In a hard-to-believe draw for the quarter finals of the Champion’s League the two remaining English teams have been drawn to play each other.
This despite there also being two Italian teams and THREE Spanish who have all miraculously managed to avoid having to play one of their compatriots!
Conspiracy theorists are already looking for fields in which to have a day!
Here’s the draw in full:
Liverpool v Manchester City
Juventus v Real Madrid
Sevilla v Bayern Münich
Roma v Barcelona (more…)
The early kick-off on Saturday morning is the game between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford. With only two points separating the teams, United are second and Liverpool third, a win for either side would be profitable. For United it would take them five points clear of Jürgen Klopp’s team and a win for Liverpool would move them a point above United into second place.
So the smart/clever/wise/whatever-you-want-to-call-it money is on a draw.
This wouldn’t necessarily be a disastrous result for either side and is certainly more preferable to losing but it would allow the three chasing London clubs the opportunity to close the gap as all of them are involved in games they should win. (more…)
Anybody who regularly reads this daily outpouring of common sense and logic interspersed with nonsensical and, occasionally, difficult-to-believe hyperbole, will be aware that we have provided the solution to combatting Pep Guardiola’s total football at The Etihad.
We have already gone to great lengths in past articles explaining to the likes of José Mourinho, Antonio Conte, (if he’s still there next season), Arséne Wenger, (if he’s still there next season), Maurico Pochettino and Jürgen Klopp what they need to do to keep pace with the Spaniard.
We cannot be held responsible for their failings if they choose not to read our articles or take our advice! (more…)
Today, Saturday, saw a relatively quiet day for the top six in the Premier League, with only Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in action.
Spurs were at “home” to Huddersfield Town whilst, in the late game Liverpool took on Newcastle United at Anfield in a fixture which saw the return of Rafa Benitez to the club where he experienced his greatest success.
The first game saw a reasonably easy victory for Spurs although they originally struggled to find the net and only led 1-0 at half-time. The second half followed a similar pattern and Son managed to get his, and Spurs’ second goal to wrap up a fairly routine win. (more…)
With a gap of 30 points between leaders Manchester City and sixth placed Arsenal there is clearly a massive gulf in class, as has recently been evidenced by the two hammerings dished out to The Gunners by City in their last two meetings, both in London.
Things don’t get much better for the teams above Arsenal as there is still a gap of 16 points between City and second-placed Manchester United.
So what can the rest of the top six do to address the balance next season? (more…)
In a week which culminated in Manchester City winning the Carabao Cup in a cakewalk of a game against Arsenal and Manchester United beating Chelsea in a game which included a goal from the one who never scores against “big” opponents, supporters of teams from outside of Manchester could be forgiven for feeling a little left out.
Tottenham Hotspur managed a win away at Crystal Palace but, then again, any other result would have been a surprise.
Liverpool strolled to a 4-1 win at home to West Ham United who fielded two full-backs who were considered to be “ageing” when they were both still playing in Manchester! (more…)
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…)
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…)
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…)
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…)
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 