Does Jurgen Klopp help Teflon Thomas Tuchel get away with Chelsea mistakes?

Editor F365
Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp on the touchline

The Mailbox can’t fathom why Thomas Tuchel gets such an easy ride. Also: has Sterling forgotten being abused by Chelsea fans?

Get your views in to theeditor@football365.com

 

Teflon Tom
I say this as a Chelsea fan. I am utterly bemused by the lack of criticism for not so super Tommy Tuchel

He won the Champions League? So did Di Matteo and the FA Cup but no one called him the next Pep or Jose at the time and he was gone within 4 months.

12 months ago TT sold Livramento, Abraham, Zouma, Giroud, Tomori for a combined 100M and spent it all on Lukaku (with a Saul loan on top)

Today. Lukaku has left on loan, Saul never got the call and Chelsea are in the market for 1x RB, 2x CBs and a striker again.

His redemption projects – Rudiger, Jorginho, Alonso – have either left (for nothing) or in the process of leaving

He took a team that finished 4th the season before he arrived, scraped 4th 6 months later and then limped to 3rd in his first full season as Spurs and United fell under the weigh of their own incompetence

Is it a sign of how good Klopp is that his aurora is protecting other German managers? Did the sanctions save his skin? Have people forgot Chelsea exists now that we’re not owned by the enemy of football?

Truly baffled
ChelseaJim, LDN/NYC

 


Ian King: Granovskaia and Buck leave Todd Boehly very quickly learning on the Chelsea job


 

All is forgiven?
Wasn’t it the Chelsea fans that were basically standing right in front of Raheem Sterling and racially abusing him during a game? I don’t understand why he would want to go and represent a club and fans that would do that to you?

Its not like he wouldn’t have any other options if he did say he wanted to leave. I just find this one a bit weird. Someone that is so vocal and does amazing work all the time to raise awareness around racism in football then goes and plays for a team whose fans were caught red handed Abusing him on camera?

Doesn’t seem right.
Chaz (Essex)

 

Dicky Arnold’s cunning plan
Are we really all that stupid to believe that he didnt know exactly what he was doing. He sat in a pub, with Manchester United fans, who for years have said exactly how bad the Glazers and Ed Woodward are and he parroted that sentiment for the fans to hear.

Whether this was recorded or just the conversation leaked out to the media via word of mouth is irrelevant. He said exactly what he meant to say and that was to say “look…. you’re right… the last guy… I don’t know what he was playing at…. we need to get a hold of this and put it right”. Easy brownie points and no better way than to say I’m not like Ed.. It worked for Ole and now it’s being tried again. It even worked for Mike Ashley for a while when he first took over Newcastle. I’ve worked in companies where new CEO’s come in and tell you they are the exact opposite of the new guy, and fun things happen for a few months and then it’s back to where you were.

Of a lot more concern are the statements that we need to get some more investors in (nudge nudge wink wink extra stock market shares that have no real power in the club) or we need to increase borrowings (which is completely the opposite of what most fans want). Both of these will cost money and reduce the funds available. Oh we have burned through the cash is the excuse for the Glazers not having the money this year to put in. I also find it convenient that this has come out around the time that the Glazers take their dividends each year, nothing like a good distraction.

Richard Arnold knew exactly what he was saying and he’s getting away with it with all the “outrage” its causing in the media, where everybody is focused on the “scandal” rather than the details.
Andrew (MUFC), Ireland

 

What Liverpool have lost
As a Man City fan, I for one am thrilled to see Sadio Mane heading to Germany. For me, he was always the Liverpool player who scared me the most.

Salah is an incredible player and has scored huge goals, but he is essentially a RF/RW who wants to attack defenders and cut inside. He happens to be one of the best in the world at doing that, but this is also a player type we have seen many times before, and will continue to see. Liverpool seem like they may have already found another player who can does those things in Luis Diaz

Mane on the hand is totally unique. He just has that innate ability to pop up where he is needed at the right time. Liverpool have been incredible at coming from behind over the last few seasons, and how many times has it been Mane who figured out how to find that goal. Just this season alone, he scored the stooping header against Villa and the overhead kick against Norwich. Both were in matches when Liverpool conceded early and had to get a win to try and chase down City. In both cases, Mane popped up in the perfect location and made incredibly difficult goals look simple.

The other thing about Mane I hated as a rival fan, but would have loved if he played for City, was that even though he seems like a genuinely good human, he certainly played with a bit of an edge. He wasn’t afraid to put an elbow in while leaping for a header (just ask Azpilicueta) and the high boot to Ederson’s face also stands out. Truly great teams need players who have a bit of edge, and Mane provided it without almost ever going over the line.

The memory of Mane that most perfectly sums him up is the penalty he drew from Serge Aurior. He shows his incredible stamina and work rate by chasing down a ball over the top and hassling Aurier, knowing how shaky Aurier is. Then, when Aurier gets to the ball and winds up to blast a wild clearance, Mane shows just how intelligent he is as a footballer and places himself between the ball and Aurier’s swinging leg. Aurier Kicks, Mane, Mane goes down in the area, clear penalty, but also one of the shithousiest penalties ever won. How many players who are smart enough and think quickly enough to know how out of control Aurier is, and to have the presence of mind to position himself there?

To me, the ultimate compliment you can pay a rival player is to hate watching them play against your team, while at the same time, wish they played for your club. For me, no one on Liverpool has epitomized that more than Mane in the Klopp era. Enjoy Munich, Sadio, you will not be missed by me!
Ryan, MCFC, USA

 

…So Mane is moving to Bayern, and while there’s been a lot of discussion regarding his motivation, there’s been little on what this means for Liverpool. Michael, from Ireland, briefly touched on the Mane factor and his “vital goals” which is exactly what I want to talk about in more detail now.

Mane was consistently eclipsed by Salah in terms of his goal scoring records- which are nevertheless incredibly impressive. But his real value to the team was making the breakthrough in tight games. His ability to pop up and score from a deflected long shot, header or tap in. His ability to provide an assist, create a chance or win a penalty. These game-changing moments are an immeasurable but essential component of Liverpool’s recent success.

In many ways, Mane was the natural heir to Coutinho, because he could score goals or set them up from nothing- often right at the moment when it looked like Liverpool couldn’t find a way through. It’s a tough act to follow for recent signings Nunez, or indeed Luiz Diaz, and it will be interesting to see how Liverpool cope. Could we see wins turn to draws, and draws turn to losses without Mane in the team? I think so.
Liam Gabriel Hoskins (Game changers like Mane are few and far between) AFC

 

Mane, Mane, Mane
On Lee’s mail regarding Sadio Mane been greedy, I find it laughable he can come to the conclusion that it’s all about money alone. Jack Wilshere left his boy hood club to city, I don’t see him been labeled a mercenary or business man. Gareth Bale seemed pretty happy to sit on the Madrid bench collecting his massive wages with his feet up, not seeming to care about his playing career and focuses more on playing golf. I don’t see Lee calling him greedy. If that were Paul Pogba sitting on the Madrid bench, indifferent to his playing career, the’d have unprintable things said about him.

If Mane were joining Newcastle I’d have maybe understood Lee’s point. Bayern are one of the strongest teams in Europe and Mane wants a different experience in another league, and hasn’t spoken ill about the club(to my knowledge), what’s wrong with that? Should we expect him to retire at Liverpool? Normally when world class players move clubs, their wages are increased in most cases and that’s the same with Mane, what makes his situation in particular ‘greedy’? It all sounds like a load of rubbish tbh.
Guo

 

…I found Lee’s email about to be rather funny in how deluded it was. He basically gives himself away with the “never tracks back” bit, showing he knows nothing about the player. Anyone who watches Liverpool will know Mane is/was regularly back in his own half supporting the defence.

Anyway, the money thing was the real kicker in Lee’s mail. Mane is known for being incredibly generous with his money. He has built a school and hospital in his home town and stories abound of other acts of generosity, like paying for a child’s surgery when he himself was in hospital getting checked for a concussion during AFCON.

His latest contract will be the last big pay day of his career and I would imagine he wants to maximise his earnings to be able to continue helping people and provide for his own family. As a Liverpool fan I’m sad to see him go but also wish him well. It seems Mane and Liverpool found themselves at an impasse a reasonable solution presented itself.

I’ve never been one to get annoyed when players want out, especially, as with Mane, when there hasn’t been even a hint of unprofessional behaviour from the player. When Sterling left, I found it understandable. City were on the rise and Liverpool got a huge fee for a player they themselves had swiped from QPR a few years earlier. Same with Coutinho. I always thought he wasn’t consistent enough so when rumours started floating about Barca being willing to offer (very) stupid money I was quite pleased.

Anyway, nothing but love for Mane. Superb player who has provided superb service. Enjoy Germany.
Alan.

 

Solidarity with Bogarde 
Never had an issue with players going after money, Mane has been brilliant for Liverpool and owes fans nothing. All parties win with him moving on now imo, especially if it makes keeping Salah easier. But I’ll leave the eulogising for Liverpool fans.

What I have issue with, Lee, is firstly, it was Winston Bogarde, not Mario Melchiot who sat on the bench for Chelsea.

Mario was a boss (one of my favourite non-Arsenal players in the Prem) and all-around great dude, so get that right.

FWIW, Bogarde’s comments were hilarious also. I have nothing but respect for the man. He showed up to work every day, was made to train with the youth squad, was told he wasn’t needed and was like “Well that’s your problem, not mine”.

But secondly, footballers don’t owe anyone anything more than anyone else does (and let’s be honest, get shafted in 90% of outcomes across the football pyramid). When a player does get even a hint of leverage, they’re immediately the target of immense vitriol (from press/fans/talking heads) for the crime of wanting to do something different/do more. And to be honest, that response is also often scaled based on the ethnicity/race of the player, which in itself is utterly loathsome.

So yeh, maybe just leave out the greedy chat eh?
Tom (It says a lot about my football ambitions as a youth that many of my favourite players were steady, efficient defenders really) Walthamstow

 

Liverpool’s approach
Quite like the piece on Liverpool’s chase of Jude Bellingham, in part because yeah Liverpool’s transfers under Klopp have been astonishingly good given a good manager gets transfers right roughly 50% of the time but also it does boost the ego of Liverpool fans like myself who really like the patience and decisiveness the club acts with usually.

But it is also worth pointing out that this Liverpool side doesn’t really moan when transfers allude them too. This summer that year long search would have been cut short had Liverpool had beaten Real Madrid to Aurelien Tchouameni, fantastic player and gutted that he moved there. For some reason that doesn’t get mentioned to much in many articles, if any.

It’s happened before too Liverpool lost out to Chelsea on Timo Werner and before the season started they’d just dusted themselves off and signed Diogo Jota.

It’s just nice that the club operates like that even when their transfer arrogance bites them.

Anyway did you guys hear that Darwin Nunez was wanted by Man United who definitely didn’t want him by the time it was clear Liverpool where interested? Was not rejected by the player at all. At. All.
Tyla (is it still funny to laugh at Man United? Feel like I missed the bus) Roxburgh, Liverpool

Romano speaks on Mane
Some thoughts
I’m on a train so thought I’d dump some thoughts your way as you are only getting 4 mails a day.

I wish you all the best Mane and thank you. I hope you get what you need out of Munich and don’t see us in the CL. The transfer talk about his replacement is odd as his replacement is Diaz. Even with him moved to the middle his replacement there is Darwin Nunez. Another Liverpool transfer with an absence of narrative beyond the contrived.

Transfer rumours of City selling Sterling and Jesus to Chelsea, Spurs or Arsenal. What?? How balls out confident are City that they would sell good players to those clubs? What happened to not selling competitors a virus?

Is Mason Mount good or just English?

Man United not having a substitute teacher and Pogba in the dressing room should be worth 12 points on last year alone. Maybe they’ll make 6 consecutive passes against Liverpool next season breaking last seasons record.

I can’t see anyone in the top 6 other than City and Liverpool breaching the 90 point line. Yes, there are singings to come for the others but teams are competing for the same positions.

Newcastle. We can talk about the Saudi money till we are blue in the face but people still shop at Sainsburys and people will be turning the gas on in winter. Doesn’t mean we should accept it and we shouldn’t use it to deflect from a lack of ethics in our government.

It will be interesting to see how far Eddie Howe goes with Newcastle. Is he an under appreciated British manager who would have walked into say Chelsea had he been called Howecini? Its looking like it. If form carries over the top four next year will be City, Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle.

It’s a disgrace that Chelsea have had a 1.5bn debt wiped off their books.

Spurs are a competent football club. You have to give Levy credit for that. He has pushed their glass ceiling higher and higher. It looked like with Mourinho he wanted a winner to come in and take hold of footballing affairs. If his odd couple with Conte pays off and they can find players outside Juventus reserves then this could be the end of Man United and Arsenal as CL teams although Arsenal are there already.

Saying that if Spurs sign Richarlison that it might all go out the window.

What contrived reason will Frank Lampard come up with to leave Everton with clean hands when they continue their just about scrapping avoiding relegation form into next season?

The PL is the big 6 and everyone else. Last year United shit the bed, then got in a new manager who just rolled in it, and still finished 6th. West Ham, Wolves, Leicester should be disappointed. It seems only Levy has the answer for organically cracking the big boys. Add in Newcastle and you have to ask how long Arsenal can keep up the pace in that top 6.

Will this seasons champions have an asterisk next to them because of the World Cup?

Will anyone in F365 remote towers back Salah for the golden boot this year?

That ended up quite long… sorry
Alex, South London.