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If this is Pep Guardiola’s goodbye to English football, his legacy is unique https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6898463/2025/12/18/pep-guardiola-manchester-city-legacy/ Pep Guardiola was only six months into life as Manchester City coach when he declared, on the second day of 2017, that “the process of my goodbye has already started”. Members of the club’s hierarchy spoke in similar terms in those days. They didn’t imagine he was there for the long haul. They were just determined to enjoy it for the length of his initial three-year contract. Anything beyond that would be a bonus. As much to his own surprise as anyone else’s, Guardiola has stayed for almost a decade. He has led City to six Premier League titles and has won the FA Cup twice and the League Cup four times, as well as adding the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup in that glorious year of 2023. But now, as revealed by The Athletic today, there is a growing belief among well-placed sources that this will be his last season in Manchester. City’s supporters will hope he can be persuaded to stay, recalling that his departure was widely predicted before he extended his contract in November 2020, November 2022, and November 2024, but the mood music sounds different this time. A final decision will not be made until closer to the end of the campaign, but City are advancing contingency plans to prepare for that scenario. Whenever the curtain falls, the legacy Guardiola leaves behind will be enormous. It is not just about the trophies he has won with City. It is also his influence as the leading proponent of a possession-based playing style that was felt by many to be incompatible with English football values when he arrived in 2016. It is now so deeply ingrained in modern coaching circles that it can be traced all the way from the Premier League to the National League to the sodden pitches of Sunday League. What You Should Read Next The Guardiola effect – how Pep has changed English football beyond the Premier League Guardiola has won four titles in five seasons - and the impact he has made beyond the Premier League has never been clearer... Nobody, in today’s football, does it better. He has had a huge transfer budget at his disposal, along with players of the quality of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, and now Rodri, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, but this has not just been an exercise in chequebook management. Guardiola has built brilliant teams and made them even greater than the sum of their expensive parts, while Chelsea and Manchester United, with comparable transfer budgets, have done nothing of the sort. To win six Premier League titles in seven seasons, between 2017-18 and 2023-24, is a level of domination without precedent in English football. So, too, is the number of games they have won and goals they have scored in those title-winning seasons. Just as he did in Spain during his four years in charge at Barcelona, he has redefined expectations about what excellence looks like in the Premier League, both when looking at the record books and when analysing the brilliance of his team’s play. The past 18 months have brought an interruption to the domination, with City finishing third in the Premier League last season following an alarming slump this time last year, and the new campaign has not been without its hiccups. But having moved on experienced players such as Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan and De Bruyne in the summer, Guardiola has moved towards a new crop of younger players and appears to be managing the transition well. Why would he decide to leave now? It is unclear. But perhaps, as with Jurgen Klopp in his final years at Liverpool, he briefly felt invigorated enough to sign a new contract (in Guardiola’s case, a new two-and-a-half-year deal this time last year), only to find himself drawn back towards his initial instinct. In both cases, there was a loyalty element, too, a desire to press ahead with the start of a rebuild. Committing to seeing that cycle through to some kind of conclusion is a different matter entirely. Pep Guardiola has won it all at Manchester CityMichael Steele/Getty Images It is a mark of Guardiola’s unexpected longevity in Manchester that at one time, early in his tenure, the club’s former midfielder Patrick Vieira, who was coaching City Football Group’s Major League Soccer franchise New York City, was regarded internally as a prime candidate to succeed him. So was Mikel Arteta, who was his assistant in Manchester before leaving to take the Arsenal job in December 2019. Former City captain Vincent Kompany, now in charge of Bayern Munich, was felt to be emerging as a potential Guardiola successor as he led Burnley to promotion to the Premier League in impressive style in 2023. Right now, there are strong indications that the City hierarchy will place Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca high among their list of candidates should Guardiola step aside. That is an intriguing prospect, not least because Maresca has spent most of his 18 months in charge of Chelsea battling to convince the outside world that he merits the faith the club has shown in him. There is no doubt he is a talented, intelligent coach, but those flourishes of real promise at Chelsea have been interspersed by periods of crisis or at least self-doubt for a relatively inexperienced coach and an inexperienced group of players. He has looked more authoritative in his second season at Stamford Bridge than in his first, emboldened by winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup, but there are still frequent questions about the way he sets up his team, whether he is capable of delivering collective improvement on the scale Chelsea need, and whether he has the composure to ease the tensions that can blow up around a team rather than inflame them, as has been the case with his public comments over the past week. Maresca is instantly identifiable as a follower of the Guardiola doctrine (even if Guardiola himself would prefer to suggest that his inspiration comes from Marcelo Bielsa, now in charge of the Uruguay national team). Maresca has frequently described Guardiola as a “genius”, having worked under him first when coaching City’s under-21 team and then as an assistant at first-team level; Guardiola, for his part, recently described Maresca as “one of the best managers in the world” in a press conference. So many of today’s leading coaches have been influenced by Guardiola — in many cases directly. The coaches of Chelsea (Maresca) and Arsenal (Arteta) worked alongside him at City, as did Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique at Barcelona. The coaches of Bayern Munich (Kompany) and Real Madrid (Xabi Alonso) played under him and learned from him at City and Bayern Munich. Cesc Fabregas, whose reputation as a coach is growing at Italian club Como, played under Guardiola at Barcelona. So did Barcelona assistant coach Thiago Alcantara. Liverpool coach Arne Slot is another devotee, having told Dutch magazine Voetbal International in 2023 that Guardiola’s approach “gives me the ultimate pleasure in football”. What You Should Read Next Xavi, Arteta, Kompany – all Pep Guardiola’s disciples, and all top of the league The coaching influence of the Manchester City manager is obvious in the table-toppers from the Premier League, Championship and La Liga This level of influence at the very highest level of the game is not normal. Coaches as successful as Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho inspire great respect and admiration among their peers, as did Sir Alex Ferguson and others in the past, but Guardiola’s influence — both direct and indirect — is unparalleled in the modern game. The positive aspect of that, for City, is that identifying coaches who follow a similar football philosophy should not be as difficult as it once would have been. The trouble is that any coach modelling himself on Guardiola runs the risk of being seen as Guardiola Lite. Perhaps the most underrated aspect of Guardiola’s management is the insatiable appetite he has fostered in his teams. Just as Ferguson was underestimated as a tactician, so are Guardiola’s powers of man-management too easily glossed over. But the intensity with which he works — day after day, week after week, season after season — is obvious, as are the demands he puts on his players to ensure that the team’s standards do not slip. Winning six league titles in seven seasons, when competing with teams of the quality of Klopp’s Liverpool and, more recently, Arteta’s Arsenal, speaks volumes. There is a large elephant in the room: this glorious Manchester City era has unfolded against a backdrop of serious allegations about the club’s financial conduct. With a resolution to the Premier League’s investigation into alleged breaches of final regulations expected soon — though we have been saying that for 12 months — there will be an assumption in some quarters that any decision on Guardiola’s future might be pinned to the outcome. But The Athletic has been given no indication that this is the case. It is nonetheless astonishing that we are still waiting for the Premier League’s independent commission to announce the findings of an investigation into allegations that were first published by German newspaper Der Spiegel in late 2018. City deny any wrongdoing, but, depending on the outcome, the club’s outstanding achievements over the past 15 seasons might come to be seen in a very different light. What You Should Read Next Why an asterisk by Manchester City’s achievements could suit everyone Here's how ongoing scepticism about Manchester City's achievements probably works for everyone, even City fans But these are — and have always been — questions for City’s owners and executive team, not for Guardiola or for the many players who have been drawn to the club over the past decade and more. City’s huge commercial growth in the years under investigation enabled them to attract Guardiola and all those top-class players in the first place, but his record in Barcelona, Munich and Manchester leaves the impression that if he had not joined City, he would have had comparable success elsewhere. It is obvious to say he will leave a void at City when he departs. It is equally obvious to say his departure could create an opportunity for rival clubs to exploit. City have won six of the past eight Premier League titles and, after an uncertain start to the campaign, have now moved within two points of Arsenal at the top. There must have been times in recent seasons when Arteta (and Klopp previously) has found himself counting down the days on Guardiola’s contract at City, only for him to sign a new one. Manchester City fans unveil a banner asking Pep Guardiola to stay in 2024Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images But that last two-year contract extension, which Guardiola signed late last year, always had the look of a “steadying the ship” gesture — designed to help City through a difficult period both on and off the pitch, coinciding with a bleak run of results, the transition from one sporting director (Txiki Begiristain) to another (Hugo Viana) — rather than a resounding statement of long-term intent. Even at the time, the theory was proposed that this season might be his last. Guardiola looked exhausted this time last year, showing signs of the pressure that was taking a toll in what proved to be his most arduous season in Manchester. He has looked much more relaxed so far this season, but again, perhaps there is a parallel with Klopp two years ago. There are dark, lonely times in management, so when someone can see light at the end of the tunnel at last, that can sometimes have a liberating effect. City’s supporters will hope he can be persuaded to give it one more year. They will dust down that banner in his native Catalan telling him “volem que et quedis” (we want you to stay) and they will wonder whether, if the second half of the season is to turn into a farewell tour, it will encompass victory in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in March, the FA Cup final in May 16, another Premier League title win (with Aston Villa their opponents at the Etihad Stadium on the final day, just like in 2022), or indeed the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30. But now, after nine and a half years, the process of Guardiola’s goodbye seems to be starting, so the task of finding his successor must be confronted with added urgency. Whoever is chosen, whoever accepts the challenge, Guardiola will be the ultimate hard act to follow. By Oliver Kay Football Writer

What is pubalgia, the chronic groin condition afflicting Lamine Yamal, Cole Palmer, Franco Mastantuono, and Nico Williams? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6866405/2025/12/09/what-is-pubalgia-the-chronic-groin-condition-afflicting-yamal-palmer-and-williams/ Pop quiz, hotshot: What two things do Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono, Athletic Club’s Nico Williams and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer all have in common? All are wingers and, in recent months, all four have been diagnosed with an injury called ‘pubalgia’, a chronic groin injury causing pain in the lower abdomen and groin, and which has previously affected Lionel Messi. The injuries have been disruptive to both the players and their clubs’ campaigns. Palmer has made just six appearances for Chelsea this season, completing 90 minutes only twice, and is being rested for the Champions League game against Atalanta tonight as the club aim to manage his workload. Williams, meanwhile, has missed seven games for Athletic Club. Yamal has only been ruled out of five matches but Barcelona and Spain have clashed over the handling of his condition. The Catalans had accused the national team of not “taking care” of the player when he aggravated his groin while on international duty in September, while Spain expressed “surprise and displeasure” at Yamal being withdrawn from their squad by Barcelona for their November fixtures. Here, The Athletic digs deeper into pubalgia, what causes it, why certain players are affected more than others and what can be done about it. What is pubalgia? Pubalgia is actually an umbrella term that can include a number of different issues in the same area, says former Manchester United physiotherapist David Binningsley. “It’s a generic term that encompasses pain around the groin referred from structures such as tendon, joint, fascia and nerve pathology,” says Binningsley. “The groin includes the adductor muscles, which flow into the muscles of the abdomen and they’re all linked across the pubic symphysis (a joint located at the front of the pelvis where the left and right pubic bones are joined). The general term for any pain around that area will be classed as pubalgia.” That means that all four of the players mentioned above could actually be suffering from different injuries, such as an adductor tear, abdominal strain or a hernia-related problem. Cole Palmer has spent much of this season on the sidelines Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images Are wingers more susceptible to these injuries? It is probably not a coincidence that Yamal, Mastantuono, Williams and Palmer all operate in wide positions, according to Geoff Scott, a high-performance specialist who worked in the Premier League for 20 years, most recently as head of medicine and sports science at Tottenham Hotspur. “Wingers and wide players are particularly vulnerable to groin problems because their game demands repeated high-speed running, rapid changes of direction, and explosive acceleration and decelerations,” he says. “These movements place a significant load on the adductor complex, especially when sprint volumes increase sharply.” Binningsley also points to the unilateral nature of the position, stressing that the wider players will be using one foot a lot of the time. “In terms of the high accelerations and decelerations, you will probably find that a winger is favouring one side compared to a player who is more central,” he says. He highlights a recent research paper which concluded that when players execute a maximal deceleration from a sprint, almost 14 times their bodyweight goes through the hip joint. It’s an injury that players can develop on both sides, explains Binningsley, usually concurrently because they will rehab the problem on one side and overlook the other. “I’ve got an interesting case at the minute,” says Binningsley, who has set up his own clinic since leaving United. “He’s had groin pain on one side and you come in and measure him and he’s 35 per cent down (in strength) on that side. I said, ‘What have you done?’ He went, ‘Well, I’ve just rehabbed the other side,’ but he’s focused on functional movement strengthening, not isolated muscle rehab.” Is age also a factor? Yamal and Mastantuono are 18, while Williams and Palmer are both 23, and Scott says that age can play a role in susceptibility to injuries around the groin. “We see this even more frequently in younger players making the transition into first-team football: the sudden jump in training intensity, match tempo, and high-speed running can create dramatic changes in load that the groin simply isn’t conditioned for yet,” he says. “Without careful management of these situations, the risk of adductor injuries can rise considerably.” Dr Sean Cumming is a professor in paediatric exercise science at the University of Bath and internationally recognised as a leading expert on growth and maturation in sports. He explains that there are certain parts of the skeleton that, in an average male, are not fully developed until the age of 21 or 22. “These are areas called the apophyses,” says Cumming. “These are little bony sites where the tendon attaches from the muscle through to the bone, and those sites are on the hip and pelvis.” Franco Mastantuono joined Real Madrid in the summer Angel Martinez/Getty Images Cumming stresses the importance of not overloading these players, as does Binningsley, who points to the “growing demands of the game.” Palmer and Mastantuono played in FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup over the summer; they are also, along with Yamal and Williams, full internationals with all the travel and playing demands that involve. “This is the concern that everyone in football has got: that guys are getting 10 days off maximum before they’re back in for pre-season,” Binningsley says. Once the season has started, there is little opportunity for respite for those who are playing internationally, too. “The players who are not internationals can get around 10 days off each international break, which helps them to settle injuries down,” Binningsley adds. “Then you’ve got the ones who have been selected (for their country) who have the game demands of playing in Europe and playing Premier League or La Liga every week.” Game density is the most-used term among most backroom teams these days, looking at the number of games a player has had in a certain amount of time. “If you look at a seven-day load in terms of training and games, then you look at a 28-day chronic load, these guys are constantly at the top in terms of minutes, metres per minute, distance covered, sprint distance,” says Binningsley. “And it’s all an overuse thing.” How are they treated and prevented? In terms of the approach to dealing with these injuries, Binningsley says it will be similar no matter what the exact issue. He explains that most are tendon-based problems which will be best treated with isometric exercises (a form of static strength training where muscles are contracted and held in place without changing their length or the angle of the joint — these can include squeezing a small ball between the knees for increasing durations), shockwave therapy (a treatment that uses high-energy sound waves to treat the injured area) and radio frequency treatment which involves using high-frequency waves to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin. Platelet-rich plasma injections, whereby a sample of the patient’s own blood is taken, spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets and growth factors and injected into the injured body part to promote a healing response, have also been used — though the evidence on its efficacy is less convincing. “Whatever modality you treat it with, a tendon is going to take six to eight weeks to fully heal,” says Binningsley, although he adds that players can return from smaller tendon injuries after four or five weeks “because the rest of the tendon can take up the slack.” More serious tendon issues can leave a player on the sidelines for up to 12 weeks. Nico Williams is another who has suffered with groin problems Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images But what about prevention: could more be done to guard against these injuries occurring? For a physiotherapist, the answer to that is always going to be a resounding ‘yes,’ especially in an environment where the time available for strength work is minimal once a season is underway. “We say, ‘We’ll microdose this and we’ll microdose that,’ so you get a little hit of adductors or hamstrings post one game. Then a little bit after the next game to hit quads and abductors. But how many clubs are doing it?” asks Binningsley. “How many players do it? Are we standing over them, watching them do every single set and repetition? Probably not.” It doesn’t help much that the isometric exercises, which are most beneficial for strengthening the groin area, are not the most exciting. But in terms of injury prevention, the squeezes and holds are effective, and don’t leave players with any muscle soreness because there is no eccentric component to them. “They’re basically telling the muscle, ‘You need to work and this is going to have to switch on,’” says Binningsley. “It’s about neuromuscular facilitation; the brain knows and the body knows it’s going to have to work and this is what we’re activating it with. “It’s not the sexy side of training that you see on Instagram. But this is more beneficial for you.”

Palace drew 2 2 against a Finnish side at Selhurst so they now have to play in the play-off rounds instead of staight qualifying

3 1 FT Barco is a baller in MF

2 1 Strasbourg scored Godo (who had scored before, but VAR chalked it off)

Chilwell just missed a complete sitter that would have put Strasbourg up 2 1 and probably guaranteed they finish top of the entire 36 team Conference League table every person on this board would have likely scored, it was that easy of a finish

Maignan was a shitshow tonight in the Italian SuperCup Napoli beats AC Milan 2 nil in Saudi Arabia

Another reason why we need to get rid of Maresca, didn't give him a single chance to show his worth.

Crazy, hope all of Caicedo family is in England and stays safe.

City can have him with both arms, yes we could get an even worse one with these cowboys but Maresca is nothing but a middle on the road coach and will never be a top coach, wouldn't lose any sleep if he goes to City even likelier that City will be done as a dominant force with him.

They wont be...

💣There is a lot of tension behind the scenes at Chelsea. Jorge Mendes, Enzo Maresca’s agent has a good relationship with the sporting director at Man City. (@SkySports)

Violence in Ecuador is out of hand. I think the president wants to do something similar as Bukele from El Salvador but I'm not sure if it can be done.

His team mate Mario Pineida has died. Local media reported that Pineida was shot on Wednesday by two people on motorbikes who opened fire on him, his mother and another woman outside a shop in the north of the city. Ecuador defender Mario Pineida has died at the age of 33 after being shot in Guayaquil.

Roman Abramovich defies PM and clings on to £2.5bn for Ukraine Keir Starmer had told the Russian oligarch the ‘clock is ticking’ over proceeds from his sale of Chelsea Football Club that were promised to Ukraine war victims https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/starmer-threatens-to-seize-25bn-from-abramovich-after-Chelsea-sale-nn97gcfzl Roman Abramovich will defy Sir Keir Starmer’s order to hand over £2.5 billion of his assets to help Ukraine. The Russian businessman, who is subject to UK sanctions, believes he has a watertight legal case to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club will be donated on his terms. The prime minister threatened ­on Wednesday to seize the money but sources close to Abramovich insisted it was the government that needed to abide by an agreement that was made when the club was sold in May 2022. President Zelensky is due to meet European leaders in Brussels on Thursday in an effort to secure frozen Russian assets worth €210 billion for the defence of Ukraine, despite US pressure against the move. Washington is warning privately that it will demand “the money back” if the European Union and Britain try to take it. “The Europeans are going to have to give it back,” said a source close to internal US discussions on reclaiming the Russian funds. President Putin described European leaders as “little pigs” in a vitriolic speech in which he also said Russia would use any means necessary to capture the territory in Ukraine it claims as its own. Politico reported that the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund is ­expected to meet the US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami for talks at the weekend. • Roman Abramovich accuses government of ‘paralysing’ billions for war victims Starmer said the Treasury had issued a licence that permits the transfer of the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea into a new humanitarian foundation for Ukraine. Abramovich believes the money should be used to help victims on both sides of the war. Starmer said: “My message to Abramovich is this: the clock is ticking. Honour the commitment that you made and pay up now, and if you don’t, we’re prepared to go to court so every penny reaches those whose lives have been torn apart by Putin’s illegal warfare.” Chelsea was sold after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. A consortium led by Todd Boehly, an American businessman, and Clearlake Capital bought the club for £2.5 billion. It is understood that Abramovich has received a letter from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, giving him a deadline of March 17 to donate the funds, although it does not mention possible court action. • Fears Ukraine war victims will get less than half of £2.35bn Chelsea sale Sources close to the Russian insist nothing has changed because under the licence issued in 2022 and the legal ­undertaking he gave at the time, the £2.5 billion had to go to a charitable foundation run by the former Unicef executive Mike Penrose and to help all victims of the war. The government has insisted the money has to be used on charitable projects in Ukraine. Some £2.35 billion is frozen in the bank account of Abramovich’s company Fordstam. However, latest company ­accounts show £1.429 billion of that is owed to Camberley International ­Investments, a Jersey-registered company owned by Abramovich. The accounts state “the net proceeds of sale, after allowing for other balance sheet items” would be given to a charitable foundation. The Camberley money is part of £5.3 billion of Abramovich’s cash that has been frozen by the Jersey courts since 2022 and is the subject of a complicated legal case there. Abramovich’s representatives say the £1.429 billion cannot be released to the charitable foundation until that legal action is dropped by the Jersey government. Stephen Doughty, the Foreign Office minister overseeing the case, said: “We are very confident … about what was agreed and what needs to be done and it is for him now to fulfil that. If he doesn’t, we will set up a foundation and we will take the necessary steps.” Doughty said that due to interest the sum in Fordstam’s account had risen from £2.35 billion to £2.5 billion. He added: “Jersey is a crown dependency and subject to sanctions regimes in the same way as the United Kingdom and we’re very confident about the position that we’ve taken.”

He turns 18yo (born August 30, 2008) the day before the summer 2026 transfer window closes on August 31, 2026, so he could have come here (and been loaned out, obviously) Djylian N’Guessan (Saint-Étienne) – Scout Report https://targetscouting.com/2025/07/25/djylian-nguessan-saintetienne-scout-report/ (from July 2025) Djylian N’Guessan is a 16-year-old French/Algerian striker who currently plays for St Etienne and was part of the French U17 side that recently lost to Portugal in the final of the UEFA U17 European Championship in Albania. He scored four goals for his country and had a total of eight shots on target during the tournament. At 5’11”, N’Guessan may still have some physical development to come, but he already shows good strength in 1v1 duels, both on the ground and in the air. Although he lost more aerial duels, this was largely due to facing stronger opponents, such as Germany and Portugal. N’Guessan has a good spring when attacking headers, and he doesn’t shy away from physical contact. He will sometimes drop deep, pulling defenders out of position, which creates space for teammates. He links play well with intelligent first-time passes into feet. The player is quick and explosive. He is happy to drop in, link up, then sprint into the penalty area, often arriving around the 12-yard line to wait for cutbacks. These short bursts of pace are a common feature of his game. He is very athletic and instinctive. N’Guessan also shows good upper-body strength to hold off defenders or opponents tracking his runs. However, one concern is his stamina. In high-intensity matches, he can become tired and sluggish as the game progresses. With consistent strength and conditioning as he reaches 17 and beyond, I expect his stamina will improve over the next five years. In possession, N’Guessan operated mostly centrally (as a false 9), but he would also drift wide to the left and cut in to shoot with his favored right foot. He has a great first touch and is comfortable playing first-time passes to teammates making advanced runs. He displays excellent close control and composure when dribbling in tight spaces and is confident in the channels, often taking on full-backs or central defenders. His shooting tends to be very accurate, and he usually looks to place his shots. He is comfortable both facing play and with his back to goal. His ability to bring the ball down with his chest and then find a teammate with a short pass is excellent. His short passing is precise and intentional. The way he positions his body and maintains balance in possession is impressive. N’Guessan demonstrates good technique in congested areas to find teammates and consistently shows the ability to play on the shoulder or drop into deeper pockets. In the box, he is sharp and composed but sometimes tries to do too much when a simple shot would suffice. Out of possession (as seen against Germany), France alternated between a 4-5-1 mid-block and a 4-4-2, with N’Guessan the most advanced player in both formations. As a lone striker or false 9, he presses aggressively, forcing mistakes and helping reclaim possession high up the pitch. He shows good intelligence and positional awareness. However, as matches progress, he tends to tire and becomes less willing to press or close down passing lanes. As a striker in a front two, he sometimes seems unsure whether he or his partner should press or hold position, which leads to frustration. He tends to lose focus when fatigued. N’Guessan has a very bright future ahead of him. He is already showing excellent potential and is a tremendous young athlete. Certain aspects of his game—particularly stamina over 90 minutes and concentration levels—need improvement. Another season with St Etienne in Ligue 2 would be ideal for his development, although a return to Ligue 1 wouldn’t be surprising. A move to a Bundesliga club (e.g., Mainz or Werder Bremen) could offer an even better platform for his growth.

Because the October CPI was canceled, Thursday’s report did not have all the usual data points of a typical CPI release. The BLS said it was unable to retroactively collect the October data, but did use some “nonsurvey data sources” to make the index calculations. my add: Also, tens of millions of Americans, starting January 1st, 2026 and onward, are going to be crushed with new health insurance premium costs, in many cases over 1000 USD per month or more just in increases.

Palace have 3 games in next 6 days (tonight, then Saturday, then Tuesday). That is madness, especially for such a low-depth squad. The will also be without 3 key players: RB Daniel Muñoz and DMF Cheick Doucouré are out injured, plus RW/AMF Ismaïla Sarr is off to Africa with Senegal's national team for a month. CB Chadi Riad is also out until January.

Chelsea have reportedly made an offer of €8 million for Djylian N’Guessan, the highly rated 17-year-old striker from AS Saint-Étienne (Ligue 2). However, Saint-Étienne have already rejected the opening bid. (Bernard Lions | @lequipe)

November consumer prices rose at a 2.7% annual rate, lower than expected, delayed data shows The consumer price index rose at a 2.7% annualized rate last month, a delayed report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected CPI to have risen 3.1%. Core CPI, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, was also cooler than anticipated, increasing 2.6% over 12 months. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/18/cpi-inflation-report-november-2025.html Still waiting on that Tariff Inflation we was promised.....

I have no real love for Maresca at all, believe me. I won’t shed a tear if he ends up going. I’m just worried that we’d replace him with someone who’s even more unproven and even more of a puppet. Any Maresca replacement has to be an established, top quality manager who instantly commands respect from the players. None of this super young and “learning on the job” stuff.

How is it if we fail A,B & C it’s only the directors fault? Only the directors fault we can’t beat Qarabag or Atalanta? Only the directors fault if we finish below Villa, Newcastle and United? I want the directors gone before anything else, but Maresca is a bang average manager. No way would City appoint him if Txiki was still there. This will be the downfall of their dynasty.

Can absolutely see him jumping ship to City depending on how the rest of this season goes. If we finish strongly and in the top 4 again then he’ll probably stay and continue to build us into a proper top team. If we fuck it all up and don’t achieve UCL football I think he walks. I’m just terrified of what this board will do to replace him if he does go. Probably appoint Rosenoir which would be incredibly stupid.

That would be a disaster. But I wouldn't be surprised if the idiots running the club, would be more than happy to let him go, especially after he started moaning about them.