Mails: Herrera is getting a ‘d***’ reputation

Mails: Herrera is getting a ‘d***’ reputation

We’re getting through the week…keep it going with mails to theeditor@football365.com

Is 2016 Jose just like Houllier?
It should be an intriguing weekend ahead and all eyes will be on Old Trafford. Especially Jose Mourinho, to see if his star continues to fall. How will he set-up this time around against superior opposition that likes to attack?

I imagine he’ll he be under pressure not to sit back and be negative like they were against Liverpool, whom he could just about justify that type of negativity away from home after coming away with a respectable point but surely the home crowd would want more ambition. They were beaten by Man City at home but it was early days and more recently thumped by Chelsea.

There is a niggling feeling he’s more like a Houllier-type manager these days. Kill the game and hope to nick it on a set-piece against better teams but on a bad day could get turned over. It’ll be fascinating and a big test for Mourinho – his credibility can’t afford another loss at this point.
Dickie

Herrera is just a d***
Paul Murphy is missing the point here on Herrera. Gerrard was undoubtedly stupid in his tackle on poor precious Herrera, yet it’s his general conduct on the pitch that annoys people. Against Liverpool earlier this season on Red Monday (shudder), Herrera was terrific in his general play. His behavior, however, reflects that of Mourinho. Constantly moaning and gesturing. Between himself and Ashley Young, Utd must have given out about every decision the ref made. Just get on with the game and stop being a d*ck about it. His first yellow card against Burnley, he had no excuse, yet watch him gesticulate. As I said, stop being a d*ck about it.
Miguel Sanchez, LFC, Eire (Over the hill footballers, and you have Rooney, Zlatan and Carrick!)

…So Paul Murphy wants to tell us that all Herrera has done is just some ‘mistimed tackles’. Even a blind man saw that was a deliberate elbow on Dier. Forgive me for my ‘mistimed assertion ‘ if I say that you must me the ‘guy S’ version for Herrera.
Jamo, Nairobi (just because he is small and handsome doesn’t mean his inner Diego Costa isn’t alive and well)

Gazza, Wazza and the human element of football
I doubt I am the only one to have looked at the picture of drunken Rooney, read the ‘Portrait of an Icon’ about Gazza, and thought ‘that’s what would have happened had Fergie signed him’. Whilst they have notable differences, including the era they played football in, there are a number of similarities between the two. Both came from northern working-class backgrounds and started playing for their childhood/home clubs before moving to clubs higher up the food chain (of course, Gazza famously chose Spurs over United). Both were naturally gifted footballers who were better playing on instinct rather than doing what had been coached into them. And both carried the hope of a nation, along with the pressure that comes with it, on their shoulders. All whilst battling demons in their personal life.

Clearly Wayne likes a drink, likes a smoke, likes to eat cold leftover pizza in his underwear on a Sunday morning while watching the Hollyoaks omnibus. But given his current role, and the responsibilities that come with it, he is restricted in what he can do, with only the odd occasional lapse in decorum. By all accounts he gate-crashed and got pi**ed at a wedding before a friendly international match; a match he probably knew he wouldn’t start. It’s not like he sparked out the groom, squatted out a Mr Whippy on the cake, and then took the mother-of-the-bride back to his for some freaky S & M. He had a few drinks, possibly one too many, and The Sun rubbed their hands with glee on a slow news week as it allowed them to print another edition of the nation’s favourite toilet roll.

Gazza’s demons are well documented, with drink, drugs and gambling being the prominent ones. Unlike Wayne, Gazza’s career didn’t reward his talent with the medals or trophies it deserved, although he did win a few, and I suspect he blames himself and the choices he made for this (although not necessarily the clubs he chose). Wayne had the boundaries set for him along with the knowledge that rewards and accolades would follow if he stayed within those boundaries; the era he played football in helped here too. Gazza mostly set his own boundaries, before waddling past them with a beer and a set of fake tits in search of his next laugh. I believe that the football-related choices Gazza made had some impact on where he has ended up, with a lack of success leading/adding to self-loathing and a need to escape. Wayne has had a long and successful career but who knows where he would be had he made other choices.

Ultimately footballers are paid handsomely, but there’s a lot of crap that comes with it and the pressure is unlike anything us mere mortals are ever likely to experience. Just look at Gazza, Bestie, Robert Enke, Gary Speed, Paul McGrath, Keith Gillespie, Kenny Sansom etc etc etc. If you are perfect then feel free to criticise. If not, then perhaps try to empathise a little. Regardless of wage packets or fame, when the floodlights are switched off they too are only human.
Garey Vance, MUFC

Rooney getting drunk IS a story
The Sun are c**ts no ifs or buts about that, however they’re completely correct about this story. Nobody is saying having a drink (this was more than a drink) at a wedding is a problem you can do that all you want. However if your job is based on your physique, getting wasted three days before a game isn’t a good idea. It’s even worse if for the last 3-5 years people have been talking about how you’re declining as a footballer.

Just think how good of a player Rooney could’ve been if he looked after himself like C Ronaldo.
Jason (Chorley Gooner)

No fronting up now, Wayne?
I remember Rooney absurdly being given credit by journalists for essentially merely showing up to England duty and agreeing to be interviewed (as opposed to what, was never clear).

I wonder if the same journalists will note that Rooney did not have the stones to actually apologise for the latest situation, and that he asked his spokesman to do it for him.

On another note, am I the only one who noticed and found it bizarre that Michael Carrick is described as ‘always looking for a forward pass’ as a 35-year-old in 2016, when he was widely criticised for always passing sideways as a 27-30 year old in his prime, back when Manchester United weren’t mediocre?
Oliver Dziggel, Geneva Switzerland

Why should he say sorry at all?
What better way for the FA to try and release the infamous weight of the England shirt, and ensure that our boys really look forward to playing for their country than to introduce a ‘booze ban’ and a curfew…

Who are these people that run the FA? Where do they come from? and can they f*ck off back there? I don’t know what I find more depressing, the fact we live in a world where a footballer even considers releasing a statement apologising for getting pissed up, or the fact that our England captain actually did it.
Dan, Greenwich (pining for a PFM)

Taking Mediawatch to task
Love MediaWatch but even MediaWatch descends to the depths of those it holds to task – bashing Klopp for defending Rooney.

Klopp was not just defending Rooney but all young players. As someone with a son who is 30, let me tell you, he will always be a kid to me. And I can imagine that someone who has to manage players will probably see them all as in ‘his charge.’

Next, and something I would have thought Football365 and its campaign against PFM-ery would have loved, is that Klopp was also taking a swipe at all those PFMs who got on Rooney’s back and all the old journalists who wrote about it. He was calling out the hypocrisy of footballers who drank every night, ate out on the way home and yet talk about leadership. The two on the last Monday Football Club would be great examples – Mills and Waddle. Leaders that won, what, one League Cup or something between them? Footballers today are much more disciplined, much fitter, control their diet and rarely drink. And let’s face it, reporters have been known to imbibe a glass or two.

And while the Legends of yesterday may not be able to live with the fitter, faster players of today, they were good players in their own day. Just as the media generally twist a story to suit their purpose, MediaWatch decided to twist that phrase into Klopp intimating that the Legends of yesterday would take on and beat a side from today. A complete stretch.

The one true point is that it won’t be forgotten because the media and social media are so prevalent and with Google its all permanently stored forever.

Finally, I think one of the writers in the letters today had it right. Bet they all loved having him around but then send int the photos and decry him for having a few.

But keep up the good work, just don’t get dragged down into the gutter with them.
Paul McDevitt

Sanchez does not carry Chile
Brad Smith ‘can’t think of another player that carries his country so much and to such achievement as Sanchez does with Chile’.

His goals against Uruguay were the first in WCQ for 13 months and seven games.

In the 2016 Copa América Centenario Vargas scored six goals and Sanchez three.

In the 2015 Copa America he scored just one, the same as Gary Medel. Whose goal was also far better.

Sanchez did secure the trophy with the last penalty in the final of course so got media coverage on the back of that.

Chile depend far more on Vidal and Bravo than they do on Sanchez.

I’m not saying he’s anything less than vital for Chile and a massive part of the team but he isn’t the most important player and he certainly isn’t carrying them.

Can we enjoy great players like Sanchez without making things up, he’s good enough for the truth to be enough.
ADM

The best outfielder in goal?
Just read Daniel Gray’s piece on outfield players playing in goal and I just wanted to raise the question: what was the best performance that anyone ever witnessed of an outfield player playing in goal?

Thought it would be a decent question for people to ponder and answer in tomorrow’s mailbox.
Oisin, NZ

Our Sherwood correspondent writes…
In response to Brian (Can’t wait for Tim Sherwood’s ‘Portrait of an Icon’ piece) LFC, I’d just like to say I’m delighted he’s enjoying the latest installment of the Swindon Town insanity rollercoaster.

I am ‘fortunate’ enough to have be afflicted with supporting the club since my father’s tireless M4-heavy indoctrination in the late 80s and early 90s, and despite never living there, I have had the pleasure of visiting the County Ground fairly regularly over the last 30 years, and while successes on the pitch have been infrequent during this time, our claim to the dizzy heights of ‘Worst run club in England’ trophy seem pretty solid.

Given the financial shambles that has existed since our demotion at the hands of the FA in 1990 (still smarting from that, shame we’re not as big a club as Spurs as that seems to get you off), I and other Town supporters have Lee Power to thank for us having a club to support at all, so if he wants to give his best mate a job with no contract and seemingly no specific mandate, then it’s really up to him. Giving Charlton a hiding at the weekend before capitulating to a non-league side at home days later is just the kind of form that we’re used to!

But in the grand scheme of things, we run at a loss, our players are mostly loans and are churned during every off season, so the succession of managers through our revolving door really have had no chance of building with any kind of continuity from season to season. Luke Williams is a decent coach but doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be a No.1, so Tactics Tim can only really improve matters.

In case, of course, he doesn’t.
David O, STFC

Football crushes ahoy
If anything proves that Football365 is the home of the Liberal Elite, with our glorious leader John Nicholson leading the way, it is the subject of football crushes. Have this conversation on the comments page of the Sun, Daily Mail or Express and see how far you get. Anyway on to my crushes…

Matt Le Tissier as a Baggie growing up in the 90s football could be grim. I have never liked the big clubs and therefore could not like their players. Hence my love for Le Tiss. A true legend and scorer of great goals, and doing it for all the outsiders.

Super Bobby Taylor as an Albion fan, this man is my total hero. He could have my wife or marry my daughters, or even me ☺

Zoltan Gera, already mentioned in this conversation but quite simply his gymnastic prowess and passion and strength in the tackle, he is so sexy. Talking of sexy Felipe Texiera who scored to knock West Ham out of Europe used to play for us. He was proper glam and used to play with Ronaldinho don’t ya know. He could also dive, super super sexy.

But for me now it is albout Claudio Yacob. The best defensive midfielder in the Prem. At the Hawthorns there is a huge picture of him inside the stadium. I want it for my bedroom.

From crushes to fetishes, I also love big footballers. My dream team would without doubt include Shawcross, Carroll, Craig Dawson, Christian Benteke and Marouane Fellaini.
Ben the Baggie

…Rafael van de Vaart.

Absolute box office and one of my favourite ever last-minute Levy specials.
Jon, Boston

…Like John Porter I was also much enamoured with Steed Malbranque and spent about three seasons pining for him to join Liverpool…

…which in hindsight might have gone the way of another football crush – a Norwegian with a spanking shot by the name of Oyvind Leonhardsen who did join Liverpool… and was promptly moved on.

A final crush, and also Scandanavian, was Vegard Heggem; a wonderful attacking right-back who was cruelly cut down by injuries. One of his finest achievements in a red shirt was surely appearing as the centrefold in a match day programme in full charge and with his right bollock hanging out his shorts.
Adam (used to love scouting in Scandinavia on Footy Manager), London, LFC