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Beautiful chicken
I do not cry … you cry.
Joe (NYC, CFC, RIP Emiliano)
What crisis?
Was it the shortest crisis of all time? An impressive 5-0 win against Huddersfield, but still with our new striker scoring twice, his second goal being the goal of the month!
Mikey, CFC (We expect Qatar's goal to appear in the "What we liked this weekend" section on Monday)
Leeds is done
Dear F365,
Leeds will not give it up.
A possession so sterile and useless – and the teams know it will happen. They sit, wait for an error … then blammo … a few quick pbades for the counterattack and Leeds concede a shot on goal – and these shots seem to go very far.
Bielsa, FFS, get out of your bucket of fracturing and change things. It does not work anymore and it's not been since November. Why keep doing the same thing over and over and over and over again if it only works from time to time?
Adam Forshaw is one of the worst midfielders I have ever seen under our white shirt and there have been some very bad ones coming and going. Bielsa must stop persisting with Jack Fracking Harrison – this kid is a good weather player and just does not show up. Tyler Roberts did not understand, and if he plays alongside Harrison (like Norwich, today), the opposition only has the midfield. Kemar Roofe has an all-powerful token on her shoulder and suffers a lot from the "I think I'm better than I am" syndrome. Hernandez looks exhausted and has no impact when he has no space.
We've been hanging in first place for a while, now we're going to try to hang in 2nd place, but we're going to continue to fall. We've probably done enough to reach the playoffs, but with the momentum remaining, and the system that does not work, the teams below us that are running races … I think we're done for the season.
And I'm tired of that shit.
Jonno McSchmonno
Swapsies
First of all, I would not really mind that Ole remains United's director next season, despite the pretty Poch Romours. There is something in the game plans of these two guys that fits United perfectly.
Anyway, I would like those who will get the job to sign Dybala with Lukaku on the verge of becoming Juve. The chemistry that Dybala had with Pogba at Juve was crazy and if you added Rashford and Martial to this mix, an extra ling and sanchez to help in a crisis would make a deadly attack.
Lukaku would suit Juve perfectly with his physical game, without upsetting him.
P.S I can not wait for City thrash Arsenal
The Joker, Nairobi Kenya
The money is in Houllier
If Liverpool manages to lose the title, I think we should investigate all the former coaches to find out who Bela Gutt is.
Kayode Ajaja (to the exclusion of Hodgson, but because it was for them) MUFC
I walk a mile with a smile
Many great sporting moments have and continue to give the old thrill in the back … Wilkinson's goal, Redgrave's 5th gold, the miracle of Medinah and so on, but it is extremely rare that words can induce the same answer … but after reading The article by Johnny Nic on a Nobby Klopp and especially on the last line … "Simply a great man", my back was certainly colder than before and that has nothing to do with the current polar vortex to which we are all face.
Of course, as a supporter of Nobby's team, I am biased and adore this guy, but Johnny really understands the human heart and the way he is pbadionate about the people, despite the occasional weaknesses that make him even more human.
So, congratulations to Johnny for this brilliantly written article.
DL, LFC (Norbert is just extraordinary) Geneva
Conclusions of the Asian Cup
Although it was a few days after the match, I thought I could draw 16 conclusions for the final final of the Qatar Cup against Japan. It was an interesting game and an interesting environment to attend a match …
1) The final was held at Zayed Sport City in Abu Dhabi. For those unfamiliar with the geography and politics of the UAE, Abu Dhabi is the country's capital and one of seven emirates (read states – according to the United States) who have partnered to create the country. Abu Dhabi is generally quieter, smaller and more conservative than Dubai, its bigger and wilder neighbor, but it has most of the country's money.
For those wishing to enjoy the World Cup in Qatar, Abu Dhabi (one of the major airports and airline) is an hour's drive from Dubai (two major airports with Emirates and many others). For the moment, there is some political tension between the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, but I presume that the United Arab Emirates will return to the World Cup because it would be a missed opportunity not to do so. . Dubai and Abu Dhabi are both a short flight to Qatar. If the situation improved, I would expect many people to stay in the UAE to enjoy the more relaxed environment of the country and travel to Qatar for matches.
2) After jumping into the car and taking the driving time from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, we arrived early. Parking near the ground (try doing this in most UK grounds!) We located the nearest hotel with a sports bar and settled for a few beers and a hamburger before the game. In the Middle East, hotels are usually places where alcohol is consumed. There are many hotels with bars but it's still not as easy as getting on British soil and finding a local pub. Previous research on the location of beer can help. I think there will be fan zones for the Qatar World Cup, which should make the task easier.
3) After finding a sports bar in the nearest hotel, we were treated to BeIn Sports television coverage from wall to wall – the house of the exiled football trolls, Keys / Gray, and the recent mouth of Jose Mourinho sacked. As the Sky version of the region, it was to be expected. However, BeIn actually belongs to the Qatari State. So we had two hours of uninterrupted repetition of their battles against their local rivals (and hosts), the United Arab Emirates, in the semifinals. I can not tell you what the goals of the Japanese semifinal were like when they were not shown once.
4) The Zayed Sport City Stadium has 45,000 seats. It's a bit of a concrete bowl and it's a running stadium, so it spreads a bit. There was noticeably fewer people around the stadium than most of the Prem fields I went to and the organization was sorely needed. Avoiding the traffic to get to the main gates was fun but not ideal. Also on the organizational side, there were some concerns before the match on a few points, but they all worked well. Other matches of the tournament had crowd problems without tickets in a hurry, which resulted in their closure. Fans with tickets have not entered. I've heard that Qatar fans could be prevented from entering the stadium, even though I know FIFA was gone. to make sure that it did not happen. We were also concerned that if the UAE reached the final, the Sheikh would issue a mandate stating that all tickets were to be compulsorily purchased and offered to the Emirati (which did not happen for obvious reasons).
5) Another decisive point before the match (not on BeIn obviously) is the origin of a number of Qatar players. To avoid being bothered by its own World Cup, Qatar has invested about $ 1 billion in its player development program, recruiting coaches from around the world to form the team. They have used their influence in different clubs to see the players of Qatar brought by the youth systems and, more controversially, accused of having taken young players from other nations (including Sudan, I believe).
In the current state of affairs, I think that an official complaint has been made that Qatar has lined up players who have been living in Qatar for less than five years. I imagine that this event will be lifted. Apart from any moralization on this type of expenses personally, I do not see any problem with that. France has won two World Cups with a unified African country and many countries have teams with players whose legacy is varied. That's the way the world is. The argument about what makes the person a national of a country is definitely a shade of gray, in my opinion.
6) All the above mentioned complications, we headed to the seats (£ 60 for Cat A if you asked for it). The stadium was full (34,000 seats sold) and the supporters of both teams were well represented. I imagine that there were a few thousand manifest supporters of Qatar, most left, which is not so bad considering the fact that there is than 200,000 Qataris and political problems between nations. They spent most of the game being quite noisy and they had a national flag the size of a stand that came out before and after the match and each time they scored.
The nippon was also excellent value for money. Probably a few thousand of them too. The hardcore fans were mostly below us and they hit a huge drum and chanted "Nippon" for 90 minutes. There was even a guy in samurai outfit (less blade).
7) And for the match … Japan was the pre-game favorite. I guess he's five-time winner and that no Middle East team has yet won the tournament. Although we all felt this extremely low price, Qatar, who had the best scorer in the tournament and had not conceded a goal. If I could bet here, I might have been tempted to find a local bookmaker and return to Qatar.
8) The first ten minutes were rather difficult, as the two teams could not manage or even put on three pbades. It seems that the terrain does not help the situation because, despite the fact that it was sprinkled with a fire hydrant, it seemed to play like a concrete schoolyard. I expect a lot of teeth grinding on any similar problem if it happens at the World Cup. Injured players, unplayable games, etc.
9) At the end of the match, the reasons why Qatar was so strong in defense became clear. Three central very tight backs, flanked by two backs moderately adventurous. In front of them, the catenaccio of three central circles, one in the center standing almost on the feet of the defenders. The other two moved away when necessary to support the backs. The two most prominent players concocted a deep and compact 5-3-2 when Japan was at the foot of the ball.
Japan was the most adventurous – at least in training. The four backs with avant-garde backs (when in possession of the ball), two midfielders and almost an avant-garde. In defense, they fell in a 4-4-2 but to be honest, their training was not particularly rigid. In just a few moments, it was a bit difficult to understand exactly what their training and game plan was apart from the 'defensive wall chuck players' and wait for some inspiration'.
10) It soon became clear that the formation of the four front / fluid did not really help Japan. The Qatar three midfielder quickly took control of the center of the field. And Qatar was the first team (still an important sign, I think) to make some moves where the ball went on. Japan, in contrast, allowed flanking incursions (their best opportunity to lodge behind these side defenders), but all the pieces discovered off the shore gave rise to hopeful bullets thrown into the surface – easily repulsed by the central block of Qatar.
11) Just when I thought the game was going to turn into a stalemate, Japan having opened possession of the ball over Qatar's counter-attacks, it opened. A soaring on the left and a center slightly behind Qatar's top scorer was skilfully controlled with two goalies and a bicycle kick. It may not be quite the same technical merit as Bale or Zidane in the CL final, but it's a bit awkward, because it was not that far. If you want to place your country 1-0 in its first final, here's how.
12) The attacks of Qatar were not frequent, but a decisive blow played during the 12 minutes (1-0), another materialized at the half-hour. Obviously, Japan never saw Arjen Robben play as he introduced Hatim inside and to his left, at the edge of the box. Like Robben, Hatim aimed at the top-left corner of Japan's goal and threw a crush on curling in the top corner. 2-0 with half an hour elapsed and Japan sank without a trace.
13) The rest of the half went off without incident. Qatar decided that a two-goal lead was enough and began to concede territory and possession. The second half was growing as Qatar channeled their inner Mourinho to sit deep and compact. After about 60 minutes, we checked the statistics and Japan had 60%, but not a lot to threaten it. Their brilliant spark consisted of Doan (on their right) who wanted to invest a little and get started, but that was about all.
14) Just when we thought that Qatar would simply pull all life out of the game – a lifeline for Japan. Minamino (No. 9) is shaken freely in the box and provided a neat finish for 2-1. Suddenly, there was hope. Japan was under tension and was still bombing, but often lacked inspiration and touch quality. The chances were unclear and chances were spoiled in the face of Qatar's determined defense. Too late (in my opinion), Inui was tasked to challenge the Qatar midfielder three, more and more tired.
15) And yet, it was still time for the VAR controversy to develop. A breakaway from Qatar led to a clear corner before the confusion happened … the whistle was gone, nobody knew why. Then, suddenly, the referee was trotting on a VAR monitor, notices appeared on the giant screens indicating that a revision was in progress. Japanese players protested, two Qatar players appeared to be on their knees and praying, and the stadium held its breath. Peine.
According to the broadcast on the big screen, it seemed obvious that Yoshida (from Southampton) had her hands in the air and had managed the corner. I later read reports that raise doubts – a clbadic problem in interpreting the delayed reading of value-added resellers. Whatever the case may be, the sanction has been concealed and all people linked to Qatar have become crazy. Fifteen more minutes of relatively brutal attacks against Japan followed before Qatar put their hands on the trophy.
6) So, what to think? Far from politics (other people can argue that day) and remembering that this game was in the United Arab Emirates, I wonder what the experience of supporters in Qatar will look like . It was not the kind of experience to which many readers of England would not have the habit of traveling, nor of traveling to most European destinations. Fan zones will be needed and a better infrastructure / organization will be needed. Although I'm sure that the corporate slug festival will intensify so everyone is satisfied with Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Fosters, Nike and the products of all the other "sponsors and official partners".
On the pitch, I will shake my head and say that Qatar will be a black horse. A young, resourceful team will play its first World Cup as the first champion of the Asian Cup in the Middle East. They will be supported by their own pbadionate fans and will have the impression of giving bloody noses to some great nations. Organized, well trained, with a little rhythm and an attacker able to score a goal from nowhere, it seems to me to be a good cup recipe. I'm not saying that they will win, of course, but maybe a draw leading to a tilt at quarterbacks. You heard it here the first time.
Josh, AFC, Dubai
Hello
The final of the Asian Cup last night, won 3-1 by Qatar over Japan, was an entertaining match of great quality.
Qatar deserved the win, defending itself deeply to protect both goals in advance that he had at halftime. Their first goal was a cork kick. Some early attempts to control the balloon would have caused convulsions at Lukaku.
While Japan's attack was often predictable, EPL clubs could do worse than take a quick look at Qatar's back line.
But at the VAR. Qatar has seen a late penalty for handball. In my mind, an absolutely horrendous decision, but of which I was sure, would be taken. I could not help thinking that I had just seen the first political use of the VAR. I even imagined the good old Sepp Blatter hiding in the VAR room whispering to inflict the penalty.
That said, Qatar was a good value for the win and will not be pushed in 2022.
Ged (hoping that Vietnam is going to the World Cup, they love football so much) Biglin.
I just wanted to warmly congratulate the winners of the Asian Cup, Qatar.
I live in the UAE and before that in Qatar, so I have a soft spot for the winners. I participated in two matches – Qatar v. Saudi (first "blockade derby") and yesterday's final. Tickets for the group match were 5 pounds! And for the last 15 quid. It was a great opportunity each time. Yesterday, the goals were all excellent, although the penalty imposed on VAR is a bit risky: a lot more ball in hand than the opposite.
Qatari striker Almoez Ali broke the tournament's tournament record with 9 in 7 games. I can see him moving to Europe in the summer.
Qatar's victory is all the more impressive when you face the political situation. The United Arab Emirates is one of the countries blocking them. Therefore, play and resist the hostile local pressure throughout the tournament. Not allowing a single Qatari supporter to enter the country to support the team was a remarkable feat, including beating the hosts 4-0. in the semifinals. Fortunately, yesterday there were thousands of Omanis who supported Qatar out loud and the atmosphere was great.
Simon, LFC, Abu Dhabi
Absolutely champion
I really like the Diamond Geezer Field Manager's ongoing shenanigans, bringing back so many memories of a game that took a tremendous amount of time and energy with equal parts anger, frustration and ecstasy. Thank you F365 for this wonderful trip to the past.
Paul Murphy, Manchester (Ibrahima Bakayoka was the GOAT in Champ Man 95)
I want to be the first to say that it is refreshing to read the adventures of Mike Paul in CM 01/02. Not to turn to drinking and smoking after two consecutive defeats until he is flexible enough with his formations to make the most of his players, I think we can all agree that he is not Iain MacIntosh. And it's a very good thing. Poor Iain was Maurizio Sarri before it was cool. I had to stop following him on Twitter because I was wondering if he was doing something desperate while I was sleeping a few time zones behind him. Steven Chicken is a lot faster than me these days.
Niall, Denver
Hello Hello,
Really enjoying Mike and his articles on the championship manager. I see a lot of people in the comments section complaining that it's going to take a long time. What is the problem with that? Let's say that every few days he publishes an article that contains four or five matches and what is not. It's good. There is no urgency. I would read it gladly for the next few years, but would not it be even more true for the championship coach if he just had to give up the bloody thing midway?!?!
Also, do you or other visitors to this site think that the comments section adds something? Personally, I think that they are terrible. So much negativity and just go out of your way to complain.
"The site has not been funny for years"
"It should go back to the old days"
"Why can you swear in the article but I can not in the comments"
"Liberal pale heart blah blah blah"
"I hope Mediawatch will do it himself"
"Something, something, something from Sarah blah blah women complain"
"Mishap Matt enumerates gr …"
None of this adds up to anything. It's annoying to read. Why post it? Especially those who go to Mediawatch every day with the same comments. If you like, stop.
There are some good commentators and maybe it's not fair to take it off because of a few, but it's sometimes infuriating.
You do a great job. I have been here for years and will continue to do so. Sometimes I agree and sometimes not. But it is okay.
John (Degsy also has a column of bets and you do not like money games companies and Johnny Nic a HYPOCRITE snarl, snarl, snarl) Ireland.
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