Vesper

IF (huge if) we sign no other wingers, we may cave in not saying I want that, but would rather have him as backup than roll with only 3 wingers (and one of them may have to play at AMF at times) Unless we sign Mertens, who can play winger as well as CF

The race to be England’s No 1 better than ever with Euros delayed https://theathletic.com/1777293/2020/05/01/jordan-pickford-keeper-england-pope-henderson-foster-heaton/ Throughout much of its history, the goalkeeper position has been one of strength for the England team. For nearly 40 years, Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton and David Seaman brought reliable stability for England at the back. But following Seaman’s final match in 2002, that stability gave way to a revolving door of promising young goalkeepers. David James had his moments, Paul Robinson too. Robert Green got a handful of chances in big moments. But, they never truly lived up to expectations. For a time, Joe Hart presented a sturdy and solid option. A title winner with Manchester City, Hart appeared to be the long-term, top-class solution that had eluded England since Seaman’s retirement. However, his sharp decline and inconsistency leading up to the 2018 World Cup finals meant England were once again questioning the man between the posts. Manager Gareth Southgate eventually made the brave decision to drop Hart, who had played nearly every minute of qualification, on the eve of the World Cup, despite the less than convincing alternatives. Southgate would instead turn to his former under-21 goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, who had been relatively untested at the senior level with only three caps to his name. Following their final group-stage match against Belgium, questions were asked of Pickford’s performance in goal, in addition to whether his lack of experience would ultimately hinder England that summer — though some of those comments were misguided. Then came Pickford’s breakout performance against Colombia in the last 16. It was largely due to his heroics that England advanced to the quarter-finals via a penalty shootout. Another brilliant performance and clean sheet against Sweden propelled England to their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 28 years and thrust Pickford into the national spotlight. In just a few short weeks, the entire narrative around him changed and many were left wondering how good the 24-year-old from Sunderland could ultimately become. Despite all the promise, potential, and praise following his impressive performances in Russia, Pickford’s form since then has been a roller-coaster of inconsistency at the club level. His faults have been cumulative rather than spectacular and, for every fantastic stop or interaction, there is a creeping sense that each match presents a new opportunity for a mistake rather than a chance at redemption. Given goalkeepers often don’t hit their peak until their early to mid-30s, and considering a natural dip in form almost always follows the high of World Cup heroics (think Paul Pogba, Luka Modric and Antoine Griezmann), a lot of the setbacks and struggles should, in all honesty, have been expected as he continues to grow and develop. Although the criticism has been justified at times, it has also often overlooked the impact of his suspect backline at Everton, which has offered him little to no protection over the past few seasons. It’s hard enough to build consistency and confidence under the best of circumstances, let alone when your team is regularly in flux. But Pickford isn’t blameless. His decision-making and composure have been pinpointed as clear areas for improvement if he is to develop further. Although he is still searching for the consistency required of the world’s elite goalkeepers, when you are an England starter, you are expected to perform. And it’s clear that even in the face of adversity, he should be doing better. Had Euro 2020 gone ahead as planned this summer, there is little doubt Pickford would have been England’s No 1 after being the starting keeper throughout qualifying and retaining Southgate’s trust. However, now that the tournament has been pushed back a year, it opens the door for a possible change in goal if Pickford’s inconsistency continues to be a problem whenever play resumes. Should that happen, Southgate could be forced to make a bold decision reminiscent of the one he made prior to Russia 2018. So here we will take a look at the goalkeepers within the England set-up most likely to benefit from the Euro 2020 delay, and who could put pressure on Pickford for the starting position next summer. Ben Foster The 37-year-old retired from international football in 2011 but came back into the picture two years later, eventually earning a place in England’s 2014 World Cup squad. Though it’s been nearly six years since his last call-up, and there are no guarantees he would accept a place in the squad even if it was offered, there is an outside chance England fans could see Foster in the 23 come next summer’s European Championship, though not necessarily see him add to his eight caps. Foster hasn’t missed a Premier League game for Watford since his arrival from West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2018 and has been a key figure this season in their quest to avoid relegation. Over his career, Foster has more saves than any other keeper in Premier League history (1,150), speaking both to his longevity and overall quality throughout the years. And, remarkably, his current form may now be better than it has ever been, despite the chaos around him. While his best displays have come at home, where he has kept vital clean sheets against Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur, his timely rescues have kept his side in matches all season long. It’s very possible that without Foster in goal, Watford may be in a far more dire situation than their present position just above the relegation zone on goal difference. Although it is Pickford’s intensity and passion that have gotten him to where he is, it can also hamper his play much in the same way emotional swings inevitably hurt Hart at Euro 2016. Foster, on the other hand, is the definition of cool. He rarely looks to be stressed or emotionally erratic on the pitch. Having the type of calming presence, leadership, and relaxed attitude that he brings could be a positive influence on Pickford, and help him develop his emotional intelligence, making Foster the ideal mentor for Pickford, should he get called up. Though Foster will be 38 when next summer’s tournament rolls around, he still could have an important role to play. Southgate has continually claimed that the most in-form players will be involved for England, and if that sentiment holds true, he would be wise to look to Foster as a piece of his puzzle, even if he’d require a bit of convincing to return to the fold. Nick Pope Tom Heaton left for Aston Villa last summer, allowing Pope to step up as undisputed first choice for Burnley. Both have featured in England squads this season, with Pope, who kept a clean sheet on his competitive international debut against Kosovo in November, as the No 2, and Heaton third choice. At club level, Pope has excelled since emerging from Heaton’s shadow, and has been one of the stand-out performers at his position in the Premier League this season, leading all goalkeepers with 11 clean sheets. Pope is both long and tall, and an excellent goalkeeper in the traditional sense — or as we in the goalkeeper community like to say, “in the fundamentals of the position”. His body shape and set position, in particular, are superb, and serve as the foundation for the rest of his skill set to stand on. His positional awareness and technical efficiency — mainly in regards to his hand placement and footwork — means he doesn’t need to make any wild movements or technical adjustments as he traverses his goalmouth in preparation for each shot on target. By the time the ball is struck, he is already in the optimal position, and has his body and hands in the correct shape to make a save. This preparation and attention to detail is primarily what helps him keep his movements and adjustments small, while also taking the quickest and most direct path to the ball in order to make the save. And it’s a big reason he is able to make as many saves as he does look so routine. Pope is also tremendous at dealing with high balls in his penalty area from open-play crosses or set pieces — an area that Pickford has struggled with at times. Specifically, it is his long reach and impeccable timing that helps him extend his range to the furthest edges of his box, meeting the ball at its highest point and catching significantly more balls than he punches deep in his area. His 37 high-cross claims, the most in the Premier League this season (Norwich City’s Tim Krul is second with 26), allows his team to retain possession while consistently avoiding second chances from the opposition in the most vulnerable area of the pitch. Additionally, his 16 sweeper clearances, the most in the Premier League this season (and double Pickford’s total), help him dominate the area between him and his backline. Pope’s ability to sense danger from balls that are played in behind his central defenders could be essential, given England’s style of play, and Southgate’s desire to press the opposition high when they can. However, Pickford does help his team more in an attacking sense with the ball at his feet than Pope, as the Everton man has hit more accurate long balls (235 to Pope’s 216) and has a higher passing completion percentage than anyone else in the England goalkeeper pool. In Southgate’s system, it is not enough for the goalkeeper to be a superior shot-stopper, he must also be able to contribute to his team’s build-up play with a very specific combination of technical and tactical passing ability. In particular, Southgate’s goalkeeper needs to be comfortable with the ball at his feet, able to distribute to his team-mates in different areas and distances across the pitch. He must also be comfortable serving as his team-mates’ outlet pass when they are under pressure. It is something that is a much bigger part of Pickford’s game that Pope’s, as Burnley manager Sean Dyche generally encourages him to kick the ball long(er) than Pickford does. Pope’s 37.06 per cent pass completion rate this season ranks near the bottom among Premier League goalkeepers. Although he only has those two caps to his name, the tournament’s delay gives the 28-year-old an opportunity to challenge Pickford for the No 1 shirt, potentially giving him more time to convince the manager of his worth. Dean Henderson Henderson has had arguably the most sudden and dramatic rise to the top in English football this season. The 23-year-old on loan to Sheffield United from Manchester United is enjoying a dream start to life in the Premier League with his side seventh in the table after winning promotion last season. But it didn’t begin that way. In a September match against Liverpool, Henderson allowed a Georginio Wijnaldum attempt to squirm past him and into the back of the net, gifting the European champions the winner. As the ball trickled over the line, all Henderson could do was cup his head in his hands in embarrassment. When a goalkeeper makes a mistake, they come under the microscope more so than any other player on the pitch. Yet, in their role as the last line of defence, blunders are inevitable. You can often learn more about a goalkeeper from their response to making an error than from the error itself. It’s not uncommon to see a keeper become a shell of their former self, dwelling on it, beating themselves up mentally and retreating inwards as emotions take hold after making a mistake. This is the worst thing you can possibly do, and it’s how a single error can turn into multiple ones in quick succession. It’s keeping these instances to a minimum that separates the best goalkeepers from their peers. After making that mistake against Liverpool, Henderson had a choice: fold and go inwards, or puff out his chest and forget it happened. Just a few minutes after Wijnaldum’s goal, Henderson immediately had his chance at a bit of redemption when Mohamed Salah was free on goal. Despite having one of the world’s most lethal finishers charging towards him, Henderson stayed steady and calculated. He stood Salah up as long as he could and ended up making an athletic right-foot save, pushing the ball out for a corner. It was the type of response every manager, team-mate and fan wants from their goalkeeper after an error — but it’s not one you always see, especially from one as young as Henderson. The save may have seemed trivial at the time, but that moment perhaps set the tone for what was to come over the rest of the season. Henderson, who earned his first England call-up in October, has been one of the Premier League’s best keepers this term, keeping 10 clean sheets — only Pope has more. His performances have been so eye-opening there has been reported transfer interest from Chelsea, while Manchester United are said to be considering the sale of David de Gea in order to clear the way for Henderson next season — a massive statement considering how important the Spaniard has been for them over much of the last decade. In addition to his cool temperament and short memory, Henderson is also an incredibly agile goalkeeper, able to contort his body in and out of the most unorthodox positions to make saves. His stunning triple save against Norwich, which I wrote about recently, is probably the best example of this. That agility, in combination with his diving technique and power step have led to some absolutely extraordinary saves this season, even in moments when his positioning isn’t always perfect. The power step is also what has allowed him to thrive in one-v-one situations, whether in open play or on penalties. The biggest challenge for Henderson will be if he is able to replicate the type of performances we’ve seen from him this season should he get an opportunity at Manchester United or with England. That’s no disrespect to Sheffield United, but there is undoubtedly a greater level of pressure and scrutiny in those teams that he hasn’t faced before. To make his international debut ahead of a major tournament, Henderson now has a year to prove he has more reliable hands than Pickford. Time will tell if he can unseat the man at the top of the England pecking order — or even Nick Pope as Southgate’s second-choice — but his performances make a strong case for him. On the outside looking in… Aaron Ramsdale The England Under-21 goalkeeper and the Premier League’s youngest starting keeper has been a revelation this year for Bournemouth, surpassing the wildest expectations anyone could have had for the 21-year-old. However, with the likes of Pickford, Pope, and Henderson ahead of him, it’s probably a few years too early to be thinking about significant playing time at senior international level for Ramsdale. Should Bournemouth manage to avoid relegation and Ramsdale continue to develop in the Premier League next season, he could position himself for consideration if those ahead of him falter. Fraser Forster Forster once looked like he had the inside track to eventually take over as England’s starting goalkeeper until a 2015 knee injury and subsequent drop in form put everything on hold. A return to former club Celtic on loan this season has helped him to rebuild his confidence and rediscover the form that at one time had him so highly regarded. However, the Scottish Premiership is a very clear step down from the competition he would face with Southampton, and even though he has been excellent in 2019-20, it’s likely Forster will need consistent playing time in the Premier League before he is in England contention again. Tom Heaton Heaton has been a solidly reliable goalkeeper and a consistent member of the England set-up throughout the past few years. Yet nearly every time he has seemed poised to make a breakthrough and challenge for playing time, injuries have derailed him. After sustaining his most recent setback — a serious knee injury against Burnley at the beginning of January — it’s unlikely Heaton will see the pitch in the foreseeable future, greatly diminishing his chances of getting himself fit to make the final cut for Euro 2021.

Friday May 1 2020 Football Nerd Jadon Sancho is confounding the data - is the hype justified? By Daniel Zeqiri Jadon Sancho could be the next big money transfer CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES Through football's coronavirus hiatus, we are committed to providing a weekly newsletter of facts, analysis and retrospectives. If there is a topic you want us to cover please email [email protected]. Above all, stay safe. When a depressed and illiquid transfer market eventually opens, it might take one high-profile domino to fall to spark movement and establish new price points. That player could be Jadon Sancho. The 20-year-old has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, and will surely attract at least a second look from Real Madrid and Barcelona, after an exceptional 2019-20 campaign with Borussia Dortmund. Sancho racked up more goals and assists than any player in the Bundesliga before German football's suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic - 29 goal contributions in the league alone. That tally was built on a significant statistical overperformance, however. Sancho's 'expected goals' and 'expected assists' combined amounted to 14.04, meaning the England forward contributed to 15 more goals than the data suggests he should have on average. Sancho has scored 14 league goals from a season-long expected goals total of 7.63, and provided 15 assists from an expected assists total of 6.41. Thorgan Hazard and Timo Werner are the league's other notable overperformers, but only by a modest 5.8 and 5.6 goals respectively. So is Sancho riding the wave of an incredibly fortunate hot streak, one that should sound a note of caution to potential suitors? The stock response to a player outstripping his underlying metrics is to predict a regression to the mean. Sancho could well struggle to maintain his current rate of production. However, that does not necessarily mean his quality and potential should be doubted. The fact that Sancho is in the top 10 most productive attackers in the Bundesliga - even when based on expected goals and assists - at the age of 20, is indicative of a stratospheric career trajectory. Furthermore, none of Sancho's 14 league goals this season have come from outside the box. His highlight reel is not a collection of Dimitri Payet-esque long-distance (and therefore long odds) strikes. Sancho might just be developing into a world-class finisher who consistently betters his expected goals numbers, just as elite goalscorers such as Lionel Messi and Harry Kane have over several seasons. Dortmund are also coached by Lucien Favre, whose teams have a history of freakish attacking efficiency and 'cheating' their underlying numbers. In 2016-17, Favre's Nice finished third in France's Ligue 1 despite an expected goals difference that put them 15th. When Favre coached Borussia Monchengladbach, they outperformed expected goals in three consecutive league seasons. Five of the top eight attacking overperformers in the Bundesliga this season play for Dortmund: Sancho, Hazard, Marco Reus, Achraf Hakimi and Erling Haaland. All have a positive difference between actual goals and assists and their expected numbers. There is more than blind luck behind Sancho's output then, and some positive statistical variance should not deter buyers from pursuing one of the best young players in the world.

Investigation: Players scared and angry over plans for the return of football https://theathletic.com/1783671/2020/04/30/coronavirus-covid-premier-league-efl-return-closed-doors-vaccine/ As football in Holland and France came to a halt over the past week, the Premier League, the Football League and the British government are striving to restore the sport “as soon as possible”. The culture secretary Oliver Dowden said this week that he has personally held talks with the Premier League and a further meeting of top-flight clubs is scheduled for Friday to further nail down a timetable and methodology for football to restart. Indeed, behind the scenes, Premier League clubs were made aware over ten days ago that the government favoured a rapid return to football as part of a package that could boost public spirits amid a time of global pandemic and economic downturn. In boardrooms fearing the repercussions of missing out on crucial broadcast payments, the favourable treatment from the government has been well-received. Conversations over imminent pay cuts and deferrals have been reduced to background noise as executives plot a path to stage matches behind-closed-doors, most probably featuring several neutral locations. Both the Premier League and the government insist that any return will adhere to guidelines set out by Public Health England. Several Championship clubs have earmarked a return to team training on May 16 to begin a three-week pre-season ahead of resuming the campaign. A possible restart for the Premier League has been earmarked for June 9. However, behind the scenes, players, coaches and backroom staff are divided over the possibility of a return. The Athletic can reveal: Jobi McAnuff is 38 years old and playing in League Two at Leyton Orient but in his 20-year senior career, he has featured across the top four divisions of English football. He harbours, therefore, a unique sense of perspective as he deliberates over the scheduled return for football. Due to the likely cost of testing, there remain question marks over the feasibility of a return to Football League action but for the players, McAnuff explains, considerations go beyond the financial. McAnuff tells The Athletic: “I really find it difficult when I look at people saying ‘football will be back in a few weeks’… I just find it incomprehensible that we could even be talking about that at the moment. Sometimes people forget that (footballers) are normal in the sense that we’ve all got families, some of us have vulnerable adults. I am delivering food parcels to my parents. We’ve got wives and some have very young children, and obviously being around to support them is very important. “A lot of people talk about the physical aspect and the damage that it could cause at that level but I do also think that there’s a big mental consideration to be looked at as well. And I think getting in players who don’t want (to return), or are not comfortable, is going to be counter-productive because there is no way you can go out onto a pitch when you’re worrying about other issues. I certainly think it’s going to be very important that you get the players on board up and down the country at various clubs. This is not a blanket decision. This is not what’s right for one is right for another. You can’t tell somebody specifically that he has to do X or Y when it comes to the health of him or his family. I don’t think you can cross that line.” Behind the scenes, there is concern in football that the government appears to be pressurising the Premier League to organise a return to lift national morale. It particularly jars, in some quarters, as members of Boris Johnson’s cabinet were only a couple of weeks ago calling on leading players to take wage deductions. Now, however, it appears the government would like the same footballers to provide some light entertainment for the nation. Yet as the general public are told to keep their distance, plans are being formulated for the return of contact sport. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters emailed the 20 clubs this week, giving indications that the government are keen to get football back and that it will be discussed at a meeting on Friday, which clubs are describing as “make or break”. Some clubs believe there will be a discussion about free-to-air football and scheduling to have more than one game per day. A club’s director told The Athletic: “There is a mad push for it. But we have had emails from supporters, ‘We think it’s a disgrace the Premier League is getting this kind of support.’ For me the Premier League and government need to come out and say why they want players back and tested.” The testing process itself will be complex and Premier League medical experts currently expect that the screening process will be comprised of the antigen testing that demonstrates whether or not a person has the disease, rather than to demonstrate immunity. Yet it is further complicated as there have been cases whereby individuals are asymptomatic for several days and as such, anyone in contact with players would need to be tested twice per week, while the results of tests are not instant. One idea is to create quarantined training bases and hotels that would keep players isolated in their teams and away from their families. Yet clubs and players are warning that the participants simply do not want this. One Premier League player insisted to The Athletic he would not agree to remain in a strict sterile camp as his wife needs his support with their four children, particularly at a time where grandparents or outside help is not feasible due to social distancing guidelines. Another player, however, said he would be concerned to head into training every day and then return home, where he lives with his in-laws, who are in an at-risk category. The Premier League player, who explained he knows staff working around the clock to save lives in hospitals, concluded: “If it is so extreme that you need to lock players away, surely we need to consider why on earth we are playing football.” The concerns are registering with clubs. A source high up at one club added: “We have one player whose wife is on the list of people who can’t come into contact with others. She got a letter in week one [advising her] to isolate. She’s the mother of his two kids. What do you do? That is the human part. You might say, ‘You’re paid a lot of money get on with it.’ But it’s not worth more than life, is it? There will be push back from the PFA and the LMA. At the minute all these talks are to do with money, and a little bit about the public being happy football is back on the telly.” A wife of a Premier League player added: “Clearly there are concerns about health. Everyone has some sort of fear about that. It would be good for morale but at the same time it has to be safe. Hotels wouldn’t work, no one wants to be locked up any more than they have done already. That would be a major mental health risk.” McAnuff continues: “The biggest issue is the time. If you’d asked me three weeks ago, ‘Do you think we’ll get (the season) finished?’ I would 100 per cent have said, ‘Yeah, it needs to happen.’ I’m a big advocate of getting it finished. But it has to be done at a time that is safe. Now if that time is going to take too long — I don’t think we really knew what we were dealing with three or four weeks ago — then there are going to have to be sacrifices made. The vast majority of footballers would want to finish the league. But I just think we’re getting to a point now where, for me, there are more important matters.” While the Premier League insists it will only act on the advice of health guidelines, several individuals working within clubs fear that key decisions are being taken by people with little expertise in pandemics or risk management. One backroom staff member at a Premier League club echoes the fear: “We are going to get forced back into it. But what if players don’t want to? What if they live with vulnerable people? It’s so badly thought out and so many clubs run by dinosaurs. You have safety issues being made by people with no expertise in issues like this. A manager is to manage 25 players, not to worry about this stuff. The Premier League is too weak to do anything and is made up of 20 chief executives who can’t ignore the fact that money is needed from football coming back. It’s scary.” Then there is the question of whether football should be putting itself ahead of other parts of society. Ambulances are needed at football matches. Acrrington’s Joe Maguire is concerned. “I can understand why the Premier League and EFL are trying to make plans for a return but I think trying to restart at the beginning of June is ridiculously optimistic,” he says. “The NHS, care workers and other key workers are under incredible strain at the moment so for us to be thinking of a return so soon, which could potentially add to that strain is very short-sighted. Anything that could add to the shortfall of PPE or put a strain on services should be avoided. “I do worry that if we return too soon, the repercussions could be fatal. If a player picks up the virus from a team-mate who is asymptomatic during training and then that player takes it home to his family and they become seriously ill, there would be severe consequences.” There is, it should be said, no unanimous agreement on this issue. Several agents and players contacted by The Athletic replied with more straightforward answers, suggesting they cannot wait to compete once more and are buoyed by the hope of football’s return. One agent who represents younger players in the Premier League and Football League estimated that 80 per cent will feel this way but 20 per cent will harbour concerns. “The players are going stir-crazy in isolation,” he quipped. “Their partners want them out of the house.” Interestingly, many players are keen to restart as they have either deferred or agreed wage cuts during the period of isolation. Other players are desperate to return as their contracts are heavily incentivised. In some cases, a contract often reported to be worth £60,000 per week, could in fact be worth less than £40,000 per week without relevant appearance and loyalty bonuses that can be included in deals. “If you want your money, fucking play,” one agent concludes. Among some quarters, the response is even more laid back. A Championship footballer, for example, confided in friends that he is more than happy to return to playing but is said to be annoyed that the pandemic has ruined his summer holiday. Opportunism has risen to the fore. Amid the news that the French season is cancelled and English football may resume, agents have sought to flog players on behalf of overseas clubs fearing for their finances. One Premier League director says: “It goes something like this … ‘Are you interested in Fred Bloggs from this French club? We can get him out for €15m because his club are broke and they need money now.’ The agent then goes to the French club and says ‘I think I can get you €10m for Fred Bloggs and if I can get you more than that, I will keep 50 per cent of anything over €10m, OK?’. Blah blah blah…” For other players, the conversation is less about their own health or public health but instead the hollow feeling of playing football behind closed doors. “The only thing our players are moaning about when I speak to them,” says a Premier League sporting director. ‘They complain: ‘What is the point of it without fans?’ Deep down they are all kids who love football, they’ll miss that roar when your team scores.” The same man anticipates the most fearsome battle still to be played out among clubs will be over the likelihood of games played at neutral location. “That will cause a stink from players,” he says. “The Premier League have dropped a hint to us. That is a game changer. The integrity will be totally gone.” Yet there are more brutal financial discussions circulating in the WhatsApp groups of professional players. Some admit they are reluctant to play football in July if their contracts are due to expire this summer because one bad injury could cast doubt on their future employment. McAnuff worries for the Football League players who will scramble for new deals. He says: “This summer will be the hardest of them all. You’re talking record numbers that will not be offered renewals. Every single player at football clubs will be affected. If it’s a renewal, that decision might be made for you because your club doesn’t have the finances. There’s already been talk about clubs lower down taking on smaller squads, so instead of having 24 or 25 pros, they might have 20 and make it up with kids. So it’s a very uncertain time out there at the moment.” Though there are plenty of positives too, as Maguire explains: “Accrington Stanley have been superb throughout. Andy Holt (the owner) and John Coleman (the manager) have never pressurised us in to doing anything. They’ve looked after all the staff and players and I’ve felt a great unity within the club throughout this.” In many dressing rooms, there is, above all, faith that the club’s medical professionals will take the right decision to protect participants. As workforces go, there is quiet confidence that footballers should be safer than most, as the vast majority who have suffered gravely from coronavirus have been elderly or experienced underlying health conditions. The direct risk to players, therefore, is considered to be low. Yet there have been exceptions and alarm bells are ringing for some. On Tuesday, one agent in Spain, for example, sent one of our writers a link to a Washington Post article that reported alleged links between coronavirus diagnoses and strokes among younger people in their 30s and 40s. The agent wanted to know whether football could truly say it is not imposing added risk on his client. On Wednesday, research by Italian immunologists based in Berlin, Rome and Vienna suggested that in the course of strenuous exercise, athletes are more likely to inhale virus particles and direct them to the lower parts of the lung. Jonas Baer-Hoffman, the secretary general of the global players’ union FIFPro warned that “very high protection standards are required” for football to return. It is true, also, that clubs must factor in backroom staff and in-house employees when assessing risk factors. In the Premier League, virtual meetings are now taking place between the 20 club doctors in the top-flight. However, it is believed there have been disagreements over forming a consensus for health guidelines on training. Clubs will be irked by any suggestion that the integrity of their medical experts may be compromised and everyone within the game and the government insists all decisions will be aligned with advice from Public Health England. Yet several senior figures within clubs have spoken to The Athletic over their unease that doctors — employed by the clubs — may feel pressurised by their paymasters as executives may be financially aided by the season being played on, or indeed being cancelled. “It’s so dangerous,” says one training ground source at a Premier League club. “What’s changed in five weeks? It wasn’t safe to train then so why now? There’s no cure, no vaccine. If one person gets it and dies we will be on the wrong side of history. It’s going to take someone to die for people to realise.” Mark Leather, a former physio at Liverpool, is aware of the pressures clubs can place on medical staff to speed up a player’s return from injury. Yet in this case, he is confident clubs will act responsibly. He says: “Everyone is acutely aware of how bad it is. There is no magic cure for it. But I think that the issues of a player being frightened or reluctant, that’s like anything. If you’ve had a difficult plane journey and that causes a fear of flying, that is an issue. You can’t force a person. Think of Dennis Bergkamp. So I think clubs will be respectful of somebody who says I don’t really want to play at this moment. It is not a sign of weakness, it’s just everybody is different. “I honestly think if you tested everybody at the club and anybody positive is isolated, the rest I don’t think will be too concerned, if there’s proof, documents, test results, ratified by independent people. It’s safe. I do not think there will be many who have an issue with that. Players are very informed about health now, much more than they were in the bad old days. They search information themselves. They will trust the club. It is not in the club’s interest to put a game on and risk a PR disaster and a public health issue.” A current Premier League player, still to be informed of any clear schedule by his club, says: “We’re still waiting for news on when we’ll be called back in — we’ve not heard much, to be honest — but we’re all assuming that, if we are to train together ‘as normal’, we’ll be getting tested regularly to ensure as much as we can that the virus doesn’t suddenly spike down at the training ground. I know people are saying it takes a while to get test results, though, so quite how that will work I’m not sure. What happens if one player falls ill? Does that mean we all have to go back into isolation for a fortnight to stop any spread? That would put us back to square one again, wouldn’t it? “I suppose the only way to look at it at the moment is we will be guided by the medics and the authorities as to whether any of this is possible, and then make a judgement call on it all. We’re all talking to each other, the players, so it is bound to be discussed. Am I comfortable with the thought of going back in to train? Only if the club doctor and medical staff feel it is safe. You have to go with the experts and, if they have confidence in the testing procedures, I would trust them. But, realistically, I can’t see it happening any time soon. As in training ‘normally’.” Above all, the consensus appears to be that players would like greater clarity and communication. Throughout this process, players have been frustrated by the approach taken by their overlords. An “us” and “them” mentality has evolved, particularly with the dreadfully-received Premier League suggestion that top-flight players should consider a 30 per cent pay cut across the board. The seeds of distrust were sown at several clubs and not every player is inclined to go out on a financial or physical limb to protect the economic security of those owners and executives they feel have been unsupportive since the pandemic emerged. Several players have complained that they are still to receive any information at all from Premier League clubs on a possible return to training. One is so convinced the nationwide lockdown will be extended so he says he isn’t even thinking about football. Yet developments are anticipated in the coming days. One Premier League club was told on Tuesday that it should report to training on Monday, May 18, with a view to resuming action on June 4 and ending the campaign by August 2. Time is now of the essence as players who have returned abroad to spend time with family must return this week in order to self-isolate for fourteen days before training. This plan will be debated on Friday. A Premier League player concludes: “The past couple of weeks has been the worst time because we’re waiting for news, we’re in limbo. You just want a plan. Even if that’s them turning around and saying everything is cancelled until September. But we’re getting nothing. Money will override everything. You’re talking about a league where Huddersfield made more than PSG last season. The one thing we all want is fans. It just won’t be the same, but that’s another compromise we’re going to have to make.”

Sergio Aguero and all those near-post finishes. Tactics, luck, or a bit of both? https://theathletic.com/1782903/2020/04/30/sergio-aguero-manchester-city-goal/ Why does Sergio Aguero score so many goals at the near post? You always hear about conceding at the near post being an absolute no-no for a goalkeeper (which is a bit of a myth anyway), so how does Aguero keep doing it? This point was highlighted last week, when Twitter user @CitysEra posted a thread of the Manchester City striker’s often emphatic finishes into that area. There were 16 different examples (and there are more), including iconic strikes against Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and, of course, Queens Park Rangers. Aguero gave an interview this week explaining his approach inside the area. “There are times when even close to goal you can shoot with power but the goalkeepers have good reflexes and make a save,” he told TyC Sports. “In the Premier League I’ve got used to not having time to think in the area. I’ll do two touches or one touch, turn and shoot. Outside the area I’ll look for a pass or a one-two, but inside I don’t think, I shoot hard and high so the goalkeeper doesn’t have time to react.” When you look at the goals he has scored at the near post, a lot of them tick the hard and high boxes. This one against Petr Cech in October 2013, for example… And this one against David de Gea in April 2013… And here Aguero is up against Alisson, from a crucial match against Liverpool in last season’s title race… None of those top-class goalkeepers have been able to react quickly enough, given how hard Aguero has hit it. With that United one in particular, Aguero added in his trademark stutter that has, despite what he says about having no time to think in the area, earned him a little more breathing space. “When he gets in front of goal he has his planted foot, mainly his left because he shoots with his right. He has this little stutter where you can see him relax, and it’s as if he’s saying, ‘I’ve been here before, I’ve done this’ and it goes in,” Joleon Lescott told The Athletic when Aguero became the Premier League’s leading overseas scorer back in January. “It’s like he’s seeing it in slow motion; ‘I’ve been here before, I’ve been in this scenario, I know exactly what to do’.” The grabs below show his movement in the build-up to that goal against United. Stutter number one… Stutter number two… And stutter number three… The other element of that goal, and many others like it, was Aguero’s ability to maintain accuracy despite hitting it so hard. “He literally wanted to hit the centre of the ball,” Lescott explains. “You’ll see it a lot of times where he may fall over, but the ball will go where it’s supposed to be, whereas there’s other strikers that don’t fall over but the ball goes anywhere, I’m thinking Sergio wants to hit the middle of the ball, so then he knows he’s in control of it.” Willy Caballero has played alongside and against Aguero and says he doesn’t always aim for the near post as a rule, but more likely when he’s done his research on the opposition goalkeeper and has spotted a weakness. “Kun finishes fast and high like he says,” Caballero tells The Athletic. “But as well as that he knows how each goalkeeper makes saves, so he knows in which areas they’re strong, and in which areas he can hurt them or cause them problems. So I think he does it to disorientate the keeper. The reality is that he’s a striker that knows the goalkeepers he plays against very well.” Aguero studies the opposition team (including the strikers) ahead of games, but there are also common areas that are difficult for goalkeepers to defend. These were outlined by The Athletic’s resident goalkeeping expert Matt Pyzdrowski earlier this season, discussing Patrick van Aanholt’s goal against De Gea. “It’s one of the areas goalkeepers call ‘black holes’ — around the knees, between the legs, and up by the keeper’s head,” he says. “They are the toughest areas for goalkeepers to reach with their hands or feet in order to make saves. “When I played at Helsingborgs, my coach was Celtic, Barcelona, and Sweden legend Henrik Larsson. He used to tell us that, when he played, he would purposely shoot in these areas because he knew how difficult they were for the keeper to handle.” That may well explain how Aguero managed to find a space at the near post despite the narrow angle, like against Everton during the 2013-14 run-in… And against Liverpool later in 2014… And perhaps he combined all of those factors for his most famous goal of all, the “93:20” title-clincher against QPR in 2012… There was a great example of that little stutter, the shot was hard, it was low and maybe the element of surprise of shooting at the near post did “disorientate” Paddy Kenny, whose right foot was planted as Aguero made contact with the ball, expecting to dive to his right. It is the most famous Aguero goal and perhaps it is the perfect Aguero goal, too. Or maybe not. “When I received the ball I got away from my marker and gave it to Mario (Balotelli),” Aguero explained this week. “He held it up (but fell backwards) and gave it to me from the ground, so it wasn’t so easy to hit it first time. I took a touch, I thought the centre-back was going to hit me and I looked for a penalty, but when he hit me it wasn’t strong enough to knock me over. “I touched it again and saw I was close to the goal, so I said ‘I’ll shoot’. The worst thing was that I wanted to shoot hard across goal and it went to the near post, I don’t know what happened. After watching it back, I realised that if I had shot across goal a defender could have blocked it. I celebrated the goal and told everybody, ‘I hit it so well!’ “I have many goals like that, where I’ve wanted to hit it across goal but I’ve hit it so powerfully with the instep it goes in at the near post. Last season I scored against Liverpool with my left foot, at the near post. It was a great goal, but I wanted to go across the keeper. I got a lot of messages congratulating me but I also got one from Juan Roman Riquelme saying “how lucky are you?!” He’d realised that I didn’t want to put it there.” Maybe we can say that with all that skill and hard work, sometimes he makes his own luck.

Shaun Maloney: De Bruyne and Hazard tick so many boxes but are also so humble https://theathletic.com/1767669/2020/04/30/shaun-maloney-belgium-de-bruyne-hazard/ “I think the level of player and the things I see in training…” says Belgium assistant coach Shaun Maloney, before pausing for thought. He restarts his answer from another angle. “When you watch these players up close they make you realise… How can I say this?” he says, letting out a sigh which suggests that whichever words he finds to describe what it’s like to train the No 1-ranked national team in the world, they won’t do it justice. Maloney is a considered talker though as he reflects on 18 months coaching the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard. “I knew these players were elite but it’s not until you work with them that you fully understand how many attributes they have at an elite level,” he says. “It’s not just technically, it’s everything. They tick so many boxes but one of the biggest things is how humble they are. The intensity and dedication in training is something that from the beginning — not that it was a surprise — was so high. “These boys compete at this level every single week so the consistency they show throughout the year is something I’d never seen close up. We could go through every facet of what makes a player, but they have all of them.” The 37-year-old is back in Scotland when he speaks to The Athletic on FaceTime but being home has become a rarity as he spends most of his time in Belgium or travelling across Europe to meet players in between training camps. Zoom meetings will have to do for this summer after the European Championships were postponed until next year. It should have been doubly cruel for someone who played 47 times for Scotland, a nation that hasn’t qualified for a major tournament since 1998, but there is no hint of frustration despite the cyclical calendar of international football meaning everything had been geared towards June for the past two years. “We’re in the midst of something that is far bigger than any sporting event,” he says, almost too simply put. Maloney retired three years ago after leaving Hull City. It is his first senior coaching job after Brendan Rodgers brought him to Celtic in 2017, where he spent a year coaching players on the fringes of the first-team squad. He had an impressive career, which included two spells at Celtic, a season at Aston Villa and a four-year stint at Wigan under Roberto Martinez, the man he coaches alongside with Belgium. Maloney has played in the Champions League and assisted an FA Cup-winning final goal for Wigan against Manchester City, so he is well-versed in pressure and big-name players. He has never played alongside world-class players though and, even for the most experienced of coaches, replacing Thierry Henry as the coach to instruct Vincent Kompany could be a daunting prospect. “I was fortunate when I joined that Thierry was still there and stayed for six weeks,” says Maloney, when asked if he had to gain the players’ trust. “I’m quite quiet by nature so that allowed me to come in and find my feet at the start. One of the things I’ve found with every single player in the squad is that they’re very humble. They’re open to talking and discussing anything in the game. That makes me completely at ease to speak to the players. One thing I notice during the tactical meetings is that if anyone has a question then it is always open for them to ask and Roberto will discuss it. “People talk about different philosophies in the game but there are also different ways to coach. In the last couple of years I’ve definitely realised that telling someone what to do isn’t the right way to go. It has to be a collaboration and you need to have that connection with the player as otherwise it won’t have an effect. I’ve had different types of coaching and that’s the one that worked for me and the one I’ll use throughout my coaching career.” Maloney suffered chronic injury problems during his second spell at Celtic where he suffered an ACL injury and a serious ankle ligament injury. It was during this fragmented period that he secured his UEFA B Licence and then his UEFA A Licence, but it “didn’t trigger anything inside him”. It was only when he joined Wigan at the age of 28 that his mind really started to focus on the “concepts” he continuously refers to when describing how they train. “Wigan exposed me to a different style and different understanding of football,” he says. “That curiosity grew until the age of 34 at Hull when I was sure I wanted to become a coach. We had a lot of British players and it was a different idea in terms of training and style of play so it wasn’t something any of us had been accustomed to. “I played against European teams and national teams where I felt I was in a team that had more effort on the pitch but it felt like we were playing a different game. I didn’t quite understand why that was but there was always an idea that other countries were technically and tactically better than us. That was the general rule. We had a great mentality, great attitude, massive heart in games but there was another side of it. I started to understand that the tactical side of things is arguably more important.” Scotland are kings of the intangibles and Maloney broke into Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side in 2001, which featured many robust players such as John Hartson and Chris Sutton. He impressed but he often played with a fluency and intricacy which belied his nationality. Similar to team-mates Lubo Moravcik and Eyal Berkovic, both of whom were similar in style and stature, he had to adapt his game to fit into a league which was very physical. Martinez’s style of football was a natural home for him. “Roberto’s style of play stuck with me and there was always the curiosity to delve deeper into that, which is the reason we work together,” he says. “As a young coach Brendan was very good to me and both he and Roberto have a connection with players that stands out. I don’t know if you can teach it or not but it’s a special attribute. “I used to speak to Roberto a lot (at Wigan) and ask him a lot of questions. When I went down to Wigan after a long period of injuries with Celtic I needed a lot of time to recondition so I spent a lot of time with the head of fitness Richard Evans, who is still with Roberto, so I got very close with him. When he went to Everton there were certain messages (to each other) about tactics, games we had watched and games at the World Cup. There was no real idea that come September 2018 he’d ask me to join his staff.” But the call came and he helps preside over one of the richest talent pools in world football. With that comes demands and it is seen in the way Maloney and Martinez are constantly bouncing ideas off one another. In that, and in so much more, he finds great fulfilment in the role. “It’s constant. It’s your life but I’m not unhappy with that. I absolutely love watching games, I love working with players on the pitch and seeing players improve or come into the squad. Working on or talking about certain things with a player and then seeing them produce gives you real joy. “Some of the things you see Eden, Kevin, Dries (Mertens) do in training is incredible. I’ve read a lot recently on Kevin. It’s difficult for me to say any more about him. He’s the complete player. He has everything tactically, technically and, physically, he’s an absolute monster in his speed and agility. What maybe isn’t mentioned as much is his awareness and vision is the work for the team out of possession as that is the same level. He is an incredible team player. “But there are other things within the game you notice that don’t get spoken about as much. You could literally go right through the squad. (Axel) Witsel’s tactical intelligence in terms of his positioning and how good he is at simple, forward passing. That should never be underrated. Thomas Vermaelen’s performances over the last six to twelve months have been incredible. Our defensive players are at such an elite level so I’m very fortunate to work with these players. That’s part of the reason why I’m so motivated and I spend so much time travelling to see these players and preparing these ideas with Roberto because the level of these players demands it. “Roberto wanted the players to get their badges so they could use their experience and intelligence after they retire so he asked most of them to take their UEFA A & B badges, and most have. These players are extremely tactically aware so any messages you have are picked up so quickly. They’re always inquisitive and ask why we’re using a certain concept and asking questions about the opponents. “It’s maybe an attribute that isn’t really spoken about and it’s something that I notice throughout our group. It’s to do with how they have been brought up through their academies and the clubs they play as they are used to a certain level of tactical information. It’s a different culture to what I was used to.” In the 43 games since taking over the national team in August 2016, Martinez has lost just three and led Belgium to third at the 2018 World Cup, their best-ever finish. While there is a school of thought that international management suits pragmatists rather than idealists — which Martinez has been accused of during his time at Wigan at Everton due to perceived defensive frailties — because of the limited time coaches have to work with players, Maloney disagrees and points to the success they have had in playing the same system (variations of 3-4-2-1) since Martinez took over. “If you watch Belgium play the style of play is exactly what Roberto believes in,” he says. “It has followed him around his career and I don’t think that will ever change. I came in after Roberto had been there for two years so that was two years of working on the style of play but every camp you still work on the principles. Roberto’s philosophy has been honed over the years though. “In our team you have to have a lot of the ball but the foundation of it is the defensive structure and there are moments you have to suffer without the ball. I don’t think attack and defence are separate discussions. I have been there for nearly two years and I never get the feeling we concentrate on one aspect more than the other. The training is specific for the next opponent. It’s difficult to have an effect on every single point you want to have. It’s trying to prioritise certain tactical ideas and what the issues are for the next game. “When they come into camp we use all the tools possible. We have a big department of analysts now and can show certain video clips or work with them in smaller groups. We’ve now started using iPads on the pitch but for some players that is not the best way to work so you need to find out which way is best to affect certain players. There is always a way though and you have enough time to get these ideas across. We just need to be as efficient as we can.” Will the golden generation win silverware next year in what is likely to be their final or penultimate tournament together? It is the final question to be answered by a squad that will enter as one of the favourites. Their world No 1 tag will make sure of it. “It’s a big thing for the country and the squad. To be ranked No 1 in the world for the last year feels like a big tag for us and, approaching the Euros, it was something we wanted to keep. It has to be the same motivating factor for the next 12 months. “I don’t really get the sense that winning something is a generational thing as we have had a steady stream of new players come into the squad. It was evident in the game in St Petersburg that when there is a really important match (pivotal in them topping the Euro 2o20 qualification group; they won 4-1) the mindset was ruthless. They understand they have the talent to achieve something great at the Euros.”

The Legend of Didier Drogba This week, host Matt Davies-Adams and The Athletic's resident Chelsea experts; Liam Twomey, Simon Johnson & Dom Fifield reflect on Drogba's Chelsea career - from being booed by his own fans for diving, to destiny fulfilled in Munich in 2012. Plus, the guys discuss the on-going internal dispute over player wage-cuts, Coutinho to Chelsea rumours and Olivier Giroud's future. https://theathletic.com/podcast/139-straight-outta-cobham/?episode=24

Which was Chelsea’s greatest Premier League title win? https://theathletic.com/1783053/2020/04/30/which-was-chelseas-best-premier-league-title-win/ Even if Frank Lampard’s rebuild goes entirely to plan, it could be some time before Chelsea win their sixth Premier League title. Manchester City have raised the bar to an unprecedented level under Pep Guardiola, and Jurgen Klopp’s rampant Liverpool are on course to record the greatest title-winning season ever. Neither team looks likely to drop off significantly anytime soon. In the meantime, Chelsea supporters can treasure the memories of the five times their club has already won the title since the turn of the millennium. Each one has a slightly different flavour: Jose Mourinho’s historic first triumph in 2004-05, the dominant title defence in 2005-06, Carlo Ancelotti’s devastating 103-goal side in 2009-10, above, Mourinho’s glorious encore in 2014-15, and Antonio Conte’s unexpected juggernaut in 2016-17. Which one do you rank as the most impressive? Any attempt at a forensic comparison is hampered not just by how drastically the landscape of the Premier League has changed in the last 15 years, but also by how many more statistical tools we have to measure performance on the pitch now. Detailed metrics are simply not available for Mourinho’s first spell at Chelsea, and are considerably more limited for Ancelotti’s title winners than they are now. The greatness of those teams can only really be judged on their overall records. We can, however, make a far more direct comparison between Chelsea’s two most recent runs to the Premier League title — not least because both teams have considerable overlap in terms of key players. Which side should be considered the peak of that cycle, and which season should be regarded as the greater achievement? Considering how much Mourinho and Conte dislike one another, the stakes are pretty high here. So without any further ado, let’s take a closer look… The tactics Mourinho and Conte may have won the Premier League with many of the same key players, but they did it in very different ways. Chelsea in 2014-15 invariably lined up in a classic 4-2-3-1 formation, with Cesc Fabregas starting alongside Nemanja Matic at the base of a very progressive midfield. Against more dangerous opponents, the Spaniard was sometimes deployed as a No 10 instead of Oscar, with Ramires slotting in next to Matic to provide greater protection for a defence led by John Terry. Cesar Azpilicueta’s conservatism at left-back balanced the tactical freedom given to Eden Hazard in front of him. Two years later, Conte favoured an imaginative 3-4-3 system. Oscar was sidelined as Hazard and Willian became wide forwards either side of Diego Costa. N’Golo Kante patrolled central midfield with Matic, relegating Fabregas to an impact substitute. Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, stalwarts of Mourinho’s team, were peripheral while Azpilicueta was shifted to the right of a back three. Victor Moses was re-invented as a right wing-back, with summer signing Marcos Alonso on the left. Mourinho knew what he wanted to do tactically from day one, having played the same system in the 2013-14 season. Conte arrived at Chelsea intending to play 4-2-4, then navigated the opening weeks of the season with 4-3-3. It was only in September, following damaging defeats by Liverpool and Arsenal, that he shifted to the 3-4-3 system that maximised his personnel and gave the rest of the Premier League a problem it couldn’t solve. Here, the debate is which deserves more credit: Mourinho’s clarity of vision and the effectiveness of his Plan A, or Conte’s tactical creativity in the face of adversity and ability to adapt his tactics on the fly? The latter feels marginally more impressive, if only because it’s so rare. The fundamentals Mourinho and Conte both won the Premier League in dominating fashion. Chelsea in 2014-15 claimed the title with three games to spare and racked up 87 points, finishing eight clear of Manchester City. They lost just three times all season and went undefeated at Stamford Bridge. Their success was built on the meanest defence in the division: 32 goals conceded, 17 clean sheets. At the other end, Mourinho’s side were good rather than great. They scored 73 goals, 10 fewer than City, and the advanced numbers suggest that was pretty much the tally they deserved: while their expected goals (xG) rating was just 64.24, their expected goals on target (xGOT) rating — the metric which factors in how difficult shots are to save — was 71.14. Under Conte two years later, Chelsea only secured the title with two games to spare, but finished with 93 points, seven clear of closest rivals Tottenham. They lost more times (five) than Mourinho’s team but they also won 30 of their 38 Premier League matches — more than any other champion had managed in the history of the competition up to that point. Conte’s team conceded 33 goals, the third-best defensive record in the division, but their expected goals against (xGA) rating of 28.62 suggests they were marginally unlucky, and at least on par with Mourinho’s side at that end of the pitch. Their attack, though, is what separates them. Chelsea scored 85 goals in 2016-17, more than they had managed in any single campaign since Ancelotti’s side netted 103 times en route to the 2009-10 title. Even more remarkably, the advanced attacking numbers for Conte’s team read like some sort of glitch: an xG of 56.76, which only translates to an xGOT of 63.58 when quality of finishing is taken into account. How do we explain Conte’s team scoring at least 21 goals more than expected? Part of it can be attributed to Chelsea benefiting from some unusually bad opposition defending and goalkeeping, but part of it is also down to how the matches actually played out. Chelsea in 2016-17 were supreme front-runners who specialised in getting themselves into winning positions, then closing things out. They scored more goals (12) in the opening 15 minutes of games than any other team in the division and, overall, scored first in 29 of their 38 matches. Conte’s team rarely attacked with full intensity for 90 minutes and, once ahead, they generally favoured managing the lead over gunning for more goals. As a result, their xG value is not fully reflective of how dangerous their attack was — in the same way that Usain Bolt’s winning time for a 100-metre sprint doesn’t tell the full story of his superiority if he coasts to the finish line once he realises he’s got the race won. Beyond the number of goals scored, it seems clear that Chelsea in 2016-17 were a significantly better attacking side than two years earlier. But what about the individuals? The key men Costa hit 20 Premier League goals in both 2014-15 and 2016-17, but that is pretty much where the similarity between the two best seasons of his Chelsea career ends. A lingering hamstring injury limited him to just 26 appearances in the league on Mourinho’s title run, and he played almost 1,000 fewer minutes (2,111) than he managed at the point of Conte’s attack two years later (3,101). That, of course, makes his production under Mourinho much more impressive. Costa comfortably outperformed his xG in both title-winning campaigns, but his xG per 90 minutes of 0.61 in 2014-15 was considerably better than in 2016-17 (0.46), highlighting how much more consistently dangerous he was. It’s tempting to wonder how different the story might have been had Costa not fallen out with Conte amid the possibility of a move to China in January 2017. Prior to the training ground row, he had scored 14 goals in 19 Premier League matches and was clearly the most impactful player in England. In his 16 league appearances after the row, he netted six times, and often looked disinterested. Hazard came up big for Conte as Costa faded, scoring seven goals in 11 Premier League matches between the start of March and the end of May. Overall he netted 16 times on the run to the 2016-17 title, the best league tally of his Chelsea career (though one he matched in his final season at Stamford Bridge under Maurizio Sarri two years later). But the Belgian still regards 2014-15 as his best Chelsea season, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to 14 league goals, he also contributed nine assists, four more than he managed in 2016-17. Assists are not always the most reliable measure of a player’s impact, but Hazard’s expected assists per 90 minutes (xA90) was 0.30 in 2014-15, but 0.19 in 2016-17, reinforcing the idea that he was less of a creative influence on Conte’s team. Fabregas was the creative hub of both teams and he presents the most interesting comparison, primarily because his role changed most significantly. In 2014-15 he was the ever-present conductor of Mourinho’s midfield, playing 2,895 minutes. Two years later under Conte, he spent much less time on the pitch — 1,294 minutes, with 16 of his 29 appearances coming from the bench — but was transformed into one of the most effective impact substitutes the Premier League has seen. Mourinho brought out Fabregas’ last great season as a starter. He racked up 18 assists, the highest single-season tally of his Premier League career and only two shy of Thierry Henry’s competition record. Beyond that, his job was to set the tempo and direction of Chelsea’s possession while Matic focused more on the midfield dirty work. It was a masterful balance. Two years later under Conte, Fabregas played in bursts. Introduced in the second half as games were becoming stretched, his passing range and vision became more valuable than ever. He registered 12 assists with an xA90 rating of 0.55, compared to 0.32 under Mourinho. He also averaged 4.2 chances created per 90 minutes, up from 3.0 per 90 minutes in 2014-15. Fabregas as an impact substitute was the ultimate ace up the sleeve for Conte, and one he could only enjoy because of the signing of Kante from Leicester in the summer of 2016. The addition of a peerless midfield destroyer completely changed the look of Chelsea’s team, compensating for a decline in Matic’s form, as well as generating more valuable opportunities to attack in transition. Marginally, Mourinho eked more out of Chelsea’s best players as individuals, but under Conte they formed the core of a superior team — in no small part because of Kante. The context — and the conclusion Mourinho returned to Chelsea in the summer of 2013 tasked with turning a new group of players into winners. He came remarkably close to winning the Premier League without an elite striker in his first season, and the additions of Matic, Fabregas and Costa subsequently pushed them over the top in impressive style — at least for the first six months of 2014-15. Conte took over a Chelsea squad with recent winning pedigree, but also a group scarred by the disastrous unravelling of the Mourinho era. He revived Costa and Hazard, made Kante rather than Fabregas the hub of his team and crafted an unorthodox system that maximised many of the other players at his disposal, changing their positions where necessary. Chelsea led the Premier League for 274 days in 2014-15, more than any other side in the competition’s history up to that point. Mourinho’s side started fast and maintained their charge as a chasing City faded and even as their own energy levels dipped, grinding out a series of ugly victories in the spring to close out the race. Conte’s records are even more impressive: in addition to the 30 games won and 85 goals scored, the 13-match win streak from September to January was a spectacular validation of his tactical adjustment. By the time Premier League opponents had come up with anything to counter his 3-4-3, it was far too late to stop Chelsea. Both coaches exploited windows opened by Chelsea’s rivals. Mourinho’s closest challenger was an ageing City side in need of fresh legs and new ideas. Conte was able to seize the moment while City were finding their way under Guardiola and Klopp was still building at Liverpool. Mauricio Pochettino’s bright young Tottenham team were the biggest threat, and they weren’t quite ready. It must be noted that Mourinho’s 2014-15 title triumph was achieved alongside a Champions League campaign — albeit one ended by Paris Saint-Germain at the first knockout stage — and a League Cup win. His team played 54 matches, seven more than Conte navigated in winning the Premier League and reaching the FA Cup final. Those midweeks free from European competition in the autumn of 2016 undoubtedly helped Chelsea by the time spring of 2017 rolled around. Ultimately though, 2016-17 still edges it. Mourinho, as he so memorably reminded Chelsea fans who called him “Judas” after a feisty return to Stamford Bridge as Manchester United boss in March 2017, is still the club’s No 1 manager. Conte, however, masterminded the more impressive achievement in 2016-17 — and Chelsea’s declining fortunes since have only underlined how remarkable it was.

Thomas Partey: off to Arsenal or Manchester United or playing for a new deal? https://theathletic.com/1768224/2020/04/30/thomas-partey-atletico-madrid/?source=dailyemail Atletico Madrid were quick to see the value of signing Thomas Partey when he arrived in Spain from Ghana as a raw but talented teenager eager to prove he could triumph in European football. The midfielder’s worth has however not always been immediately clear to everyone at Atletico over the intervening years, even as he has emerged as one of the team’s key leaders, especially in their Champions League campaign this season. Recent weeks have also brought an increase in media speculation about his future, with Arsenal and Manchester United among the clubs reportedly interested in paying his €50 million release clause. Speaking to those around him, it seems clear now that Atletico must again move swiftly to avoid Thomas being tempted away from the Wanda Metropolitano sooner rather than later. Thomas first wore an Atletico jersey as an 18-year-old trialist during a friendly against neighbours Getafe in October 2011, and the club’s then Juvenil youth team coach Javi Banos was instantly impressed. “In 45 minutes you could see the type of player Thomas was, the class he had,” Banos tells The Athletic. “That day you could see above all the precision of his passes, he was always well positioned. We had a very good youth team, and he was coming in for a trial, but you could see he was a leader. You could tell quickly that he had a chance to make it to the top.” Thomas had been playing on a non-contract basis with a second division team Tema Youth in Ghana, having moved away from his family aged just 10 years old with the aim of pursuing a professional career. He travelled to Spain for the trial with no guarantees but, with the support of agent Jose Jimenez, the risk paid off. Banos recommended that he be signed immediately. He was quickly accepted into the Atletico set-up and moved through the ranks as part of a talented generation which also included Saul Niguez, Javier Manquillo and Oliver Torres. By the 2012-13 season he was established as a starter for Atletico’s B team, coached in the Segunda B third tier by former Atletico, Deportivo La Coruna and Sevilla midfielder Alfredo Santaelena. “Thomas was a kid with a lot of potential, who adapted very quickly to Spanish football,” Santaelena tells The Athletic. “He played a magnificent season during his first year with me. Technically he was very good, moved the ball well long or short, linked up with his team-mates, physically he was very powerful. He was always a very intelligent kid, although he needed his confidence built up. There were things that you had to work on but he always wanted to learn, which makes things much easier as a coach. That has helped him to go so far as a player.” Banos also says that he was struck early by Partey’s dedication to improving and making it to the top. “He was a very humble player, and still is,” Banos says. “Every training session he gave 100 per cent, and he was happy to take advice from the coaching staff. Sometimes we would correct something, other times he would recognise it himself. Something I always remember was that, after every training session, he would shake your hand. Which is not something everyone does.” Regularly called to train with the seniors by coach Diego Simeone during the 2012-13 season, that campaign ended with him in his tracksuit at the Santiago Bernabeu celebrating Atletico’s Copa del Rey final win over Real Madrid. Just two years after coming to Spain without any promises for a trial, he seemed to be heading straight for Atletico’s first team. In 2013-14, Atletico followed that Copa success by winning the club’s first La Liga title in 18 years, an amazing achievement for everyone at the club. However Partey could only cheer them on from afar, as he was on loan at a Real Mallorca team languishing in the Segunda Division. The following year was also spent on loan, at Primera Division side Almeria, and while he played regularly again, the team also struggled and eventually went down. At the Vicente Calderon the central midfielders were Gabi Fernandez, Tiago Mendes and Koke, who was just a year ahead of Partey in Atletico’s youth system. Peers Oliver Torres and Saul were also by now getting game time with the first team under Simeone. The two years away from Atletico were far from wasted experiences — Partey quickly settled and gained starting positions in both teams. He scored five goals in 37 Segunda games for Mallorca while aged just 21, then four in 31 league appearances for Almeria the following term at the top level. On his return to Atletico there was more waiting however. Simeone still needed persuading that he could be trusted. Partey did not see even one minute of action at all through the first three months of 2015-16. When given a chance he made a quick impression — he scored in a Copa del Rey tie against third tier Reus. On his fourth sub appearance in La Liga he set up a late goal for Angel Correa to break the deadlock at Rayo Vallecano, then a few days later came off the bench again to hit a spectacular winner at home to Levante. All this attacking potential was well and good, but Simeone was not yet ready to play Partey regularly in his preferred central midfield role. Instead he filled in at right-back, played wide, or was used as an impact substitute late in games, often providing spectacular goals such as the late face-saving equaliser in a 1-1 Champions League home draw with Qarabag in October 2017. Meanwhile he was being told to wait for his chance and watch everything then-club captain Gabi closely did, on and off the pitch. “At Mallorca and Almeria, Thomas was often not playing in the position where he plays now, as a holding midfielder,” Santaelena says. “He played more as a No 10, a playmaker, as he always got forward very well. He has the characteristics to play in front of the back four, to protect his defence, like a ‘5’ in Argentine football. Here at Atletico, this position is fundamental for El Cholo. It is clear that he found it a bit more difficult at first to adapt to what El Cholo wanted from him. To replace Gabi in this position, they needed a player with a lot of personality.” Atletico kept looking at other options to become Gabi’s successor on the pitch. Argentina international Augusto Fernandez was signed from Celta Vigo in January 2016, pushing Partey further down the pecking order. Another disappointment was just two minutes off the bench in Atletico’s 2018 Europa League final victory over Marseille, having played 90 minutes in both legs of the semi-final against Arsenal. When Gabi finally left the club in summer 2018, Atletico immediately signed Rodrigo Hernandez from Villarreal as an apparent direct replacement. Neither Banos nor Santaelena have a bad word to say about Simeone’s decision-making, but it was clear that the Argentine felt Partey needed more time to develop. Rodrigo’s exit to Manchester City last summer opened up a further opportunity, which Partey has grabbed. This season is his first regularly playing as deep lying central midfielder who can protect the defence and control the pace of a game through his passing. He has played all but 14 minutes of Atletico’s Champions League campaign, while starting 21 of their 27 La Liga games so far. Statistics show his influence. Only one player (Konrad Laimer of RB Leipzig) has made more than his 29 tackles in the Champions League this term, while Partey also makes 1.6 key passes per 90 minutes. Eye-catching too are his 61.6 passes per game, at a completion rate of 84.8 per cent, especially considering Simeone’s side are not known for hogging possession. “Thomas is now one of the leaders of the current team,” Santaelena says. “El Cholo knew how to manage the situation — and bit by bit Thomas has made the position his own. He has improved a lot in all aspects, including in how to manage a game, to control the pace, slow it down when required, or when to speed things up and move the ball forward quickly.” The ability to get up the pitch and make an impact has not been lost. His goal at Valencia in La Liga in February was all his own work — he pressed up the pitch to win the ball, then carried it forward before powering a low shot to the net from 20 yards. During his 26 international caps with Ghana he has also had a more prominent role, leading to nine goals so far, including a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier against Congo in 2017. “Thomas is a midfielder who plays in front of the defence,” Banos says. “He knows how to come back and get the ball, and distribute it effectively. And he always offers himself for the pass. He has improved a lot in recent years, especially his shooting — he now takes chances when they come, and has scored some pretty important goals. But he remains a ‘5’ — he wore that number in the youth team with us, and does again today.” Thomas’ best performances this season have tended to come in the biggest games — at home to Real Madrid in La Liga and in both games against Liverpool in the Champions League, when Jurgen Klopp’s big favourites were outplayed and outsmarted over both legs. Banos says these displays are just confirmation of what those around him have known for a while now. “Thomas has been playing very well for some seasons now,” he says. “Some people, in the media, and the fans, maybe noticed those big games this season. But for two years now he has been at a very high level, showing that he is among the best players in his position in Europe. Obviously the game at Anfield, or against Madrid in La Liga, showed that he could play for any of the biggest clubs around.” Partey’s experiences of how difficult it has been to reach the top motivated him to buy a share in Madrid-based lower league side Alcobendas Sport last summer, as one of a consortium also including his representative Jose Jimenez. The idea is to provide a landing post to help young African players avoid some of the pitfalls which can happen when promising talents take often perilous routes in trying and make a career in Europe. A significant investment has seen both Santaelena and Banos hired as coaches at a team which competes in Grupo VII of Spain’s Tercera Division (actually a regionalised fourth tier). “Thomas is one of the socios in charge of the club,” Santaelena says. “Between Jose and him they bring African players, from countries like Ghana and the Ivory Coast, who are top prospects. It is like an academy — with five or six players who dream of playing at the top level in Europe, and following in Thomas’ footsteps.” Alcobendas were unbeaten in their last five games and sitting 18th in their division when football stopped last month. Banos says that Partey was regularly around the club offering advice to the younger players. “Thomas comes into the dressing room on the day of the games and talks to the players,” he says. “He is very open, gives advice to the youngsters. He is very serious and committed to what it takes to be a professional player. He knows what it takes to come from his country, to succeed in Europe in professional football, and is 100 per cent dedicated to that. But he is also a super open and normal guy.” Ghanaian midfielder Stephen Buer, Ivory Coast midfielder Adama Fofana and Guinea born centre-forward Moussa Camara all now part of the Alcobendas squad, learning their trade alongside local players with experience of that level of semi-pro Spanish football. “They are all players with great technical talent, but it is always difficult to make it to the very top,” Santaelena says. “We coaches are there to add the tactical knowledge that they need. Thomas acts as a role model for them, as well as co-owner of the club. They can see that if they follow his example, show that same humility, work hard and learn every day, they have a chance.” Partey’s own future is now a big talking point. Manchester United and Manchester City have been regularly mentioned through the last couple of years, while most recently Arsenal have been most closely linked — especially when his father appeared to confirm talks with the Gunners hierarchy during an interview with a radio station in Ghana last week. The player’s advisors deny any such advanced negotiations but there are contributing factors for all the noise. Thomas’ last contract with Atletico was signed in March 2018, runs until June 2023, and contains a €50 million release clause. Since then he has seen peers like Saul, Koke and Jan Oblak sign new deals on significantly higher wages, while others such as Lucas Hernandez and Antoine Griezmann have ended up moving to other clubs on better contracts. Thomas’ 2,859 minutes of playing time this season put him third among all Atletico players, but his reported €2 million-a-year post-tax earnings place him 16th on the club’s salary scale. Santaelena maintains that Partey’s contribution has not always been valued sufficiently around Atletico, perhaps due to his low-profile off-pitch demeanour. “Thomas has that humility and character, a bit different than some other players who are more direct, and talk more,” Santaelena says. “Maybe also the language was an issue, although he learned Spanish quickly. Others like Saul have become more of a ‘reference player’ for the Atletico family. It has only been more recently, maybe, when the fans have realised that Thomas is also one of the team’s most important players. El Cholo also now sees him as one of the key players in the team.” Whenever asked about his future in public, Partey remains as on-message as all of Simeone’s players tend to be, while generally keeping all options open. “Playing in England is the dream of every footballer,” he told CNN in February. “Everybody wants to try different teams to see what would happen. You never know where you will end up, I always say that.” The speculation is unlikely to go away any time soon, given his performances in big games for Atletico this season have made that €50 million release clause look decent value. This week Paris Saint-Germain were added to the list of suitors by the Spanish press, for whenever the next transfer window does open. “That will depend on different factors,” Santaelena says when asked if he sees Partey staying long term at the Wanda Metropolitano. “For me, Thomas is a player who will do very well wherever he plays. If he stays at Atletico Madrid, as a fan of the club I will be delighted. He is just coming into his peak years — 27 to 30. But there will be other teams interested in him, as he has shown tremendous quality. And in the end it will depend on whether a financial agreement is reached with Atletico Madrid, or with another team who want his services. If Atletico are not clever on this, other teams will fight for Thomas.” The current uncertainty over finances throughout La Liga is also a relevant issue, with Atletico among the many Spanish clubs to quickly agree pay cuts with their players during the current stoppage due to COVID-19. Banos adds that Thomas really “appreciates” the help received in getting where he is today, but as a professional he can only measure how much he is wanted by the contract offers he receives. “He loves Atletico a lot, as he really appreciates what they have done for him,” Banos says. “But he knows he is someone who has the level to play for any club, in any league. And he is a professional and wants to be at a team which shows that they want him and will fight for him. In today’s football, that is shown by the offer of a good contract. If clubs want to have great players, that is what they must do.” Atletico’s hierarchy lost no time when they had the chance to sign Partey for nothing back in 2011. That those who know him best both speak of a need for Atletico to “fight” to keep him looks telling. The board will need to look sharp again if they are not to lose a key player, just as he has finally found his place in the team.

even better than him going to Bayern

must not have been you there is a serious Sule hater on here, one of us regular posters, sorry for conflating you with them they gave UJ and me stick all the time for praising Sule

if we fail on Sancho or Havertz or (drop-down) Chukwueze we seriously may well have to super twist Willian's arm to take a 2 year contract (he has dropped his £200K per week wage demand, he just wants the same salary (per a shedload of articles wherein Arsenal was whinging about his £120K per week wages now), so only £12m total, AND a two year contract would mean we could sell him next summer and surely get at least £8-10m or so, so it would be a net wee gain)

I thought you hate Niklas Süle? Plus, Bayern plays a back 3 sometimes. If Boateng leaves (I assume he does, he is one of my archetypal examples of a great player rapidly falling off one the approach or hit 30yo, he is only 31yo, but seems to have been shit for ages, lol) Bayern as only ONE pure CB (Süle) and if Alaba leaves, Lucas Hernández has to play LB if Davies has a knock. Dayot Upamecano Lucas Hernández (backup LB if Alaba leaves, and I still am not 100% sold on him being best used at CB, versus LB, but Bayern atm have 3 of the top 4 LB's in the world, which is just insane) Niklas Süle only pure CB if Boateng leaves, and no Upamecano buy Jérôme Boateng gone, or if not, a true bench player David Alaba probably gone, and he was playing at CB due to injuries Alphonso Davies soon will be the best LB in the world IMHO Benjamin Pavard (starting RB, can play CB as well, I still rate him a lot) Álvaro Odriozola gone, Bayern are not going to buy him from Real, he was surprisingly poor, not sure why he struggled so much, he was a beast at Real Sociedad, but sometimes players just do not adapt to certain leagues or teams, if I was him, I would go back to Sociedad, they need fullbacks, plus omg, it is San Sebastián! Joshua Kimmich (2nd best RB in the world, but now is forced to play a DMF, where he is also WC, just a superb player) must be nice to have that for your defence choices, lololol btw Odegaard has told Real Madrid that he wants to stay at Real Sociedad for another season https://www.managingmadrid.com/2020/4/13/21219526/odegaard-has-told-real-madrid-that-he-wants-to-stay-at-real-sociedad-for-another-season

Long term though, that (Werner at Liverpool) is bad news they are ageing let's look 3 years or so down the road to the 23/24 season (I always stress future-forward thinking and long term continuity of excellence) these are their ages now, and then the ages they would be during that season Roberto Firmino 29yo in 5 months (so 32) Virgil van Dijk 29yo in 2 months (so 32) Joel Matip 29yo in 3 months (so 32) Georginio Wijnaldum 30yo in 6 months (so 33) Jordan Henderson 30yo in a month and a half (so 33) James Milner will be 35 in January, so he will be gone Adam Lallana 32yo in 10 days, so he will be gone Sadio Mané turns 29 this coming season (so 32yo) Salah turns 28 in a months and a half, (so 31yo the full season) even Fabinho, Ox and Robertson turn 30 that season lesser players will be gone, Dejan Lovren (turns 34 that season), Nathaniel Clyne will be 33 that season, Xherdan Shaqiri 32 that season to show you how time really flies, that season will be Takumi Minamino's last full sub 30yo one other than potentially some of their academy lads (Neco Williams, Rhian Brewster, Harvey Elliott, and Yasser Larouci, come to mind, but none of those are sure things) , the only 2 actually young (under 25), great players they have are TAA and Gomez, plus maybe the on-loan Harry Wilson (who turns 24yo this coming season, so is not some teen dream) most of the core of the bindipper current team will be past or nearly past their prime, even if only just removed from it, and they certainly cannot unload them then in summer 2023 or even worse, 2024, at those ages, for much cash so it is vital they bring in some young blood of a very high standard over the next 2 years, 3 years max, and Werner fits that bill I break down players' senior careers thusly (and this is just a generalisation, obviously freaks come into play early (Mbappe and Pele for the two greatest examples) and latter can extend it (CR7, Zlatan, Maldini, Pirlo, Messi, etc) 1. Late teens, not much expected or delivered on a consistent basis, save for freaks like Pele and Mbappe (17,18,19yo) (I am not even going to deal with 15yo's, and 16yo's, as those types playing full time or near it at Big 6 League levels are insanely rare) 2. Early full time players, on the road to prime time, here you can have some already world class players appear with a larger cohort than the pure teens, TAA and Sancho are good examples (20,21,22) 3. Beginning to Early Prime (23,24,25) often many are already prime by this point, they just lack experience, especially if they are ona poor team and/or ina weak league 4. Full Prime (26, 27, 28, 29, 30yo) 5. Wind-down from peak, often comes with a dramatic fall off (31, 32, 33yo and 33yo is a stretch with 80/90% of players in terms of starting and playing at a peak level for a big team, other than keepers) 6. 34yo and up, most are usually shot (again, save for keepers) other than the genetic freaks My favourite years for players (again this is just in general, there are many examples who are a wee bit older, and a few even younger) are the 10 years of 20yo up to 29yo, maybe 30 if we are talking a partial 30yo season. Most teens are too frustrating, and there really is a huge drop off once you get over 30yo for the vast majority of players, just look at EPL wingers and fullbacks and DMF's.

watching that REALLY made me miss Eden also reminded me what an absolute dirty cunt Agüero was/is

West Ham's transfer stance on Rice, Mertens to reject Chelsea https://www.football.london/premier-league/premier-league-rumours-mertens-rice-18173716 West Ham's Rice stance revealed West Ham United are prepared to do everything within their power to fend off interest from Chelsea this summer as the Blues continue to be linked with a move for the midfielder. Rice, who would have been hoping to assist England at this summer's European Championships had they not been called off because of the coronavirus pandemic, was released by the Blues at the age of 14 and has hinted at the possibility of returning to Stamford Bridge. However, the Hammers are not keen on entertaining the idea of parting ways with the 21-year-old, who still has another four years left to run on his current contract at the London Stadium. Mertens likely to stay put Chelsea summer target Dries Mertens wants to remain at Napoli this summer. That's according to HLN, who say the Belgian is reluctant to leave the Serie A outfit until he becomes the club's all-time leading scorer, breaking Marek Hamsik's record. Mertens is level with Hamsik as things stand, on 121 goals, but he may not be able to break the record this season with the current campaign on hold. Mertens is set to become a free agent this summer with his current deal set to expire. However, he could yet pen a new deal, as long as Napoli give him the terms he wants. La Gazzetta Dello Sport claim Mertens wants €7.5million (£6.3m) per year for two seasons, plus another €1m (£845,000) in performance-related bonuses. snip No idea what to believe here in terms of Mertens. Wish to hell he would have scored one more goal so that damn record did not come into play.

Chelsea keen on making a move for world-class 27-year-old Bundesliga star https://astamfordbridgetoofar.com/2020/04/30/chelsea-keen-on-making-a-move-for-world-class-27-year-old-bundesliga-star/ Chelsea to make a move for Bayern Munich defender David Alaba According to Spanish reporter Guillem Balague (h/t Sun), Chelsea have turned their attention to David Alaba to fill the position at left-back. The Blues are in the market for just such a player and have already been linked with the likes of Alex Telles and Ben Chilwell. Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has been unimpressed by Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, and has taken to playing Cesar Azpilicueta there, out of position. In a blow for us, Telles is close to a move to PSG while Chilwell will cost at least £50million. Frank Lampard is a fan of David Alaba Alaba is a versatile player who is also capable of playing at centre-back and defensive midfield. Having played in some of club football’s biggest games, the Austrian is a bonafide star who is a level above Telles or Chilwell. According to the report, Lampard is interested in Alaba’s versatility and experience. His ability on the dead ball will be an added bonus. snip

well, he isn't that young, he turns 28yo 3/4ers of the way through next season, so if he is going to put on speed he damn well better be working on it now

Mourinho ruined or tossed away many great players, and not just here

Yes, the FSW got insane output out of Mata

another good one from 4 years back

If Pochettino deal falls through, former Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez expected to return to St James' Park

well, if it was on, I would probably watch it! lolol ABS Always Be Scouting

I watch a lot of streaming games, and I download others, plus there are replay sites (often Russian). I will often watch a team featuring a player I am interested in, even if the game is not top class level. I also read a lot of blogs that often have videos up. I also do not watch much under EPL level English football. I find it to be a waste of time.

I have no streams for that