Everyone wants Chelsea to sack Mauricio Pochettino – especially the Blues’ rivals. Also in the Mailbox: the celebration police are on patrol while Arsenal fans offer the case for the defence…
Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com…
Please sack Poch
I understand the fallout from Chelsea fans given a shocking season and another really poor result. As a United fan, trust me, I’ve felt similar emotions over the past decade.
However, what I can’t understand is the calls for Pochettino to get the sack and bring back Mourinho (or even Conte). The playing style of Pochettino is very attractive, he has a great record of developing young players and I believe, given a bit of more time, will eventually come good. I honestly am struggling to think of two managers who would be less suited to that squad than Mourinho or Conte. Both brilliant managers, their track record is clear, but it would require ANOTHER overhaul of the squad to make them competitive. I get it – there is a comfort blanket feeling to getting back a title winning manager, but surely common sense needs to prevail. Neither would offer a genuinely long term solution and both could fall flat on their face – I mean you don’t even have a big lump up front to play off!
All I’ll add, is that as a rival (for about 7th place I guess…) is that I’d be genuinely pleased if you sacked Pochettino – that’s never a good sign when you do the things rivals want you to do.
Jack (Lovely goal by Hojlund, but was it just me or did we look quite arrogant for a team that is still bang average?) Manchester
…What on Earth is it with people actually wanting Mourinho back after watching his decline the past decade or so. Not only amount, someone this morning said with him or Conte would do “just fine” back at Chelsea. Look at the destruction they left behind at Spurs! What in either of their tenures makes someone think they want some of that? They would both just be more vocal about what they have to work with and throw them under the bus before getting £10million to walk away.
Some people are just gluttons for punishment.
Jon, Lincoln
Dance and be merry
A once (still) great sportsman once said: “Every win however small shall be savoured with all your might, lest that you stop having fun when you should.”
Said sportsman and his team went on to complete the most unlikely title theft out from under all the bookies favourites’ noses, winning the world championship, two years in a row.
While that sport I mentioned is actually an e-sport and that does not interest any of you on this site, the point remains. In sports, you should never stop acknowledging and celebrating your achievements. Ask any sports psychologist and they will tell you, every small bit of progress should be enjoyed. If these bits and pieces of success are treated as nothing more than the ordinary, well, all of you have seen how entitled Richard Keys, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and the majority of Man Utd fans can be.
So Arsenal fans, celebrate all you want, those who will tell you otherwise are just jealous that you’re happy or have no idea what it takes to cultivate a winning mentality from absolute scratch.
Stanley Hudson, Australia
Nee-naw, nee-naw
As a Liverpool fan it’s not really my business how Arsenal celebrate. Well done your win. Fully deserved. But they’re going to look awfully silly if they don’t win the league now (they’ll be back down to third after tonight) or even drop points way to West Ham next Week. They are just putting undue pressure on themselves IMHO
Derek, LFC
PS I’d also add that it motivates the opposition. Thanks Arsenal.
Read more: The highest-ranking Arsenal-hating Celebration Police officers revealed, with Carragher at 8)
The case for the defence
Andy, Newcastle – when did we become small time – so first it’s the Fun police, now the size police – on dodgy ground there ya know!
You then go on and reinforce every contradiction and stereo type the media wants you to believe – but you know (although Arsenal isn’t your team) you’re seeing it how it really is aren’t you – and us poor saps are all brainwashed into believing we have a great squad, balance, some of the best prospects in the game and a manager that has done truly incredible work considering the shambles he inherited and contains to confound his critics? (if you discount the lack of a 20 to 30 goal a season striker – but they cost 120+ – we are still ‘small enough’ not to be able to afford that) – no no no sorry that’s actually reality and we are the ones seeing it for what it is – fun, probably short lived – did I mention fun – don’t really see why you care how we act either way???
Songs – most clubs have one and we didn’t – well the only one i ever knew of was ‘she wore a yellow ribbon’ – but no one knows that now. So encouraging an inclusive atmosphere where everyone can sing the song is a bad thing now.(do the Newcastle support still sing the blaydon races?)
Fair point on the drums and the stupid big flags – amazed at the things you can’t get into the ground but a massive f*ck off drum, two large poles to hit it with and some ‘musicians’ to carry the b*stard – I hate that!
Using other teams chants – not sure how long you have been going to football – but that’s always happened – now that’s an oddly specific comment to make hmmmm…..
Over celebrating – Ian Wright has it spot on – read his comments – some sad lives being lived when comments like this are being made by ‘supporters; – that’s one of the main reasons it’s fun to go see football live and watch football on TV – the celebrations – you should try it – it’s fantastic and really uplifting – makes it a much more enjoyable experience (have a picture of Andy telling everyone around him – it’s only a goal now sit down, stop the celebration people!)
Spending 200m and being worse – that’s just not true either – there are so many variables in every single season – apart from number stats – which are numerous – you also have the unaccountable variations they don’t build in – thats the great thing about football – it’s controlled chaos – and if you have worked out a way to measure exactly the comparative likely outcomes from all of the endless permutations then let someone know dude – you’re going to be a billionaire. Your version is very simplistic and it’s odd you chose to make a point on something you don’t really get.
Last year it was look away now as it’s going to go wrong. This season we control virtually every game we play and more so against the top teams (obviously 1 good season for Newcastle does not put you in that bracket but your getting there for sure – FFP or not your oil dollars will get you there rest assured – but every club in some way has a rich benefactor whether that be a person/company/state in control so not having a dig – just saying)
Kirkland Pep – yeah thats funny – but seriously it’s odd how obsessed everyone has become with him – maybe he’s playing you all – don’t really dig much sh*t on the team or other staff – just him – that smart bastard – your arse getting cold cos he pulled your pants down brother – he is just electric – it’s fun and it’s really great to see all those ex pro’s sh*t the bed over this – Rio and Jamie – we are all looking at you – especially Rio – come on and stop that weird accent put on with the ‘don’t disrespect the badge’ – oh do f*ck off you useless commentator – how he gets work who knows!
Used to stand for something – yeah according to the masses we were a bit crap – a bit of a walk over, dysfunctional, would literally sh*t the bed for no reason – and although Wenger was great in his time – much like now long gone dictators – the overthrow comes too late and it’s all fallen apart. That was us – oh and do stop with the AFC TV rubbish – why would you ever think that represents the mass support if you are indeed a true Newcastle supporter – you should get that really – odd!
Now we are seen as hard to beat, organised, dynamic, front footed against nearly all opposition (Manchester still always has it over us – but this season that changes – hopefully) and really hard to beat – a team built in the managers image and it’s f*cking excellent – we are loving it.
But I do see your points – just see them as being a typical regurgitation of force fed media narratives – no conspiracy just narratives – give me this every year compared to the pain of the past 8 or 9 years every single time.
Mickey – a Gooner loving it
…I don’t actually have any issue whatsoever with Arsenal’s “excessive” celebrations, other than my personal view that getting carried away is fine for players and supporters but managers are supposed to rise above most of the silliness. Andy, Newcastle asks when Arsenal became so “small time”, but I don’t believe he touches on the real reason, which is the constant need to point out how much better they are doing than Spurs. Just as I once told a campaigning group they could either be important enough to influence government policy or trivial enough they reply to individual online piss-takers, Arsenal cannot be a club big enough to be genuine title contenders and small enough to be constantly lording it over your local rivals.
Ed Quoththeraven
Different voices
Your article on Peter Drury got me thinking, why don’t we have more audio feeds for live football. Amazon droned on and on about their great “innovation” of the thing that shows you how many subs a team has left to take because, and I can only speak for myself, this was something that’s been keeping me awake since the 80s. So why not additional audio channels where you can choose who you listen to, real innovation? We could have Dave down the pub just talking about Brexit the whole game or that person you know who doesn’t like football endlessly complaining about how footballers are a bunch of big jessies. Imagine 90 minutes of a Tik Tok zoomer telling you why Ronaldo is better than Messi. Heaven.
Oh, we could even roll it out for pundits after the game. Just a channel where instead of the in depth analysis we get at the minute we could have irrelevant ex players spouting whatever nonsense they had already planned to say regardless of the fact that the actual football invalidated it all. Or, or, someone who says a team can’t win the title after beating a team who are top because they were too happy they convincingly beat the team who had only lost once so far this season. Too far? Yeah, that would be ridiculous…
SC, Belfast (the state of football right now…)
More Drury nonsense
Spot on with the recent article about Peter Drury. I’m surprised though that you didn’t mention the absolute best (worst?) example of the problem with Drury. Ronaldo’s return:
“Madeira, Manchester, Madrid, Turin and Manchester again, Reeved in red. Restored to this great gallery of the game. A walking work of art. Vintage. Beyond valuation. Beyond forgery or imitation. 18 years since that trembling teenager of touch and tease first tiptoed onto this storied stage now in his immaculate maturity. CR7 reunited!”
Seriously, what is that? It doesn’t even make sense. “Trembling teenager” When was he trembling? “Beyond forgery” What does that mean? “Beyond valuation” Well, Juventus valued him at €17m.
I don’t mind some of his stuff (I quite liked the goal for all of Africa) but this was garbage.
Mike, LFC, Dubai
…Very accurate on the general annoying nature of Peter Drury’s commentating.
I won’t forget his pronouncement as the two teams lined up in the tunnel at the World Cup in 2006. “It does not get any bigger than this.” Actually it does mate, this was Italy v Germany in the semifinal.
Cheers
Des McManus, London W7
City, Foden, Carragher and more
City fan here. Some random points.
· Well played Brentford. They play some superb football and you do have to wonder where they would be now if Toney hadn’t gotten himself banned (and stayed injury-free obvs). Also, and at the risk of incurring the wrath of Ed QTR, I’d much rather see the likes of Brentford staying in the league than the eternally insipid Palace.
· That Maupay really is a deeply unpleasant individual though, isn’t he? Lots of obvious talent but still manages to be a complete pr*ck at the same time. The 2024 equivalent of Suarez perhaps?
· Had the TalkSport commentary on whilst watching the game and was rewarded with the legend that is Danny Murphy criticising Guardiola’s tactics in the first half. (Then, shock horror, was quick to change his tune when City equalised). And he’s qualified to negatively comment because of all the trophies HE’S won as either a player or manager, right? As has been mentioned in the mailbox recently, we really need the likes of Sky, TNT and TalkSport etc to get away from allowing the likes of Neville, Carragher, Ferdinand and Micah Richards to appear as so-called pundits or as co-comms when it is either their old team playing or their current rivals. They bring nothing to the experience and, when push comes to shove, can barely hide their own tribalism either way.
· Which brings me neatly to the cringe-fest that was Sky’s/Carragher’s attempt to make up for his clearly partisan “Just get down the tunnel” rant against Arsenal by producing a 3+ minute video where he ‘jokingly’ looks at a selection of so-called over the top past celebrations in the PL. It was more embarrassing than Donlad Trump’s ‘hair.’ Sorry Jamie. You lost it because Arsenal battered Liverpool. See the preceding point. Skin-crawlingly excruciating.
· Consider Phil Foden, Bellingham, Rice and all of the rest of the bed-wettingly exciting attacking footballers Gareth Southgate has at his disposal. He’s still going to not only pick Henderson and Maguire but to start them, isn’t he? Southgate is the David Moyes of international football. He wins because of individual spots of brilliance and definitely NOT because of his tactics, team selection or substitutions. If he wins anything in the next major tournament (and we won’t), it will be despite him, not because of him.
· This is going to be a nerve-jangling run-in, I think. I don’t see Arsenal getting across the line purely because they don’t have a 20+ a season goal-scoring striker. If they get one in the summer though, then watch out next year.
· Liverpool, on the other hand, with a fit and firing Salah are, IMHO, a different prospect. Still think they could very well win the PL.
· Respectfully wouldn’t write off Villa at the same time. Stranger things have happened, and they are fourth for a reason.
I’m really happy with City so far this season but, also, am glad that the Prem or any other of the cups available, are far from being a ‘given’. If you’re not watching your team whilst pulling your hair out, hiding behind your sofa, or screaming like a Loon when you win, then what’s the point?
Mark (Now he’s wearing the Liverpool shirt as part of his pyjamas FFS). MCFC
Arsenal loves Klopp
Given his inclination to never manage in this country again, that could well have been the final time Klopp comes to the Emirates with a team.
You will be missed Jurgen. You were a class act and stood head and shoulders above your peers because of that.
P.S. I’m worried Google thinks I’m a Chelsea fan. Chelsea Fan TV is hilarious at the moment.
Graham Simons, Gooner (definitely not a Chelsea fan), Norf London
Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp embrace after a match.
Damned lies and statistics
Just a quick reply to Mike, WHU and his third point regarding Sunday’s game. Man United were not awful, though the first half was probably about even, overall it was a comfortable game for the home team. United never really looked much in trouble and West Ham never really looked much of a threat.
On your stats, lets just say I think you’ve made some of them up. West Ham did indeed have 22 shots, only 3 on target mind. However United has 12 shots not 8, with 5 on target. On the “endless stream of misplaced passes” perhaps it would interest you to know that United made 461 accurate passes (84%) to West Ham’s 442 (83%). Finally your “the most possession of any game this season” is not even close to being true. West Ham enjoyed 49% possession in the game and did relatively f*ck all with it. Your team have managed better possession in 14 games so far this season, 6 of which were Premier League games, the best of these being 64% against Everton at home, which you also lost.
Dave, Manchester
Never forget your first
What a charming and evocative piece of writing from Mark, MCFC.
It simultaneously brought detailed memories of my first game rushing back, and made me look forward to taking my children to their first game in the next few years.
Many thanks for sharing it.
Tom, Guernsey
Stick with Orient
I’d like to follow on from Mark’s lovely tale about taking his lads to see Orient, and hopefully show that in wanting to take them to the Etihad, he may be missing the point.
My nephew is 16, born in south Manchester to a United supporting family, becoming football aware right as we turned sh*te. However, United were our team and I’d regale him with stories of the glory days. Obviously, as a young lad, he began playing the game, and this is where things started to change.
We live in and around Altrincham, and after bouncing between the National League and National League North, the club seemed to change tack and become very, very community focused. Kids coaching, both boys and girls, en masse. There’s an A team, B team, C team etc all through the alphabet for every age group if there’s kids that want to play. So play he did, from under 7s up through to today. Much like his uncle, he’s a bang average footballer, but he loves it.
Here’s the kicker though; the club gives free season tickets to any kid that is playing in their youth sides. So, living within walking distance of the ground, he began to go regularly around age 14. Now, aged 16, he goes to every home game with a group of his mates and they’re the ones making the most noise.
He then did his first away game, Oldham, and said he loved it, so for Christmas I got us tickets to go to top of the table Chesterfield where we narrowly lost 2-1 in January, despite deserving more. It was this game that the penny dropped for me. The ref gave a fairly innocuous 50:50 against us and “f**king hell referee! What the f**k was that?!” came the outburst from my previously innocent (and painfully middle class) young nephew. He’s a young man, chock full of testosterone and there’s little better than singing and chanting in support of your team (as well as hurling some abuse at the opposition and officials). That’s part of what football fandom, in the stadium, is about, especially for young men.
The thing is, to come back to Mark’s entry, you can’t and won’t get that at The Etihad. Top flight stadiums used to be packed with mid to late teens and early twenties lads, they’re the ones who generate the atmosphere. Then, as they grew up and matured and had families, they’d give those season tickets up as the next generation came through. That stopped happening post Sky, and the demographics in the stadium have skewed much older in recent decades. That’s in part why the atmosphere isn’t what it was, and season ticket prices have sky rocketed to make them all but unaffordable for youngsters unless you’ve got rich parents.
Now though, through getting to be a proper “in the stadium” fan, he’s an Alty supporter. He still follows United and will watch them on the telly, but if Alty are at home, he’s there no matter who United are playing. If Alty got United in the cup, he’d be wearing his red and white stripes.
So Mark, encourage your lads to be Orient fans. It’ll be so much more rewarding. My daughter is only 3, but if she’s into football, she’ll be taken to the J Davidson stadium before Old Trafford.
Lewis, Busby Way
The big one
The big managerial departure news this week is the announcement that Stephen Baxter is to step down at the end of the season after 19 years in charge of Crusaders. Baxter (a legendary ex-player for the Crues – “he knows the club”) took the job when the club was penniless and sliding towards relegation. Baxter brought the Crues back up at the first time of asking. He welded together an effective squad from a core of young players who had come through the ranks and shrewd signings. Baxter lifted the Crues to the summit, winning three league titles, four Irish Cups, a League Cup, three County Antrim Shields, the Setanta (All-Ireland) Cup and getting regular European football, including games against Fulham and Wolves. Unprecedented success for the club. He’s leaving at the right time because there was a danger of stagnation. The Crues haven’t competed for the title since 2018 and have slipped down the pecking order. A takeover bid collapsed in 2022. Promising new signings didn’t work out. The direct style of play was yielding diminishing returns and the squad was ageing. The new manager has to do a major rebuild. Baxter will leave the club as a legend, the greatest figure in the history of the Crues, the man responsible for our golden era.
Matthew, Belfast
