middle and the only safe bet before kick-off was to sit on the metaphorical fence, a position which this esteemed publication has no difficulty in assuming. (more…)

Bits & Pieces: What Can Happen In This Weekend’s Premier League Games? + First Trophy For Pep Guardiola?

Posted: February 25, 2018 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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The Premier League doesn’t really get underway for the top six until Sunday this weekend and even then Manchester City and Arsenal will be missing from the fixture list.

Saturday’s sole representatives of England’s elite were Liverpool who played West Ham United at Anfield.

It turned out to be a fairly routine outing for Jürgen Klopp’s men. West Ham United didn’t even bother to flatter, they just deceived.

A first half goal from Emre Can was followed, in the second half, by further goals from Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané and that, essentially, was that.

West Ham did manage to grab a consolation goal when 3-1 down through Mikail Antonio but the damage, by this time, had already been done. (more…)

City Aim To Add The Carabao Cup To Their Soon-To-Be-Delivered Premier League While United Need To Hold On To Second Place

Posted: February 24, 2018 in Arsenal, Carabao Cup, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Managers, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Carabao Cup

The first trophy of the season is officially up for grabs on Sunday. Well, it is if you are Arsenal or Manchester City.

In City’s case, it could be the first one of three and, in the case of Stubborn Old Man, it is a measure of how the mighty have fallen.

He is now not only competing in, but trying to win, the Europa League and so has gone, in the last two seasons, from serial Champion’s League participant and FA Cup winner, to a ‘B’ grade struggler needing to win Big Vase to regain entry to Big Cup. As we said, how the mighty have fallen. (more…)

Who Are The Favourites To Progress To The FA Cup Semi-Finals?

Posted: February 20, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, The FA Cup, Tottenham Hotspur
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Three of the Premier League’s top six remain in this year’s competition as we reach the quarter final stage.

In what can only be described as a crazily premature draw, as it was made before the fifth round was complete, the big three were kept apart with Manchester United given a home draw whilst the two London clubs received away ties, although Spurs are yet to overcome Rochdale to officially book their place.

Sheffield Wednesday and Rochdale will still feel as though they have a chance of progressing but that chance is now very remote. Having both managed to draw their home games they are now favourites to exit the competition in the replays away from home. (more…)

Conte To Stay, Evra To Return, Wenger Speaks But Klopp Doesn’t!

Posted: February 9, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Antonio Conte – “Happy” to stay at Chelsea

Antonio Conte will not resign as Chelsea manager. If he did that he wouldn’t be entitled to any compensation so, from his point of view, it wouldn’t make sense.

Roman Abramovich will not sack Antonio Conte at the moment because that is exactly what the Italian wants him to do and the Russian doesn’t do what others want, only what he wants.

So an uncomfortable impasse is now in place whereby Chelsea have a manager who doesn’t want to be there and an owner who doesn’t really want him there, but he is going nowhere.

The other consideration for Abramovich of course, apart from his own pride, is that the timing, if he were to sack Conte now, would be inconvenient, to say the least. (more…)

The Weekend Return Of The Premier League With “Easy” Games For Four Of The Top Six

Posted: February 4, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur
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Following a midweek round of fixtures which saw Arsenal and Chelsea beaten convincingly by teams who made it obvious by the way they played and fought that they had a lot more to lose than London’s finest, questions, unsurprisingly, were asked of the two managers.

Regardless of his midweek failure, Chelsea fans will have been ecstatic to hear that Antonio Conte intends to see out his current contract which still has eighteen months to run.

This means that he will be there next season to oversee the club’s Europa League campaign, unless Roman Abramovich thinks differently, which he probably does! (more…)

Manchester United Needed Signings, Manchester City Didn’t And Arsenal And Chelsea Need New Managers

Posted: February 2, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Transfers
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Having sat through the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, we couldn’t help reminiscing about the innumerable times we have suggested that Antonio Valencia, an ageing right winger, cannot play right-back because he can’t defend.

We have, also on many occasions, thought exactly the same about Ashley Young, also an ageing right winger, who is now playing at left-back. He too cannot defend.

Chris Smalling is a donkey of a defender who only knows one way of playing. He kicks out in the general direction of the ball and, occasionally, successfully connects. He is constantly caught out of position and frequently gives possession away too easily. (more…)

Manchester United Have The Manager And The Money To Match City, So Why Aren’t They And What Can The Rest Do?

Posted: January 25, 2018 in Arsenal, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur, Transfers
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Manchester City are, as we write, twelve points clear at the top of the Premier League. They have just reached the final of the Carabao Cup and are about to play Cardiff away in the FA Cup, a game they should win.

They will face Basel in the knockout stage of the Champion’s League and should expect to progress further in that competition. Is there anything they cannot win? No, there isn’t.

Only an unlucky draw in a cup competition or a bad performance will prevent them winning the four trophies. (more…)

Chelsea Must Reinforce Adequately To Match Manchester Clubs

Posted: January 22, 2018 in Champions League, Chelsea, Football, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Opinion, Premier League
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Guest Author: Mark Weasley of retrofootballnews.com

When Chelsea won the league last season, they were at their brilliant best. Playing some breath-taking football and displaying an efficiency rarely seen in the division, they won the league courtesy of a 13-match winning sequence out of the 30 wins they recorded. They also reached 93 points, just 2 points behind the record haul of 95, set by Jose Mourinho’s swashbuckling side of 2004/05.

This season, however, has seen Chelsea struggle for form and consistency with their manager, Antonio Conte, coming in for criticism at the beginning of the season following a bad run. (more…)

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