When The Sun use Liverpool to push the Tory vote…

Penny for the thoughts of Charlie Wyett on Wednesday morning after somebody at The Sun took the decision to hijack his football report and make it entirely about the election, based on a) the right-wing politics of the newspaper and b) the idea that their readers are so gullible that they can even use football to push their political agenda. It also helps that c) no Liverpool readers will even look at the newspaper to point out that nobody – and we mean nobody – calls Mo Salah ‘Mojo’.

It’s nothing less than despicable to use the advance of Liverpool and Chelsea in the Champions League to push a political agenda. They even include the words ‘LAMPARD TICKS BOX FOR BLUES’ on a back page that makes no mention of ‘the Reds’. It’s like a parody of a propaganda machine.

Of course, this all looks very odd unless you crowbar a mention of the election into the copy, so we are handed this utter nonsense:

‘Frank Lampard’s Chelsea also beat Lille and, less than 48 hours before Britain goes to the polls, it ensured all four English clubs will be in the last 16 of the Champions League.’

Seamless/shameless.

Man Utd Man Utd Man Utd
Talking of shameless, let’s look at what Frank Lampard said on Tuesday night about the type of player Chelsea will (or “can probably”) be targeting in January:

“I think it will be very fluid and there will be discussions from now about how we will strengthen.

“We lost a lot of goals and creation with Eden last year, in his particular position. We missed some chances and we can probably push and look at strengthening in those areas.”

We’ve read and re-read those quotes and yet we are still baffled how The Sun website got to this:

‘Chelsea WILL chase Sancho transfer in January to replace Hazard as Lampard sends warning signal to Man Utd’

Actually, we know exactly how they got there. They started with the knowledge that nobody reads about Chelsea – particularly if they are vague quotes from Frank Lampard – and sprinkled some utter bollocks about the click machine that is Manchester United. Et voila!

Hysteria
‘Can Liverpool be stopped? In the Champions League or anywhere?’ is the quite hysterical headline on ESPN.

Click.

‘Liverpool reach Champions League knockouts, show why they could be favourites to win everything.’

Well they’re not favourites to win everything at all – Manchester City are deemed more likely to win every knock-out competition, particularly as Liverpool have to play the kids in the Carabao Cup – but never mind the facts when there’s some hysteria to enjoyed.

Here’s Mark Ogden:

‘Almost half a season has been played, and Liverpool are suddenly looking like a team that could sweep the board in terms of silverware.’

Did nobody learn anything from Manchester City last season?

Maybe they did because literally four paragraphs later, Ogden does a massive u-turn and writes:

‘Nobody would sensibly suggest that Liverpool will win every competition they enter this season, but they are certainly the dominant force in Europe right now, and beating Salzburg in Austria offered a reminder of their ability to get a result when it matters.’

Can Liverpool be stopped? Yes, probably.

Red mist
You know what cannot be stopped? This kind of absolute bum-crack:

‘How Liverpool could line up after Neymar and Kylian Mbappe transfers – and one big exit’

Because of course Liverpool have a) got £500m to spend and then will obviously b) play them alongside Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah in a front four.

Best of luck, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

The caption on the Express line-up?

‘Liverpool would have a stronger attack with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’

Why stop there? Why not just sign all of the strikers? After all, it would leave them with a ‘stronger attack’.

Exclusive blend
Mediawatch is always amused by the journalistic tactic of taking two stories, combining them as one and then claiming that story as an ‘exclusive’.

We have been reading for months about Olivier Giroud being a target for Inter Milan and his old Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and L’Equipe reported this week that the two parties were in discussions.

And last week, Spanish publication AS claimed that Atletico Madrid see Giroud as an alternative to Edinson Cavani as they seek a solution to their goalscoring problems.

So on Wednesday morning, football.london bring us this top story:

‘Exclusive: Olivier Giroud eyed by two European giants as Chelsea plan to sign new striker’

Their contacts must be exemplary.

Comedy Cockney strikes again
‘JOSE MOURINHO has told Ryan Sesegnon to stop being a Shy ‘un Sessegnon.’

Oh Jiggins, you’re really spoiling us/everything.

Feel the force
‘Rio Ferdinand believes Tammy Abraham’s positioning currently gives him the edge over England teammate Marcus Rashford.

‘The striking duo are both enjoying rich veins of form at Chelsea and Manchester United respectively as they bid to force their way into Gareth Southgate’s starting XI for next summer’s Euros’ – Mirror.

We’ll stop you there with a whole load of pesky facts about Marcus Rashford not actually playing as a striker and also: he is already in England’s first-choice XI. As a left-sided forward. Because that’s where he plays.

Recommended reading of the day
Dominic Fifield talks to Stig-Inge Bjornebye (£)

Seb Stafford-Bloor on Everton

Jonathan Liew on Christian Pulisic