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Arise, Sir Kenny
At the risk of blowing smoke, it was great to read that article again and to remember again that sometimes sports journalism can go beyond the tatty veneer of intellect offered so readily in the print media.
He was an incredible player and a pretty good manager too. I saw a documentary on Bobby Moore recently and had to explain to a youngster that they wouldn’t be able to comprehend just how good he was until they get older. They’re looking at him through the lens of today’s players. For Dalglish, you can very readily make the argument that if he were German, Spanish or Italian he’d be part of the lexicon of global legends after winning international honours in those sides after countless tournament appearances and then maybe managing those clubs teams to further wins as a manager. A Cruyff, Beckenbauer or Zoff maybe.
It’s simpler than that for me though because I don’t even think of him as an ex-player first anymore, I think his achievements as a human being shine out above his sporting ones. If you think about what that means, then he’s doing pretty well.
And as to being better than Mr Gerrard, I like to think Stevie would be okay with that.
Matthew
Stadium delay is Levy’s genius plan
This is another Daniel Levy masterclass!
The “delay” to the construction of the new Spurs stadium is all about keeping hold of key players beyond next Summer. It’s worked over the past couple of seasons, hasn’t it?
We haven’t got the high transfer budgets of the clubs around us, but we’re lucky enough to have a few key players, who appear to be sticking around to at least have a season in our new abode.
Bearing in mind the minimal budget – Alli, Eriksen, Kane, Son, Lamela, Vertonghen, Winksy and Sanchez – our key gems, appear to be fairly happy with the idea of sticking around for the next couple of years.
If we’d played in our new stadium this year and then didn’t qualify for the Champions League, would a couple of heads have turned to pastures new?
Instead, we’re now likely to keep those players and invest in a couple more. We can fund that with the likely sale of Alderweireld and the rejuvenated Sissoko, who, despite the fanfare, has only been given credit because of having gone from diabolical to average. A decent fullback for each side will do. Centre-mid we’re fine for now, as there a couple of youngsters. No point in buying another Jannsen to compete with Kane.
Even when he can’t delve into the transfer market, it doesn’t mean that other teams can’t still be Levyed.
Ryan, (You got Levyed) London.
Dirty cash
DL LFC says that nothing matters, all the money comes from the same dirty sources so we are all equally tarred with the same oligarchical brush.
How extremely convenient for your conscience! There is nothing to be done!
I am afraid this misses the point. Firstly DL argues that Manchester United are funded with borrowed money some of which comes from hedge funds and some of those hedge funds might be providing money that was stolen from Baby Jesus or of similar dubious provenance. Of course that is mere speculation and supposition. DL may be right (or may not be) but in no way is this equivalent to a corrupt regime directly funding a football club in order to improve it’s dubious reputation. Secondly, there absolutely is something we can do: Cease supporting the team and giving our tacit support to the owners.
Now there was some discussion in the comments section of a F365 story just recently about Manchester United being bought out and how fans will be hoist on their own petards right off their hobby horses that they were riding across the moral high ground because United will be owned by a regime even worse than the blue half enjoys.
If the buyout occurs as reported, that would indeed be extremely regrettable. Because I for one have supported my club for 40 years and I would hate to have to withdraw that support because I did not agree with the morality of the owners. But I *would* stop supporting them if this comes to pass. Likewise, I would stop if Donald Trump bought out United as I “strongly” disagree with everything he says, stands for and is.
My support of a sporting team is not more important than my morals or ethics, so that is a choice I would reluctantly have to make.
Collin (brackets at half mast) Hack
…In response to DL LFC: I take DL’s point about Manchester United’s money not being whiter-than-white in comparison to Manchester City – with the vast sums of money involved in the game now, let’s face it, nobody’s hands are clean anymore.
But isn’t the issue with City (and PSG) not just that their money is coming directly from some of the most grotesque abusers of humans rights on the planet, but that these owners are using said clubs as their own personal PR machines in the West? I think that’s very different to the Glazers simply having business links with Abu Dhabi, and it’s also why I’m desperately hoping this Saudi takeover of United doesn’t happen.
HS, MUFC, Cardiff
Keita’s communication
OK, so I am am a die hard Liverpool supporter, having followed Liverpool for over 40 years, through our dominant stage, and our not so dominant stage.
I follow LFC through everything, good or bad, home and away, and follow everything on the LFC website, and social media, I just love my club.
So what is the point of my mail this morning? I am so pissed off! I have just read an article on the clubs website from Naby Keita expressing his love for the club, and how he want’s to be successful, and how he is going to make it his mission to speak English and do interviews with the press within 6 months.
Here is my problem! Liverpool signed Keita in the summer of 2017, to join up with LFC pre-season 2018! One of his best friends is Sadio Mane! He knew he was coming to Liverpool in the summer of 2017, so why didn’t he spend the last 12 month’s learning English?
I can accept Fabinho, because he was signed under the radar, but he is in good company with Bobby, Alisson and Moreno, and his wife speaks decent English, but what I can’t fathom, is a player who signed over 12 months ago, only just starting to learn the language of a club he has signed a 5 year contract with, and he is playing with one of his best friends in football!
Klopp wants everyone within the squad to speak English and communicate with each other! I just think this was piss poor judgement and laziness from Keita, and I am so disappointed in his application!
Don’t get me wrong, I think he will be an absolute beast in our midfield going forward, but why compromise communication barriers when you signed a contract over 12 months ago?
Rant over!
Now go and be a legend in that no 8 shirt!
Mark (God I love LFC)
Ta-ra, Roo
Just saw the title ‘Thank Roo’ on the back of a paper and realised this may be the last time we ever have to suffer this persistent offense of the English language.
Thank god.
Please for all our sakes, Children of Wayne, follow any other career in life.
Tom (wanted to call them Fountains so badly) Walthamstow
Screen solution
Am I missing something in regards to explaining VAR? Isn’t there electronic hoarding the entire way around the pitch in both Anfield and Old Trafford that’s used for advertising? Surely they could be programmed to say ‘offside’ ‘penalty’ ‘diving git’ for five seconds between ads?
Have a cracking weekend.
John, Ireland
Captain’s call
The captain choosing whether Arsenal wear long or short sleeves isn’t a tradition.
Tony Adams introduced it but we actually went more than 100 years without this ‘tradition’.
It’s something that’s generally been observed since Tony retired but it’s not something Patrick, Thierry, William, Cesc, Tomas, Mikel, Per or Laurent would have really give a crap about.
It was a peculiarity associated with Tony that somehow was retained – interestingly not wearing a captain’s armband and having his arm taped wasn’t retained by any of his successors.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London
Rice, Rice baby
I was reading ‘three statistics that sum up your club’s season‘ and came across a stat for Newcastle which I would like to counter.
“Newcastle are the only club to name a starting line-up comprised of 11 different nationalities”
On October 5th West Ham played away against Brighton and fielded the following side:
Fabianski – Poland
Zabaleta – Argentina
Balbuena – Paraguay
Diop – France
Masuaku – Congo
Noble – England
Rice – Ireland (for all intents and purposes)
Obiang – Spain
Yarmolenko – Ukraine
Arnautovic – Austria
Anderson – Brazil.
Please let me know if the issue is regarding Rice, though I feel it appropriate that he be assumed Irish given his international caps.
Kindest of regards,
Elliot
