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An Ode To Rafa And Loads More Mails...
We have one Chelsea fan who recognises the job done by Rafa Benitez while there's maths from Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester. And Shawcross to Arsenal? Nah...
Mails: Jol Out And Other Demands...
You might notice that we haven't included a single mail about teams in pubs, because most of them were terrible. Instead we have a disgruntled Fulham fan and Scouse maths...
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Classic Redknapp
I love the bloke but has there ever been a more classic Redknapp move then, two nights before the transfer window closes, putting 2 goalkeepers on your bench.
I saw his interview after the game where he claimed that they have to bring a few more bodies in because he can't go the rest of the season with just 18 players. Last time I counted, I was pretty sure they had that many strikers alone...
Seriously, this bloke knows the transfer deadline playbook inside out.
Mark, Watford
The Big Question
Farewell Mario. However will Football Focus fill gaps in its programmes now?
Chris MUFC
Happy Toon Fan
Well that was certainly a game of two halves last night but thank god we scraped through and got a desperately needed 3 points (and first away win of the season!).
Newcastle bossed the first half and the new signings have seemingly settled right in - brilliant through ball from Sissoko for Cisse's goal and Gouffran was industrious, switching between the wings well. Cabaye's goal was just like the man - beautiful.
Second half Villa were obviously going to come out battling and it was disappointing to concede a fairly weak penalty within minutes of the restart. Admittedly it was a fairly stupid challenge by Debuchy as Agbonlahor was going nowhere but there was barely any contact and definitely a hint of diving. The penalty was well despatched by Benteke who certainly looked more dangerous once Agbon came on and Bent was taken off.
I was positive that it was going to be a typical end to a Newcastle game with us conceding in the final minutes but thanks to some fantastic goalkeeping from Krul and one amazing block from Yanga-Mbiwa (after a Gutierrez clearance off the line) that was not the case.
I'm so happy today!
Phil (squeaky bum time for 40mins of that second half), NUFC
Villa Gamble Makes Sense
A few weeks ago I was slightly confused by Randy Lerner's decision not to spend any money in the January transfer window. Taking a look at his squad you could see that a judiciously spent 20m would give Villa a pretty decent chance to avoid the drop. It seemed like a no brainer at the time - an extra 20m to benefit from the massive new tv deal that kicks off from next season.
In her post today, Winty made the same point urging Randy Lerner to spend. However she also said that a bookie has installed Aston Villa as the favourites for the Championship next season. And then it hit me. With the new increased deal, also comes new improved parachute payments. Based on all the shedding of expensive contracts that they have done, Villa should just be able to maintain the squad they currently have for at least one year in the championship without significant additional investment from Lerner. And that squad is strong enough to bounce right back into the premier league.
Looking at it from that perspective, Lerner's gamble makes sense from his perspective. Lambert may be able to keep the Villa side in the premier league this season, and then he benefits without putting a penny in. However if they go down, he may have to put a little in, but then they will be favourites to come right back up. This is the sort of low risk gamble that appeals to the man that stopped chasing CL football and settled for mid table obscurity after spending 100m in 3 years and not getting it.
It's also the kind of gamble that doesn't sit well with fans, but in a way he is sorta doing the club a favour by forcing it to become self sufficient. In the long run they could become like Everton, whose lack of money effectively forced the club to become self sufficient, and now seem to be reaping the benefits as the increased PL funding is allowing the club to spread its wings.
Naz, Nigeria
Defending Walcott
So apparently Theo Walcott can't score 'winning goals' in certain rounds of the Champions League or against City, Chelsea, United or Liverpool... except City at home, but we can skirt around that with a mess of words!
In that case, Lionel Messi has never scored winning goals at Anfield, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, The Etihad Stadium, The Brittania Stadium, The Sports Direct Arena, or even The Merseyrail Community Stadium. He has also never defeated Brock Lesnar in an armwrestle whilst recording a no. 1 album and sh*tting rainbows, nor has he performed a scorpion kick save off the line whilst reciting Shakespeare and playing the cello.
Whilst there may be a point to Walcott being crap because he doesn't perform in big games, a set of contrived 'facts' (meaningless forced statistics) is not going to convince me that he's not worth his wages (seemingly the point of Paul, London's mail) when I can clearly see that he has a more than respectable 17 goals and 11 assists to his name this season, which surely warrants any plaudits he gets.
Ben, SFC and LFC, (switch the words Liverpool, Anfield and Suarez with Arsenal, Emirates and Walcott and your email is just as factually correct) Southport
...Paul, London claims that Theo Walcott is not a big game player. Maybe it would be worth, I dunno, consulting the facts on this one?
Presenting 10 notable moments from Theo's career...
February 2007: Scores his first ever Arsenal goal to give them the lead in the League Cup Final against Chelsea
April 2008: Dribbles the length of the pitch to set-up Adebayor's last minute equaliser in their Champions League quarter final against Liverpool
September 2008: Opens his international account with a hattrick in a crucial qualifier game against Croatia
April 2009: Scores to put Arsenal into the lead against Chelsea in an FA Cup semi-final
March 2010: Single handedly claws Arsenal back from a 2-0 deficit in the Champions League against Barcelona, one of the greatest sides assembled in football history (Messi goes on to describe Walcott as "one of the most dangerous players I have ever played against")
December 2010: Scores and assists against Chelsea to help Arsenal win
3-1 in a crucial league tie
August 2011: Scores in both legs against Udinese to ensure Arsenal qualify for the Champions League
October 2011: Scores against Chelsea in a memorable 5-3 league victory at Stamford Bridge
February 2012: Scores twice against Tottenham to secure a momentous
5-2 victory (the turning point of the season)
June 2012: With Euro tournament hopes on the brink of collapse, Walcott equalises for England against Sweden
To summarise, he only turns up in... (excuse me while I take a deep
breath) ...£30 million European qualifiers, domestic cup finals and semi-finals, international grudge matches, make-or-break local derbies, the Champions League knock-out phase and, well, pretty much any game involving Chelsea.
Theo Walcott - not a big game player. Apparently.
Shaun (mailbox flat-track bully) Russell, London
...Ok Naz, Nigeria Ill bite. A few points fella.
1. Theo has never been compared with Bale. The only way you have heard "a lot of chatter" is if you've fashioned a cup and string type phone and have been talking into one end whilst listening to the other.
2. Theo's winner was against Brighton.
3. The reason people talk about Rooney's good performances rather than his bad ones is because more often than not (England aside) he performs on the big occasions. No one cares if you slot 2-3 away against a down on their luck Reading.
4. Minutes per goal/assist is a pointless stat. If anything it's been in theo's favour coming on in the last minutes against a knackered defence.
5. Please can we stop this comparison of Mata and Cazorla as if they are equals. Mata has been Chelsea's heartbeat for this season and the last as well as won trophies due to it. Cazorla had a good start but has been inconsistent and dare I say it absent in the big matches. The lads got potential but he is nowhere near Mata's level right now.
6. Making stats up is the pastime of the b*llsh*tter. "Provided he remains injury free he could have 20 goals and 20 assists". For one thing how specific of you mystic meg can you please tell me the lottery numbers? Provided I'd remained alcohol free all my life I may have found Higgs and his Boson. Can I prove it? no. Can you prove I wouldn't have? No. Therefore I would have. That's how it works isn't it?
7. If you were a football writer I may have instead found myself gazing out the window aimlessly wondering what else I could have found rather than reading your tripe.
Anthony (POOBS), Kilburn
A Few Thoughts
1; I live in Highgate, which is North (London).
2; Why does it matter where one lives? Decades ago, when clubs were more tied to their communities by limited transport, less broadcasting and media coverage, and through factories and mass employment industries near clubs, it may well have been a pre-requisite to live in Manchester to be a bona fide United fan. However, decades of increased mobility as people relocate for work, greater exposure to all football clubs through media, and the development of club identities independant of their original geographies, have made this argument as regressive as Glen Whelan's "It's the traditional, English way" excuse for trying to tenderise Javi Garcia's leg.
3; One doesn't need to be a genius to conceive of how United might benefit from cashing in on Rooney, and why it makes sense. The club have a surfeit of strikers beyond RVP, most of whom are young (Hernandez, Welbeck, Henriquez, and the rather excellent James Wilson in the academy), and Rooney plainly lacks either the pace or precision to play as a striker for United now. So, he therefore needs to play as a 10/enganche/trequartista, or be shunted out wide, where his lack of pace is even more conspicuous. And ultimately, I would rather play Kagawa than Rooney at 10, and give opportunities to academy players in that position (Petrucci, Andreas Pereira, Daehli) , and reinvest the funds raised in areas where United do need reinforcements (LB, wingers/attacking midfielders, regista, tackling midfielder).
There are still advantages to Rooney, not least that he is better defensively (in open play and set pieces) than other options at 10, but for a club with limited transfer funds, the money raised from Rooney's sale could purchase similarly talented young players, who will provide the club with better options, and be better players than Rooney for the next 5 years.
4; I'm so happy that United are much better now than in 1984, but I fail to see why that requires us not to criticise the club and players when criticism is due. As Liverpool and Arsenal show, accepting second-best is the path to mediocrity.
Chris MUFC
Skrtl
A non-aggressive/delusional/mental thought from a Liverpool fan to try and give a little balance to the last few days:
Martin Skrtel should see out his career at Liverpool, purely because Skrtel sounds great when said in a scouse accent. Go-on try it. See?
Thanks and have a nice day,
Jeremy Aves
Retro
Whilst in the pub last night watching Swansea dissect Sunderland with some wonderfully crafted passing and movement, we got onto the subject of football kits - more specifically retro football kits. So how about this for an idea... for one weekend every season each club is allowed to wear one of their retro football strips from seasons gone by. As a Sunderland fan I'd definitely have our cracker from the 91/92 season.
Ian
