Vesper

its their home pitch, so if they picked wrong studs the kit man needs a sacking

Dier off Sanchez on

I vote THIS

that was a jinx as he almost drew a yellow from Tomori

none?

smdh, Zouma

so far this season from what I have seen CHO looks like he is 90% recovered from his Achilles rupture and I can easily see him soon back to 100% he is showing explosive burst again finally looks like it went 50/50 RLC wrecked, CHO will be fine

great clinical smash

fuck yes!! Timo!!!

damn, almost prezzie for a goal

Lamps wants Giroud to get paying time and we have no Pulisic for LW or Ziyech for RW so it is what it is

lol, the presenters taking shots at our 3rd kit, calling it Palace

Werner is always on the left, whether as a wing or a SS or a double striker in a 4 4 2 or a 3 5 2 only time he is not is when he is the lone CF

nice to see a giant back at keeper

Azpi is far more aggressive on defence than Reece, so not worried about pace there, ad Recce is not a pure speed merchant anyway until his legs go from fatigue, Azpi is not exactly slow, even at his age

Question to Mou Who is going to play up front tonight? Mou Nobody

2020-21 English Carabao Cup, Fourth Round Tottenham Hotspur Chelsea http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/capital-one-cup-tottenham-hotspur-vs-chelsea-s2/ https://www.totalsportek.com/chelsea-epl-match/

13 trophies and 198 goals – but was Luis Suarez underappreciated at Barcelona? https://theathletic.com/2081659/2020/09/24/luis-suarez-barcelona-transfer-atletico-la-liga/ “This is a very difficult day for me,” said Luis Suarez as he choked back tears at his farewell event as a Barcelona player. “Playing at Barca — the best team in the world — was a dream. I must be very proud of all that I have done here, living such spectacular moments, winning so many trophies, playing alongside such marvellous players, including the best footballer ever. I will always appreciate the warmth and support from the fans from the first day till the last. Everyone here at the club must know that they will always have another ‘culé’ forever in me, wherever I am.” Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was also gushing in his praise of the Uruguayan. “This is a special day; a legend of our club is leaving, having won 13 trophies and becoming our third-highest goalscorer ever. We appreciate that enormously. I thank you, in the name of Barca fans all over the world, and hope you are happy in the future on and off the pitch.” Despite the warm words, there was still a forced feel to the proceedings, and a sense Suarez and Bartomeu were keeping their real opinions to themselves. During a Zoom chat with reporters, Suarez agreed it has been a “crazy month” and admitted he had things “to keep to myself” about the transfer saga. Both Suarez and Bartomeu are winners, in a way. Suarez secured his aim of getting a sizable pay-off to leave (€9 million) and has joined a club in Atletico Madrid who have ambitions to challenge for all possible trophies this season. His signing has caused huge excitement at Atletico. Bartomeu, meanwhile, has pushed through his very public aim of moving on one of the club’s highest earners. Following August’s embarrassing 8-2 Champions League quarter-finals loss to Bayern Munich, Bartomeu made clear Suarez was one of the players he wanted rid of as he looked to rebuild the team. However, Bartomeu must still fear Suarez coming back to haunt his former side over the coming months. Suarez was told he was not wanted at Barcelona by their new manager, Ronald Koeman, on August 24. Three days earlier, he had said he would be happy to stay at the club even in the reserves, all the while trying to negotiate an exit on the best terms possible. The 33-year-old suffered the embarrassment of a trip to Perugia for an Italian language exam which has led to a police investigation into the validity of the certification he was given, when it appeared Juventus was his most likely destination. The University of Perugia has denied wrongdoing and there is no investigation into Suarez. Both Atletico and Barcelona thought they had reached an agreement on Monday for Suarez to leave, only for Bartomeu to block the move when it emerged he was heading to Diego Simeone’s team for free. Frantic talks took place on Tuesday evening with Bartomeu meeting Suarez’s lawyers at the Nou Camp, while fans protested outside calling on Bartomeu to resign. A deal was eventually struck and Barcelona issued the statement confirming his departure five minutes before midnight on Wednesday. Barcelona wanted it out there they were receiving €6 million from Atletico, not just letting him go for nothing. Atletico, however, believe no money is changing hands now and they will only be out of pocket should they reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League with Suarez in their team over the next two seasons (the striker has signed a two-year contract). Behind the smiles at Thursday lunchtime’s press conference, there was a feeling Suarez and Bartomeu will be happy to see the back of each other. It was not always like that. “When Pere (Guardiola, his agent) called me to say I had signed for Barca, I could not believe it; I started to cry,” Suarez said, soon after joining in 2014. “I thought that it had all been broken after the Chiellini stuff. The club made a big effort for me which I will value all my life.” Suarez was especially grateful then to Bartomeu, who pushed hard for his signing from Liverpool for €80 million, even while he was serving a four-month ban by FIFA for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini playing for Uruguay at that summer’s World Cup. That incident was the latest in a controversial career which also featured a ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra when he was at Liverpool. There were also doubts from the likes of Johan Cruyff over how the “individualist” Suarez would fit in a side whose recent successes had been based on midfield control and teamwork. However, after having to wait until the October to make his debut in a Clasico against Real Madrid, which Barcelona lost, Suarez quickly settled into the team. Hitting it off with Lionel Messi was a huge help. Soon after becoming neighbours in the suburb of Castelldefels, the Suarez family were being invited to barbecues in the Messi’s garden, and the two South Americans started driving to training together. Their partners, Antonella Roccuzzo and Sofia Balbi, also became friends and started a fashion business together. On the pitch, Suarez and Messi were proving a perfect match. The Uruguayan’s ability to click with the introspective but judgmental Argentinian contrasted with the experience of other top forwards at Barcelona over the last decade, including Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Villa, Alexis Sanchez, Philipe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele and most recently Antoine Griezmann. Neymar was also inhibited during his first season but, after a few teething problems, the MSN (Messi-Suarez-Neymar) forward line clicked. Suarez scored the winner in the return Clasico to all but secure that season’s La Liga title, then helped clinch the treble by scoring in the Champions League final against Juventus. In his second season, Suarez outscored both Messi and Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, to become the only other player besides those two to win the Pichichi award for La Liga’s top scorer in the last 11 years. His 198 goals for Barcelona included every type of finish, and he scored prolifically in every competition, especially in finals — Club World Cup, Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League. Suarez goals in Clasicos more or less ended the reigns of both Rafa Benitez and Julen Lopetegui at the Bernabeu. He was just as motivated and hungry to make an impact in La Liga games against less glamorous opponents. He also racked up 97 assists. “Maybe he is a bit different than the typical player with Barca DNA but he always fit very well, especially for his finishing and the balance he brought with Messi and Neymar,” a source heavily involved in bringing Suarez to the Nou Camp told The Athletic. “Maybe when you play alongside the best (Messi) everything is reduced a little bit, because all the praise tends to go to him, but Suarez is at the level of the greatest ever Barca players.” Meanwhile, he managed to keep his dark side under control. In typical Suarez fashion, there have been a few scrapes with opponents but he generally stayed on the right side of the law, with just one red card in his 283 appearances. So, why were Barcelona so keen to move Suarez on now? The first reason is money. Bartomeu desperately needs to cut the wage bill, and Suarez was the second-highest earner at the club on €18 million (including tax) a year. He had just one season left on his contract, and had he played more than 60 per cent of the games during the 2020-2021 season a clause would have kicked in extending that for another 12 months. Given Barcelona’s huge financial problems — even before the COVID-19 crisis — it became imperative to shift Suarez, along with Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and others whose hefty salaries no longer matched their contributions. That was even more the case when Messi decided to stay for at least another year. Koeman is keen to bring in his Dutch countryman Memphis Depay from Lyon and space had to be cleared both in the team and on the wage bill before that can happen. The second factor is Suarez’s injuries. He has had two serious knee operations over the last 18 months and his movement has been significantly diminished. He can still get himself into scoring positions inside the box but his work rate off the ball has dropped a lot, which is especially a problem when Messi is also in the team. That has contributed to Barcelona’s pressing of opponents becoming woeful in recent seasons. Suarez has also been sold to a rival to appease angry Barcelona fans who have grown increasingly frustrated with their No 9’s performances. Although he scored 21 goals and contributed 12 assists in 36 games last season, there were grumbles around the Nou Camp about him missing too many chances. “Of course his exit is linked to reducing the salaries of the first team,” says a source involved in the motion of censure against Bartomeu. “It’s true that he has scored 15 or 20 goals a season, but his general performance over the last two years has not been that of the decisive No 9 the team needs.” There are also those inside the dressing room who felt Suarez was no longer a positive influence. A source says some senior players grew “tired of his behaviour” and a clique of Suarez, Messi and Vidal were able to put too much pressure on coaches and directors even to the point of “taking decisions themselves” around tactics and training. The president did not want Suarez. Neither did his coach, a large number of the supporters, nor even some of his most influential team-mates. So his time was up. Which begs the question: why was Atletico coach Simeone so keen to sign him? Atletico need a regular goalscorer. And badly. In recent years, Simeone has signed Mario Mandzukic, Jackson Martinez, Kevin Gameiro, re-signed Diego Costa and last summer spent €55 million on Alvaro Morata. None of them have been able to score regularly enough for Atletico to even challenge for trophies. After Griezmann left them for Barcelona last summer, Simeone’s team scored just 51 goals in their 38 league games and never challenged in a title race which Real Madrid won without really impressing. However, the coach known as El Cholo believes he has the core of a new, strong Atletico team — from Jan Oblak in goal, through Jose Gimenez and Renan Lodi in defence, and Koke and Saul in midfield. Joao Felix should be able to replace Griezmann’s creativity, but the team needs a pure finisher. A fit and firing Suarez would bring that. His aggression, intensity and will to win are also qualities Atletico lack at present. The hope around the Wanda Metropolitano stadium is that Suarez will have a similar — or even bigger — impact as David Villa, who Atletico signed from Barcelona in the summer of 2013. In his only season with them, Villa helped Atletico win their sole La Liga title of Simeone’s nine years in charge. Simeone clearly feels Suarez, who he has called “a hugely important player — tremendous, marvellous, extraordinary, strong, aggressive, intense” will have a similar impact on his team as Villa. Or at least that he will be a lot more decisive than Morata, whose diffident personality is so different from Suarez’s (and Simeone’s). It is also relevant that Suarez was so often decisive against Atletico — providing eight goals and five assists in 18 meetings, including a superbly struck goal at the Nou Camp which more or less decided the 2018-19 title race between the two teams. The idea that Suarez is leaving Barcelona with something to prove is also surely attractive to Atletico, and something that Simeone will be keen to fuel over the coming months. At his Thursday farewell, Suarez could not help showing regular flashes of pride and gave the feeling he does not at all feel finished as a player. “When Barca put me on the market, there were many calls, obviously, from many clubs,” he said. “But I am going to a team which can compete as equals with anyone, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, with a lot of excitement and motivation for a new challenge.” Suarez could come up against Barcelona as soon as October 22, when Atletico will host Koeman’s team. The return in the Catalan capital is next May, when the title race should be coming to a climax. Suarez will be hoping to show his previous employers just how dangerous a player he can still be.

Zidane may not love Sergio Reguilon, but Mourinho and Spurs fans certainly will https://theathletic.com/2067865/2020/09/22/sergio-reguilon-tottenham-mourinho-zidane-spurs-transfer/ When The Athletic broke the news on Tuesday that Tottenham Hotspur were in talks with Real Madrid to sign both Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon, it was understandable that most Spurs fans were a tad more excited about the potential return of their former superstar goalscorer than the arrival of a far less high profile left-back. Bale was a phenomenon during his first spell as a Tottenham player for sure, but it is arguable that at this stage of their respective careers Reguilon is more likely to make a bigger splash in the Premier League for them over the next few years. Spurs are getting a player who, over the last two seasons, has developed from a bit-part reserve at Real into a Europa League winner on loan at Sevilla last season and likely the first choice left-back for Spain at next summer’s European Championship. The diminutive but combative full-back brings plenty of the bite that Jose Mourinho has claimed is missing from his side, while also offering tactical flexibility either on the left of an orthodox back four, or pushed forward to wing-back. The question remains, though, why the Spanish champions had seemed as keen to move Reguilon on as the 23-year-old was to get away from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Coach Zinedine Zidane has never been a fan, and three times now has turned down the chance to have him in his squad. Madrid-born Reguilon was also clear in his ambition to move to a big club, preferably in England, and keep his career moving forward. The pair’s lack of personal feeling could well turn out to have helped Tottenham pull off a real transfer coup with a signing from Real Madrid, no matter what happens in the still-ongoing talks over Bale’s future. The ‘open’ 15 minutes at the start of Real Madrid training sessions are usually quiet as the players know the media are watching, but those reporters dozing on the press balcony at the Valdebebas complex one sunny morning in October 2018 were quickly woken up. During a routine warm-up exercise, Reguilon raised the temperature by challenging Sergio Ramos with an elbow flying. Cameras captured the club captain then angrily booting a ball directly at his young team-mate, and coaches had to stop everything and persuade Ramos to calm down. It was a marked moment for a 21-year-old who had still not made his La Liga debut. When Santi Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui as first-team coach soon afterwards, following a 5-1 Clasico defeat at Barcelona, Reguilon immediately had his chance as the pair knew each other very well from Solari’s time coaching the club’s Castilla youth team. He began to start regularly ahead of previous first choice Marcelo, whose form and fitness had slumped. Fans and pundits were impressed by the local lad’s mix of grit and determination — especially when it was contrasted with the apparent poor attitude of many of the team’s superstars. By the January, he was established as first choice — and provided a couple of handy assists for Casemiro and Karim Benzema in victories over Sevilla and Alaves as, for a while at least, it looked like the team had turned a corner. That collective improvement proved to be illusory, but Reguilon was again one of the few to emerge with his reputation intact from the dispiriting defeats to Barcelona in Copa del Rey and La Liga, and then disaster at home to Ajax in the Champions League’s last 16. He was maybe at fault as his man Ousmane Dembele set up one of the goals in the cup Clasico, but also showed character and fighting spirit when other team-mates had given up, and almost found the net himself in both games against the Catalans. A number of clashes with Lionel Messi riled the Barcelona talisman, but were enjoyed by Madrid fans. TV cameras caught him saying “What’s itching you, flea?” to the Argentinian during one verbal exchange, while he also called Barcelona striker Luis Suarez, he of the prominent front teeth, a “rabbit”. There was a similar refusal to lie down and accept what was happening to his team during the Ajax debacle, when he again fought against the tide with an assist for Marco Asensio’s only goal for the club in that 4-1 Bernabeu humbling. Reguilon’s standing with the fans was at its highest, and many at the Bernabeu were now expecting him to join Dani Carvajal as fixtures on either side of the defence for the foreseeable future. Among those impressed was Terry Gibson, the former Tottenham, Manchester United and Wimbledon forward who has watched Reguilon’s emergence in his current role as full-time pundit on La Liga TV. “He was a tenacious left-back that was good at defending,” Gibson says. “He impressed me a lot. He was a young kid coming into the team, but he was getting stuck in, being aggressive. He settled in nicely when he had a manager in Solari who believed in him and trusted him. I thought they had a player to fill the left-back role at Real Madrid for a long time.” Solari’s sacking following that Ajax defeat brought Zidane back as coach, and the former galactico immediately restored Marcelo to the side. Reguilon started just two of the remaining 11 games of the season, and Madrid soon spent €55 million (£47 million) to sign Lyon left-back Ferland Mendy, further blocking his path to becoming the team’s first-choice at the position long term. “It was a bit of a surprise when they went out and spent the money on Ferland Mendy,” Gibson says. “Nothing seemed to happen, it was just an instant change. He never got an opportunity under Zidane. From what I saw of him, he was a very good full-back — just what Real Madrid were looking for from a defender.” Gibson is not the only observer surprised by Zidane’s treatment of Reguilon — going back to the former galactico approving a 2015 loan to Logrones when he was managing him for Castilla then sending him back to the same club a year later after succeeding Rafa Benitez with the first team. Sources close to the player have confirmed to The Athletic that the pair’s relationship has not been good for some time, but did not comment on Spanish media stories that Zidane’s son, Luca, had a falling out with Reguilon when they were both kids in Madrid’s academy. Whatever the reality of the situation, it was clear the relationship was not going to work long term — hence the loan move to Sevilla last summer. Lopetegui had also not appeared a huge fan of Reguilon during their short time together at Real Madrid, playing him in only one of his 14 games in charge — a Champions League group defeat away to CSKA Moscow. However, Sevilla’s canny sporting director Monchi saw off competition from a raft of other La Liga clubs last summer to get him to the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan, to play under Lopetegui, on loan. Reguilon immediately became first choice in an all-new defence, with his debut bringing his first La Liga goal, a scrambled effort from close range against Espanyol that owed more to his tenacity than technical ability. His usefulness in attack soon became apparent, however, as he and Jesus Navas formed La Liga’s most impressive full-back pairing. He provided four assists over the domestic season, and then another goal to beat Valencia 1-0 on the final day — cutting back into the box from the byline and firing into the far corner with his (usually little-used) right foot. “Attacking was not the strength that I saw first (from him) at Real Madrid,” says Gibson. “That was a different system and he was asked to do different jobs, to concentrate mainly on his defensive duties. At Sevilla, we saw the other side of his game develop, pushing forward and matching Navas on the other flank. “That was a pleasant surprise — he was more than just tenacious and aggressive, he had another side to him. He had the energy and the fitness levels to get up and down for 90 minutes, and he was pretty good when he got himself into attacking positions. His final ball was good, he scored one or two goals, he created chances and at the same time he still looks as strong as ever defensively.” Reguilon again impressed during the Europa League’s final stages in August. He scored against Roma in the last 16, taking advantage of a weak defence to run 40 yards and prod the ball past the goalkeeper. He then provided a superb assist with another driving run and accurate far post cross converted by Suso for the equaliser in the 2-1 semi-final defeat of Manchester United. In the final win over Inter Milan, it was noticeable that this 23-year-old, who everybody knew was probably playing his last game for the club, was the one rallying his team-mates during breaks in play as they came from a goal down to score a late winner. “I’ve had people ask me if he was at the level of Man United — and of course he was, he played for a team which beat United, and has played for Real Madrid,” Gibson says. “At Sevilla, he played a huge part of the team’s structure, in terms of both full-backs pushing on and attacking. They had a really successful season — fourth place in La Liga and winning the Europa League.” Around that time, it was also becoming clear that the Premier League would be Reguilon’s next destination, especially after it became known he had switched agent to London-based Pini Zahavi. Sources told The Athletic that Reguilon himself believed his own game was well suited to the English game, and that there was some initial contact with all of Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton and Tottenham. It was also clear that, given his increased profile, he was likely to be able to secure a more lucrative contract in England than Sevilla or any other La Liga side (even parent club Madrid) were likely to offer. Another career landmark came this month with a first Spain cap against Ukraine in the Nations League, in the familiar surrounds of Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground. He marked the occasion with a first international assist in a 4-0 win, but a painful ankle injury which saw him hobble off in added time at first appeared to imperil his chances of a move this summer. Tests showed it was just a sprain, and he has been back at Valdebebas keeping up his fitness over the last 10 days, but without working directly with Zidane’s first team. Nobody expected any different. Reguilon has handled the different steps up so far in his career quite well — from taking his chance in the first team at Real Madrid, immediately finding his feet at Sevilla, to making the jump to the Spain national team. He was very small and slight as a youngster — which probably hampered his progression at youth level — and even now stands just 5ft 10in, but he is wiry and not easily pushed about. In 155 club games over his career to date he has been booked 40 times, including 10 in 38 at Sevilla last season. That suggests he has the sort of edge Mourinho tends to like his teams to show, agrees Gibson, who won the 1988 FA Cup as a member of Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang. “He can be quite nasty, when he wants to — or maybe better to say competitive,” he says. “He can be whatever Mourinho wants him to be. He is aggressive, he puts his foot in. He is more than happy to mix it. That was one of the first things that attracted you to him, when he was at Real Madrid. He settled in nicely when he had a manager who believed in him and trusted him. He showed his determination, which is what you want to see from a young player, especially a defender whose job it is to stifle opponents. He definitely was not shy in doing that.” The attacking ability which Reguilon showed, especially at Sevilla, could offer another tactical option to Mourinho, especially if he wishes to use three central defenders and field another summer signing, Matt Doherty, as the right wing-back. Asked what areas of the Spaniard’s game could be improved, Gibson says there are no major weaknesses, although his decision-making and passing in attacking areas can develop further. “Maybe his passing, when he gets into the final third, could be improved — instead of crossing he could pass it inside — but I would not say it is a major weakness,” he says. “He is relatively young, and he just has some little things he can improve on, the same as any 23-year-old, to keep improving on the fundamentals and the instincts he has built up already. Spurs are getting a very good left-back.” Back around Valdebebas, there is zero surprise at the departure being completed, as Marcelo and Mendy were always going to remain above him in this season’s pecking order. The incoming fee will come in very useful, given how Madrid’s finances have been hit by the COVID pandemic. The insistence on a buy-back clause fits with a long-standing club policy which has seen former Castilla youngsters Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Morata all return over recent seasons, but is only likely to be exercised if a different first-team coach is in charge. Zidane’s preference for Mendy has, however hardly been a mistake, given how the former Lyon man contributed significantly to the late push which saw Madrid win the 2019-20 La Liga title. “It’s hard to be critical as Mendy has done well, and looks to be a good left-back too and the ideal replacement long term for Marcelo,” Gibson says. “It was best for Reguilon to go out on loan, and it has worked out well for him. Winning the Europa League was a great step. It worked out well for Madrid too, as now they are getting some money back for him. So I guess it’s one of those moves where everybody is happy.”

David Alaba and the protracted contract talks at Bayern that have turned ugly https://theathletic.com/2081945/2020/09/25/david-alaba-bayern-munich/ In March 2016, a champagne bottle was popped in the Bayern Munich boardroom at Saebener Strasse. There were no games that day, but the club hierarchy had ample reason to celebrate with David Alaba’s father, George; the former music producer turned advisor had just agreed a new deal for his son until 2021 with the perennial German champions after lengthy negotiations. In Munich, there’s still optimism that glasses of bubbly will clink once more this autumn. Hardly a day passes by without one of the Bayern grandees telling the media how much the Austrian defender is appreciated. “We all want him to stay,” club president Herbert Hainer said of Alaba on Wednesday, echoing previous words to the same effect by his predecessor Uli Hoeness, executive chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and board member Oliver Kahn. There’s no doubt Alaba was one of the most important players of the treble-winning 2019-20 season. Resuming the centre-back role he first played under Pep Guardiola four years ago, the former left-back has shone as the vocal organiser of the back four, and his excellent ball progression into the final third — the most incisive and consistent in the whole Bundesliga — have enabled Bayern to rebuild their possession game under Hansi Flick. Rummenigge went as far as calling Alaba “the black Franz Beckenbauer” in a very clumsily-worded but heartfelt appreciation of his personality and elegant play out from the back. But the ostentatious show of appreciation for the much-loved regular has been in stark contrast with the lack of negotiating progress behind the scenes. Two face-to-face meetings between Bayern, his dad and Israeli agent Pini Zahavi, who was hired by Alaba at the beginning the year, have failed to find common ground. The problem, as always, is money. Bayern have offered to raise Alaba’s wages to just under £290,000 per week, bonuses included, in a new four-year-deal taking in the current season. The player’s camp are pushing for a salary closer to £400,000 a week for five years. According to Hoeness — who called Zahavi “a money-greedy piranha” live on German television 10 days ago — the veteran agent has also asked for a double-figure (in millions) commission. “I can understand why (Bayern sporting director) Hasan (Salihamidzic) lost his cool over those demands,” former West Germany winger Hoeness said, adding that Alaba’s desired terms would put him above Robert Lewandowski and Manuel Neuer. Zahavi and Alaba senior have publicly denied they are pushing for the player to get more than the squad’s best two earners are making. In a pointed riposte via Sky Sport Deutschland, Zahavi reminded Hoeness that he had negotiated Lewandowski’s latest deal and therefore knew the exact numbers involved. But whether Alaba would in fact earn more than the Poland striker and the Germany goalkeeper or merely a figure approximating their salaries is actually immaterial. Bayern are both unwilling and unable to go beyond their proposed increase, for a number of inter-related reasons. For them, too, the biggest factor is money. It always is, but this year especially. Industry experts anticipate a coronavirus-related loss of revenue of €100 million to €150 million in the current calendar year, depending on the extent of stadium restrictions and knock-on effects on sponsorships. As a self-sustaining club whose football business is run as a public limited company, they have a legal duty to act prudently. Bringing in Leroy Sane for a fee rising to €60 million made it impossible to target Kai Havertz or any other players in a similar price range, and the board’s ability to accommodate Alaba’s demands is similarly curtailed. Having given the board the green light for their initial offer, it’s very unlikely that Hoeness and other advisory board members would sign-off a contract for a total figure that’s roughly 50 per cent higher. Rummenigge has reportedly made it his personal mission to secure an extension with the player but even he cannot force this issue on his own. The 64-year-old will leave his post in December next year, and successor Kahn will be loath to saddle the club with a long-running Alaba contract that would be bound to create problems further down the line. As much as Bayern are keen to prolong the stay of one of the longest-serving and popular squad members, they are wary of the moral hazard involved in letting emotions distract from the bottom line. Putting Alaba in or near the Lewandowski/Neuer bracket would immediately result in strong inflationary pressure inside the dressing room, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry demanding improved deals, too. Rapidly rising wages in a time of non-existent gate receipts and, at best, stagnating TV revenues make for a toxic cocktail; even in Bavaria, where being profitable and successful have always gone hand in hand in recent decades. By making their grievances public, Bayern are attempting to drive a wedge between the player and his advisors. They have been at pains to point out their belief that the 28-year-old really wants to stay and has merely been led temporarily astray by those looking for a huge payday, in wanton disregard of the financial crisis. It’s a risky strategy, due to the involvement of the player’s father. But the club feel they are in a strong enough position for such a gambit: unlike in the case of Thiago and Liverpool, there is no other club willing or able to meet Alaba’s demands and pay a transfer fee this summer. It is not for want of trying. Zahavi has offered the player to clubs in Spain, Alaba’s preferred destination if he cannot stay in Munich, but Barcelona or Real Madrid are both out as far big transfers are concerned. A number of Premier League sides, including Chelsea and Manchester City, have made loose enquiries this summer but Alaba has shown himself categorically disinterested in a move to England. All points to him staying, then. But for how long? There’s a long-held suspicion at Bayern’s Saebener Strasse HQ that Zahavi might be deliberately quoting sums the club can’t meet in an effort to stall and run down Alaba’s contract. Representing the defender as a free agent next year would put himself and the player’s father in a position to conclude an even more lucrative deal. The Spanish giants could be back in the picture by then, as well. If Alaba won’t agree a new deal, Bayern are increasingly minded to keep him for one more year and then see him leave. They have plenty of depth in the centre-back positions, with Lucas Hernandez, Niklas Sule, Benjamin Pavard and Tanguy Nianzou on their books. It’d be a shame to see him turn out for another club, but the best part of the €100 million they won’t fork out on his wages can then be spent on another high-class addition in a more pressing position. Needs must. If the champagne is to keep flowing in the long run, the odd bottle has to stay unopened.

Arsenal making progress but Arteta needs backing to compete with the champions https://theathletic.com/2101402/2020/09/29/arsenal-liverpool-arteta/ In the interests of silver linings — and for any manager, they are just as important as hours spent scrutinising clouds — maybe a reminder about the distance Arsenal are from the highest peak at this precise moment in time is no bad thing. There is nothing quite like coming up against the defending champions, who finished 43 points above you just a few weeks ago, for holding up a mirror to stop you in your tracks. With a week to go in the transfer market, Arsenal can recognise where they are in the context of something much bigger than their own encouraging sense of improvement. In relation to the best playing at their best, there is still a long way to go. Now what matters is how Arsenal fare in relation to all the others who were in Liverpool’s slipstream last season. They are into a sequence of five games that includes meetings with the teams that finished first, second, third and fifth in July. The worst of those fixtures is now out the way but these next few games can put a realistic slant on this season’s ambitions. Defeat at Anfield was not all bad in that Arsenal had enough substance to avoid another of those harrowing drubbings they have experienced on a regular basis in that stadium in recent years. The fact they were still in the game until the 88th-minute third goal, the feeling they took a lot of punishment but rallied enough that they might have equalised midway through the second half, are small positives that have to be clung to in order to not be too badly derailed. Arsenal are making progress overall. That wasn’t enough to stop them resembling a puppy chased out of town by the biggest, glossiest, leader of the Premier League pack and manager Mikel Arteta didn’t even sound too surprised about that. “The standards are this,” he said, looking around him at the champions’ home ground. “This” is the whole shebang. Players, recruitment, coaching, time together, the highest standards. In fairness, he spoke just as respectfully about the gap he wishes to close in July, when Arsenal actually beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Emirates shortly after their title win had been confirmed. He knows what he is up against and the amount of time, commitment and resources needed to even attempt the climb to the top of the mountain Liverpool have scaled. The interesting thing is that Arteta gives the impression he can do it. He doesn’t regard it as impossible. But he could use some better materials and the hierarchy at Arsenal need to dig deep, to fish around at the back of every available sofa, to help him. It might be a tricky market but Lyon and Atletico Madrid have named their prices for midfielders who could make a telling difference. Arsenal have to stump up or risk Arteta setting off with some blunt crampons. Exhibit A: Liverpool didn’t even have shiny new midfielder Thiago Alcantara in their match-day squad while Arsenal toiled away with the Granit Xhaka-Mohamed Elneny axis that has at arguably been their most pedestrian midfield blend in recent years. That’s what Arteta is up against. There were many specifics to take on board. The selection of a humdrum midfield without any creative impetus, the significance of the snatched chance that made Alexandre Lacazette cover his face with his shirt to try to make the guilt go away, the wastefulness of Nicolas Pepe’s corners, the ticking-off for Hector Bellerin’s foul throws (plural), the uncertainty of David Luiz’s headed clearance at the end that turned a close scoreline into a more comprehensive one, the reality of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having zero shots for the first time in more than a season (the last time, fact fans, was also against Liverpool in that win two months ago). But this was one of those situations which needs everything to be viewed through the prism of Liverpool’s dazzle. They were masters at work. Sometimes you come across opponents who dim the effectiveness of all the preparation, all the choices, all the best efforts to make something turn your way and this was one of those times. In the most intense periods, when Liverpool were hunting from the front, the gripping pressure almost seeped through the cameras, through the satellite dishes and cables, into homes to force tension onto people just watching. Imagine actually playing against this. Receiving the ball, looking up, and seeing advancing red flags closing down every angle. Arteta is a very straightforward communicator but there was a tinge of awe and admiration in the way he spoke about Liverpool after a defeat that ended a sequence of six straight wins, linking the end of last season with the start of this, which included victory in the FA Cup final and a Community Shield lift over Jurgen Klopp’s title winners. He noted that Liverpool were five years, some expert coaching and a few special players ahead of Arsenal. “They have different weapons,” as he put it. But even so, he also observed that, despite everything, Arsenal believed in themselves. They believed they could recover — they almost did as Lacazette found himself one-on-one with Allison in position to make it 2-2 just after the hour. Arteta uttered the word “belief” a lot after the game. He felt his players believed at half-time, even though they had been so thoroughly dominated. He still absolutely believes his team are moving in the right direction and his players apparently believe him too. “The boys are really disappointed. They really believed we could do it,” he said. “A lot of things in our hands we can do better and this will help us. I want to see my players upset and angry when they lose a game.” The extent of that belief is going to be tested in the next few Premier League league games and the nature of the response will tell Arsenal a lot more about themselves: Liverpool, Sheffield United, Manchester City, Leicester, Manchester United. Now Arsenal’s ownership, board and negotiating team must do everything in their power to help Arteta prepare his squad to face the hardest challenges out there.

Like Mourinho, Lampard is angered by defeat because he knows trophies are vital https://theathletic.com/2098788/2020/09/29/like-mourinho-lampard-is-angered-by-defeat-because-he-knows-trophies-are-vital/ The season is less than a month old and Frank Lampard is already finding it hard to keep his cool. As The Athletic exclusively revealed, he was furious after Marcos Alonso broke squad rules during the 3-3 draw at West Brom on Saturday. Lampard wasn’t exactly the picture of calm as Chelsea’s defence, which included Alonso at left-back, did their utmost to gift West Bromwich Albion three points at the weekend. The TV broadcast kept cutting away to the head coach looking worried, frustrated and infuriated on the touchline. During his post-match media obligations, it was pretty obvious the three goals Chelsea scored in the second half on Saturday to salvage a 3-3 draw had done little to dilute Lampard’s disappointment over what he had witnessed in the first half. We now know one of the reasons why, given what he had to say about Alonso’s indiscretion. Taking all this into consideration, you could argue the timing of a Carabao Cup last-16 tie against fiercest rivals Tottenham, which is also a match-up with the club’s former manager Jose Mourinho, tonight isn’t the best. There was always going to be a lot of scrutiny on this game anyway, but having also lost to Liverpool this month, Lampard knows he needs a win to keep the critics at bay and also to lift the mood in the camp. Mind you, he is used to being in this position ahead of a meeting with Mourinho’s Spurs. Before securing a 2-0 triumph in north London last December, Chelsea had lost Premier League games to Everton and Bournemouth. And ahead of the rematch at Stamford Bridge in February, where they also came out on top, his side had picked up just two points from a possible 12. Those victories were vital for Chelsea’s successful attempt to finish in the top four and secure qualification for this season’s Champions League. What makes this Cup encounter so important is that one of their two realistic chances to win silverware this season is at stake. Chelsea have spent more than £200 million on new players in this transfer window yet Lampard, whose views were echoed by pre-season predictions from all the pundits, has admitted regaining the title in May is unlikely and the realistic aim is to close the gap to Liverpool and Manchester City in the final table — those two clubs finished 33 points and 15 points ahead of them respectively in 2019-20. Similarly, after being comfortably knocked out of the Champions League by eventual winners Bayern Munich 7-1 on aggregate last month, nobody expects them to challenge to win Europe’s premier club competition this season either, even though Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have arrived to help their chances. Lampard knows that despite the impressive achievement of taking Chelsea to fourth spot last season many people, including a section of their fanbase, will continue to question whether he is the right man for the job until he wins silverware. Qualifying for the Champions League is one of the requirements the Stamford Bridge hierarchy expects from all their coaches, but they have also got used to success on a regular basis. Since owner Roman Abramovich took over 17 years ago, no English club has won more major trophies (16) than Chelsea. Lampard came mighty close to No 17 in August. Having defeated Liverpool, Leicester City and Manchester United en route to the FA Cup final, Chelsea fell short right against Arsenal, not helped by the unfortunate injuries of Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta as well as a harsh red card to Mateo Kovacic for two cautionable offences. That loss, combined with the inevitable exit to Bayern in the Champions League’s last 16 a week later (they went into the second leg in Germany 3-0 down), seemed to take a lot of the shine off Lampard’s first season in some quarters. Despite coping for several months with the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, a transfer ban and playing more academy talent than any Chelsea boss had before, things ended on a negative note. The Arsenal match at Wembley particularly vexed Lampard. One might assume a coach will have soothing words of comfort or encouragement for their players after suffering such a disappointment in a showpiece occasion. However, sources have told The Athletic that the 42-year-old was incensed and spoke angrily about the manner in which they stopped playing with intensity after going 1-0 up. It’s been described as one of his most furious dressing room outbursts thus far — well that is until Alonso’s misdemeanour anyway. On top of the normal ire over how they were beaten, perhaps it was also a sign of how much of an impact Lampard knew lifting the FA Cup would have for him, as well as the club. You only have to look at what a difference a trophy has made to how his Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta is perceived. That success meant Arsenal’s lowest league finish for 25 years, even if he only took over in December, was forgotten and the Spaniard appears to be held in higher esteem than Lampard because of that winner’s medal on his managerial CV. Unlike former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, who spoke many times about how the domestic cups were not a priority during his tenure, Lampard knows what winning one can bring to a squad. He learnt this lesson under Mourinho, whose first trophy in both spells as Chelsea manager was the League Cup, firstly in 2005 and then a decade later — against Pochettino’s Spurs outfit. The Portuguese also won it in 2007. Lampard played in the first two of those finals, and didn’t regard the prize as second-rate. As he said after defeating Liverpool in Cardiff 15 years ago: “If you haven’t won anything, a runners-up medal is not what you want at all. He (Mourinho) actually gets angrier with each one (defeat), so every time we lose it’s the worst I’ve seen him. He’s a winner, though, that’s what you expect, and that’s the attitude that’s needed at Chelsea these days.” That mantra hasn’t changed now he’s the one at the helm. When asked about his views on Chelsea challenging for four trophies during his debut season he spoke about “targeting them all”. Here we are a year later and nothing has changed. Speaking on the eve of the encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the hosts may have to play a weakened side given they have a Europa League game 48 hours later, Lampard said: “We all know the Carabao Cup for teams like ourselves and Tottenham, teams challenging for top four and Champions League, that the Carabao Cup does have its place. But we certainly respect it and every tournament we go into, we want to win. “When I analyse Tottenham and the squad that they have and what team they might have, and the players who didn’t play 90 minutes (against Newcastle), they have a fantastic squad. I know that whatever team Jose puts out they will be very strong.” Mourinho will have his own point to prove. Not only has Lampard got the better of him in two Premier League meetings, Mourinho also came off second-best when his former midfielder’s Derby County side defeated his Manchester United on penalties in the Carabao Cup two years ago. A week later, Mourinho sent a message paying tribute to Lampard as he was inducted into the Legends of Football Hall of Fame. He said: “As I told you at Old Trafford, only a manager with great potential can organise a team to play that way. I knew you were desperate to beat me. And you did. Though it was 2-2 after 90 minutes.” Lampard will certainly be desperate to do it once more.

David Squires on … being trapped in a Premier League fever dream Armpits! Penalties after full-time whistles! Everton! Our cartoonist is struggling to wake up right now https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2020/sep/29/david-squires-on-being-trapped-in-a-premier-league-fever-dream

Sorry, it is time (has been for some time) for the cash-in. He is ageing out, injury prone, plummeting in value, and has been a square peg in a round hole formation wise and tactic wise. We are no longer a counter-attacking team and we have no true trad DMF in the squad. We OBVIOUSLY need upgrades at DMF and CB (no one can deny this, if they do they are either a pure troll or have the football IQ of a turnip, this is partially what set me off yesterday), and Skriniar is an upgrade, a large one, and Brozovic is an upgrade at DMF over Jorginho, and (here is your Rice deal) allows us to sell Jorginho ASAP to partially fund Rice.

We are crazy if we turn that down.