Vesper

Sonia Bompastor, the single-minded manager Chelsea want to replace Emma Hayes https://theathletic.com/5277883/2024/02/16/sonia-bompastor-Chelsea-lyon-profile/ Life works in mysterious ways sometimes. In 2010, Emma Hayes took on a football consultant role at Washington Freedom, a team in the Women’s Professional Soccer championship in the United States, having been sacked by Chicago Red Stars. The squad she helped coach included Homare Sawa, Abby Wambach and a certain France international called Sonia Bompastor, who was named WPS All-Star player of the year in 2009 and 2010. Bompastor, the Lyon head coach, is Chelsea’s chosen candidate to succeed Hayes, who will leave at the end of the season to manage the U.S. women’s national team (USWNT), and the club are negotiating a deal to appoint her. Bompastor, who is of Portuguese descent and speaks English, is under contract until 2025, as is her long-term assistant Camille Abily. So who is Bompastor and why have Chelsea made her an offer? “Wow! What a brilliant player, honestly an unbelievable left-back with an unbelievable wand of a left boot,” recalled Hayes, speaking before Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final with Lyon in March last year. “A cultured and brilliant footballer, very quiet, cheeky, funny — the media might not always see that about her. It’s of no surprise to me that her and Camille have done well working together.” As a manager, Bompastor has been described by one French agent as “strict” and “hard”. She wants things done well and knows what she wants, characteristics reminiscent of her playing career. Bompastor’s experience for club and country — she earned 156 caps for France and captained Lyon to Champions League titles in 2011 and 2012 — has served her well in her managerial career. She is no stranger to the pressures at the highest level, is fully aware of the nature of this results-driven business and knows exactly what will be expected at Chelsea. The club spoke to a handful of senior players to get a sense of the most important qualities they wanted from an incoming manager. While there is a natural preference for female coaches within the women’s game, that did not rule out a male coach getting the job and the sense from the players was that appointing a winner was the most important thing. Given the dearth of female managers at the elite level of the game, there are not many obvious candidates. Ultimately, Chelsea want someone who will bring them success. On the surface, you can understand why they have made Bompastor their preferred option to replace Hayes. The 43-year-old is a title-winning manager, including the trophy that eludes them, the Champions League, defeating Barcelona 3-1 in 2022. Bompastor, who played alongside commanding characters herself, also knows how to manage big personalities such as Lindsey Horan, Ada Hegerberg and Wendie Renard. There are obvious parallels to be drawn with Chelsea’s squad, which includes two of Bompastor’s previous players, Kadeisha Buchanan and Catarina Macario. Having retired in 2013 — her penultimate game was at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League final — Bompastor became Lyon women’s academy director. There she built a reputation for nourishing young talent and, after eight years, she took over as manager of Lyon’s first team in April 2021 following Jean-Luc Vasseur’s dismissal. At the time, Lyon wanted to integrate young players such as Selma Bacha into the senior team, which consisted of a star-studded squad of internationals from France and elsewhere, players of the calibre of Renard, Hegerberg, Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood. Bacha, 23, has spent her whole career at Lyon and has progressed through the ranks. Equally, Bompastor has been a key part of 20-year-old Alice Sombath’s development. Although Bompastor has never been scared to trust younger players, there is an argument that some have not maximised their potential at Lyon. Given the age profile of Chelsea’s new signings, one of the next manager’s strengths should be someone who can develop players in first-team environments. It is hard to tell how good a manager Bompastor is, however, because she inherited a squad that had dominated Europe for so long. Perhaps more than at any other major club, the players make the team at Lyon. For a long time, the team relied heavily on stars who were at the top of their game but they have had very few standout managers. Lyon won two league and Champions League titles during Reynald Pedros’ reign from 2017 to 2019 but, despite that record, he did not really generate a reputation as one of the game’s elite managers. Similarly, Bompastor’s predecessor Vasseur won the treble with Lyon in 2020 but was sacked by Everton after just 10 games in charge. Managers who have gone on to pastures new have not covered themselves in glory elsewhere, a sign of how large a role the squad has played in Lyon’s success. The impression in France is that Bompastor’s record is mixed because Lyon are no longer the juggernauts they once were, crushing European opponents, even if they are still winning all the same. That is not necessarily down to Bompastor — other teams have invested and closed the gap. When Bompastor took on the role in 2021, she spoke of wanting to find the “Lyon DNA”, alluding to the fact they had somewhat lost their identity. It is difficult to say whether she has rediscovered that DNA today. There have been occasional criticisms of playing style and there is a sense by some who watch Lyon that she has not stamped her own identity on the team. By comparison, Paris FC manager Sandrine Soubeyrand has succeeded in instilling a playing identity with a recognisable system over six years. Hayes’ shoes are huge ones to fill. When asked on Thursday about the possibility of Bompastor replacing her, she evaded the question, doubtless conscious that no agreement has been signed yet. If a deal is reached, Chelsea will undoubtedly be getting someone with a winning record. The question will be whether that translates to success away from Lyon.

Which Premier League teams are on course to play in Europe in 2024-25? https://theathletic.com/5275133/2024/02/16/premier-league-europe-champions/ A glance at the Premier League table can be a near-useless activity during the early months of a season, but now it’s time to whip out the magnifying glass. Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal have started to pull away from the rest, meaning the race for the top four seemingly has just one more seat to fill. However, there still could be two Champions League spots up for grabs this year, with the Premier League in contention to gain an extra qualification place following the competition’s expansion from a 32- to a 36-team format from next season. Simply, this would be more likely to happen if the English clubs progress as far as possible in the three European competitions this season, with City, Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa all bidding to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The permutations are complex (and further outlined in the link below), but the point remains — there are plenty of European spots still up for grabs when factoring in the three UEFA tournaments. GO DEEPER Is the Premier League still on track for five Champions League spots? So, who is most likely to finish in those lucrative places? Let’s run the numbers… Opta’s predicted league table makes a projection of the final standings by forecasting the outcome of each team’s remaining fixtures, based on the strength of the respective sides, before simulating the league season thousands of times to calculate an average of their potential finishes. The varying performances of sides pushing for European spots can make such an undertaking… well, hard to predict, but Opta’s model suggests that things look most likely to stay as they are in the Premier League table — a trend that The Athletic previously analysed earlier in the season. GO DEEPER The 2023-24 Premier League table is unlikely to change dramatically - here are the numbers that prove it With Tottenham Hotspur likely to hold their fourth position ahead of Villa, who are predicted to retain fifth, the only predicted change in the current formation is Brighton rising from ninth to eighth, leapfrogging a West Ham side surely short of confidence after their recent 6-0 home demolition at the hands of Arsenal. So much can change between now and the end of the season, so it’s worth looking at which of the aspiring teams have the trickiest fixtures coming up — bucketed into easy, medium and hard levels of difficulty depending on the strength of the opposition, using Opta Power Rankings. Spurs do have a buffer on the chasing pack (given fifth could be enough for Champions League qualification and they are six points clear of sixth-placed Manchester United and have a far superior goal difference), but a tricky few weeks starting in the middle of April sees Ange Postecoglou’s side face Newcastle United, City, Arsenal and Liverpool in consecutive games. Meanwhile, Newcastle have a chance to put the pressure on Manchester United, currently one place and five points above them, with a favourable fixture list that includes a trip to Old Trafford towards the end of April (which will be postponed if either or both advance from the FA Cup’s last 16 to play in its semi-finals that same weekend). Let’s look at the clubs in the mix for Europe… snip Chelsea Current position: 10th Predicted position: 10th For Chelsea, this season feels like an exercise in taking the positives where you can. Here’s one: their 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Monday made it 11 points earned from the 15 times they have been in losing positions this season — better than the whole of last season’s eight points from the 20 times where they went behind. Sure, we can talk about Chelsea’s profligacy in front of goal, and how often they have spurned chances with some wasteful finishing from Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling and their other forwards. But the issues lie further back down the pitch, with Chelsea seemingly unable to make the most of promising opportunities in the first place. Before we think about chance conversion, we need to think about the runs that are not made, the passes that are not executed, and the shots that are not taken. Looking across multiple seasons, Chelsea are trending downwards in the share of possession sequences that end in a shot. They have some good build-up play, but have often been blunt at the top end. The next few weeks are an opportunity to take further positives in a transitional season under first-year head coach Mauricio Pochettino, with games against Manchester City, Spurs, Newcastle and Arsenal in the next five. Opta’s model gives Chelsea an outside chance of pushing for a final position between sixth and eighth, but the likelihood is that another mid-table finish is on the cards.

Why Cole Palmer returns to Man City as Chelsea’s most potent attacking force https://theathletic.com/5277740/2024/02/16/Chelsea-cole-palmer-analysis/ One of the most positive lessons Chelsea have learned about their young squad this season is that nothing fazes Cole Palmer, and it is difficult to imagine that changing even in the face of the cocktail of emotions he will feel returning to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Palmer is seven months into his Chelsea career. Those seven months have yielded more senior professional minutes across all competitions (2,200) than he garnered over the previous four seasons (1,503) on the first-team fringes at City. Along the way, he has become one of head coach Mauricio Pochettino’s most important players, the club’s designated penalty taker and, more often than not, the brain of the team in the final third. Palmer’s impact has been so consistent that his presence in the starting XI has never been up for debate: 10 goals and six assists in 20 Premier League appearances while being utilised as a right winger, a No 10, a false No 9 and, on occasion, even as a No 8. Barring injury, it is not a matter of if he starts against City — only where. “I prefer him on the pitch at the moment!” Pochettino joked when asked about the 21-year-old’s best position. The Athletic takes a closer look at what makes Palmer such a potent attacking force… He rarely makes a bad decision Chelsea have specialised in finding a startling array of ways to snuff out promising transition attacks in recent years. Palmer is a breath of fresh air in that regard, not because he finds solutions that no one else can but because when the ball is at his feet he can be relied upon to consistently identify the best option and execute it. On Monday night, from the moment Moises Caicedo released him from a Crystal Palace corner kick in added time at Selhurst Park, Chelsea always looked likely to end up with a great shooting chance. Christopher Nkunku makes a smart diagonal run from left to right ahead of the ball to drag the two remaining defenders with him, but Palmer keeps an eye on Enzo Fernandez’s support run and adjusts his own speed to bring the Argentine into play. He then waits for the perfect moment to slip the ball through to the open man in the box, and Chelsea have their third goal… Palmer created a similar chance a few minutes earlier, initially darting into the penalty area when it looked as if Nkunku had broken through, then retracing his steps to gather a cutback, ignoring the more obvious pass to an overlapping Malo Gusto and instead wrong-footing multiple Palace defenders with a sharp ball into the feet of an unmarked Raheem Sterling… Here are two similar examples from different matches. Against Palace, Nkunku is calling for the ball in the box, but Palmer correctly assesses that the path to Conor Gallagher just outside the box is less obscured and he has the space to shoot — and ultimately score… But in the 4-1 win over Burnley, the circumstances were slightly different: while Gallagher is unmarked in an almost identical position, Palmer recognises that he has the room to slip a pass between two defenders into the feet of Nicolas Jackson in the middle of the box… This ability to pick the smartest play available, coupled with Palmer’s talent for pulling off more incisive passes, makes him a threat anywhere in the final third if he has time on the ball. Here against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup, he has two simple options left and right to Caicedo and Noni Madueke respectively, but spots a chance to clip the ball over the visiting defence for Axel Disasi. His pinpoint delivery gives the centre-back a wide-open shot… Palmer is the best attacking decision-maker Pochettino has, so it is unsurprising that he leads the entire Chelsea squad with nine assists across all competitions this season. He picks the right moments to become a No 10 Pochettino affords Palmer considerable freedom within his Chelsea system. The 21-year-old starts on the right flank mostly, and plays most of his progressive passes from there… Wide on the right is also where Palmer gets most of his touches when Chelsea are in possession, as you can see in the graphic below… But it is not where he does the bulk of his shot creation. Palmer regularly drifts infield when Chelsea have the ball, finding pockets of space between the opposition lines to receive passes on the half-turn and thread a quick ball through to one of his attacking teammates. This sequence below, against Middlesbrough, is fairly typical: Thiago Silva has the ball and Palmer, facing his centre-back, is being screened by three opponents, but recognises there is space to his right. He moves into it, so Silva whips a pass into his feet. As another defender is drawn out to confront Palmer, he slips the ball past him to generate a good shooting chance for Fernandez… A similar movement from Palmer was decisive in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the same competition in September. As shown below, he starts running as Caicedo shapes to pass the ball to Ian Maatsen, correctly anticipating that a defender will be drawn out of the space he is moving into. Maatsen finds him and with two deft touches, he sucks in and then nutmegs Jan Paul van Hecke, giving Jackson a golden chance to score the only goal of the game… Palmer is averaging 4.5 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, according to Fbref.com. That ranks 18th in the division, putting him between Dejan Kulusevski and Luis Diaz. That ranking improves to 11th when only live-ball passes (so excluding set pieces) that lead to a shot attempt are considered. Those numbers suggest this aspect of Palmer’s game is very good rather than truly elite, though his age is also important to consider. All of the players who rank above him in both categories are older except for one: Jeremy Doku, the man whose arrival at City last summer crystallised Palmer’s need to leave in search of first-team football. He is a menace off the ball Anyone who has watched Palmer regularly for Chelsea this season will have been struck by how often opposition defenders and goalkeepers seem to just pass him the ball. This has very little to do with luck and a lot to do with how smart and relentlessly active he is at all times. Palmer is a supremely diligent and intelligent presser, arcing his runs and positioning his body to cut off an opponent’s preferred passing options. It is a big part of the reason why Pochettino is so comfortable deploying him as a No 9, particularly as it allows him to work in devilish tandem with fellow pressing monster Gallagher to harass opposition defenders into mistakes. But even when Palmer is not the one applying the primary pressure to an opponent, he constantly adjusts his body position to be poised to intercept any hurried pass that comes his way. Below, against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, he moves early to his left before Clement Lenglet has even released the ball, and is rewarded with a one-on-one shooting chance against Emi Martinez… Here in the first leg of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough, Palmer scans to his right before Jonny Howson even turns on the ball, commits to the interception as the opposing captain commits to the pass, and generates another golden opportunity out of nothing… Palmer’s off-ball intelligence also makes him a dangerous runner when Chelsea are in possession. Against Wolves, he begins his run behind Toti Gomes before Gallagher’s lay-off has even reached Caicedo. Going this early generates a crucial advantage over the defender. Caicedo’s pass is pinpoint and so is Palmer’s first-time finish… Similarly against Luton Town, Palmer starts his run the precise moment he realises that Jackson has managed to spin his opponent near the halfway line, and this speed of thought continues when he is through on goal: rolling the ball nonchalantly under his foot to round the goalkeeper, then calmly finishing in a crowd of scrambling defenders. There are many attackers — even some very successful ones — who do their work in bursts of activity on the pitch. Palmer is so dangerous because he never switches off. Palmer’s spectacular start to life at Chelsea has not prompted any anguished reflection at City on the decision to sell him last summer, either in public or in private. Nothing he has done in a blue shirt has shaken the belief that he would likely still have been no more than a support player at City, playing far fewer minutes than would satisfy him. Such is the current gulf between the two clubs, City do not need to be proven wrong for Palmer to be considered one of Chelsea’s best players and a foundational star for this vast investment project overseen by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The bar to achieve stardom is simply much lower at Stamford Bridge than it is at the Etihad Stadium — at least for now. But that does not mean Palmer cannot continue to grow into a player that City regret losing. He does not turn 22 until May and already does many things that impact winning at Premier League level. He already carries himself with an unshakeable composure and the kind of self-assurance — epitomised by five converted penalties from five attempts this season, several under huge pressure — that suggests he believes no stage is too big for him. Pochettino has been suitably impressed to compare Palmer to a Champions League and World Cup winner in an interview with TNT Sport last month. “In the position that he plays, and because he’s a left-footer and because he has some similarities and the quality, he’s a potential Angel Di Maria,” Chelsea’s head coach said. Palmer will likely need to produce his best for Chelsea to have any chance of derailing a rampant City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Everything he has shown at his new club so far indicates he will relish the challenge.

Why is Man City’s FFP case taking so long to solve?

Real Madrid signed Kepa Arrizabalaga to be their No 1 – now he’s lost his place https://theathletic.com/5278190/2024/02/16/real-madrid-arrizabalaga-lunin-Chelsea/ Who is Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper? A month ago, we asked that very question in an article on the club’s choice between Andriy Lunin and Kepa Arrizabalaga. Now, the answer seems clear. Lunin is leading the way. This represents quite a turnaround from the situation in the summer, when Arrizabalaga was brought in on loan from Chelsea — right after Madrid’s long-time goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was ruled out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury — to be Carlo Ancelotti’s number one for the remainder of the campaign. On the day of his presentation as a Madrid player on August 15, Arrizabalaga was glowing, super-happy and having turned down an offer from serial German champions Bayern Munich to take up the opportunity in his native Spain. When he was asked whether his goal was to convince Madrid to decide to keep him beyond his loan spell, he replied: “I hope so. Today is the first day, we’ll see, but hopefully with my performance I can make that happen.” Six months on, that possibility is looking remote. When Courtois was ruled out on August 10, two days before Madrid’s first La Liga match of the season, some voices at the club believed it was Lunin’s time because it would be complicated to bring in another top-level goalkeeper. But Madrid moved quickly — very quickly — to get Arrizabalaga on board. Lunin started the first two league games, but the Chelsea loanee took over as soon as he’d had a chance to settle in. GO DEEPER Kepa's loan to Real Madrid: How they beat Bayern to the Chelsea goalkeeper “Kepa’s level is very high,” Ancelotti said at the time. “Lunin lacks a bit of experience. They won’t rotate much.” Starting with his Madrid debut on August 25, Arrizabalaga played 13 games in a row: 10 in La Liga and three in the Champions League, conceding 10 goals and keeping six clean sheets. He made some good saves, including an important stop in the October 28 Clasico in Barcelona, where Madrid came from behind to win 2-1. Other performances had perhaps not fully convinced, such as October’s away games against Sevilla in La Liga and Napoli in the Champions League, but the coaching staff were happy with him. Kepa and his family were happy too, and his wife even posted a photo in which she seemed to say goodbye to London for good, five years after his move to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao. But then Arrizabalaga was injured in the warm-up before the home Champions League match against Sporting Braga on November 8. Coaching staff sources — who, like all those cited here preferred to speak anonymously to protect their position — describe it as the “turning point” that saw the balance changed between the two goalkeepers. Lunin came into the team and saved a crucial penalty that night when what became a 3-0 Madrid win was still goalless. Despite barely having warmed up, he seized his moment and reignited the debate over who should be the club’s starter. Then Arrizabalaga ended up being out for longer than the two-match absence that was initially expected. He eventually missed four games either side of the November international break, as Ancelotti continued to insist publicly that he was first-choice. “If he is ready, Kepa will play,” he said on November 27. But when the Basque was back fit a few days later, he found himself on the bench not the pitch. GO DEEPER Brahim Diaz stars for Real Madrid in Jude Bellingham's place - not for the first time Just before Christmas, Ancelotti said, “I don’t have the idea of rotating goalkeepers. Both are doing well. Lunin has progressed a lot and has shown a lot of confidence and Kepa has maintained his level… in the second part of the season, I will choose one of the two.” Since suffering that injury before the Braga match three months ago, however, Arrizabalaga has played just five times — once in the Champions League, twice in La Liga, once in the Copa del Rey (against fourth-tier Arandina) and most recently in the Supercopa de Espana. That last appearance, in the January 10 semi-final against neighbours Atletico, might perhaps be seen as another turning point. Madrid were 5-3 winners after extra time but Arrizabalaga faced some criticism for his role in the goals conceded, and Lunin was preferred for the final against Barcelona four days later, where Madrid triumphed 4-1. In the next league match the following weekend, Ancelotti turned back to Arrizabalaga, but again he looked far from his best as Almeria raced into a 2-0 half-time lead in the Bernabeu, with a third goal ruled out by the VAR, before Madrid eventually came back to win 3-2, thanks to a few more controversial refereeing decisions. Lunin, who turned 25 this week, has been selected to start the five matches since. Ancelotti has not wanted to publicly clarify who his preferred goalkeeper is, but Arrizabalaga was a spectator from the dugout again as his Ukraine international team-mate performed to his very best in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory away to RB Leipzig in the first leg of a Champions League last 16 tie. “Kepa’s injury opened up the possibility of Lunin challenging for his place, and he has won the game. Lunin has convinced with his play,” say coaching staff sources, who see the process as something natural and simple. Sources in the dressing room say the 29-year-old loanee is close with Lunin, describing him as “an exemplary team-mate, as if he were the one who was playing every game”. When Arrizabalaga found himself in a similar situation at Chelsea, in the 2022-23 season, Edouard Mendy was the starter ahead of him and similar things were said of his disposition. Arrizabalaga’s Chelsea contract expires at the end of next season. This summer might be the best chance for the London club to seek a sale, but as previously reported by The Athletic, Madrid signing him then is highly unlikely given Chelsea would ask for around €20million (£17.1m; $21.5m) — a figure the La Liga side would not pay for a backup goalkeeper. Lunin now looks established as Ancelotti’s pick, although Arrizabalaga could well return to the starting XI and further impress before the season is out if an opportunity arises. In the meantime, he has continued training, convinced that he is ready to play and be a starter, although those close to him are no longer sure that he will remain in Madrid. GO DEEPER Kylian Mbappe to leave PSG at end of season

Netherlands international Quincy Promes sentenced to six years in prison for drug trafficking https://theathletic.com/5274822/2024/02/14/quincy-promes-netherlands-drug-trafficking/ Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes has been sentenced in his absence to six years in prison by a Dutch court for his involvement in smuggling 1,350kgs of cocaine. The 32-year-old was accused of being involved in the smuggling of two shipments of cocaine into the Belgian port of Antwerp via the Cap San Nicolas container vessel in January 2020. The first batch was hidden in sacks of salt and involved 650 blocks of cocaine. The second batch had a logo of a tiger stamped on it and weighed in at 712kgs after being intercepted by Belgian police. Prosecutors had initially sought a nine-year jail sentence, but the court ruled that their request had relied on previous cases with harsh punishments. “The suspect is regularly in the news, is active on social media and has fans worldwide,” judge M. Vaandrager said. “Not only his sporting achievements, but also the wealth he flaunts, make him an example for many and – as the court assumes – especially for young people. ”This makes it even more objectionable that the suspect tries to increase his wealth (and possibly also prestige in certain circles) through involvement in large international drug transports.” GO DEEPER The curious case of Quincy Promes and how Amsterdam's underworld preys on footballers Promes did not attend the hearing that took place on January 24, instead remaining in Russia to continue playing for Spartak. He had been charged in May 2023 by the Dutch prosecution office for his involvement and denied the allegations. The former Ajax and Sevilla winger, who has also been capped 50 times by the Netherlands, has also previously been found guilty in his absence and sentenced to 18 months in prison for stabbing his cousin at a family party. In 2019, Promes made the move from Dutch giants Ajax to Spanish club Sevilla. He left Amsterdam in 2021 to join Spartak for a second spell, having played for the club between 2014 and 2018. Promes has played 21 times across all competitions for Spartak this season, scoring eight goals and assisting the same amount. His Spartak contract expires in June 2024. GO DEEPER The Dutch footballer with a prison sentence and a drug trafficking charge - who is still playing

lol, it is something that actually happened, lol she had to re-submit it as her prof said it was shite, lol

Lol, looks like something wifey slapped together at 5am in the morning for basic advert/logo design class after being out all night in some dodgy after-hours Shoreditch techno club with me back in our London uni days in the mid 2010s

Ugh Experience Head of Football Operations Swansea City Football Club Jun 2022 - Present 1 yr 9 mos Huddersfield Town Football Club 6 yrs 5 mos Head Of Recruitment Jul 2018 - Jun 2022 4 yrs Chief Scout Feb 2016 - Jul 2018 2 yrs 6 mos U16 - U21 Full Time Scout Southampton Football Club Aug 2015 - Feb 2016 7 mos Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club 2 yrs 2 mos National Scout (Full time) Jul 2014 - Aug 2015 1 yr 2 mos Scout (Part time) Jan 2014 - Jul 2014 7 mos Scout (Voluntary) Jul 2013 - Jan 2014 7 mos United Kingdom Youth Team Player Wrexham Football Club Jul 2008 - Jun 2010 2 yrs

mine is deffo

Old Smoker schooled Tuchel 1 nil Lazio FT

28 league goals and the title that season in 2008/09. Those two 2020/21 and 2021/22 citeh tile winners were freak exceptions, due to sheer overlaod of talent and Pep. They had 7 players score 10 or more goals each in both seasons. Their best League team, in 2017/2018, the 100 point side with 106 goals and a +79 GD, had Aguero firing them in for fun when he played (30 goals in 39 games, comps) 21 in 25 in the EPL

Citeh had Aguero for years, and Jesus scoring at crazy per minute played rates. And Bayern had Lewa for ages. Last season, with no Lewa, they never should have won. Dortmund choked. This season, Neverkusen is the best non big 2 (Bayern/Dortmund) German side since those early noughties Neverkusen great sides. Shout out to 2008/09 Wolfsburg. Great one season wonder. Won the league (first ever title) with Rank Player Club Goals 1 Brazil Grafite VfL Wolfsburg 28 2 Bosnia and Herzegovina Edin Džeko VfL Wolfsburg 26

Are you feeling Chelsea fans’ love? Pochettino: “I need to be honest with you — no, because I understand they were winning the Champions League, they won cups, the Premier League”. “Why are the fans going to love me after six, seven months?”, told Sky Sports.

Enzo Fernández: “I’m happy here at Chelsea, we want to play the next Champions League”. “I don't know where the leaving rumours came from — they had spoken on social networks…”. “I came out to totally deny that story, it’s fake”, told ESPN.

Petr Cech: "I miss my work but I don't have regrets". "After such a significant change, I was too worried that I'd always be comparing what has been done to what might happen in the future... I had a gut feeling that I was not in the right position so I left", told Sky.

Enzo Fernandez: "I don't want to leave Chelsea. I am very good here with my teammates and coaching staff, from the first day I have arrived". "The people at the club are treating me very well, I'm grateful for that. I will continue here until they want me to", told ESPN.

David Moyes to walk away from West Ham in the summer https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/02/11/david-moyes-to-walk-away-from-west-ham-in-the-summer/ David Moyes may potentially leave London Stadium at the end of the season, as there are no indications of the manager signing a new deal with West Ham, according to The Telegraph. The newspaper reported on February 11th that Moyes “keeps his own counsel,” indicating that the possibility of him walking away from his position at the end of his current contract is not out of the question. Despite his recent successes with the Hammers, Moyes reportedly feels underappreciated by some fans due to growing concerns over his team’s style of football. There is indeed significant speculation surrounding Moyes’ potential extension at the London Stadium, particularly given the criticism he has faced despite West Ham sitting in eighth place in the Premier League and being contenders for success in the Europa League. Although there are some fans’ dissatisfaction with the style of football under Moyes, it would seem prudent to secure him with a new contract, especially considering the challenging years West Ham has endured prior to his arrival. Comparing the situation to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, where complaints about style are also present due to its repetitiveness, despite their dominance, highlights the complex relationship between playing style and results. While West Ham’s approach may differ, it has proven effective nonetheless.

Premier League star chased by Man City and Liverpool wants to join Man United https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/02/12/premier-league-star-chased-by-man-city-and-liverpool-wants-to-join-man-united-in-summer/ Michael Olise, a target for Manchester United, would like to move to Old Trafford when the transfer market reopens at the end of the season. Olise is a player Man United may target for a purchase in the summer, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe plans to change the team’s recruitment approach. Premier League opponents are putting pressure on the Red Devils as potential suitors are considering whether to activate the Crystal Palace winger’s release clause. Reputable reporter Ben Jacobs is aware that Olise’s mind has been swayed by the prospect of going to Old Trafford. Jacobs is aware that Olise may be leaving Palace in the summer, even though he signed a new contract there only a few months ago. By showing Man United that he is willing to move to Old Trafford if he takes on a new challenge, he has given the Red Devils new hope in fending off opposition to his services. The transfer expert Jacobs knows that Ratcliffe is willing to approve a move for the former Reading star. He told GIVEMESPORT: “Even though Olise signed a new contract in the aftermath of Chelsea failing to trigger his complicated release clause, there is absolutely no doubt that he is a potential 2024 departure. “Manchester United’s old regime, before INEOS, really like Olise and he is tempted by the prospect of a move to Old Trafford as well. “All indications are that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will endorse that move because, as part of their due diligence when coming into the football club, they were aware of any historical transfer plans that were for January – even though nothing materialised – and also any window planning for the summer. “There is continuity between Manchester United’s current recruitment team and anything INEOS do. They like a profile like Olise, so he can be termed a concrete target ahead of the summer.” After aggravating his hamstring injury during Palace’s loss to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, the 22-year-old has been sidelined for up to two months, which has dealt a blow to his attempts to win over more suitors. He had come on as a half-time substitute in an attempt to spark a comeback at the Amex Stadium. Though limited to just 755 minutes of playing time this season owing to injury concerns, the French star has scored six goals and assisted three goals. Reports have linked Olise to a move to United’s Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. The right-winger could spark a bidding war between the top Premier League clubs in the summer.

Clubs showing interest in Ian Maatsen after fine start on loan at Dortmund https://thedailybriefing.io/i/141595549/clubs-showing-interest-in-ian-maatsen-after-fine-start-on-loan-at-dortmund Ian Maatsen is doing very well at Borussia Dortmund, making a fantastic impact in his first five games there since joining on loan from Chelsea. The quality of his performances is very good, and the fans and manager are very happy with him. Dortmund want to wait until the end of the season to decide what to do - as I reported before, this current deal is a loan with no buy option included, but when Maatsen signed a new contract with Chelsea, it was with a release clause included. This is worth £35m and it becomes active in the summer, so the clause is available and it means Dortmund and other clubs can trigger the clause for Maatsen. Dortmund will decide in the summer, but of course it could be expensive for them. There are other clubs already exploring the situation because top young left-backs like this are not easy to find on the market. The feeling is that it’s already over between Maatsen and Chelsea, but there are many clubs keeping a close eye on Maatsen’s situation. Of course, things could change, but the feeling with Mauricio Pochettino as manager is that it’s probably over for Maatsen at Chelsea, so keep an eye on this one for the summer because there is already movement ahead of the summer transfer window.

and LOL at that pic

Badiashile was forced off late on during last week’s 3-1 FA Cup win at Villa Park and scans have revealed he faces a spell on the prolonged sidelines. Badiashile was forced off late on during last week’s 3-1 FA Cup win at Villa Park and scans have revealed he faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines.

Boehly, you cunt, PLEASE brinng back Cech into director level management Blue champion winner level