Vesper 30,207 Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) Luxuriant Kajagoogoo wigs and proportionate levels of outrage Looks still don’t get much bigger. Photograph: BBC/Redferns Rob Smyth HUSH HUSH Manchester City really have gone rogue in this season’s Big Cup. First they spoiled thousands of virtual schadenfreude parties across the country by getting through the Round of Manchester City. And now it looks like they are going to get through the Round of Manchester United as well! Their neighbours may be stuck at the semi-final stage, more of which later, but City’s 2-1 win in Paris makes them strong favourites to reach their first ever Big Cup final … ever! It was a great night for Josep Guardiola, as the Uefa graphics team insist on calling him. His team recovered from a nervous first half to produce a superb performance; then, after the game, he appeared to win a bet with his coaching staff, who insisted he couldn’t repeatedly shoehorn the word “shy” into his post-match interviews. “We conceded a goal and in general we were shy,” honked Guardiola of City’s first-half performance, though he could reasonably have used another word that begins with the letters S and H. “We could not express ourselves. Everyone played safe and did not have the personality to go through and play. That is why we were so shy.” Guardiola was keen to point out that the tie is not over and that, if City are twice shy, they could be once bitten in the return leg. “It is simple: if we play shy and not who we are, PSG have the quality to win 2-0. [We have to] understand how to handle this and be ourselves, don’t be shy,” he concluded, symbolically draping a luxuriant Kajagoogoo wig atop his bald pate. Manchester City expose brittle Paris Saint-Germain’s lack of maturity | Jonathan Wilson Read more Chelsea’s excellent draw in Madrid means there is still a chance of all four English clubs making the final, like they did in 2019. For that to happen, Manchester United and Arsenal need to get through the Round of Manchester United in Big Vase. Both play their first legs later on Thursday. Arsenal’s match at Villarreal, managed by their beloved ex-manager Unai Emery, brings back memories of the 2006 Big Cup semi-final between the sides. One moment stands out: Jens Lehmann’s penalty save from Juan Román Riquelme, which involved some of the niftiest multi-camera direction ever seen in elite sport. United play their first leg at home to Roma, who are upset at Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s behaviour. The Fiver understands that Solskjær turned up to his pre-match press conference wearing a Lazio shirt, and spent the next half an hour demonstratively French-kissing the badge while offering nuggets such as “Totti? Notti more like! I mean look at the state of his big-game record”. At least we assume that’s what happened, as it would be proportionate with the level of outrage among some Roma fans. United have lost all four semis under Solskjær. If they lose a fifth, they get to keep the entire concept of the semi-final. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE! Join Rob Smyth from 8pm BST for hot Big Vase MBM coverage of Manchester United 2-1 Roma, while Barry Glendenning will be on hand for Villarreal 1-1 Arsenal. QUOTE OF THE DAY “I don’t even know what my players were doing. I don’t know whether it was intentional or not or whether they want to destroy my career … it’s up to them. To let me down in such a manner, I leave everything to God” – Accra Great Olympics coach Annor Walker launches an internal investigation following their 4-1 defeat at Cape Coast Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs in the Ghanaian Premier League. RECOMMENDED LISTENING Here’s the latest Football Weekly Extra podcast, on Big Cup and fan power. Power, as ever, to the people. Photograph: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images FIVER LETTERS “Re: tales of referee misadventures (Fiver letters passim). I was reffing a senior boys game and almost from the kick-off an obnoxious, weedy, weaselly fellow started loudly voicing his opinion of my judgement, almost constantly. He was standing next to the coach, so the next time I was in the area I had a quick ‘can you keep your fellows in check, please?’ to the coach, who just shrugged. As I stood in the centre circle during half-time, the weasel came up to me and said: ‘I’m not part of the team, I’m a member of the public and I can say what I want and there’s nothing you can do about it.’ To which I replied, out of anyone else’s hearing” ‘How about when the game is over, I’ll take my ref’s shirt off (becoming a member of the public) and come and have a full and frank, fist-based discussion’. I didn’t hear a peep from him in the rest of the game and although I’m sure I wouldn’t have followed through, it did the job. Just writing it down feels as good as it did then” – Allan Clark. “As someone whose day job is as an international election observer, I’m very glad that democracy is now contributing to your Stop Football campaign” – Alex Folkes. Send your letters to [email protected]. And you can always tweet The Fiver via @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’the day is … Alex Folkes. NEWS, BITS AND BOBS Big Website in the UK is to join the boycott of social media disgraces this weekend as part of a campaign against racism and discrimination online. East Fife are facing potential SPFL punishment for failing to fulfil Tuesday’s League One fixture at Clyde, after one of the hosts’ players tested positive for Covid-19. Spurs are sniffing around Ajax’s Erik Ten Hag. Danny Ings could be a doubt for Euro Not 2020, with hamstring-twang threatening to rule him out for the rest of Southampton’s season. Jesse Marsch, the former New York Red Bulls coach, will leave Red Bull Salzburg and take over at RB Leipzig next season. “Jesse knows the club, the city, but most of all the philosophy of the team and the playing style,” fizzed Leipzig suit Oliver Mintzlaff. Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has apologised for not conducting his media interviews in English. “One of my big deficits in English football is not to be able to communicate in the language that everybody speaks,” he tooted through an interpreter. And Nigel Pearson is back in the full-time game, agreeing a three-year deal as Bristol City boss. STILL WANT MORE? Wednesday night was no Big Cup Parisienne walkover for Manchester City, writes Barney Ronay, but Pep Guardiola found the way. Jonathan Wilson embraces hip, young, gunslinging culture when he declares PSG have the personality of Violet Elizabeth Bott. Get yer Big Vase team news, tactics and form guides here. Here we go. Composite: Getty, Action Images Not many people talk about Gerard Moreno, Villarreal’s star man and Spain’s most in-form player. But Sid Lowe does and gets his chat on with the man himself. Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta are not just Arsenal managers past and present, they are on good terms too, as Nick Ames finds. A timely reminder of this Emery interview from Sid. And Ed Aarons hears from Shaygan Banisaeid, who is working with Fulham’s foundation after learning English in Iran by watching Match of the Day. There you go, Marcelo. Oh, and if it’s your thing … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. And INSTACHAT, TOO! WELL WORTH A WATCH Edited April 29, 2021 by Vesper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NikkiCFC 8,331 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Premier League clubs have been told to prepare for up to 500 away fans for the last two rounds of matches this season. 10,000 fans will be allowed in total. - @MailSport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAPHOD2319 4,819 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Could someone remind Southampton, they are nice enough, pretty enough, and good enough to beat Leicester today? They could use all the affirmation as they can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atomiswave 6,117 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 SH must take revenge for that semi final they lost, do us a solid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan 17,959 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Oh look another fucking gift from the pathetic Saints. Red card in minute 10 for those fuckers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDA 9,941 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Southampton are such a dead team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atomiswave 6,117 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 27 minutes ago, DDA said: Southampton are such a dead team. Just do us a solid here, even a draw is good for us. Though he is decent I never understood why a few of us more than wanted their manager to be at Chels DDA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nero 1,874 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 10man Southampton lead Leicester. I did not expect this. And now, JUST PARK THE BUS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan 17,959 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 1-1 now don’t get your hopes high, Saints are a joke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post! milka 3,393 Posted April 30, 2021 Popular Post! Share Posted April 30, 2021 Jose Mourinho with 2 Chelsea posts in 2 days now. He loves Chelsea and will always be a Chelsea man. Blue Armour, Atomiswave, manpe and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laylabelle 9,536 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Meh to whatever Leicester do..drop points fantastic..more worried about teams behind us.. and about us having moments. That we could do without! Annoying we could be comfy but instead a few silly games and bamm. Dragged in it manpe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nero 1,874 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, milka said: Jose Mourinho with 2 Chelsea posts in 2 days now. He loves Chelsea and will always be a Chelsea man. I didn't even know he had a damn Instagram Vesper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milka 3,393 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Yep he have insta https://www.instagram.com/josemourinho/?hl=bg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nero 1,874 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 3 minutes to go. Come on Saints! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippy 342 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 Big result for us! Just need to win tomorrow and be right back in with a chance of catching Leicester. They've got as tough a run in as us too, which makes top four all the more open now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magic Lamps 11,692 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 2 minutes ago, chippy said: Big result for us! Just need to win tomorrow and be right back in with a chance of catching Leicester. They've got as tough a run in as us too, which makes top four all the more open now yes! but westham on the other hand have the piss-easiest run-in i have ever seen. Every single team they play apart from maybe EL outsiders Everton are comfortably on the beach the time they play them while we have basically only big games left. Will be an uphill struggle still to secure top 4 with all the cup games in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDA 9,941 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 If we win tomorrow and beat Leicester.. we will be in a great position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pizy 18,938 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 3 minutes ago, DDA said: If we win tomorrow and beat Leicester.. we will be in a great position. Knowing us we’ll lose to Fulham in embarrassing fashion and then beat Real Madrid and Leicester comfortably. 😏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDA 9,941 Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Pizy said: Knowing us we’ll lose to Fulham in embarrassing fashion and then beat Real Madrid and Leicester comfortably. 😏 Knowing us you're probably right. It would be quite the accomplishment if we win ALL of our remaining games. Edited April 30, 2021 by DDA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesper 30,207 Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Friday April 30 2021 Football Nerd It's official: Premier League teams are struggling at home like never before By Daniel Zeqiri There has been much speculation about the effect of empty stadiums on Premier League grounds and the extent to which home advantage has been eroded. The results are: this season has produced fewer home goals and points per game than any other Premier League campaign as we approach the campaign's final stretch. There are a host of possible explanations: increased comfort of away teams, no home-crowd pressure on referees (though Var may have negated this anyway) or home teams not being urged to throw caution to the wind in the closing stages of games. Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester, Everton and Brighton have all struggled badly - even Manchester City have not been immune. City have lost three home games, the same as in their four Premier League-winning seasons combined. In this week's Football Nerd, I delve into the numbers and ponder if things will return to something like normal when fans return. Looking for up-to-the-minute coverage, live match updates, dedicated newsletters and inside stories? Get a 12-month Telegraph Sport subscription today for £39. The best of this week's coverage Tottenham's manager search: Where do Spurs turn next after some of their top targets turned them down? Imitation game: Mikel Arteta is trying to play like Man City - but Arsenal do not have the players Transformed: How Riyad Mahrez became Manchester City's lead Renaissance man Analysis: Sadio Mane's slump at Liverpool is down to one key factor Loose cannon: Dani Ceballos red card encapsulates an erratic Arsenal career 'What’s exciting for the country is - alongside Manchester City’s Phil Foden - Mount can redefine the global view of what makes a ‘typical’ English footballer.' Jamie Carragher column: Why Mason Mount's gifts were obvious when I coached him at 16 This week's best stat 6 Amazingly for a team on the verge of a Champions League final, no Chelsea player has more than six league goals this season. The week in a picture CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES PSG's collapsing wall: Thom Gibbs explores why that is one of football's cardinal sins. Other newsletters you might like... Arsenal Briefing | Weekly insight and expert analysis from Sam Dean. Sign up Chelsea Briefing | Matt Law with expert analysis and insight every week. Sign up Liverpool Briefing | Chris Bascombe's weekly insight and expert analysis. Sign up Manchester United Briefing | Weekly insight and expert analysis from James Ducker. Sign up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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