Vesper

wooooooot Everton up 1 nil

Everton v Leicester City HD Streams http://www.sportnews.to/sports/2020/premier-league-everton-vs-leicester-city-s1/ https://www.totalsportek.com/leicester-city/

and of course it is against the tap up kings Bayern

our lineup based off the front of the kit numbers GK Alonso CB Alonso CB Alonso LB Alonso RB Alonso DMF Alonso CMF Alonso AMF Alonso LW Alonso RW Alonso CF Alonso

FUCK BAYERN steal a march on those Bavarian rotters

more to come too I would think

Now that Alaba is off the table I am 100% down for Theo Hernandez He is bigger (1.84m vs 1.79m) stronger, just as pacy, less expensive, 1 year younger (turns 23 in a several months) and better defensively than Chilwell. The only other LB's who are remotely available who interest me are Telles and Gosens (although Gosens is more of an Alonso wingback type (1 and a half inches shorter than Alonso but far more pacy) Ideally we would sell both Emerson and Alonso and buy Theo plus either Telles or Gosens, but that is probably a bit too much to ask Pass on Nicolás Tagliafico, he is almost 28, is very small (1.72m) and has never played in a Big 5 league at all, other than CL or EL He is a real dice roll in my book. Telles is the basically the same age (he is actually almost 4 months younger than Tags) and is a far better passer and has better size as well (around 10cms taller) PLUS Telles is a genius are corner and free kicks (top 5 corner kick taker in Europe from all that I have seen) He has 22 goals and 52 assists in the past 3 and 3/4ers seasons as a LB Chillwell at £80m is madness, even £60m is a bad price, £40m and we can talk, and that is never going to happen with Leicester (they are not desperate, probably are in the CL, have billionaire owners, no huge debts, payroll, etc) I would not be against taking Alaba on a free next year, but he (like Tags) will be 29yo then at season start or so Alex Sandro (whom Juve ridiculously want 45m or so euros for) is 30yo in January, so his race is run and Juve can go fuck themselves Jose Gaya is also really small and has a 100m euro release clause so hard pass Junior Firpo has regressed at Barca, but they want 40m euros for him, lol, after buying him last year for only 18m euros, so FU to Barca as well Rayan Aït Nouri only turned 19yo 3 weeks ago, so is so not ready to step right in Alejandro Grimaldo is even shorter than Gaya and Tags, plus has not impressed me that much in the 5 or 6 games I have watched Lucas Digne is a player I really rate, but Everton value him at £50-55m or so, so hard pass Luca Pellegrini is being recalled by Juve and they said they will not sell Layvin Kurzawa is off the table (renewed by PSG for 4 years) Sergio Reguilón will either be bought perm by Sevilla or will go back and stay at Real Madrid Alphonso Davies (obviously), Ferland Mendy, and Renan Lodi are basically never going to be sold now Marcel Halstenberg is soon 29 (September) so too old to buy Jamal Lewis is a typical overrated, overpriced English youngster from all that I have seen Dalbert and Wendell are just not good enough that is it, every FB I rate for a buy, and most are not doable or do not fit what we need or are too old or too small or too expensive or not for sale Theo (clear front-runner skillset-wise plus age, size, etc) Telles Gosens (and we appear to have little interest in him) are the final 3 for me

wowowow they spent some time and serious cash n that roll-out super fucking cool they had a black girl as the lead too

The rise of Ben Chilwell: From accidental left-back to England’s first choice https://theathletic.com/1547635/2020/06/28/ben-chilwell-leicester-england-chelsea-fa-cup-premier-league/ Among the 10 youthful faces on the page, there is one that stands out. Probably because the fresh face of Leicester City and England defender Ben Chilwell has hardly changed, apart from an occasional wisp of a beard, in the 17 years since he first began his journey from the rural fields of Milton Keynes to the more hallowed surrounds of the Premier League. Chilwell, then aged just seven, is registered as number 9172 with Woburn Lions in the Milton Keynes and District Junior Football League, and former manager Keith Swan is so proud of the 2003 document, he has had it laminated, along with a player registration form containing the names of Chilwell’s very first team-mates. Jack Grieveson, Peter Twitchen, Matthew Lowther, Simon Lawford, Thomas Dixon, Rory Hicks, Charlie Swan, George Cochrane-Davies and Samuel Whittaker can all proudly say they wore the claret and blue of Woburn & Wavendon FC alongside Chilwell, whose rise has seen him linked with Manchester City and Chelsea, and earned him 11 caps for England. Chilwell has come a long way since those days with Woburn & Wavendon and there were slightly more illustrious names alongside his on the teamsheet on Sunday: Jamie Vardy. Youri Tielemans. Kasper Schmeichel. The Athletic has reported how Frank Lampard is a big admirer of Chilwell and the Chelsea manager got a close-up view of the Leicester left-back’s talents at the King Power Stadium in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final. Chilwell was arguably Leicester’s best performer in their disappointing defeat, providing a good attacking outlet down the left for Brendan Rodgers’ side and stretching Chelsea’s defence with his pace. Chilwell’s energy also highlighted the lack of impact made by the Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri. Swan, Chilwell’s manager at Woburn & Wavendon, says it wasn’t immediately obvious the seven-year-old Chilwell would go on to become a top professional footballer. “He was a team player,” recalls Swan. “It wasn’t a case of, ‘Let’s give the ball to Ben and watch as he does something special with it for five minutes’ and after he scored, we start again. He was very much part of the group. “He was quick to learn anything and very attentive with anything going on. We also had an hour a week training with a coach from (local then-League One club) Rushden & Diamonds as the Woburn chairman, Gregg Broughton, was also head of youth development with Rushden, and Ben always listened to what they were saying, soaking up information. “He was one of the better players but not to a dramatic level. Across all the boys who were playing, he was the better player and it was reflected in the end-of-season awards. The kids voted for him as players’ player of the year at the end of the year. It was obvious, as time went on, he would go on to better things. A seven-year-old Chilwell during his days with Woburn Lions in the Milton Keynes and District Junior Football League “In fact, I remember, when he was aged about 11 and had moved to Rushden & Diamonds, he came to watch us play. After every game, to bond with the opposition, we would do a crossbar challenge — the boys would try to hit the crossbar. Ben asked to have a go. He hit it with his first try.” Former Woburn team-mate and close friend Cochrane-Davies, who now lives in Nottingham and works as a graduate ecologist, says Chilwell was clearly a talent. “I think we won our first ever game 23-0,” he tells The Athletic. “Ben scored 10 and I scored six or seven, I think. He had obviously been coached by his dad because while we were toe-poking it as kids, he was side-footing the ball. “I thought he stood out among us but it was interesting to see him move from being a striker to a midfielder at Bletchley, and then Rushden, then to being a full-back at Leicester (Chilwell was asked to cover at left-back in his first game on trial at Leicester aged 12 and has remained in the position). Although, Ashley Cole was a hero of his. He talked about him a lot, so he was driven to emulate him.” After just one year with Woburn, Chilwell moved on to Bletchley Youth to play an age group above himself, with the under-nines, and was then signed by Rushden. It was then that Swan thought Chilwell had a chance to go all the way. “In all honesty I am devastated because when he first got signed up by Rushden I was standing on the touchline on a windswept day at Woburn and I said to the parents we should all put some money together and put it on him playing for England one day,” Swan recalls to The Athletic. “The thought crossed our minds (that) he could go all the way. It was a ridiculous, throwaway comment but as he progressed, we thought we should have done the bet after all. “I just think it is fantastic; just to know the path he has trodden and to keep an eye on his career is amazing. I can remember seeing him on TV in a FA Cup match against Tottenham and they said in commentary he was one to keep an eye on in the future. It gives you a warm glow to see how far he has come.” Chilwell’s father Wayne, a New Zealander who had met his mother Sally while travelling and relocated to England over 25 years ago, was a driving force behind his son, and also Swan’s co-manager of that Woburn side. The pair volunteered when it seemed the fledgling club would not be formed as nobody had come forward to run it. The Chilwells lived in Ridgmont, a small village south-east of Milton Keynes, and Chilwell, who has a younger sister, went to Ridgmont Lower School with many of his Woburn team-mates, including Cochrane-Davies, before graduating to Fulbrook Middle School and then Redborne Upper School. After Leicester signed him when he was 12, he would be given time out from school to attend training twice a week. His father would take breaks from his job in the construction industry to drive him back and forth from training in Leicester. Chilwell was also attending cricket training sessions with Northamptonshire and even an England camp at Loughborough until he focused on football, which placed further demands on the family. Chilwell has previously admitted that when he was 15 and struggling to be picked at Leicester, that he would have arguments with his dad on the hour-plus drive back to Ridgmont. Wayne would challenge him to double his efforts, resulting in Chilwell doing extra training in the fields around their rural home. “Wayne is very focused and determined; all the attributes you need to have behind you to help you make the most of the talents you have,” says Swan. “I think his dad spent a lot of time with him and took him to a lot of summer soccer camps before we formed the team. “He wasn’t hard on him, but he pushed him. He was determined to ensure Ben got the most out of all his talents.” “I can understand how Ben has made it to the position he is in because his dad was supportive and very driven,” adds Cochrane-Davies. “He knew what Ben could achieve if he supported him in the right way. He played a lot of sport himself in New Zealand and knew a lot about professional sport. He pushed Ben on.” However, Cochrane-Davies remembers a moment when Chilwell had doubts about continuing at Leicester and almost gave up on becoming a professional. “I think he was around 13 or 14, and it was clear it was a lot of hard work, travelling, every other day after school to Leicester,” he recalls. “I think he had a few doubts then, because of the demands, but he stuck at it and worked hard. I am sure he is glad he did.” The childhood mates were both Manchester United fans and attended their first United game together, a Champions League tie at Old Trafford against Benfica. At the time, David Beckham was so popular with the Woburn Lions players they all wanted to wear the No 7 shirt, so Swan devised a fair way to decide who got which number. “I rolled the window down in my car and laid the shirts on the front seat and they had to reach in and just grab one,” he says. “Ben got the No 2 shirt and wore it all that season. I think his dad kept it when he left. I think he still has it.” But while it was the muddy pitches at Woburn Playing Fields where Chilwell first played organised football, it was in the enclosed steel-cage courts that populate parks around Milton Keynes where he spent many more hours playing with his friends. In the corner of Woburn Playing Fields, is one such cage, the goalposts below basketball hoops. Chilwell and his young team-mates would often be in there with a ball. There is another court outside his first school in Ridgmont. The cage at Woburn Playing Fields, where Chilwell played for hours on end with his friends “That was all we had available,” explains Cochrane-Davies. “While most people would go to a field, we would go to the cages and play football. We referred to it as ‘the park’ and he spent many hours playing football in them. Dele Alli as well, I would imagine.” Now-Tottenham and England midfielder Dele and Chilwell, who became friends through playing for England at youth levels, weren’t the only ones who developed their skills on the small-sided pitches in Milton Keynes. Luton Town’s former England Under-21 defender Brendan Galloway, Wales’ George Williams and England Under-17 international Giorgio Rasulo — all former MK Dons youth players – would also join them in later years for five-a-side games in the summer at a Goals centre in the town. Until recently, Chilwell could also be spotted playing with his friends on a local common near to Swan’s house. “A couple of summers ago, he was up here having a kickabout with some of the boys,” Swan says as he points to a partially-hidden patch of grass. “You just think, ‘You shouldn’t have thighs that size!’. It’s ridiculous. But I suppose he is a top professional. “He comes back and plays in the park. He is close to a group of lads he sees regularly. Local boys. It is tucked out of the way and there will only be a couple of dog-walkers over there, and they are not going to be expecting an England international to be playing in the park.” Over the past couple of years, as Chilwell has established himself for club and country, he no longer joins in the impromptu kickabouts, but he has been seen occasionally driving around the area, firstly in the distinctive BMW i8 he was given by Leicester’s owners as a reward following the 2016 title win (despite only playing in the domestic cups that season) and, more recently, in a black Lamborghini. “I used to see his i8 around on occasions but I think he has sold that now,” Swan adds. “The last time I saw him he was in a local restaurant with friends. It was the day after he made his England debut. He was very friendly and polite. “He is still in contact with his old friends. His best mate, who he spends most weekends with, is the son of a friend of mine. He is out and about locally from time to time and is always incredibly polite and friendly. “He is still exactly the same as that seven-year-old boy in that photo.”

his 34 year old ass would have sat on the bench and watched the best LB in the world play

see, when you do serious posts they are quite good salut

Five subs and Chelsea depth aiding Lampard’s knack of turning tide in matches https://theathletic.com/1901908/2020/07/01/chelsea-frank-lampard-substitutions-management/ The decisive Frank Lampard substitutions that have powered Chelsea’s perfect start to English football’s resumption will come as no surprise to those familiar with his work at Derby. Lampard’s first season in coaching was bookended by examples of how to positively impact matches from the dugout. In the 73rd minute of his very first game, poised at 1-1 away to Reading on the opening day of the 2018-19 Championship after Mason Mount had cancelled out Jon Dadi Bodvarsson’s opener, he replaced veteran striker David Nugent with young winger Mason Bennett, who subsequently provided the cross for Tom Lawrence’s 94th-minute winner. The most memorable example of all came at Elland Road in May 2019. Trailing 2-0 on aggregate against Leeds United in the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final, Lampard introduced striker Jack Marriott for midfielder Duane Holmes a minute before half-time. He scored with his first touch and netted again after the interval as Derby roared back to win the tie 4-3 on aggregate. But the moment that will probably resonate most with Mount, Reece James and Billy Gilmour after Sunday’s triple half-time hook away to Leicester City in the FA Cup can be found in the third round of Derby’s campaign in the same competition last season. Four minutes after Nathan Redmond had put Southampton 2-0 up early in the second half at Pride Park, Lampard took off teenage academy graduate Max Bird and replaced him with Nugent. The introduction of a striker for a midfielder galvanised Derby. They came back to earn a 2-2 draw and force a replay, which they won on penalties at St Mary’s. “For Max Bird, he will play many more games,” Lampard insisted afterwards. “I feel bad for him because I had to change something to get us back into the game but it’s a great experience for him. He’s a really good young player and he will get more opportunities.” Lampard delivered a very similar message after Chelsea’s win at the King Power Stadium last weekend. “Reece James hasn’t played for a long time, since lockdown,” he said. “Billy (Gilmour) was the same. These are contributing factors around it. They are going to be top players for this club no matter what. They are going to have top careers in football. They will have really, really top careers because of the players they are. “Whether you can call it a learning experience; it was just a factor of how I saw the game. They can take it on board. They are all good lads, all train well and all have a good work ethic. I’ve never had a problem with the three of them at all. I’ve got no worries. It was just the circumstances today.” Previous Chelsea managers would have faced more scrutiny for singling out three players aged 21 or younger for substitution, to be replaced by experienced internationals, at the end of a first half in which none of Lampard’s starters did themselves much credit. Yet it’s also fair to ask whether those same previous Chelsea managers would have shown such faith in youth in the first place when picking their team for an FA Cup quarter-final tie away to the team sitting third in the Premier League. Lampard, in his management and messaging, is trying to strike the balance between holding all his players to the same standards of accountability and not discouraging the talented youngsters he has done so much to empower this season, all while keeping sight of Chelsea’s main priority: winning on the pitch in the defining stretch of the campaign. Despite three imperfect performances since football resumed, it is a line he has walked impressively so far. Chelsea have preserved their pre-shutdown momentum in the Premier League — crowning Liverpool champions in the process — and will make a 10th FA Cup semi-final appearance in the last 19 years. All three matches were delicately poised in the second half, with Lampard’s interventions from the sidelines playing a key role in shifting the momentum in Chelsea’s favour. Christian Pulisic came off the bench to spark the attack away to Aston Villa. Conversations with the manager during water breaks seemed to have a steadying effect in each half against Manchester City, with Tammy Abraham’s introduction just after the hour mark giving Pep Guardiola’s stretched defence problems. Ross Barkley made the decisive breakthrough against Leicester in place of Mount, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Mateo Kovacic helped prevent any late fightback from the home side. Lampard admitted after the match that the increased five substitution limit had emboldened him to make a triple change at half-time. Chelsea reportedly led the lobby for the Premier League to adopt a rule that was always expected to benefit the bigger clubs and it’s easy to see why — what this squad lacks in elite talent, it makes up for in sheer variety and depth. With virtually a clean bill of health for the first time this season, Lampard has more options than ever before to throw at a game that is going away from Chelsea. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, feeling his way back after 13 months out of action, has not even played in his preferred central midfield position yet. Jorginho, brought off the bench to such great effect against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in December, is yet to play a minute since the restart. Neither is Michy Batshuayi, scorer of the most memorable cameo goal of the season to beat Ajax in Amsterdam back in October. Lampard’s substitutions this season have yielded 10 direct goal involvements across all competitions — six goals and four assists. Six of those goal involvements have either brought Chelsea level or put them ahead in matches. There have, of course, also been plenty of occasions when reinforcements from the bench have not made a difference, most notably in damaging home defeats against West Ham, Bournemouth and Southampton during a rollercoaster festive schedule. The next five Premier League matches — against West Ham, Watford, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Norwich — will test Chelsea’s ability to break down the precise type of pragmatic opponent they have so often been stifled by this season. With more bodies and more substitutions available to Lampard, there will be even fewer credible excuses for the same old failings. Some might argue that Lampard would not have needed to be so decisive with his substitutions over the past three matches if he had got his starting XI right. Chelsea were slow out of the blocks against Villa, City and Leicester, and were fortunate to only fall behind in one of them before the response arrived. But team selection is never an exact science and the variance only increases when managers must navigate matches every three or four days across different competitions. Lampard insisted when he took the Chelsea job that he would pick his team based on tactical needs and the merits of training. He has stuck to those principles, even to the point of going with youth over experience. Any player, regardless of age, can have a bad day — and predicting one ahead of time isn’t always possible. What managers can control is how they react to events on the pitch. Lampard forged a reputation at Derby as someone who could turn bad results into good ones with a willingness to be proactive and try things from the dugout. The fact that Chelsea are already benefiting from those qualities bodes well — for meeting this season’s objectives and for satisfying the club’s loftier ambitions beyond.

Bierhoff on why Werner will succeed at Chelsea and Germany’s ‘St George’s Park’ https://theathletic.com/1892976/2020/06/30/oliver-bierhoff-germany-timo-werner-chelsea/ Germany could have been contesting a last 16 tie at Euro 2020 this week but Oliver Bierhoff doesn’t look all that distraught about sitting in his home office near Munich instead. The managing director for national teams and academy at the German FA (DFB) readily admits the competition’s postponement to June 2021 might well work in his youngish side’s favour. Uneven performances since the disastrous 2018 World Cup have shown that the reshaped Nationalmannschaft can really do with a little more time. “We played very well in some games, against France and the Netherlands, for example, but we still lost some of them, because we were lacking that bit of experience and robustness — we were fragile as a team,” the 52-year-old says. “The next 12 months will provide an opportunity for players to grow and mature. They will get better, playing another 15 internationals or 15 Champions League games, and that extra bit of consistency should make us more resilient collectively.” Bierhoff name-checks Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane (soon to be Bayern) and Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) in that respect but it is perhaps Timo Werner’s rapid improvement that fills him with most optimism. This season, the RB Leipzig attacker (above, with Havertz) took a serious step forward in his development, netting a career-best 28 goals in the league under Julian Nagelsmann and playing with what Bierhoff describes as “a new sense of authority”. And he feels Werner’s imminent move to Chelsea will add further positive momentum. As a former Germany striker whose career only got going once he moved to Italy and played for Udinese and AC Milan, the Euro 1996 winner welcomes Werner’s decision to swap Saxony for Stamford Bridge next season. The stint in the Premier League, he believes, will make the 24-year-old more resilient, as a person as a well as a player. “I played outside of Germany for 13 out of 17 years and it was brilliant. I think it’s a courageous decision and a good one for Timo. We often see players who go abroad grow in personality. Take Per Mertesacker, at Arsenal. Bernd Leno, too. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (at Barcelona), Ilkay Gundogan (at Manchester City). Toni Kroos (at Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (at Chelsea). “In a foreign country, you are left to your own devices. There’s a risk factor involved, but I would always do it again because you mature so much. Italy was a shock to me at first. You believe football is the same everywhere, but it’s totally different everywhere. The people are different, the dressing room humour is different, communication is different, the game is different. You need a bit of time to get used to it. There is an expectation on you that you should not take too long, of course, but I believe that Timo’s obsessive quest for goals and his ambitiousness will help him settle quickly. “He doesn’t look left or right too much, he’s focused on scoring and performing well. And with his pace, he will score goals in England, I’m sure.” There are downsides to the newly drawn-up calendar too, of course. A storm is already brewing about Germany’s first two Nations League fixtures (against Spain and Switzerland) in the first week of September, well before the start of the 2020-21 Bundesliga season, and just 10 days after the conclusions of the 2019-20 Champions League and Europa League. Bierhoff at the Nations League draw (Photo: Lukas Schulze – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) Bayern Munich’s executive chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has called the prospect of his professionals playing on without a two-week break “a horror scenario” and hinted that some wouldn’t be able to feature for the national team in September. Bierhoff understands the concerns — up to a point. “We, the German FA, were only too happy to help the clubs with devising a medical concept for the league’s resumption in May,” he recalls. “We moved out of the way, and agreed that Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 would come back first, followed by 3 Liga (Germany’s third division), the Women’s Bundesliga, Champions League and Europa League. Then it would be the national team’s turn. We have done everything to support the clubs, which is why I would like their support for the international games in September, October and November.” Could there be a compromise, with players involved in European competition sitting out those September fixtures? “We need to keep an eye on players’ workload, without a doubt, especially for those who play in the Champions League until the very end,” he says. “We are always in touch with our players and their clubs. But we would like them to be involved with Germany. We are one year into a rebuild of the team, (and) injuries and other problems have stopped us from playing with one XI consistently. We need this year to find the best team and to mature, we cannot continue to make all sorts of experiments. I’m worried there won’t be as much time as usual to prepare before the tournament either. ” While Germany head coach Joachim Low is personally under the most pressure to atone for the early exit from Russia 2018 and then finishing bottom of their Nations League group below Holland and France, the need to make amends is keenly felt by the FA as a whole, which makes a good European Championship finals next year all the more vital. “We lost a lot of credit after the World Cup,” Bierhoff concedes. Germany had arrived as holders with a palpable sense of entitlement bordering on arrogance and duly failed to even get out of the group, leaving vast sections of the public back home markedly disengaged. A lack of backing for Mesut Ozil, who had accused the since-departed German FA president Reinhard Grindel of racism towards him, added to a sense the national team had lost its way. Germany’s bid to win back-to-back World Cups was over after three games (Photo: Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) “We have a lot to make up for. There were some good games in the Euro qualifiers, we were on course for generating a bit of enthusiasm again, but that’s all been disrupted by COVID-19. It was nevertheless very important for us to be present as a team, and to make a stand during the break,” Bierhoff says, with reference to the national team players donating €250,000 to help homeless people affected by the pandemic. “We know, however, that euphoria comes from wins and good performances — there’s no substitute for that.” But German football needs more than a successful Euros “to get back to world class”, as the FA’s stated aim has it. Youth coaches have warned the supply of top young prodigies is drying up. Twenty years after the country’s youth development reforms started producing much more technical, talented players, the system no longer delivers the same number of high-potential prospects. The reboot needs a reboot. “Russia was a blip, an accident, but our issues go deeper,” Bierhoff says. “Our coaches are saying that there are too few 17- or 18-year-olds coming through who have what it takes. That’s the brutal feedback from the Bundesliga as well. They say they’re forced to go to France or England (for young players), that they’re better there. That shows you we have to make up ground.” Jadon Sncho joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City aged 17 in 2017 (Photo: Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images) The DFB’s answer to the fall in quality output has been emphatic. They are investing in a €150 million academy and new headquarters in Frankfurt, their very own version of England’s St George’s Park. The aim is to create a central hub for all national teams and their staff, a physical as well as a digital-knowledge base and a centre for education. A lot of emphasis will be put on the coaching of coaches, to induce a change of methods, towards a more individualistic approach. Many clubs have noticed their youth coaches have been too keen to win trophies and further their own careers instead of focusing on the players’ needs to develop. “A look at France — the most successful country in terms of producing excellent football — shows that they leave more freedom for players to be creative. Us Germans are quite schematic, mechanical, and that rubs off on the football. Our boys play very solid, very organised, but sometimes without the creativity and spontaneous, fast, decision-making that makes the difference at this level.” They are also thinking about smaller youth teams with less early selection and more room for development, as well as moving some of their regional centres back into urban areas, out of concern that highly talented players of a migratory background might be getting overlooked by the system right now. The financial implications of COVID-19, an estimated loss of €50 million for the federation, will make it more difficult to put things back on track but Bierhoff insists the academy complex will be ready by the end of next year as scheduled. If anything, the pandemic will force clubs, even more, to make the most of their own resources, by making them better coaches and administrators, he believes. “We will help them in that regard, by providing a platform for the exchange of knowledge.” In September, a first cohort of club officials will study in a newly-devised “professional football management” course, a kind of Pro Licence for sporting directors. Most of the changes at grassroots level will take eight to 10 years to filter through, Bierhoff acknowledges. “We’re not fatalistic but there are problems ahead in the medium term, when the current crop of internationals come towards the end of their careers. I think the national team manager in charge in 2024 or 2026 might have fewer players to chose from than Low had in 2014.” Bad news for Jurgen Klopp then? Bierhoff laughs. “No. With him in charge, any players will work. But we’re not thinking about that right now.”

Guy Laurence – the most important person at Chelsea you’ve never heard of https://theathletic.com/1897045/2020/06/29/guy-laurence-the-most-important-person-at-chelsea-youve-never-heard-of/ How many senior football executives do you know who have beaten Bruce Willis in an arm wrestle? Chelsea chief executive Guy Laurence doesn’t look like the man capable of doing something so extraordinary. He was once described in Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper as a ‘British Tony Soprano’, but humbling the man who played John McClane in the Die Hard movies is hard to contemplate. However, one of Laurence’s previous roles was working with Willis, plus Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Demi Moore, as executive vice-president of marketing in Europe for their restaurant chain Planet Hollywood. Their paths, as well as their arms, definitely crossed. This is just one of many fascinating tales about a man who has worked for some of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world and is now a key figure in the Chelsea hierarchy. Yet so many know so little about him. A phone call to a former Chelsea first-team player is telling. He has just been asked to provide any memories or experiences they have of this influential businessman. “Who?” they eventually reply. “He might have been at the games, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you what he looks like.” One man certainly doesn’t speak for all., but although there are few people at Chelsea Football Club with a more important job right now than Laurence many of their followers would struggle to identify him. This is a man who is following in the footsteps of Peter Kenyon and Ron Gourlay, who were employed in the same role under owner Roman Abramovich. Mention those names around the Fulham Road and you might quickly hear an opinion or two. Fans’ thoughts on Laurence might take a bit longer to find. His predecessors were much more renowned and recognisable, albeit perhaps for the wrong reasons. Kenyon helped the club sign a lot of top players after arriving in 2003, but he also said things like Chelsea ‘will turn the world blue’ and become the biggest club on the planet. It caused them to be perceived, by people within as well as outside the game, as arrogant and brash. Gourlay, though a more conservative figure, was at the forefront of the club’s clumsy bid to buy the freehold of Stamford Bridge from Chelsea Pitch Owners in 2011. The motion was defeated but a lot of supporters involved never forgave the Scot for the way the issue was handled. Those that love the west London club may wonder why they should care about Laurence either. After all, he is part of the boardroom, not someone to get excited about, like, for example, new signings Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner. But the two are connected. Laurence is a key figure as Chelsea try to generate the revenue needed to be able to afford more big-name players in the transfer market while living within the confines of Financial Fair Play rules. Chelsea’s last accounts, for the year ending June 30 2019, highlighted the issues at hand. Despite Abramovich providing another £247 million of his own money, the club reported a £96.6 million loss — their second-biggest deficit since 2003. Influential director Marina Granovskaia has done her best to keep money rolling in from player sales. Kieron O’Connor, who runs Swiss Ramble, the respected Twitter account which specialises on reporting the business side of the sport, stated in January that no English club has raised more over the last six years than the £398 million Chelsea accrued from outgoings. Since then, they have brought in another £41 million and the next window has yet to reopen. There is more of an onus to increase funds from elsewhere, but Chelsea are at a significant disadvantage regarding match-day revenue (when fans are allowed to go to games again). Their last figures showed they made £67 million in 2018-19 — that is in stark contrast to Manchester United’s £111 million, Liverpool’s £84 million and Tottenham Hotspur’s £82 million. Stamford Bridge, which is now just the 10th biggest ground in England at a capacity of just over 41,000, isn’t going to get bigger any time soon, with the project to redevelop it into a 60,000-seat arena still on hold. Total revenue of £447 million for 2018-19 is good, but Manchester United’s return for the same period was £627 million, Manchester City’s £535 million and Liverpool’s was £533 million. Tottenham, who were once seen as not on the same playing field, are now ahead too on £460.7 million. You get the point. Laurence was hired in January 2018 and has been busy trying to bridge that gap via the commercial side. This week, the new three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Three, a partnership a source describes as ‘being brought in very much on Laurence’s watch’, begins. It is believed to be around the same figure, £40 million a year, Yokohama Rubber had paid for the privilege since 2015. It was seen within Chelsea as a triumph to negotiate such a high sum again, even more so now the world is reeling from the impact of COVID-19. The next item on the agenda is to get a company to sponsor their training kit. Chelsea certainly feel they have the right man in place. Last season, revenue from commercial activities grew by £14.5 million, following the signing of several partnership deals including Hyundai, Vitality Health, MSC Cruises, Unilever, Beats by Dre and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, plus increased revenues from online merchandise sales. The competition to find more sponsors is going to be tough, but achievable. Daniel Haddad, head of commercial strategy at sports marketing firm Octagon: “Chelsea are among the top 10 or so of elite clubs in world football. Being in London is a big positive for them but the other London clubs do cannibalise that market a bit — it’s not like Paris Saint-Germain, who have Paris to themselves. But they are still very strong commercially.” One survey Chelsea have been privy to reports they have a global support of around 500 million (for perspective, Manchester United’s is deemed to be at 750 million), so the market is there. Chelsea believe they now have more supporter groups around the world than any other Premier League club and that Laurence has played a part in establishing that. And yet the need to qualify for the Champions League on an annual basis — they are currently in fourth spot in the Premier League — remains vital. Sports marketing consultant Tim Crow says: “Continuing that success is crucial to their commercial strategy, particularly the exposure and money that Champions League participation brings. “In terms of how they’ve tried to differentiate themselves, they have always played the London card and pushed the whole King’s Road thing. But Arsenal and Spurs can play the London card, too, and both those clubs now have fantastic stadiums. Chelsea do have a commercial operation, it’s just that it’s slightly hampered by its relatively small fan footprint (with the stadium). That’s why the Champions League is so important for them, that’s what brings the eyeballs and reach a sponsor wants.” But all this only tells part of Laurence’s story. It talks about the need for someone like him and the kind of results he can bring. What the man is actually like takes a lot more investigating. John McClane isn’t the only action hero Laurence has had an encounter with. Before locking arms with Willis, there were a few encounters with James Bond — well, the actor who played him at the time, Pierce Brosnan. That was when Laurence was helping promote and market films for MGM Studios. If the Chelsea team aren’t able to make sweet music on the pitch, Laurence can always provide a fine tune instead. His family set up the famous piano-making firm John Broadwood & Sons (with the Broadwoods) in 1718. Among those to have played one of their instruments long before Guy was around to be on the board were Queen Victoria, and the famed composers Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Since working as chief executive for Vodafone UK and Rogers Communications in Canada, there have been many more anecdotes about what kind of boss he is to work for. At Vodafone’s base in Berkshire, west of London, the hierarchical structure was removed. That meant even Laurence didn’t have an office or a desk to call his own. It wasn’t left there. He gave a speech called The Death of Conventional Working in 2012, which can be found on YouTube, where he went on to explain: “We have a 100 per cent ‘clean desk’ policy. It means we take anything that’s left on the desk at the end of the day and we incinerate it that night, even if it’s pictures of your loved ones. It causes interesting conversations that one. The reason we do it is so that people don’t leave something on the desk that symbolically says ‘This is my desk’. That’s very important.” Sources at Vodafone have told The Athletic that the threat to burn family mementos was never carried out. Someone had the job of gathering up items left behind, which were put in a box to be collected by their owners at another time. The message that no one could reserve a desk was ultimately received. He was also keen on keeping waste to a minimum, so there was only one printer per floor and a list of the top 25 paper-users would be put on his desk every month. Laurence made it known that to be named on such a chart twice a year would be regarded negatively. There are similar tales from his period at Rogers, a huge communications and media company. Once again, offices were ripped out for an open-plan feel. However, sources have insisted that while staff were encouraged to be tidy, desks weren’t cleared en masse like they were at Vodafone. An article in Canada’s Globe and Mail detailing Laurence’s tenure told how everyone in the company was asked to connect with him on LinkedIn. On top of that, he kept a close eye on whether workers were reading his corporate blog. If they weren’t, emails were sent asking for an explanation. He left after three years, with insiders suggesting he paid the price for clashing with family board members and not fulfilling expectations quick enough. Others say his manner was exactly what the company needed to freshen things up, but that his style just didn’t fit with the people who mattered. This just serves as prologue to life at Chelsea. The Athletic have spoken to a number of sources at the club and the feedback has been very upbeat. Cynics might think this is a piece the Chelsea PR department have had control over in order to provide a positive spin on things, but employees have spoken off the record and given honest feedback. One insider, who has worked at the club for a number of years, says: “Guy is the most hands-on chief executive a lot of employees say they have worked with at Chelsea. He is very visible. “For example, he is the first to hold town hall meetings with all the members of staff. There will be separate ones held for those who work out of Cobham (the training ground) and those at Stamford Bridge. He gives PowerPoint presentations to explain strategies and what the club are trying to achieve on the commercial side. Everyone is allowed to contribute and he will stay as long as there are questions to be answered. People feel more of a part of things and he makes it clear if there are any problems, we can contact him ourselves. His door is always open.” Emails have still been sent out about the importance of cleanliness around the workplace but it doesn’t sound quite as intense a subject as at the previous employers mentioned above. That is not to say there aren’t any areas where there is room for improvement. There are supporters who have found Laurence rather dismissive of their concerns when they are raised at the Chelsea Fans’ Forum, which he co-chairs with Bruce Buck. He is viewed with some suspicion. There is a sentiment that he only cares about the brand and the next sponsorship deal, rather than the match-going fan. In truth, you will find this dynamic between supporters and those hired for their business acumen at clubs up and down the country. A damning article written by David Chidgey for the CFCUK Fanzine expressed some of the sentiment: “Since Laurence’s arrival just over two years ago we have seen a plethora of crass decisions betraying a fundamental lack of understanding of supporters which borders on contempt. An increase in vacuous marketing executives tasked to sell us ‘Brand Chelsea’ both here and more important globally. “These are the geniuses behind such slogans such as ‘Thrilling Since 1905’ (this was written for everyone to read in bold letters on the West Stand — it has been taken down this season). You can add the disastrous Nike Megastore masquerading as a club shop to this egregious list and now the farce over the ‘dynamic pricing’ strategy.” The latter was the term used to explain why prices for the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Liverpool in March was increased by 33 per cent to £40. This was a 33 per cent increase on the last time they’d played at home in the competition, against Nottingham Forest of the Championship in January. The club seemed to be trying to capitalise on a sexier draw because their ticketing policy announced at the start of the season said FA Cup admission would cost £30. As Chidgey added: “This season’s ticketing policy for FA Cup games moved from a category-based system to being set on a case-by-case basis. On investigation, the club apparently called this change of strategy ‘dynamic pricing’ within the ticket policy, whereby they can change prices whenever they like.” There was quite a backlash, including a strongly worded statement by the Chelsea Supporters Trust. It is understood Laurence accepted he had made the wrong call and reduced the price to £30 again. However, you get the impression the initial hike is what will linger most in people’s minds, rather than the U-turn. Chelsea will argue this is a sign he does care about their complaints, along with the fact he is meeting people to hear their concerns in the first place. Then there have been things such as revamping what used to be available for younger followers via Bridge Kids into a better programme called Junior Blues. But you get the impression those he has encountered will take some winning over. There is a perception among some that he sees the mainstay of support as interchangeable — that if fans have had enough and go elsewhere, someone else will simply come along and take their place. People don’t feel valued as fans or even necessarily as customers. Meanwhile, chairman Buck is regarded by others in a more positive light because he has a lighter touch when talking to them and gives them more of an impression he’s listening. In truth, it sounds like this is just the way Laurence can come across sometimes when he interacts with people about serious matters. During meetings with staff, he will soon interject if he feels enough has been said and a resolution has come to mind. As one insider described it ‘he likes to get to the point. That doesn’t mean he’s a bully and isn’t listening. But he is good at cutting across the chatter. On the other hand, if an expert knows best he will back them.” Another negative levelled against Laurence is that he isn’t a lover of the game. Unlike Kenyon and Gourlay, there are no images of him in a box at the stadium reacting to goals going in or walking into the dressing room afterwards to talk to the players. Laurence does go to home games, but won’t tend to be around the playing staff, because match day is a great opportunity to meet people and make contacts. After all, as explained above, his primary purpose is to bring more money in. However, readers shouldn’t get the wrong idea here, either. He regularly attends Chelsea Women’s games and is seen cheering them on. Laurence has been actively looking for ways to support and promote the women’s team. Indeed, a film crew from Fulwell73, the makers of Sunderland ‘Til I Die, have been commissioned to put a documentary together for Emma Hayes’ title winners. Laurence (third from left) with members of the men and women’s teams at a sponsor unveiling Laurence was also behind Chelsea TV being taken off Sky TV in 2019. The club’s three-year contract was coming to an end. It cost them around £1 million a season to broadcast. At its height, there were around 35,000 subscribers. It was Laurence who argued that their global fanbase would be far better serviced with an app. That £1 million fee given to Sky has now been invested in-house and the content, which is available on-demand, has improved markedly. The Fifth Stand App now gets millions of downloads, and it is thought even Abramovich is taking an interest in what is put together. The app also acts as a revenue stream. Packages are created and businesses are approached to see if they would like to be part of a segment or series of segments. It means they don’t have to necessarily commit to a long partnership, but for just a month or two if they wish. Laurence’s responsibilities were already vast, but they have increased in recent months with commercial director Chris Townsend leaving to help the UK government with their shielding programme for COVID-19. He is relishing the challenge of revamping that department. Another insight into just how influential he has become is the fact he has rewritten the core values the club and their staff stand for. This kind of mission statement-speak may not appeal to the general public, but it is commonplace at any major business, let alone football club. Laurence has replaced what was in writing before at Chelsea with these six phrases that all employees should strive for and hold each other to account to abide by. They are, with a brief summary of the explanation given to personnel included: Here to Win — “Our pursuit to be the best is relentless, and it’s our drive and determination that helps us win both on and off the pitch.” Be brave — “Real innovation happens outside your comfort zone.” Do the right thing — “Football isn’t just a game for us, it’s a force for good.” Play your part — “We’re footballers. We’re accountants. We’re marketeers. We’re creators. But most importantly we’re winners who play our part in driving the business forward.” Many teams, one club — “There are many teams that help us get to the top, but we’re stronger when we work together.” Proud to be Chelsea — “From our work ethic to our inclusiveness, we’re proud to say we’re part of something bigger.” It has been suggested he does more work than any chief executive would be expected to do at a top-six club, even though it is Granovskaia in charge of the football side of things. With a marketing team numbering around 80-strong and a commercial department of about 50, Laurence has a lot on his plate. Yet he will be across what some may consider menial tasks, such as what the ground should look like for a behind-closed-doors match or the order in which club partners should appear on the backdrop that stands behind Frank Lampard and his players during interviews. If the groundsmen at the training ground require a new sprinkler system or lawnmower to cut the grass, Laurence is the man who will give the final say-so as he is in charge of the budget. More revenue opportunities, which he has been behind, will be launched in July and there are others to come. A lot of difficulties remain. Laurence’s name will never be sung from the stands, but he has the strength of will to get the job done. Just ask Bruce Willis.

Kante’s display in win over City shows he can evolve into player Makelele became https://theathletic.com/1897059/2020/06/28/ngolo-kante-claude-makelele-chelsea/ Chelsea’s first two matches of the Premier League restart have seen Frank Lampard deploy N’Golo Kante in the role that many people have always considered to be his best: as the deepest-lying of three midfielders, tasked with shielding his defence, winning the ball back and playing the passes that put his team in a position to control matches and create chances. It’s not actually a position that Kante has played much at all during his career. In the Boulogne academy, he was a right-back before being shifted to central midfield, where he eventually forged his reputation at Caen as a “relayeur” or hard-running No 8, shuttling from box to box and racking up eye-catching numbers of tackles and interceptions, as well as the occasional goal. His destructive talents appealed most to Leicester City who, as the former head of recruitment Steve Walsh only half-jokingly said, played “with Danny Drinkwater in the middle and Kante either side” during their run to the Premier League title in 2015-16. Antonio Conte used the Frenchman similarly in his spectacularly successful 3-4-3 system at Chelsea the following year, giving him a search-and-destroy brief alongside Nemanja Matic or Cesc Fabregas. In between, Kante had spent time playing the No 6 role for Didier Deschamps in France’s unsuccessful Euro 2016 campaign. But within a few months of taking over from Conte as Chelsea coach in 2017-18, Maurizio Sarri made it clear that he saw things fundamentally differently. “I want to play a central midfielder who is a very technical player, so the centre midfielder is Jorginho or Fabregas,” he insisted. “I don’t want Kante in this position.” Sarri kept Kante as a No 8, instructing him to link closely with Willian and Cesar Azpilicueta on Chelsea’s right flank and even to attack the penalty area whenever the opportunity arose, with decidedly mixed results. Before the shutdown, Lampard appeared to be of a similar mind, and Jorginho remained the passing hub of the team. But the two most recent matches against Aston Villa and Manchester City have signalled a shift in Lampard’s thinking. With Jorginho suspended, Kante was picked to anchor the Chelsea midfield at Villa Park ahead of the emerging Billy Gilmour and he kept the job despite the availability of both players when Pep Guardiola’s team came to Stamford Bridge on Thursday. Both games ended in Chelsea victories, with Kante an influential figure. But the results were achieved in very different ways, providing a useful insight into what he offers a team as the deepest-lying midfielder — as well as what he takes away. Kante registered numbers comparable with Jorginho or Gilmour against Villa. He touched the ball 97 times and completed 78 of his 90 attempted passes, an overall success rate of 86.7 per cent. In the opposition half — where most of the match was played, with Dean Smith’s team defending deep and looking to counterattack — the accuracy of his 64 attempted passes went up slightly to 87.5 per cent. Half of his 78 completed passes went to Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic or Willian. Chelsea’s game plan was to overload Villa’s left flank, with Mason Mount frequently drifting across to increase the numerical superiority. Christian Pulisic’s equaliser came from a cross from Chelsea’s right, as did the majority of the team’s best chances. Kante did a reasonable job of setting the table for it. Kante pass map v Aston Villa There were times, however — particularly in the first half — when Kante’s less expansive instincts jarred. He is an accomplished, sensible passer who has improved his possession skills massively since joining Chelsea from Leicester in 2016. But his first instinct on receiving the ball from his defenders is to play safe passes backwards or sideways. Against opponents as cautious as Villa, that instinct is unhelpful for building tempo and pressure. Here, as the ball rolls towards him from Antonio Rudiger, he quickly makes up his mind to play it with one touch to Andreas Christensen. Rudiger, however, has his arms outstretched and seems to be telling Kante he has more time and options than he realises: Kovacic is ready to receive the ball in space on the half-turn, while Azpilicueta is darting up the right wing. The resulting pass to Christensen is far from a disaster — Chelsea keep the ball and the Dane has plenty of forward passing options to choose from — but nor does it force any kind of reaction from Villa’s massed defensive lines. One sharp pass rattled into the path of Kovacic, Azpilicueta or even Ruben Loftus-Cheek puts the team in position to move forward quickly. This happened a few times against Villa, usually when Kante found himself pressed on the ball. What makes Jorginho so valued by his managers and Gilmour so promising is their determination to play forwards whenever possible, even when receiving the ball under severe pressure. The risk in what they do is greater but so too is the reward if they succeed, and they do so far more often than not. On the other hand, Kante’s athleticism and defensive anticipation enable him to offer much more protection to his defence than Jorginho or Gilmour can. For most of the match, the majority of Villa’s attempts to counter were snuffed out before they had a chance to gather any momentum, and Chelsea were quick to foul danger man Jack Grealish whenever he got the ball in space. The defining example of this came in injury time, with Chelsea leading 2-1 and Villa pushing desperately for an equaliser. Reece James lost possession in the opposition half and for the first and only time, Grealish managed to find himself behind Kante with room to drive directly at the visiting defence. Kante reacts with lightning speed, racing Grealish to the area the Villa captain wants to attack, pressuring him into the path of Rudiger and bringing him down. He takes a yellow card — for his third foul on Grealish in the 90 minutes — but he makes sure Chelsea win the game. “We all know N’Golo’s attributes and he hasn’t really played as the deepest midfielder,” Lampard admitted in his press conference to preview the City match. “He has generally played as one of two or, in recent times, one of the more slightly offensive midfielders ahead of one deeper-lying midfielder. “He has the attributes to do all roles — that’s one of the beauties of the way he plays. What he did was a lot of winning the ball back, being quick into the tackle, quick into the press, covering lots of ground and also being good on the ball. “People can underestimate how good he is with the ball, how quickly he moves with it and can pass. It’s something we’ve worked on a little bit and it gives me good options to have different attributes in that deeper position.” It soon became clear that Lampard’s decision to play Kante as a No 6 against Villa was a tactical rehearsal for the City match. Faced with an inevitable onslaught of Guardiola possession and pressing at Stamford Bridge, the destructive abilities of Chelsea’s defensive midfielder would be far more valuable than his ambition on the ball. Kante was a big reason why Chelsea won. He touched the ball just 47 times and 24 of his 34 completed passes were to his back four. He was ultra-cautious, often playing the ball to Christensen or Rudiger even if slightly more progressive options were available. But against a team as brilliant and relentless at pressing as City, simply evading and keeping the ball for a few more seconds is a form of victory. Many of the more expansive ideas Kante had failed to come off, but he did manage to shock the visitors shortly before half-time as this sharp left-footed pass took out three opponents to find the feet of Mount on the halfway line: Mount immediately laid the ball off to Pulisic, who suddenly had a wealth of options: try a return pass down the line, slide a pass into the surging Kante or jink infield into a sea of space and drive at a backpedalling City defence. He chose the latter and built a dangerous Chelsea counter. Christensen was widely hailed as Chelsea’s best defensive performer, and he did play a key role in limiting Guardiola’s team to just one shot on target all night. But it was Kante who marshalled the first line of defence, using his peerless nose for danger to harass and often nullify any City creator who dared to enter his zone of influence. Here, in the first few minutes, he tracks false nine Bernardo Silva all the way back into his own penalty area to guard against a potential Riyad Mahrez cross, giving Chelsea almost a flat back five: Mahrez ends up slightly misplacing his cross, and Kante is perfectly placed to clear it to safety. Later in the first half, Rodri finds himself with an unusual amount of space in front of the Chelsea midfield. Mount and Ross Barkley are closer to him than Kante, but have Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva to worry about: So the moment Rodri takes a second unchallenged touch, shifting the ball out of his feet and positioning his body to shoot, Kante takes responsibility. He darts forward, rapidly closing the distance and blocking the shot when it comes: Two minutes later, he tracks Ilkay Gundogan’s progress into the Chelsea half, while keeping former Leicester team-mate Mahrez in his peripheral vision: The moment Gundogan shifts his body to play the pass, Kante reacts, sprints to his right and crowds Mahrez as he receives the ball. The result is a free-kick. In the second half, with City level and in the ascendancy, De Bruyne tries to lead a fast break. He’s got space in front of him, as well as both Raheem Sterling and Mahrez: Kante applies pressure to the most dangerous player on the pitch without giving up a passing angle to Sterling or Mahrez. He succeeds in slowing De Bruyne and, by the time he commits to a challenge, he has forced the City man to turn away and pass backwards: That wasn’t the last time Kante got the better of De Bruyne. Here he positions himself to guard against a pass into the feet of Sterling, while substitute David Silva quietly drifts behind him: De Bruyne tries to find David Silva, but Kante cuts it out and controls the ball before sliding a simple pass to Willian on the right flank. The Brazilian escapes De Bruyne’s attempt at a tactical foul, surges down the wing and initiates the sequence of play that ultimately leads to Fernandinho’s goalline handball, the red card and the converted penalty that settles the match in Chelsea’s favour. Lampard built the gameplan that gave City problems at the Etihad Stadium in November on the possession abilities of Jorginho and Kovacic, but the strategy that ultimately beat them at Stamford Bridge on Thursday simply wouldn’t have been possible without Kante in front of the defence. So where does this leave Chelsea and Kante? In light of the examples cited above, Lampard is likely to favour more progressive passers like Jorginho or Gilmour as his No 6 in matches that he expects to dominate possession against massed defences. If he does not, it is easy to see how a lack of urgency or creativity could hurt them again. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kante returned to this role when Chelsea visit Anfield on July 18, particularly if Jurgen Klopp is inclined to field Liverpool’s strongest team. He is showing a much greater aptitude for the role than he did in the opening weeks of Conte’s reign, when Mesut Ozil gave him the runaround in a 3-0 win for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium that prompted the shift to 3-4-3. Only time will tell if this is the start of Kante’s natural evolution into the kind of player Claude Makelele famously became in the latter half of his career or an occasional tactical switch. Either way, the fact that he can be decisive as a No 6 will only increase his value to Lampard.

Chelsea outcasts Kenedy and Rahman set for La Liga loan moves https://www.goal.com/en/news/chelsea-outcasts-kenedy-and-rahman-set-for-la-liga-loan/185dt4btukiyk1n07ua1aa9bkp Nizaar Kinsella Both players are set to renew their contracts with the Blues before departing on a temporary basis for the 2019-20 season in Spain Chelsea outcasts Kenedy and Baba Rahman are both set to secure loan moves to La Liga as they close in on transfers to Getafe and Real Mallorca respectively. Both players have entered the final years of their contracts but Goal has learned they will renew their deals before heading to Spain for the 2019-20 season. snip T-Markt missed on Kenedy's renewal

27-year-old Chelsea outcast set for Stamford Bridge exit despite signing new contract https://astamfordbridgetoofar.com/2020/07/01/27-year-old-chelsea-outcast-set-for-stamford-bridge-exit-despite-signing-new-contract/ Marco van Ginkel expected to be loaned out next season It is easy to forget that Dutch midfielder Marco van Ginkel is still a Chelsea player. The 27-year-old has featured just four times for the club since joining in 2013. Nicknamed the next Frank Lampard, the youngster arrived at Stamford Bridge as the reigning Dutch Talent of the Year. Much was expected of the player when he made his move to Stamford Bridge. Injuries have a funny way of ruining what could have been a special career. Out injured for two years now, the Dutchman’s contract was supposed to expire this summer. Chelsea have, however, offered him a new lease of life and extended his stay by another year. snip

Filippo Inzaghi has done a great job with Benevento there still is a chance that he and his brother Simone can be the first two same year same nation title winning brother managers Lazio losing to Atalanta hurt them, but the do play Juve head to head and I so doubt Juve can win every single game other than that 5 or 6 tough games there Lazio have an easier run in

if a player wants to leave, and refuses a new contract, there is not much any team can do

ahhh, I thought it was second half I flipped over to and he was still on I was mostly watching the AM Barca game

yes, the same for Billy the lad is 19 and played out of position (compared to where he sat in the bindipper game) anyone writing them off now is cray