The Mailbox slams Carragher’s ‘diabolical’ CHO hypocrisy

Matt Stead
during the UEFA Nations League A Group Four match between Croatia and England at on October 12, 2018 in Rijeka, Croatia.

Send your thoughts to theeditor@football365.com.

 

Hazard warning
Wow, just wow. Did that really just happen? Might add a few zeros to what Real will have to pay. It’ll be terrible to see him leave the premier League though. Goal of the season, just give him the award now. The worst thing is he knew what he was doing. No luck in that. B*stard!
Rob (glad I’m not a hammers fan, even they’ve got to admire that) Gravesend

 

Chelsea fans and the Premier League are really going to miss Eden Hazard IF he leaves this summer, a truly special opening goal last night, great to see CHO and RLC start again also, we go into third place and it’s fully deserved!
Mikey, CFC (Positive performance and it feels good to be a Chelsea fan) 

 

I said it a while back and I still stand by it Chelsea are a one man team, and when hazard goes it will take a hell of a transfer to find somebody to fill that void…….oh wait…
Harrisonfjords

 

Carra the hypocrite
Hello Mailbox,

Been quite a while (my work life caught up with me plus there’s nothing more to add about my team that hasn’t been written already)!  After last night’s performance, instead of focusing on Chelsea (I will write a separate email later about the team), I thought I’d write about MNF, in particular the hypocritical nature of punditry in itself.

So, Carragher comes out and says Hazard is too big for Chelsea and further he is in full praise of what CHO is doing and even goes forward to tell CHO to not sign a deal and keep Chelsea at its toes.  Now, Liverpool is an insufferable club by nature.  Somehow, most fans (some gems aside), all pundits from that club and former players have that narcissistic attitude about that club.  Carragher’s shameless hypocrisy has gone a level up.

Let me rewind the clock a few years back when Sterling gave a transfer request to go to Man City (I know I am not comparing a young player in his last year of contract who hasn’t gotten enough game time here but just as a close parallel), his words included “pit of my stomach” in an emotional outburst where he castigated Sterling for doing what he did (while comfortably forgetting Sterling did the same at QPR to come to Pool) and said how he’s disrespectful blah blah.  The already stupid fans who were racially and otherwise abusing him were given more fodder. When it comes to CHO, his tune is different.  Again, let me make it very clear, this is not a like for like comparison!

Carragher has had the hate for Chelsea always (maybe getting his arse whopped by Drogba every time, barring those Benitez inspired CL wins aside plus the general superior moral ground claimed by Pool supporters that their divine right has been taken by money spenders).  I wouldn’t be surprised if he is a sleeper agent of Pool asked to cause more chaos so that Klopp and co. can use their charm to get CHO on the cheap (Hi Solanke, how did your move there turn out?).

I do agree Hazard maybe has been given a total disservice at Chelsea.  He signed for CL winners and was promised title challenges and CL challenges.  Yet, he’s reached the semis once and played Europa twice, and no Europe once.  The two title wins (which in hindsight seem more of an exception than the norm) totally cover the lack of proper challenges.  Chelsea have never done Hazard good by not having world class players with him (thanks to Jose, some of them now play for rivals).  So, I am totally in support of Hazard going elsewhere to find CL silverware

But Jamie, for the love of god, stop being diabolical in punditry.  Be fair in criticisms.  If you criticize Chelsea for treating young players like crap, I’d join you in the castigation, but don’t come up with one type of a stance for others (especially when you are put out to speak like that by the insufferable Liverpool) and one for your own club.  That is all I ask.

Oh, and on a final note, I sincerely hope Chelsea get the ban for 2 windows.  Would be genuinely upset if the ban was delayed by one window.
Aravind, Chelsea Fan,.

 

Mid-table Man United
Why so pessimistic Andrew?

Herrera is a good player but he will be 30 at the start of next season. Mata will be 31. They will both need replaced soon – regardless of whether they stay or go.

Valencia, Bailly and Sanchez aren’t first team players so not sure how them leaving would really affect us. I imagine we will buy a first choice centre back this summer anyway putting Bailly 5th in the pecking order. If Sanchez goes then great. Get him off the wage bill.

If Pogba goes this summer it will be for 150 mil plus. He has two years left (with an option of a 3rd) so we hold the cards. We can buy 3 first team players with youth on their side for that money. If he stays then great but no need to worry either way. No player is bigger than the club.

De Gea is world class but he is a goalkeeper. I’d rather have a world class defence and an average goalkeeper than the other way round. If he won’t sign a new contract then sell him.

Rashford & Martial are the future so not worried about Lukaku leaving either. Again he has years left on his contract so we would get our 75 million back. If we manage to get Sancho or Costa then he wouldn’t be in the front 3 anyway.

A club our size is not going to slip into mid table obscurity. Juventus got relegated and managed to get back to where they belong. Not challenging for the title for a few years isn’t the end of the world. Keep the faith.
Jimmy 

 

Make or bloody break
Having watched the Liverpool game on Friday against Southampton, it got me thinking that United really are a long way away from becoming title challengers again, wouldn’t be surprised if it takes another 5-7 years for it to potentially win the title again . People can argue and say that United came 2nd last year, but they were never really in the title race and City were superior to United in every way possible. I am not even too sure how United beat City last year at the Etihad in the 3-2 win, City probably just became very complacent and took the win for granted when 2-0 up at half time.

Anyways, I think the next six games will make or break United’s season, in which has been the worst season since the Moyes 2013/2014 season in which was a complete disaster (Mainly the players fault in my opinion, as some of the players this season will be fighting for there place in the squad for next season.) My gut feeling predictions for the next 4 games, providing how we have played since beating PSG in the 2nd leg are as follows:

Barcelona (H): Draw
West Ham (H): Win
Barcelona (A): Loss
Everton (A): Draw
Man City (H): Win
Chelsea (H): Draw

Now you are probably thinking why I have predicted United beating City and drawing against Everton, as I think City may be completely jaded or knackered by this point providing they have a possible Champions League semi-final to play for, as if Liveprool beat Chelsea in the next league game, I can genuinely see United doing Liverpool a massive favour in beating City at Old Trafford. In regards to United’s Champions League hope, with the form Messi & Co are in, I cannot see United beating them over two legs. I mean Messi has a combined number of 61 goals and assists this season in 43 games and it is the beginning of April, so I am kind of terrified to see how many goals and assists he gets against United. Oh plus Barca have that Suarez guy upfront too who is is pretty f***ing good, while United have Ashley Young as first choice RB.

I think the next 6 games will give Ole an idea of who exactly is good enough to stay at the club and who needs to be ditched. I still do not trust the United board in terms of making sensible financial decisions, and an example of that is giving Jones & Smalling new contracts (How they have earned these new contracts only God knows), while not even offering either Mata or Herrera new ones, bringing the possibility of these two players leaving on a free this summer (Note: United signed the two Spaniards in 2014 for a combined amount of over 65 Million in total).

Anyways, lets give it a good go against Barca and should be a great game to watch and kind of hoping City bottle the League and Champions League!
Rami, London 

 

The Sentimentometer returns
Welcome to the third monthly instalment of the Sentimentometer, here we go:-

1) (2nd last month) Pep Guardiola – 1 trophy in the bag, comfortably (some suggest boringly!?!?) into the FA cup final and winning all their league games in front of a controversially half full stadium. He’s going to do it isn’t he ?! Amazing achievement if he does. I see he joked that actually it’s 5 trophies as he won the charity shield as well. He even has time to have a dig at Mourinho… City fans must be over the blue moon.

2)  (5th) Unai Emery – this man has the patience of a saint and the persistence of a dog digging for a bone. An unlucky 1-1 draw away at Spurs, taking down both Uniteds, briefly into 4th place and all the while still having to play Mustafi. Ozil is throwing his jacket at him, Ramsey is beaming like a Cheshire Cat playing ‘How to Learn Italian’ and he still finds room to throw Elneny on the pitch to have a go. Controversial but this man almost deserves Manager of the Year. If he qualifies for the Champions league only a Klopp league win or a Pep quadruple can surely surpass him? With Utd and Chelsea having to go through turmoil this summer and Spurs needing reinforcements will a more settled Arsenal take advantage next season ?

3) (7th) Klopp – have you noticed how calm he is on the sidelines these days, almost Zen like in his understated celebrations. Emotional ‘This Means More / worlds all time most unpopular potential winners (allegedly)’ Liverpool keep on winning. If Liverpool don’t win it, my God it’s been a monumental effort.

4) (4th) Sarri – potential transfer ban on the way, Hazard playing ‘How to learn Spanish quicker than Gareth Bale’ full volume on his headphones, Higuain not really doing the business, a clamour to play Odoi and Cheek, Giroud seemingly out of favour, no new contract for sulky Luiz, Jorginho seemingly undroppable and what does he do…. all of the above. Grabs a couple of wins and 4th spot. What will happen next week, I honestly don’t know. As a great man once said ‘Chelsea are like a bag of’….actually forget it.

5) (1st) Ole – well that didn’t last long did it. 3 year contract in the bag, let’s relax what could possibly go wrong…..err lots actually. Pogba heading to Real so eases down the gears, various players either wanting out or being chucked out. It’s a huge rebuilding job over the summer which hinges on a top 4 place. Getting hammered at home by Barcelona may not be good for morale either……

6) (2nd) Pochettino – what the hell happened there!? Potential champions run now a blind panic to secure 4th. He seems as calm ever and at least they are in the worlds greatest stadium…. no excuses next year Spursy Spurs…….

7th) Gary Neville

See you next month.
Ian (don’t say anything as everybody hates us, but be positive and say lots as otherwise what is wrong with us) LFC

 

The ‘impossible’ Quadruple?
So Pep has coquettishly said that the quadruple is impossible, but you know, surely that only applies if you face any decent opposition.

So far, they’ve won the League Cup, beating the mighty Oxford, Fulham and Burton (in the semis FFS), as well as scraping through on pens v Leicester (the closest thing to an actual hard game) and Chelsea (in full meltdown, featuring an actual on-field player revolt).

Then you’ve got the upcoming FA Cup final against Watford (FFS), having played Rotherham, Burnley, Newport, Swansea (because obviously VAR shouldn’t be applied consistently resulting in dodgy penalties and offside goals) and then Brighton (in the semis FFS) with the ref deciding that even with VAR, headbutts are still fine.

Two domestic gifts. Surely the Champions League will have offered them something resembling a challenge?

Haha, of course not. In the knockouts they’ve so far faced Germany’s 14th best team, having got through a group of Hoffenheim, Shakhtar and Lyon. Spurs might have been more of a concern if they hadn’t won just 2 of their last 7 games. Fair play on the league, at least Liverpool (you know the team that hasn’t won the thing in 29 years) are putting up some kind of challenge there, but the rest have been piss easy so far.

A quick comparison to the closest achievement to the Quadruple. For the Treble, Utd had to play Barca and Bayern in the group, before Inter (Ronaldo, Roberto Baggio, Zanetti, Bergomi, Simeone, Zamarano, Pirlo, Silverstre (FFS for balance)), Juve (played in previous 3 finals) and Bayern (won it the season after) again. Without losing a game.

The FA Cup meant getting past Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal (which only needed the Giggs chest-wig replay insanity because a linesman didn’t understand that passing to yourself does not make you offside). The final was easier against Newcastle because, oh yeah, THEY’D KNOCKED THE OTHERS OUT ALREADY. Oh and the league was a close run thing against Arsenal, the team that won the double the previous season.

But yeah, we should all be really impressed about City winning the domestic cups without having to play another top 4 team, probably the league against a team that last won the thing 20-something days before Kyle Walker was born, and can get to the CL semis without playing a team ranked in the top 14 of UEFA’s coefficient. Really defines the word “impossible”.
Ernie (Well done. Great achievement.)

 

Non-top-six love
As Alan in Córdoba inquired, there are several of us who love our non top six club. I absolutely love Everton Football Club with every ounce of my fiber….

…these last few weeks.

I absolutely hated Silva and how we were playing to start the season.

Ask me how I feel next week after we’ve inevitably dropped points to Fulham.

The life of an Everton supporter.
TXBill (keeping my missus away from the TV so she doesn’t see Gomes) EFC

 

Morning/evening all, missed Johnny Nic’s piece on the top 7 originally (that’s living in a different timezone for you!), and just had to comment!

While he has a point, his anti-Premier League diatribe is getting very dull. Yes, the top 6 is looking pretty impenetrable for now, but if you offer us 7th right now and a summer European tour, I’d chop my left b*llock off (preferably through the cup obviously, but 7th would be very nice as well) Sure, the only European adventure Watford have been on was way before I was born, but it’s nice to see fans of clubs who are much more used to European adventures agree with me on this one.

I also think that the Premier League is changing. Last year was dull, but I feel this year we have more teams actually making a push to finish as high up the league as possible rather than just survive (even Fulham made an effort in the summer even if it went horribly wrong in the end). This year us and Wolves have been a revelation, maybe someone like Southampton could get back among the European race next year?

Besides, you never know what will happen with the top 6, what if Solskjær proves to be not up to standard? What if Chelsea are left with their duds from this season and can’t replace them? We all remember the Grand Slam Sunday years where Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal and Liverpool had an iron grip on the top 4 and that didn’t last, I don’t see why the current top 6 can’t be usurped in the coming years
Jack

 

Oh my
Stevo, Dublin: Oh my God, I want to see Paul Pogba playing football on a motorbike in the Thunderdome. But not as much as I want to see Phil Jones doing it. Imagine the faces!!!
Stewart, Chicago