No sympathy in the Mailbox for Premier League strike action…

It’s Christmas Eve. Ignore the family and send us your mails instead: theeditor@football365.com…

Strike action
Interesting to see the idea of the players going on strike over their welfare.

They are, as a group, so far behind the rest of the population in getting protected for themselves and others from covid that welfare seems not to be a major concern for them. Neither their own nor others.

Please let them go on strike. It would only increase the disdain of the public for the pampered narcissistic prima donnas to past breaking point.
Tony

…For footballers going on about postponements and how the ordinary man does not understand elite sport…..

I don’t want any individual to risk their health, and anyone suffering from covid should isolate and recover, but It cracks me up when footballers or managers say we don’t understand elite sport. We do lads, we just don’t care. We’ll happily watch you at 75% of your physical prowess. Football is opioid for the masses and it’s what we pay you to do when it suits us ie when we are off work. What they don’t seem to be able to understand is that it’s not mutually exclusive to say that we love football more than most things but also know it’s ultimately meaningless. Whereas they seem to think they are f*cking curing cancer or something
Ciaran Boyle

Who wouldn’t want Klopp or Pep?
I know Jamie, Kilkenny was on the wind up, but he raises a very interesting question. Is there actually any team that wouldn’t want Klopp at the helm?

Man City probably wouldn’t, but therein lies another oddity: are Liverpool then only team that wouldn’t want Pep as the boss?

When Jose was in his pomp, there were genuine reason some clubs probably wouldn’t want him. Yet for all the nonsense that gets written in the comment sections, they are two pretty inoffensive managers, who win and win in style.

Are there any clubs who wouldn’t want them?
Big D, Luxembourg

…In response to Jamie, Kilkenny i absolutely do wish for gurning Jurgen to be manager of my club……I’m more than happy to keep pep ta very much.
Paul, Manchester

Carabao fix
In response to KC.

The League Cup has been devalued steadily over the years, not because the top 6 teams play a reserve team, but because all teams play the ressies as it is a distraction from the important business of staying up / getting promoted.

Look at Preston’s team that played Liverpool, changes everywhere because the league is more important.

Play it the weekend of an international break, and Preston don’t have a league game in 3 days and so can play their best available team, as could Liverpool.

Preston vs Liverpool U23 (plus Milner/Matip/Ox/Origi) instead of Preston Reserves vs Liverpool Reserves. I still make Liverpool slight favourites, but not overwhelmingly.

Teams like Southampton, Newcastle, or Villa would not be affected as badly as Arsenal, Man City, or Chelsea so games between those sides would be much more level affairs, and with a full weeks rest ahead everyone can really have a go.

It would be unpredictable and we would likely get different teams reach the letter stages instead of the usual suspects all the time.

Or everyone could still play the reserves and it would be shite as it is now, just with fixture congestion slightly less of an issue.

Cheers.
Matt B (I hate international breaks)

…I’ve been absent of late with the lack of football for my team. Missing the mailbox now so had to come back.

Was thinking of ways to liven up the Rumbelows Cup. Thought of a few great ideas that will never happen and here’s one of them…

Firstly, forget 11 a side. This is 5 a side, squad of 12, 8 teams, 2 groups of round Robin to go into semi finals. Losers of group go into a shield – like the rugby sevens type format if any of you also watch a bit of egg chasing. This tournament would be just a weekend and the Christmas period would probably be the best time to play it.

There are 8 countries in the premier league with 15 or more players from that country, England, France, Spain, Brazil, Scotland, Portugal, Ireland, Netherlands. England do have a ridiculous 231 to choose from but on paper some of the other nations would look great – Portugal, France, Brazil and Spain could put out great teams.
Plus, I’d make it so all nations must have a squad of 12 with a minimum of 2 of the players from outside their own nation but not in the other top 7. That means players such as Mo Salah, Wilf Zaha, Dan James, Pukki could still get in.
You’d probably also want every premier league club represented which shouldn’t be too hard – maybe you’d need to extend to 12 teams.

What’s not to like? Who’s your favourite to win? I have to root for England but that Portuguese side is mouth watering.

Jon, from a searingly hot Cape Town (need to cool off in the pool already and it’s 7am. Mustn’t forget to do the Christmas shopping first…)

Unnecessary digs 
Not sure why F365 feel the need to keep repeating the dig about how many internationals Liverpool played yesterday. You know kids are being called up as soon as they play 6 decent games so they are tied to countries and may not actually be “international standard” but that does not suit your need for clicks.

Also was very amused/disturbed that Phil, Wirral went through 3 years of Liverpool player quotes so he could send his missive.
Andrew, Swindon (I do understand how SEO works so appreciate that’s the reason but still!)

Love me, love me!
Jamie’s mail was interesting because I’ve thinking the exact opposite. Among the big team contributors to the mailbox, a subset of LFC fans seem uniquely concerned that other people should love their team and I’ve always wondered why. I would genuinely be interested to hear theories on this.
NorthernSoul NUFC (still in a moral quandary)

Behave yourself
Quick message I was going to message on Wednesday night but was a little too tipsy to write it properly. Wow what a comeback that was, it just shows anfield can be as instrumental in the carabo cup as it can in the champions league. What I really want to highlight though is why does being in a football stadium give the person a right to feel like they can be absolute scum. What the Leicester fans sang last night would the majority of them accept that as acceptable behaviour in any other walk of life. Before I sound like a patronising t*at here after 22 years on the waiting list I finally got a season ticket through for Liverpool this year, in row 4 of the kop it’s been amazing. However I have found myself at some stages over angry, shouting abuse at refs /opposition players to the point where it culminated at the Villa game I had to have a word with myself. That game felt over angry crowd wise because Martinez was delaying every goal kick but that then lead us to shout some horrible things. But why? Just because I pay for a footy ticket doesn’t give me the right to absolutely abuse someone. Would I do that at work? No chance? Would I do that in town? No chance? Would I be absolutely ashamed if my mum/nan seen a video of my behaviour during that game? 100000%. So I promised myself i would behave at the next game which was Newcastle and I did and I will continue to do so. What I mean is that Leicester fans last night sang feed the scousers but half of them probs just followed the crowd but if they saw themselves on video the next day would be ashamed. Footy should be about ur sh*t we are sh*t, shall we sing a song for you. But personal stuff needs to be swerved. Poverty should not be mocked, there are people living on the streets all over this country in both Liverpool and Leicester and in every town/city across the country. Hardly any of us at the match have much let’s just go back to banter rather than poison
Ryan, Liverpool

Merry Christmas, you beautiful Mailboxers
Not sure if we’re getting a Christmas Eve mailbox, but if we are just wanted to say thanks to everyone at Football365. Another year of great content, all for free. And a place where football is looked at through a rational and less click-baity lens. Thanks also to everyone who contributes to mailbox. Many fantastic mails over the year, some bizarre ones and the odd idiotic one. Always entertaining though. Merry Christmas all and let’s hope in 2022 things start to move in the right direction.
Mike, LFC, London