Are poachers turning game-winners again?

Are poachers turning game-winners again?

Enjoy the game and then send your views to theeditor@football365.com

Are the foxes back in the box?
I am sure the mailbox will be full of talk about Man Utd v Liverpool, rightly so, it is exciting. But after Charlie Austin’s further two goals yesterday, I started to wonder if the penalty area poacher was making a comeback. I remember a few seasons ago Gary Lineker lamenting that they were no true number 9s anymore.

But there seems to be some players now in the PL who are expert in the area, they may have talents elsewhere but primarily their job is to get into the area and score the chances their team mates lay on for them. I am thinking of:

Giroud at Arsenal.
Kane or Janssen at Spurs.
Zlatan at Man Utd.
Austin at Southampton.
Benteke at Palace.
Negredo at Middlesbrough
and Defoe at Sunderland.

This isn’t to underrate some of these players’ other qualities, Zlatan’s hold-up play and strength is immense and Giroud always looks nice, so my mum says, but these are the players who live and breathe in the area and gobble up half-chances for a living and anything more is a bonus.

Is the ‘fox in the box’ making a comeback?
Joel, deadly finishing, Nottingham

Bring on Icardi…
Right, looks like it’s time to stick some money on Icardi coming the Prem, whether in Jan or by the end of the summer window.

For those of you who don’t know Icardi, he’s a fabulous striker with a thoroughly terrible reputation in Italy. He came through Barça’s youth ranks and has a goal scoring record of one in two across two teams in Italy, but makes some very different headlines.

The Inter-Sampdoria game has recently been labelled the Wanda derby due to Icardi’s relationship with Mazi Lopez from Sampdoria. Basically whilst playing for Sampdoria, Icardi moved in on Lopez’s (who he admired when he was younger) wife, leading to an eventual divorce and marriage to Icardi, with him even having her kids tattoo’d on his arm.

More recently is the reason he can’t stay in Inter long though. At this weekend’s game, a banner was held by the Inter fans stating “you are a vile piece of sh*t, you’re not a man, you’re not a captain,” which was later left outside of his house.

This all comes after a disagreement with ultras following a poor performance where he was booed following the game. I won’t tell the whole story, but Icardi threatening to bring 100 Argentinian criminals to kill the ultras probably means neither side is blameless in this.

Alongside Inter’s sale to the Chinese firm with all the money in the world, Icardi is likely to suffer, with him making way for a more elite star, whose name fans might actually want on their shirts.

Anyway, bring on the character! Goals, controversies, and everything else will surely be fun!
KC (Ultras suck)

Storey: Man United admirer (he really isn’t, you know)
Daniel Storey should simply not be allowed to comment on Arsenal. As a Manchester United admirer he finds it impossible to write without bias. How anyone can accept that Xhaka was rightly sent off is a mystery. There were 5/6 similar challenges this weekend alone which went either unpunished or yellow carded

I accept that by mailing in I am rising to the click bait, and for that I shall punish myself later today. But please, just take him away from Arsenal. Even his article on Theo was tinged with snidey remarks. Try pointing out that at club level he plays with Sanchez, Ozil and Cazorla and for country he plays with Lingard, Henderson and Alli!!!!
Brad Smith

Xhaka red worth taking…
After reading Winners and Losers I think that Daniel Storey is somewhat missing the point. Arsenal were 3-2 up against a bogey team (Swansea won three of their last four matches between the clubs before Saturday), were slightly under the cosh and had a possible four-on-two scenario in defence. If Xhaka does not made that challenge then it is quite possible that Swansea would have opened up Arsenal’s defence and we would be looking at a draw. How many people would have been moaning about Xhaka not taking the foul to break up the play which is exactly what he done?

I for one am glad that Xhaka made that challenge as those three points could be crucial. I don’t think it was an ‘act of frustration’ or ‘petulant’ as he was reacting to a previous challenge. I think it was something that most players/fans would want to see if you see the opposition on the break. A quick foul that is not malicious, take the card and re-shape.

A red was probably harsh, but I’ll take it.
Ginge, London

Green + Sutton = peak arsiness
I saw that Sky were still ploughing on with the Super Sunday tag despite the four teams involved not invoking feelings of anything other than ‘well you never know, it might be alright’.

I decided to listen to BBC Radio 5 Live instead and it offered an example from the lightest and darkest part of radio commentary. First up for Middlesborough v Watford, and charged with talking us through the game was Alan Green and Chris Sutton. I know Green is a mainstay and Sutton is famously arsey but, goodness gracious me (Trademark AG), they didn’t half moan. The game was of a low quality and in some respects the commentary team have to reflect the general mood of the normal punter but whilst I’m at home I expect a vivid picture to be painted in my mind. I want insight above disdain and I want tangents that I can ride upon whilst there is a chance for such things, rather than the same incident being replayed five times like on TV.

And what made their negative ramblings more obvious was the masterclass offered by Jonathan Pearce and Steve Claridge later for the Southampton v Burnley game. Pearce’s unquenchable enthusiasm coupled with Claridge’s wit takes you wherever they go during the match. High in detail and quality but also a friendliness that encourages you to take part. I don’t just listen to the commentary, I get involved. It’s an experience that I’m becoming more enamoured with because of the expert level of output (with special mentions to Mark Chapman and Conor McNamara, as well as the imperious John Murray), and my subscription with Sky is becoming hard to justify.

I know there has to be light and shade, and not everything can be great all of the time but my gripe is aimed at what we can now call Lawrenson Syndrome.
Let’s keep it light, eh lads? You’re watching football for nowt, you know.
Gavin (Pearce was at home on the radio with his ability to embroider sentences with distinct flourishes, more of that please Beeb) Hill, Malton

I am one of the 19%
Good article by Johnny Nic today, summing up exactly how I feel about football at the moment. I’m lucky enough to be in my twenties, in a full-time job and have enough disposable income to afford both Sky and BT sports. For the past few years I’ve been coughing up for both and each year the amount has risen. On my current package I’d need to raise my TV and internet bill (which is already substantial) by 68 euros and this season was finally the one to break me. So I’ve gone from having both channels to none and frankly, I feel grand.

I’m not a big fan of pirating things in general. I believe that the creator of something should be paid for what they do which is why I stay off Pirate Bay and use services like Netflix, Spotify and Steam. But I pay for those things because they’re priced fairly and I think everyone can agree that football is no longer priced fairly. So I’m one of the 19% who gets all their football through streaming services. I know there’s an argument there that I have a right not to pay for something but by doing so I should not get that entertainment from anywhere I can understand that. But honestly, I hope my pirating hurts them. I hope that these figures keep going up until they’re forced to drop their prices back down to reasonable levels. Because then I’ll pay for it again, because it’s fair.
Mark

There’s some free football on TV this week
Lots of people seem vexed by the offerings on TV over the weekend and it might have slipped under the radar but there is some cracking footie coverage to be had this week for not many shekels.

When BT secured exclusive rights to the Champions League and the Europa League part of the deal was that a small section of games would be free to air, because we used to get them free to air (remember ITV, remember Channel 5?). Their method of discharging this is BT Showcase on Freeview. Now, BT Sport generally don’t want you to watch this as you might not take out their BT Sport package. So, the games on BT Showcase are generally not of much interest and BT never advertises them in advance anyway. However, this week for some unknown reason they have decided to show Barcelona v Man City on Wednesday and then Man Utd against Fenerbache on Thursday. Both matches completely free and available to all. It is Freeview Channel 59. Enjoy.

But that is not all. On Sunday, Sky break with 20 years of tradition as they give away a Premier League game to non-Sky Sports subscribers. Bournemouth v Spurs will be show on Saturday lunchtime on Sky Sports Mix. Now, this is not quite free to air, that would be crazy having paid £11m for the game, but Sky Sports Mix is available to all Sky subscribers including those who don’t have Sky Sports. This is on Sky Channel 407 and does actually show some decent football (La Liga, Eredivisie, Championship) and some non-round ball sports of which I have little interest but others might.

In summary, Premier League football on my tele for the first time since I had kids. Barcelona against Man City for free. Man Utd for free. What a time to be alive.
Micki Attridge
A major change to a back three?
The recent Winners and Losers got me thinking. With both Chelsea and West Ham receiving praise after deploying three at the back with wing-backs, could we be seeing a major shift to this formation like we did a few years ago with teams switching from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1/4-3-3.

This seems to suit teams for a few reasons mainly to do with how modern players operate. Full-backs bombing forward with some lacking any defensive instincts, lack of quality centre backs with more emphasis on ball carrying and everyone wanting to play centrally as a no 10.

Looking at my team and the players Jose has available I think Utd could also do well with this formation. Bailly and Smalling at CB. Blind looks tailor made to be the third CB who brings the ball forward. I would back Shaw and Valencia to be able to plays as wing backs. Schneiderlin (Please not the Tree) as DM. Herrera & Pogba as the other two in midfield to get on the ball with license to go forward and support the attack. Mata/Micky Teran as a roaming No 10. Zlatan. (Sorry Wayne no room at the inn) What’s not to like.

Whether Jose would switch as 4-2-3-1 is historically his favoured formation and it would be a big call but there is a chance it could provide solidity at the back with the attacking intent that the fans want to see. Whatever the case is going to be fascinating to see how we line up tonight and at the weekend.
Mark, MUFC (@Greg Tric, Nairobi Law’s Law?)

Phelan deserves more respect
I’m in agreement with F365 whenever there’s an outcry that British managers aren’t given a chance in the Premiership, and you guys (correctly) point out that it’s because not enough of them are at the same level as some of their foreign counterparts.

However, I do think that there was an unnecessary dig in your ‘Winners and Losers’ section when discussing Hull City. Why the need to reference Ryan Giggs and point out that Mike Phelan is British and had a horror show at Bournemouth? As an argument for a case I’m usually in agreement with, I found this to be particularly petty.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable for me as a neutral to say that Hull City are something approaching a basket-case club at the minute, in terms of the team being largely unprepared for the rigours of a Premiership survival campaign through having a wafer-thin squad, which has been well documented. Blame should largely lie with the owner, who, after throwing his toys out of the pram over not being allowed to change the team’s name to Hull Tigers, has essentially decided that he’s not that bothered with the well-being of the club; at least not to the extent of properly investing in the squad.

Frankly, for them to survive would be a significant achievement (you name three other clubs in a worse state), and having seven points after eight games is a decent enough return to give them hope. Mike Phelan may not be the best possible candidate out there, but having been involved with the club for a while and having a not insignificant amount of experience at top clubs in a coaching capacity, he’s far from being a bad appointment, and suggestion (however subtly) that being appointed was at least partially due to his ‘Britishness’ is, I think, a bit disrespectful.

Remi Garde came to England with a good reputation, but was (understandably) unable to arrest the slide at Aston Villa. His failing wasn’t due to his nationality, but neither was it a boost to his ability to achieve the unlikely over a British manager. I’ll continue to support F365’s stance on calling out the PFM contingent, but please don’t go too far the other way in typecasting any English appointment as an old-fashioned, beer drinking, ‘they-don’t-like-it-up-them’, unsophisticated troglodyte.
Nick Hamblin, Bristol

Ed wrong on Cresswell red
I normally enjoy his Monday morning musings, but I have to disagree with Ed Quoththeraven over his thoughts on the Aaron Creswell red card on Saturday evening. It has to go down as one of the most ridiculous sending-offs in the past few seasons. Firstly, the first yellow for a dive was a terrible decision, Atkinson had a great view and made a poor judgement call. There was clear contact from Yohan Cabaye, and it should have been a penalty. To book him for a dive was frankly shambolic. As if that wasn’t bad enough, his linesman then made Atkinson give Cresswell a second yellow for the ‘foul’ on Zaha. Now Wilf was falling down long before Cresswell even made any contact with him, and even then it was nowhere near a foul. The lino got his five minutes of fame on tv telling the ref it was a second yellow and that could have ruined an excellent display from the Irons. Ed also mentioned a penalty incident with Cresswell and Zaha, which was only consistent with the fact that yet again Zaha was trying to con the ref again by falling down under minimal contact. I have no real argument over the actual penalty Palace did get, with Ogbonna clearly fouling Benteke before his comical miss.

It’s a real shame about Cresswell now being banned through no fault of his own, as his return showed the importance he brings to West Ham. We have a massive game against Sunderland on Saturday and he will have to sit it out due to the incompetence of the ref and his linesman. Apparently the only way a two booking red card can be rescinded is if the referee admits to making an error of judgement. I can’t see that happening can you?!
Mike (massive three points, now need to back it up against Sunderland) WHUFC, Upminster

If you have 25 minutes spare…
In case anyone hasn’t seen it, the Guardian has produced a documentary called Desert Fire. It follows the Kurdistan team as they attempt to win the CONIFA World Cup, which is a tournament for ‘separatist states, semi-autonomous regions, diasporas and minority ethnic groups’ (Guardian) who are not recognised by the UN or FIFA.

The tournament got a write-up in When Saturday Comes and possibly something in the Guardian at the time, but otherwise there was very little media coverage.

Kurdistan played Szekely Land, United Koreans of Japan, and Padania. The latter were also the subject of a WSC article a few years back. The film’s only 25 minutes long and is worth a look. It could have been longer though; I found myself wanting to know more of the players’ backstories. It reminded me a bit of Out of the Ashes, the documentary about the rise of the Afghanistan cricket team, which is available on YouTube and is also worth watching, even if you’re not interested in cricket.
James T, Kanazawa, Japan