Are Real Madrid really no better than Chelsea?

You know what to do – watch some Europa League and send your mails to theeditor@football365.com

 

This was no genius from Pep
I had a feeling the media would go a tad overboard with City’s good win last night. Henry Winter takes the gold medal for his hot take that the result ‘proves Pep’s genius’ and gloating how City ‘stuck it to UEFA’.

I can just imagine villages the length and breadth of Europe rejoicing as the final whistle blew and old men streaming out onto the street like a scene from Fever Pitch screaming “they’ve done it! Man City have stuck it to UEFA!! With their unnecessary rules and regulations!! Thank you Pep for sticking it to the man!”

Matt Stead calls it Guardiola’s best result in Europe in a decade. It isn’t.

Let’s put last night into context. City beat the worst Real Madrid team in over 20 years. This time last year Madrid were thrashed 4-1 in the Bernabeu by Ajax. They have deteriorated even further since then. In the past month they’ve lost 4-3 at home to Real Sociedad, drew 2-2 at home to Celta Vigo and lost 1-0 away to Levante. This is a bang average Real Madrid team. They struggled to get a result at home to Bruge in November drawing 2-2.

Last night wasn’t the most famous victory in City’s history orchestrated by the genius of Pep. It was a decent away result against a team who would struggle to make top four in the Premier League.
Last night didn’t prove that City can win the Champions League. It only proved that Madrid can’t. The questions still remain for City. And for Guardiola. If anything City’s chances of winning the CL are weaker now that Laporte is possibly out for the season. As Alan Hansen once wisely opined “You don’t win Champions Leagues with Otamendis.” And he’s right.

Personally speaking I think Bayern Munich or the winner of the Liverpool Atletico tie are winning the Champions League. Guardiola and City will now bow out once they encounter a half decent outfit.
Duncan Macintosh

 

Pep just parked a bus
Pep has finally realised, ten years too late, that the era of having Messi carry him to Champions League titles is over. That a parked bus and a couple of cheeky dives can achieve, albeit far less aesthetically, the same ends.

If that sounds like a criticism of such a tactic, it isn’t supposed to. It was an expertly managed away performance against a side that has made an art of shithousing their way to European titles. The only odd thing is that it’s taken supposedly the greatest manager of his generation so long to figure out how to do it.
Chris, MUFC

 

Lovely stuff
When you’re getting on in years and it’s a cold winters night, nothing warms the cockles of your heart more than a Sergio Ramos red card.
Tim Royall GFC

 

 

 

Player you have never ‘got’?
Stephen Cooper asks which player do you not rate despite everybody else saying how good they are (or words to that effect). For me it’s Edinson Cavani, have seen his youtube highlights and there are some fantastic finishes in there and his stats are excellent so I know I’m wrong, but whenever I see him play a full 90 minutes, there’s some shocking moments and more often than not, a sitter missed. I appreciate the “you have to be good to get into the positions” argument but can’t warm to him at all and at 33 times running out for him ( I know, he’ll be devastated).

Used to be Zlatan but he did win me around eventually.

On the flip side, who do you really like but everyone else says they’re dogshit? Mine’s Bruno Cheyrou, quality player, wrong place, wrong time.
Howard (you’re so wrong about Messi, Stephen) Jones

 

Where would David Beckham play in 2020?
I was watching Jamie Carragher & Roy Keane pick a combined 11 from Man Utds treble winning side & Liverpool’s current team. Keane opted for a 4-4-2 & Carragher for the more modern 4-3-3 which everyone seems to play. One point it raised for me was where would David Beckham play if he played in 2020? The right sided midfielder role is no more in 90% of teams so how would be fit in. I don’t think he is the type of player to be pushed up and play as an out and out winger like Giggs would have been. His delivery from out wide (and often from deep) was unbelievable. It would be a shame to sacrifice this by playing him more centrally in a three. Or would he be played as a right wing back? This again would seem a shame but I suppose TAA has ripped up the rule book about full backs this season. The role was so perfect for becks any other position would seem like a round peg in a square hole. Answers on a postcard.
Jim, Bolton

 

Foreign commentary the discerning choice
In answer to Steve, Los Angeles’ question about commentators, I found that the key to enjoyable commentary is to find a stream in a language I don’t understand. You still get a feel for the ebb-and-flow of the game through the intonation, the player names are the same, but all the anecdotes, stats, and other canned content will just pass you by. The same applies to half-time analysis: all the key incidents are shown again, so you can just make up your own mind rather than listening to whatever waffle the pundits come up with. Enjoy!
Daniel (штрафной удар!)

 

Defending Tyler
In response to Steve, Los Angeles’s savage tirade against the patron saint of ‘And it’s live!’ Martin Tyler, I’d just like to point out a few things in defence of a man who is arguably still the best working in his profession today.

Firstly, as the main commentator, Tyler’s job is to provide a ‘play by play’ account of what’s happening, with some relevant background, facts and statistics for colour. He will defer to the co-commentator/pundit/analyst he is working with, almost universally an ex-professional, for detailed insight into formations and tactics.

Secondly, Tyler had a decent amateur football career himself and for almost the entirity of his media career has also worked as a coach in the semi-professional levels of the English pyramid. I’d imagine he’d be extremely literate in matters of football strategy – if his commentary role called for it.

Thirdly, his instinct to shift from the prosaic, meandering insigificances of a match into a scarcely contained guttoral roar at moments of high drama never feels forced and is completely in keeping with how an invested spectator feels when their team are in action. Obviously this is personal opinion, but Martin Tyler is unparalleled in transmitting some of that raw, electric energy you only feel if the match is unfolding in front of you.

“AguEROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I swear, you’ll never see anything like this ever again!!”

Unlike some others, he doesn’t spill over into over-hyped, over-compensated “Here’s where I’m going to say my line” try-hardism.

Anyone who is working for a major broadcaster as a play by play commentator has grafted incredibly hard to get to where they are. They most likely hold qualifications in journalism or reporting and started out as match reporters working odd work patterns at unglamorous games for a pittance. From there, they might have got a break on local radio or television, or on the in-house media team of a club and done enough to impress a broadcaster of higher standing.

Now none of this isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of occasions where I would indeed like to avail of an option to mute the broadcasters chosen commentary team, with BT Sport in the UK being particularly guilty of subjecting the audience to pundits of questionable value. (Three man commentary team featuring Robbie Savage and Martin Keown, lead by Darren Fletcher’s bantz anyone?)

But if you’re gonna come at the King, Steve, you best not miss.
Adam, Belfast

 

Dreaming
Thanks Mike, LFC from London.

I am not a particularly vivid dreamer, there was one as a child where I found a home made go cart full of orange flavour hubba bubba, but my football dream didn’t even involve the team I love (City).

I dreamt that David Moyes saw me play and signed me for Everton, next game I was on the bench, five minutes to go and I was sent on in the deep-lying Teddy Sheringham role, took the ball on my chest, swivelled round and hit the winner right into the top corner!

In the dressing-room later, Moysie asked me how old I was – “36” – and I never played for Everton again.

Ironic really cos I was central defender with no pace, not a centre-forward with no pace!
Keith

 

…In the 90’s, I remember having a dream where I was playing for (my beloved) Liverpool. We were playing against Celtic and I remember John Hartson being up front for them and absolutely bullying me!

However, the game was played in a car park and the goals were the open driver’s window of a car, one parked at each end of the car park. I can’t remember the score but I can recall Robbie Fowler scoring the winner with a header.
Neil. LFC. Exiled in the Welsh Valleys

 

…In response to Mike and to a lesser degree, Stephen – just this past weekend I dreamt that I met Marc Overmars. I forget the context but I do remember that not many people recognized him at this gathering, and he was initially slightly annoyed that I asked him for a picture. Then he relaxed a bit, and was cool, as I am sure he generally is.

Then, a few months ago I was in Amsterdam (in real life.. and in my dreamworld) and somehow had to help Dennis Bergkamp and his wife do their shopping – lots of bags, and expensive taste by the way. Bergkamp was always classy.

Lastly and most strangely, in the third act of a memorable dream – (part 1 was a summer outdoor party/ braai with old friends and ended with them chasing me away strangely) – I had eventually escaped into the city centre of Barcelona and it was a weird atmosphere. Like the people were expectant of something, yet it was also a bit quiet. I walk past a big plaza and see a man sitting on a bench. No, it can’t be. Yes it is. It’s Jose Mourinho! I don’t say anything to him, only giving him that usual upwards movement of the head one gives to strangers. I don’t think too much of that and walk on. Only to find Luis Enrique sitting on another bench looking like he is waiting for something. I think I dreamt this around the same time he regained the Spanish Head Coach position. But anyway, I walked to the middle of the plaza to see what all the fuss was about, and it all made sense. Barcelona’s first team was busy training in these bubble five a side courts and lots of the public was around just watching them. But it wasn’t overpopulated. And there was no sign of Leo Messi. Maybe this is a sign…

I can’t recall what other famous coaches I saw (can’t confirm if I saw Pep Guardiola chilling there) – definitely no sighting of Ernesto Valverde (perhaps another sign), but the best moment for me was when I walked away from the courts and saw an old man walk past me. Trenchcoat and scarf on, looking quite inconspicuous, but I am certain it was Johan Cruijff. What a moment. Rest in Peace.
Chaddo, Cape Town (part 2 was Game of Thrones related, and starred Khaleesi…)

 

…My weird footballing dream involved receiving a handjob from a floppy haired David beckham whilst being observed and watched by a dominatrix clad Posh Spice as she mimed “I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want” to sporty spice who was stood behind her wearing a retro crown paints Liverpool jersey yielding an adidas predators boot aloft ready to take a lump from his upper brow once he had finished his business.

That is not one long sentence, but rather a stream of consciousness. I appreciate that my dream was probably more disturbing than weird. The thought of posh spice and sporty spice consciously agreeing to share the same personal space makes me shudder.

Sincerely
A person who has not slept soundly since

 

Where in the world?
I’m not sure if it’s just me but I always get a distinctly international flavour from the mailbox – in today’s alone there was Dermot in Ghana, Steve from Los Angeles and an inordinate amount of what seem to be Irish names (Rory, Dermot and Aaron is listed as from Ireland). It got me wondering – where in the world are people from?

Maybe being an Irishman in London and therefore a part of the diaspora makes me more aware of this but I think it’s interesting and a credit to the site really that people from all over come to talk about football, mostly eloquently and without rancour. Top work!
Stu, London

 

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