Vesper

I have NO idea why they do not have a simple set of cams direct on the sidelines on each end and each side

unreal that the Henderson kick was not ruled out robbery again

stream for West Ham v Manure we are soon back home http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/premier-league-west-ham-united-vs-manchester-united-s1/

My last post before we get ready and go out for our birthdays Why Chelsea hate Leeds. And does it matter any more? https://theathletic.com/2236979/2020/12/04/chelsea-leeds-rivalry-hate/ It is the kind of question that might get asked in a sports quiz among friends or down the local pub: what is the most watched football game between two clubs in the history of UK television? To the younger generation it would be understandable if their guesses included Manchester United v Liverpool or Arsenal v Tottenham. The answer is Chelsea v Leeds. In 1970, 28.49 million people tuned in to watch the two sides battle it out, quite literally, in an FA Cup final replay which the west London club won to secure the second major trophy in their history. Only England’s World Cup triumph in 1966, Princess Diana’s funeral, a special documentary on the royal family and the dramatic return of spaceship Apollo 13 has attracted more viewers. The incredible figure reflected the country’s great interest in what had become a fierce rivalry, one which older Chelsea supporters still regard as the second most important behind Tottenham but may come as a mystery to the new generation. After all, the teams’ grounds are 200 miles apart and until this campaign, the clubs hadn’t been in the same division for the previous 16 seasons. A lot of FA Cup finals don’t live long in the memory, but what happened in 1970 left a lasting impression on those who saw it. Chelsea won the rematch 2-1 (and celebrated below) after the first encounter finished 2-2, but it was the ferocious tackling that people still speak about. Earlier this year, Premier League match official Michael Oliver re-refereed the game using today’s rules and admitted he would have sent 11 players off. On the night itself, Leeds striker Mick Jones was the only one to get booked by referee Eric Jennings. But that clash was 50 years ago. There have been another 50 fixtures between Chelsea and Leeds since then, the last of which was eight years ago in the EFL Cup. What relevance does this contest have for fans of either club today? “The reason the rivalry has carried on is it’s been handed down,” Chelsea historian Rick Glanvill explains. “I have two sons who are Chelsea fans. When they came with me to games, they would hear the stories. For some people, it might be when they were in the pub before a game, a Leeds match would be on the TV and their supporters are singing about Chelsea. That would raise questions. “It’s something that would regularly come up. If someone said, ‘I see Leeds are winning’ a member of the group would say ‘dirty Leeds’. The younger ones ask why and then it’s explained to them. It’s part of the pageantry of football.” That sense of loathing doesn’t seem to be quite what it once was. When The Athletic conducted a poll among Chelsea fans in April over which team they despise the most, some questioned why Leeds, who picked up just 4.1 per cent of the vote, were on the list of options alongside Spurs (58.6 per cent), Arsenal (26.7 per cent) and Liverpool (10.6 per cent). But as Chelsea prepare to face Leeds on Saturday evening, many of their followers still can’t wait to see hostilities resume even if, apart from the lucky 2,000 ticketholders, they are having to watch from home. Glanvill continues: “This all stems from what happened between them in the late 1960s. They were involved in a lot of big games near the top of the table and in cup competitions. Then there was the 1970 FA Cup final. It was a case of familiarity breeds contempt. It was like what Chelsea and Liverpool went through when Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez were managers and kept playing each other in the Champions League as well as the domestic competitions. “But why Chelsea v Leeds resonated so much is it was about more than just football. At the same time society was changing. When the Swinging Sixties was happening, one of the epicentres of that was Chelsea. They were the King’s Road club, glamourous, stylish, had a feeling of youth and the buzz of London. There was a creative explosion. Due to that, the media attention focused more on Chelsea and Leeds felt left behind because of it. “The media played up the differences between the two teams. Leeds were stereotyped as Yorkshire grit, salt of the earth. Don Revie, their manager, had his players playing bingo, that’s how they passed the time. Whereas Chelsea were going out to expensive restaurants with fashion designers and photographers. It played into the ‘southern softies’ mantra. Revie actually said ‘southerners are too soft to win the title’. “It was a football civil war. It reflected the north-south divide. I think events of late have added to the socio-economic divide, the feelings of resentment that London gets everything and the north is treated differently. The residue of those football clashes is what you hear echoes of in the songs you hear today.” Go on YouTube and type in “We all hate Leeds’ or Leeds’ version of “Wash your mouth out son” and you will see clips from both sets of supporters singing about the other even when their teams are playing somebody else. Chelsea fan and broadcaster Rory Jennings can vouch for that. “Before fans were prevented from going to games by COVID, anyone who went to Stamford Bridge would pick up on it. Chelsea will be playing a lower league club in the FA Cup on a Tuesday night and there will be a song about Leeds. “Is it still a rivalry? 100 per cent. It’s ingrained. The animosity, the venom, the hatred, it’s still palpable. We’d sing about Leeds every week. It’s still alive. It’s not as ferocious as it once was, but now we are playing each other again, and there are things at stake, controversial decisions, it will all come flooding back.” Jennings was a teenager when Leeds last came to Stamford Bridge in 2004. The visitors, whose relegation from the Premier League had been confirmed a fortnight before, lost 1-0. “It was rough,” he says. “That was one of two occasions where I’ve been scared being at a game. It was really bad. They brought so many fans down, lots without an intention of going to the match and Chelsea aren’t shy in that department either. “The final day of the season usually has a carnival atmosphere. That wasn’t the case this day. There were riot police, horses. There was venom in the crowd. As far as how Chelsea fans viewed Leeds football-wise that day, it was dancing on their grave. “There is a cultural difference. In their eyes we are Cockney upstarts. They feel they’re a proper club with a soul and we’re this tinpot club who won the lottery because owner Roman Abramovich took over. We are the flash Londoners, Millwall with money. “To someone who doesn’t get it, the strength of feeling, go look at that 1970 FA Cup final. It may feel like an irrational rivalry but it stems from years of angst between the two clubs.” The host of BlueLionsTV, who likes to be referred to as NiiNii, shares the dislike of Leeds but has noticed on his channel and Twitter account that the sentiment isn’t shared universally. “There are so many modern fans who it might not matter too as much, new fans who look to Manchester United or Arsenal instead,” he says. “Judging by what I’ve seen from Chelsea fans online, you don’t see Leeds being talked about as much. There wasn’t too much chat about it when they got promoted from the Championship, there hasn’t been earlier this week ahead of the game. Maybe that will be the case closer to kick-off. “It needs something to get it going again. Most rivalries come down to who are we most competing against to win this trophy, to get that position. Some rivalries get a little bit lost over time because they’re not as relevant. To a lot of people it doesn’t matter.” No doubt Chelsea coach Frank Lampard will make sure it matters to his players. He was playing for the club in midfield when the fixture last had a bit of competitive spice to it. When he joined from West Ham in 2001, Leeds were big spenders and on a three-year run of finishing above Chelsea in the table (1999-2002). And his own frosty relationship with Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa means the final scoreline will be just as important to him personally as what three points will do for Chelsea’s title challenge. For Jennings, who is one of the 2,000 in attendance, there is a lot at stake. “My in-laws are all Leeds fans,” he says. “There has been a lot of exchanges between myself and the brother-in-law all week. Leeds fans have this moral superiority thing going on of, ‘We’re a bigger club, we’re box-office’. I’m pleased they’re back in the Premier League so this game is back on again but not only do I want Chelsea to win this, I want them to be relegated.”

I sorta cheated, as I heard it on the telly, when they showed the last time those cunts beat us. But I will not spoil. I had no clue it was him btw. Once a bellend, always a bellend.!

Friday December 4 2020 Football Nerd Burnley and Leeds United are Premier League outliers By Daniel Zeqiri Fans enjoy debating styles of play, with teams given credit for trying to play the 'right way', but how can we actually measure this rather nebulous concept? One statistic becoming more widely quoted is Opta's Build Up Attacks: sequences of 10 or more passes that end with a shot or touch in the box. This metric can help determine which teams attack in a more continuous, possession-based way and which create opportunities from shorter, direct moves. Build Up Attacks Against can indicate which teams disrupt opponents through proactive defending and which employ a more passive approach. Sean Dyche's Burnley for example, have completed fewer build up attacks than any team in the Premier League, just five in nine games, which is no surprise given they prioritise gaining territory rather than mastering possession. Chelsea have established themselves as one of the most technically impressive teams in the division, their 40 build up attacks one clear of Manchester City's 39. I analyse where each Premier League team stands in this interesting metric here. Want more sport in your inbox? Sign up to receive our Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal newsletter

VIDEO: CHELSEA V LEEDS | A HISTORY OF THE RIVALRY... https://www.chelseafc.com/en/videos/v/2020/12/03/chelsea-v-leeds---a-rivalry-renewed----oyk64cRx Type: Features Posted on: 04 Dec 2020, 08:00 AM 3:37 MINS It may have been a while, but there's certainly no love lost between Chelsea and Leeds United. We took a look through the history of the fixture ahead of the rivalry being renewed on Saturday...

A feelgood vibe not seen in north London since Springsteen rocked N7 Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Fans back at Arsenal, earlier. Photograph: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Getty Images Niall McVeigh @niallmcveigh HATCHETS AND BOGEYMEN The Fiver is a cynical soul, but even we had to at least attempt a smile at the sight of 2,000 Arsenal fans turning up for Big Vase action on Thursday night and – checks notes – actually cheering on Mikel Arteta’s team, creating a feelgood vibe not seen at the Emirates since Bruce Springsteen rocked N7 back in 2008. But wait, who’s this? It’s bogeyman José Mourinho, trudging wearily into view. Mourinho has never lost at home to Arsenal in the Premier League and won’t fancy starting on Sunday, when startled Spurs fans will return to see their team in title contention for the the Norf La’hn derby. Is Mourinho happy to see them back? “It depends on the fans. Do they want to go to the most beautiful stadium in England and enjoy that? Or do they want to go to play the game?” Mourinho barked, hurling shirts at bewildered punters outside Craven Cottage. Harry Kane missed the knockabout 3-3 Big Vase draw against Lask, so will Arsenal’s other bogeyman be fit for Sunday? “I’m not sure,” Mourinho said. “He’s having treatment but I could be doing some bluff and pretend he’s in trouble, but he’s not and I think he’ll play.” Whether Mourinho is bluffing, double-bluffing or simply bluffing himself, we’re not sure – but Arteta has his own issues up front, namely the disappearance of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moments after signing a fat new contract in September. “When your top scorer is not scoring goals of course you are concerned,” Arteta muttered, showing the kind of analytical chops that have him marked out as the next Marcelo Bielsa. Arsenal return reminded me that matchdays are such a precious ritual | Tim Stillman Read more Speaking of which (see what we did there), Bielsa’s Leeds take on Frank Lampard’s Chelsea in a game that might be an even beefier meeting. The two clubs’ historical rivalry has added spice thanks to the Spygate scandal that erupted between Leeds and Frank Lampard’s Former Club Derby County, back in early 2019. Have the managers buried the hatchet? “The relationship I have with [FLCMFL] is similar to the ones I have with the rest of my colleagues,” Bielsa mused, via a translation from whichever unfortunate Leeds tracksuit was nearby when he started talking. “I am not going to dwell on it going into this game,” added Lampard. “It was a great story at the time. It is long gone and I respect him and Leeds.” Sigh. At least Jürgen Klopp has come out swinging - although not in the direction of Liverpool’s weekend opponents, Wolves (“nothing bad to say about them”). Instead, Klopp took aim at Gary Neville’s claim that sticking with three substitutes has made the Premier League more competitive. “I got numbers from the Scottish league, they had 65% substitutions for load management,” Klopp barked, veering dangerously close to going Full Van Gaal during a five-minute freestyle funk. Hang on, what’s that weird sensation? Wait, The Fiver is smiling again! QUOTE OF THE DAY “We are disappointed with the behaviour which doesn’t represent the standards the team upholds. The player is remorseful and has now left the club” – Charlton confirm that Madelene Wright is no longer an Addicks player after videos emerged on social media disgrace SnapTok showing her allegedly inhaling from a balloon at a party and drinking champagne while driving. FIVER LETTER “Re: pleonasms (Fiver letters passim). I keep seeing correspondence regarding the use of unnecessary words in phrases. It’s like deja vu all over again” – David Mills. “I think Porto are still upset with Manchester City (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs) because their fans sang to Hulk: ‘You’re not incredible’” – Paul Ruffley. Send your letters to [email protected]. And you can always tweet The Fiver via @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our letter o’the day prize is … Paul Ruffley, who wins a copy of The Got, Not Got Football Gift Book – Every Fan’s Catalogue of Desires, by Derek Hammond and Gary Silke [postage available to UK only, sorry – Fiver Postal Ed]. RECOMMENDED SHOPPING Available at our print shop now, Tom Jenkins’s pictures of the past decade. Including this classic. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian NEWS, BITS AND BOBS It took only those 2,000 socially distanced Gooners to get Ainsley Maitland-Niles pumped up like Technotronic. “It is just great to have that sound back,” he whooped after Arsenal’s 4-1 Big Vase win over Rapid Vienna. “That atmosphere, that is our 12th man so it was great to have the fans back.” In insert-your-own-punchline news, Ed Woodward has distanced Manchester United from a European super league. Meanwhile, United are to install 1,500 rail seats early next year as they prepare to trial safe standing at Old Trafford. Nice have bundled Patrick Vieira through the door marked Faire Un after a five-match losing streak. “Patrick put all his heart and professionalism into his service for Nice over the last two and a half years of their collaboration,” cheered the club, somewhat damningly. Olivier Giroud reckons if he keeps scoring four goals a game he probably won’t need to leave Chelsea to book his place in France’s Euro 2020(ish) squad. “I am pretty sure I can get some more game time and stay at Chelsea,” he blabbed. “I want to win trophies with Chelsea so basically that’s it.” The current longest-serving Premier League manager, Sean Dyche, has been growling at hacks who asked whether he was surprised to have lasted so long at Burnley. “I believe I know quite a lot about what I’m doing!” he roared. “I don’t think it’s easy for English and British managers at the moment to get 200 games in the Premier League.” Motherwell are up to third in the Scottish Premiership after securing a pair of 3-0 wins over Kilmarnock and St Mirren due to admin bods finally getting round to sorting the paperwork for Covid-19 call-offs. And Robert Lewandowski has been boasting about how a sizzling night in the sack with Big Cup has made him want to win it all over again. “I took it with me to bed!” kissed-and-told the Bayern forward. “It was in my room and, for a few hours, my trophy.” STILL WANT MORE? Suzanne Wrack reports on South Sudan’s daring drive on women’s football. It’s Friday so, in a break with tradition, here are 10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend. Here you go. Composite: Bradley Ormesher NMC; AFP/Getty Images Drinking Tin under a railway bridge and then watching Arsenal in the flesh reminded Tim Stillman that matchdays are a precious ritual. Oh, and if it’s your thing … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. And INSTACHAT, TOO! THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDER, THUNDERSNOW!

we added a new set piece coach Anthony Barry The key man behind Chelsea's set-piece solidity - and it's not Thiago Silva or Edouard Mendy https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/fixtures-results/chelsea-mendy-silva-anthony-barry-19225837

Even if that is a given, that in no way dictates that Bayern will not move for Zakaria

thank fuck now play the monster a lot more, Frank!!!!!

press and fans do not rate him and they obviously are trying to find another I rate Pavard at CB for them I would much rather have Pavard at CB, Kimmich at RB and Zakaria (as long as he is healthy) at DMF than Boateng at CB Pavard (or dog forbid, Bouna Sarr) at RB, and Kimmich at DMF Sarr will be dumped, he is shit, I would go batshit cray if we bought dross like him such an un-Bayern type buy

Felix is blowing up and only turned 21 weeks ago tracking to over 30 goals and double digit assists on a very non offensive-minded team here are the most expensive transfers in history adjusted for 2020 euros and pounds sterling (Fernando Torres is finally off the list even when adjusted for inflation) red are the ones over 100m euros (adjusted for inflation) when add-ons are included and reached green are over £100m bold (red and black and green), are busts Just 3 clubs (Barca, Real, Manure) have 13 of the 22 busts and just RM and Barca alone have 5 busts in the top 10 all-time most expensive transfers Neymar Kylian Mbappé Philippe Coutinho Eden Hazard Ousmane Dembélé João Félix Antoine Griezmann Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United to Real Madrid Paul Pogba Gareth Bale Zinedine Zidane Juventus to Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid to Juventus Luís Figo Barcelona to Real Madrid Gonzalo Higuaín Napoli to Juventus Harry Maguire Romelu Lukaku Everton to Man U Virgil van Dijk Luis Suárez Liverpool to Barca Romelu Lukaku Manchester United to Internazionale Nicolas Pépé Ángel Di María Real Madrid to Manchester United James Rodríguez Kevin De Bruyne Kaká AC MIlan to Real Madrid Zlatan Ibrahimović Internazionale to Barcelona Kepa Arrizabalaga Lucas Hernandez Kai Havertz Matthijs de Ligt Frenkie de Jong Rodri Arthur Barca to Juve Victor Osimhen Thomas Lemar Raheem Sterling Edinson Cavani Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain Rúben Dias Riyad Mahrez Ángel Di María Manchester United to Paris Saint-Germain Álvaro Morata Real Madrid to Chelsea Aymeric Laporte João Cancelo Juventus to Manchester City Álvaro Morata Chelsea to Atletico Madrid Christian Pulisic Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Alisson Oscar Miralem Pjanić Juventus to Barcelona Luka Jović Radamel Falcao Atlético Madrid to Monaco Tanguy Ndombele Naby Keita

Lampard deserves credit for keeping so many players happy https://theathletic.com/2236532/2020/12/03/lampard-rotation-giroud-hudson-odoi/ In the midst of Olivier Giroud Appreciation Night at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, Frank Lampard took the opportunity highlight the other big positive of what, given the context, must be considered one of Chelsea’s most impressive performances of the season against Sevilla. “To make nine changes for the game… players were deserving to play, because I’ve seen them training well,” Lampard said. “Some players can get their heads down if they’re not playing lots of minutes, and that’s always the worry when you make that level of changes. “But the focus and concentration of the team (was there), the moments to suffer, which we always will do against a team like this in the first half. We dealt with things, we defended well, we were organised, and some of our play was great, whether it was our comfort on the ball, our counter-attacking at pace to cause a threat to them. There were so many big pluses from tonight and we need to continue with that.” This was a double victory for Lampard. Chelsea are now guaranteed to progress to the Champions League knockout stage as winners of Group E, giving them seeded status in the round of 16. While that doesn’t guarantee a longer European adventure than last season — Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain could all end up in Pot 2 — it does improve the chances of further progress. Since the current tournament structure was introduced in 2003-04, group winners have advanced to the quarter-finals in 94 of 136 ties, or 69.2 per cent of the time. There can also be no February rematch with Group A winners Bayern Munich. But just as significantly in the more immediate term, beating Sevilla renders next week’s match against Krasnodar at Stamford Bridge a dead rubber. Lampard can now unashamedly prioritise tricky Premier League games against Leeds United and Everton either side of it, giving Chelsea the best possible chance to maintain domestic momentum heading into a festive fixture schedule their manager has repeatedly described as “brutal”. For now, at least, most of the selection decisions should be straightforward. Squad rotation was always going to be one of the big challenges for Lampard in the first half of this season, particularly when it became clear that Marina Granovskaia wasn’t going to be able to find favourable suitors for Chelsea’s surplus players in a relatively dry summer transfer window. While he might have given more minutes to certain individuals — Callum Hudson-Odoi has done well to keep his morale up while Giroud, making his first Chelsea start since September, provided an emphatic reminder of his enduring value — the evidence suggests he has got more right than wrong over the last three months. Chelsea have fielded more players (26) in the Premier League than any other team so far this season. That is due in part to the fact that Lampard oscillated between Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero before Edouard Mendy arrived to settle the goalkeeper situation, and also shifted between different tactical systems before arriving at the expansive 4-3-3 that has powered the team’s run of seven wins in eight games. Despite using the early months of the season to bed in new signings in key positions, deal with untimely injuries and search for a coherent on-pitch identity, Lampard has reached the first week of December third in the Premier League, only two points off top spot — with Chelsea’s joint-best tally of 22 goals in the competition scored by 11 different players — and qualified as Champions League group winners with a game to spare. It has been a collective effort that reflects well upon the manager’s ability to keep everyone invested in the project. Lampard regularly insists that everyone at Cobham is training well, but the proof of a healthy squad dynamic is what happens on the pitch. The fluidity in Chelsea’s play and the comprehensive nature of their victory over Sevilla was the ultimate vindication of the culture he has established, even if it must be noted that Julen Lopetegui also made seven changes. Arguably most encouraging were the solid performances in defence of Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen, two players who hadn’t started for more than six weeks. Political problems have been navigated with bold decisions. Rather than freezing out Antonio Rudiger after the market dried up at the end of the transfer window, Lampard has brought him back into the fold, making him the deputy of choice for Thiago Silva — who has been rested at the right times — and being rewarded with improved form. Mendy’s form has largely solved the other big headache caused by dropping Kepa, but Lampard has also prioritised defensive stability ahead of giving Chelsea’s club-record signing another shot at rehabilitation in one of the lesser Champions League group games, even while rotating elsewhere. Only two senior outfielders have been utterly reduced to the role of bystanders: Marcos Alonso, who has paid a high price for “coachgate” at West Bromwich Albion in September, and Fikayo Tomori. The latter’s lack of minutes has been harsh and harder to explain, but his argument for playing time will only get weaker now that all four of the centre-backs ahead of him in Lampard’s pecking order have contributed to clean sheets in recent weeks. Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have not been significantly missed from midfield since leaving on loan. We are now less than a month away from January, which will provide another opportunity to find solutions for those in the squad who are unhappy with their status. Lampard, for the first time, has everyone fit and available — even Billy Gilmour, who got his first senior minutes of the season off the bench against Sevilla. Chelsea will need them all, particularly to get through the 48-hour turnaround between Arsenal away on Boxing Day and Aston Villa at home on December 28. You can expect Lampard to voice his displeasure at the situation, but he is better equipped than most to deal with it. Three months into a uniquely challenging season, Chelsea are pretty much exactly where they hoped they would be in the Premier League and Champions League. More promising still, for the greater tests that lie ahead, is the fact that Lampard has managed to keep almost all of his players with him so far.

The world’s richest footballer https://theathletic.com/2225190/2020/12/02/the-worlds-richest-footballer/ “I asked him why he wants to be a footballer when his family are already so rich. He said, ‘All my brothers sit at home doing nothing. I want to actually do something. I don’t want to be like them’.” Leicester City academy winger Kian Williams was speaking to a team-mate who has been described as the world’s richest footballer. This is the story of how the Sultan of Brunei’s nephew, one of many heirs to a £200 billion fortune, quietly spent 10 years at some of the Premier League’s best clubs, playing in the same youth team as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham at Chelsea and meeting the Queen during his time at Leicester City. We spoke to those who have watched, coached, trained or played alongside true footballing royalty. Faiq Bolkiah was born in Los Angeles in May 1998 but educated in England along with his cousin Ukasyah, the son of former NBA pro Dennis Wallace, at Thorngrove Prep School in Highclere, just outside Newbury. It was while immersed in English football culture that Faiq developed a love of the game. The quiet and largely private upbringing in rural Berkshire was in stark contrast to the childhood he would have had in Brunei where his father Prince Jefri’s lavish lifestyle, including spending $17 million to hire Michael Jackson to play a concert for his 50th birthday, led to him being dubbed by Vanity Fair a Playboy Prince. But Faiq, who has 17 siblings, has had no interest in being a playboy — just a boy who plays, although admittedly not many footballers are able to practise their skills on a pet tiger cub. “I grew up in England and the main sport is football, so I have been playing football since a very young age,” he said in a rare interview for Progresif Radio in 2018. “I was always a sporty boy and kept playing football. All I have known has been football.” Bolkiah began playing for Woolton Hill Argyle in the village where they lived before the cousins moved to AFC Newbury, aged 10, after Wallace got in touch with their under-11s manager Paul Morgan. Wallace wanted them to develop at a higher level of football to help attract professional clubs and Morgan says what stood out was how talented the two were. It wasn’t until they filled in their registration forms that there was any hint of their royal links or wealth. “On his registration form, their home was listed in Wotton Hill on a site of a former hotel (Hollington House),” Morgan tells The Athletic. “They had bought that and converted it into a house. That much was quite obvious. There was no secret of the fact they were related to the Brunei Royal Family. “They were always smartly turned out. There was no doubt that they weren’t buying their football kit from a charity shop! They were exceptionally well turned out, very polite and even more dedicated. They weren’t arrogant at all. You couldn’t have come across a more normal kid. He wasn’t affected by his privileged background at all. “Dennis drove them to training in a black van. It was a very smart van, to be fair. At the end of matches, Dennis would open the van and there was always a lot of food in there for Faiq to share with his team-mates. “They took their education and sport very seriously. I think it was the way they were brought up; they were just focused on achieving what they wanted to.” Faiq, a striker, and Ukasyah, a midfielder, were both invited for trials with Southampton after impressing when Newbury played a top side from the city. Morgan says the watching scouts were impressed by Bolkiah’s unselfishness. “Although he was a very quick and skilful player, he wasn’t ever selfish,” he says. “That’s what scouts look for. They want players who can dominate a game but also bring others into the game. If he went one-v-one with a goalkeeper he would score more often than not. Equally, he would get to the line and cut it back to a team-mate. He was a good, all-round team player. “We’ve all seen players in the past who play for their own glory. Faiq wasn’t like that. There was no arrogance or selfishness about him at all.” The boys spent four years within the Southampton academy between 2009-13 but after a brief trial at Reading they were picked up by Arsenal, where they played alongside Chris Willock, now at Queens Park Rangers, Joe Willock and Charlie Gilmour, now Norwich City, in an Arsenal side that competed at the 2013 Lion City Cup in Singapore. None of their new team-mates had a clue that they were playing with royalty until they witnessed the reaction in Singapore. While he remained largely anonymous in England, Faiq’s fame was obvious in south-east Asia. “Faiq was a lovely boy, humble and down to earth, and very funny too,” his Arsenal team-mate Rugare Musendo tells The Athletic. “He was a decent footballer — a very fast right winger. He was the quickest in the team, and tricky. His playing style was a bit like Theo Walcott’s. He wasn’t a starter; there were a lot of talented players in his age group, like Chris Willock, Kaylen Hinds and even Ainsley Maitland-Niles back in his younger days. All of those guys were better than him technically, but he had loads of ability. “The crazy thing is we didn’t know he was a prince or anything at all. He was a very humble lad. Both him and his other brother, Cash (Ukasyah, who was often mistaken for Bolkiah’s brother), who was there at the same time. We were only aware of his wealth because we went to a tournament in Singapore.” “I only really knew about his background, or who he was related to, because of the amount of attention he got in Singapore,” says Stefan Broccoli, who also played in the tournament which saw Bolkiah score the first goal in a 2-1 win over the Singapore under-16 side. “But he was very humble. Except for one or two designer items he owned, I could not tell he was rich.” It was a similar story when he moved onto Chelsea a year later after a brief spell at Reading, this time alone as Ukasyah switched to Birmingham City and eventually Nuneaton Town. Again Bolkiah’s lineage was not advertised and his arrival was low key. “You would never ever have thought he was something like the 12th in line to the throne,” former Chelsea team-mate Ruben Sammut says. “You would not have thought of him as royalty. “We used to play against him. I think he was at Reading. We didn’t realise who he was and nobody at Chelsea initially knew what his background was. He was a humble guy, trying every day like every academy player. We used to joke he didn’t need to play football but he wanted to play because he loved football. Bolkiah in action for Chelsea where he played with Sammut, Abraham and Loftus-Cheek (Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) “It wasn’t a regular thing we mentioned. It was that typical banter, saying he is royalty, saying, ‘What’s he doing playing with us?’ But we all knew deep down how much he wanted to play, so it was more good-willed passing comments. “We don’t know the ins and outs of the wealth of his family but he took football seriously, so full credit to him. “He lived in digs like everyone else. I can’t remember who with. He just came in with the boy he was in digs with. This would have been age around 16-18, youth team group. We lived in digs, walking distance to the training ground. He didn’t do the schooling. It was youth team full-time training and stayed with a host family. He was just humble; he never wore flash clothes or came in flash gear, he just wore a tracksuit, just a down to earth guy. “I think he did it so he didn’t draw attention to himself. He knew if he was splashing the cash, it would create a bad image for himself.” However, Sammut did get a rare glimpse of life inside Hollington House during a close season visit. “Me and one of my team-mates went to his house during one off-season,” he adds. “It is a place in Newbury, state of the art, gym, all that kind of stuff.” It was his unflashy nature that allowed Bolkiah to integrate into changing rooms filled with working-class lads who were striving not only to fulfil their football dreams but to obtain financial security for themselves and their families. “We had a great relationship,” says former Chelsea team-mate Charlie Wakefield. “Everyone knew his wealth and his family, but you wouldn’t have known it from him. “He was very respectful and humble, and that’s why everyone got on so well with him. When any player joins you hear things about them, and it wasn’t long before we heard about his background. People can get the wrong kind of idea of who he is. “We just found out and that was it. We didn’t really ask him questions about it because it wasn’t our business. No one brought it up and credit to him, because he was a great guy and a good footballer as well.” Journalist Gary Koh has been one of the few journalists Faiq has spoken to. Koh experienced for himself what Faiq’s royal status meant when the prince captained the Brunei under-23 team at the tender age of 17 in 2015 at the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. Koh says there was heavy police security at a modest training facility and Bolkiah had his own personal bodyguards. “While other Bruneian players were taking off their foot tapings on their own after training, a member of the backroom staff cut Faiq’s with a pair of scissors,” he told The Athletic. “The security and the personal aide, that was when I realised that I was interviewing not just any ordinary footballer, but someone whose uncle is the present long-serving monarch of Brunei.” Despite his obvious status, Bolkiah insisted on staying with the rest of the squad at the team hotel and Koh says it was obvious that the teenager was head and shoulders above his team-mates, both in size and talent. “He stood out for his sheer physique which made him a commanding presence, heads and shoulders above his team-mates,” he says. “Another notable attribute of his was his football technique. “I watched him for all but one of Brunei’s five group matches during the Games. His best games came against Malaysia and Timor Leste, where in front of his watching proud father Prince Jefri Bolkiah at Bishan Stadium, he scored a penalty. “He did not have it easy during the Singapore SEA Games campaign, as he was often the target of defenders. At times his technical abilities were exposed by tougher defences, but to stand out and play alongside common people on the pitch is a unique achievement for him.” Bolkiah had become the first member of the Brunei royal family to feature in the SEA Games since the Brunei Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, who competed in pool, being a cue sport enthusiast. That started a new trend where royal family members would subsequently feature in the 2017 and 2019 Games, including Faiq’s father Jefri who won gold in polo in 2019 while his cousin Prince Mateen collected two successive bronze medals in the same sport in both competitions. Bolkiah himself would compete in the 2019 games, although he was rushed to hospital at one stage after an allergic reaction to some peanuts in a curry. However, back in England, his anonymity continued and there was hardly a ripple of recognition when he signed his first professional contract with Leicester City, a three-year deal in 2016 when the club had just been crowned Premier League kings. The club’s owners, the Srivaddhanaprabha family, led by Khun Vichai, were close friends of the Bolkiahs having played polo together for many years on the same circuit that includes the British royal family, and Faiq joined members of his own family in a visit to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2017. The connection between Leicester’s owners and the Bolkiahs is so strong that Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah paid a personal tribute to Khun Vichai on behalf of the polo community at a memorial service following the Leicester chairman’s death. Prince Abdul was also joined by Prince Jefri, Prince Bahar and Princess Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah to play with Khun Vichai’s son and successor as Leicester chairman, Khun Aiyawatt, at the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Memorial Trophy Final last year. Still, his time at Leicester was kept low key. Some former players and coaches The Athletic approached either said they had never heard of Faiq or refused to comment, protective of his desire to pursue his career below the radar, and it was a similar story elsewhere. One former Arsenal academy coach replied: “Is this a wind-up?” Others at Southampton, Leicester and Stoke City, where he had a brief trial, didn’t recognise the name, with one asking: “Isn’t that Freddie Mercury’s real name? I don’t remember him at all!” Faiq did foster close relationships with several of the Leicester academy players over his four years with the club, even treating his closest friends to a holiday in Paris and on a yacht, but there was no other over the top displays of wealth. Rumours of a gold Rolls Royce ferrying him to training at the humble backdrop of Belvoir Drive and helicopters landing to ferry him away afterwards were not true. “He is a really, really humble guy to be honest,” says Williams, who now plays in Iceland for Keflavik. “He hated to speak about his wealth. He would come in a Mercedes-Benz, just like the other under-23s, and his was probably a bit nicer, to be fair, but nothing showy. I never saw him in a gold Rolls-Royce though. “He was liked by everyone at the club and joined in with the banter. All in all, he really is a good guy. I liked him a lot along with the other lads, and I was shocked he wasn’t more showy about his money.” Faiq played in the under-18s and made five appearances for the under-19s in the UEFA Youth League in 2016-17, but he never made an official appearance in the development squad. Surprisingly, when his contract expired in 2019 he was given a one-year extension, but was released last summer and has since joined Maritimo. It took a while for the Portuguese side to include him in their squad list, but he has already started to make an impact on his team-mates. “He came to Portugal in search of opportunities and I really think he’s a good player,” says defender Claudio Winck. “He’s a guy who really put the effort in when we train, and clearly has a desire to improve. “He’s still young and I believe he has a bright future ahead of him. As a person, he’s really humble and a hard worker. We’re quite close and spend a lot of time together, not least because I speak a bit of English and his Portuguese isn’t great yet. He’s a great guy, a kind spirit. He has everything it takes to build a beautiful career.” That seems to be the driving force for Faiq, to answer Williams’ question. He may not get to emulate his hero Brazilian Ronaldo, footage of whom he watches on his phone before every game for inspiration, but just forging some kind of professional career would be an achievement. “I know I am the first Brunei to be playing at a high level,” he said in the 2018 Progresif interview. “I have worked hard for that from a young age. It doesn’t just come. It takes hours and hours of training to get that technical level. “First of all what motivates me is I want to make my family proud. They are always behind me, always pushing me to do better. Every time I have good news I am running back to them. Also, I want to do well for Brunei, and put Brunei on the map.”

Kimmich back to RB and he does start Bayern are not happy with their RB's when Kimmich is not there Bouna Sarr is dross (shocked they bought him, and he is soon 29yo so not much resale value nor upside at all, arguanly the worst player they have purchased in last 5 years or so) and Pavard will probably move back to CB with both Alaba and Boateng leaving

Lampard says Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic was brilliant against Tottenham https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/club-news/lampard-says-chelseas-mateo-kovacic-was-brilliant-against-tottenham/ BREAKING DOWN MATEO KOVACIC'S MAN-OF-THE-MATCH PERFORMANCE V SPURS | THE DEBRIEF https://www.chelseafc.com/en/videos/v/2020/11/30/breaking-down-mateo-kovacic-s-man-of-the-match-performance-v-spu-coHNKEh3

Frank Lampard and Chelsea can't afford to make the same mistake as Arsenal over Olivier Giroud Four-goal haul against Sevilla another reminder of France star's quality for Stamford Bridge boss https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/chelsea-arsenal-transfer-news-giroud-23110901

What happened at latest Premier League meeting with regards five substitutes rule change Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been vocal with his desire to give managers the ability to make five substitutes in Premier League matches amid the current packed fixture schedule https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/what-happened-latest-premier-league-23112099 Jurgen Klopp’s frustrations over Premier League substitutions are set to continue - after no clubs raised any issue with the current situation at Thursday’s Premier League meeting. As it stands, there will be no introduction of return to five substitutions for the remainder of the season. A number of managers, including Klopp and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, have voiced their frustration at only being allowed to make three subs during the 2020-21 campaign. Premier League clubs had been allowed to make five changes during Project Restart last season. But the Premier League twice voted against continuing with five subs before the start of the current campaign. Since then, the EFL have voted and changed things, allowing managers to make five subs in matches if they see fit. And despite Klopp’s recent claim that 15 of the 20 top-flight managers are in favour of making the change, it was not on the agenda at Thursday’s meeting, nor was it brought up. The impact of fixture congestion and the enhanced number of muscle injuries - comparative to recent seasons - had led to suggestions that change could be afoot. When it was last voted upon in September, the proposal gained only nine votes. After losing James Milner to injury at Brighton on Saturday, and with Andy Robertson playing to the final whistle despite struggling himself, Klopp claimed the backing of 14 other managers. He also took aim at Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, following his “world-class politician” jibe; Wilder has been adamant in his backing for the current system, because he believes it benefits his side. "Chris Wilder says I am selfish. I think all the things he says are selfish," stated Klopp, speaking to BT Sport on Saturday. "I was in a similar situation as he is when I worked at Mainz - all about staying in the league.“But they now have three subs, and one point, if I’m right, so there’s no advantage or disadvantage. "If I had five subs today, I bring on Kostas for Robbo, to save Robbo. It's about saving players." What was on the docket on Thursday was further talks over what fans must do when they return to grounds. The first Premier League match with supporters in attendance will be West Ham vs Manchester United on Saturday. A number of sources state that the Premier League will go further than the Government's demands with fans being made to wear face masks at all times ,temperature and ID checks, and strict enforcement of social distancing.

Chelsea hero labels Man Utd transfer "absolutely crazy" as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slammed World Cup winner Frank Lebouef has questioned the coaching abilities of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after PSG won 3-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday night https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/man-utd-solskjaer-transfer-chelsea-23111161 Former Chelsea defender Frank Lebouef has hit out at Manchester United's "absolutely crazy" decision to sign Donny van de Beek after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed to start him in the 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. France 1998 World Cup winner Lebouef says the Dutch midfielder should have been given a start by Solskjaer considering that Paul Pogba was only on the bench as well. In the event, Pogba came on for Marcus Rashford shortly after Fred had been sent off in the second half, with Van de Beek following five minutes later as a replacement for former PSG forward Edinson Cavani. "If you don’t have Pogba, you have Van de Beek," Leboeuf told ESPN FC. "You have to really wonder why they bought Van de Beek during the pre-season. "Because that’s absolutely crazy. And that’s some bad coaching." Lebouef added that he wasn't too impressed with PSG's display in the game, with their third goal ensuring that they now hold a better head-to-head record over United in the group stage. "I think a draw would have been fair. It wasn’t a good game," he added."We didn’t see the difference when Fred was sent off. That’s when you can see that Paris is not at the top and it’s not that Manchester United was good, it’s just Paris Saint-Germain was poor. ‘We didn’t see a good game because we saw clumsiness, we saw stupid tackles, we saw very awkward decision from the referee about Fred (the first half yellow card). It was very strange. "Even Manchester United who are losing 2-1 at home, should have been more interested in only losing 2-1. The 3-1, the last goal from Neymar is very, very important for Paris Saint-Germain and it can also be very important for Manchester United. "I don’t understand why they wanted to score goals when they were 10 against 11. There were many things to say and it’s hard to say something very specific on what we saw. "It was crazy in a way that it was so poor that it was that crazy!"

I know it may not happen atm (as we have 3 solid strikers) BUT I would love to see a run-out with him at CF he tore shit up there the 2nd half of last season with Bayer and (nothing to do with CF) if you call 4000 minutes an absolutely full season even now, with a slowish start he is tracking to 20 goals and 20 assists all comps with us over that many minutes at 3200ish, 16 and 16 here were his stats at CF in 2020 EL << played part of the game as a striker DB Pokal 7 and half games as a striker 9 goals only bad game was that bizarre Wolfsburg blowout that came out of nowhere, the entire team collapsed for some bizarre reason (one of the strangest results all Bundesliga restart), and it cost them the CL, which deffo helped us get him)

Of the top 100 under 18yo players (non Chels, two are ex Chels, the 2 at Bayern now) on the planet ranked by value we could have signed FIVE under the new rules, all the other 95 are not eligible let that sink in you will never again (at least for the foreseeable future) see a great young foreign player on an EPL club who was trained and raised up by that club (other than the ones currently in the system as I assume they are grandfathered, if they are not grandfathered in, we are fucked even harder) those born in 2002 will be the youngest ones eventually left, 2003 and on are SOL

for only 2000 it was really lively

here are the players we would have been unable to sign under the new rules AC (too young) Zouma (probably not enough points, he might have went to the exception committee, not sure if that would have worked, Think we would have had a strong case even if he did not have enough points) Charly Musonda (too young) Kenedy (not enough points) Ian Maatsen (too young) Xavier Mbuyamba (not enough points) Matt Miazga (not enough points) Lucas Piazon (too young) Mario Pasalic (not enough points) Pierre Ekwah Elimby (too young) Marc Guehi (perhaps would have never come to England, as his parents may have not been allowed in under the new immigration points system for regular folk (he was born in the Ivory Coast), and if so, then he was far too young to sign) Marco van Ginkel (not enough points) (btw I just found out he is exactly 1 day older than I am, lolol) Danilo Pantić (not enough points) Karlo Žiger (too young) Thierno Ballo (too young) Bryan Fiabema (too young) Lucas Bergström (too young) Sami Tlemcani (too young) Aleksi Heino (too young) Jimi Tauriainen (too young) Edwin Andersson (too young) Ashley Akpan (too young)

Ziyech was not great v spuds, but he has been magnificent for a spell before that Pulisic yesterday was arguably our worst player yesterday if you are going off the last game as a criteria