Man Utd are The Joker and ‘always the villain’ in painful Batman analogy

It’s fair to say that we are ready for the Premier League; everybody has ever so slightly lost their minds.

You know what to do now – watch some football and then send us e-mails about it. Simple as. You might even find yourself inspiring an article.

Mail us at theeditor@football365.com

Man Utd are so clearly the villains

Gaptoothfreak (a villain name if ever there was one) wants us to believe that Manchester United – this Manchester United – is The Dark Knight? I think you will find that they have always been regarded as the villain of the PL/Gotham and are much more akin to The Joker who basically does what they want.

In your analogy, the Super Heroes are actually the other sides who have beaten them not just down a peg but sent them packing to Arcane Asylum to sit with the other loonies. Admittedly, the villain in this scenario also did as much damage to themselves as the Super Heroes ever did, if not more so.

Granted, the Super Villain never actually withers away completely, so they will return at some point to cause pandemonium. But they will always be the villain of the story.
Mike D

Big Weekend: Manchester derby, Alexander Isak, Ange Postecoglou, West Ham

Ligue Un broadcast and ramifications

Just thought I’d pop a mail in about something completely different; a story that’s flown a little under the radar but one that I think could have huge ramifications. Ligue Un is producing and broadcasting games on its own platform.

If you haven’t been across French TV rights (why would you?) there’s been all sorts of shenanigans in recent years and the league has eventually said “sod this, we’ll do it ourselves”. The main game of the week (their equivalent of Super Sunday) is still on beIn Sports, but every other game is available through their own subscription service.

Why is this important? Well it seems to me that all the other leagues will be watching with interest, it’s very much the canary down the coal mine. The current model for the Premier League is a complete anachronism; it’s 20th century distribution in a 21st century world. No content is distributed like this anymore; TV, music, film and even books are accessed using models far closer to what Ligue Un are doing. The idea of having 3 separate broadcasters, with 3 separate subscriptions, and it gives you access to only some of the content is just bizarre and bad for the fans. It does feel like it’s in its final throes.

What the leagues will need to ask themselves is where to draw the line between price and subscriber numbers. I refuse to engage with the current model, I think it’s a nonsense, but every game for £25-40 a month? I’d subscribe. There’s scores more that I think would do the same. More people at a lower price point.

It’s early days for the new Ligue Un service, but the early signs are pretty good. It will be fascinating to see how it develops and how it impacts how we all access the game moving forwards.
Lewis, Busby Way

On Ed Ern and his Man City tactics chat

Sitting here eating my lunch and wondering if that mail from Ed Ern is carefully curated AI content or his own work. A Mailbox equivalent of Michael Keaton’s Birdman, not sure it’s a work of art or pure shite. Still enjoyed it though.
Eoin (football is a simple game really. We just like to complicate it) Ireland

…Anyone else just scroll past Ed Ern’s email after the first few lines…? I got cramp in my finger it was so long, ffs.

Ed – they aren’t going to employ you mate.
Rob, Hove

…Nobody is reading all that. I’m happy for you or sorry that happened.
Steve BFC

…Just wanted to thank Ed Ern and D*cky Malb@lls for their quality contributions to the mailbox.

Two very different topics but both handled with finesse and class. Well done lads.

Ed Ern, please do an analysis on Arteta or Klopp tactics. I’d be interested to see your take on it because I thoroughly enjoyed the analysis on Pep.

D*icky, please write in more about anything, you’re hilarious mate!
Pherain Singh, Johannesburg

…For the love of god, please do NOT start writing long winded, one dimensional, guff about “tactics” like that Ed Ern dissertation. I’ve seen Swiss cheese with less holes in it. The three comically biggest though, no mention of Xavi, Iniesta, or Messi, not a single word about the fact that Pep & City might be a teeny bit fatigued after all that domination, and a huge assumption that Pep Lijnders only has one idea. Would love to see some tactical analysis by people qualified to write it though.
RHT/TS x

…Brilliant post from Ed Ern! One of the rare long reads that actually felt worth the scroll all the way to the end.

It did get me thinking though: I often find myself missing the kind of deep, nuanced football analysis that digs into tactics and the bigger shifts in the game. I get that maybe the numbers show lists and post-match threads drive more clicks, but a sprinkling of something meatier would really add another dimension to the site.

And while I’m making requests, any chance of reviving Portrait of an Icon? I know it was Storey’s baby, but a revamped version could be brilliant. Those pieces genuinely made me appreciate the legends I never got to watch live. Modern football is great, but there are so many icons who’ve slipped through the cracks and deserve a little love.

Keep up the excellent work – even when I’m grumbling, I’m still refreshing the site five times a day.
ShyRonnie (Ed for regular columnist)

FAO: Tom, Leyton
Dear Tom, Leyton