Mails: If that was Allegri’s Arsenal audition, then wow

Mails: If that was Allegri’s Arsenal audition, then wow

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Football can be lovely
I’m sure you’ll get plenty of these, but I just wanted to say what a wonderful gesture by Borussia Dortmund and their fans to offer the put up any Monaco fans who wanted to stay over to watch the game today.
Chris Alton, WHU

Player power doesn’t absolve managers of blame
In response to Gooner (AV, London) the answer to your question is yes, the players do have a bit too much power now. There’s a big but though. That does not absolve Arsene Wenger, Claudio Ranieri or Jose Mourinho in the slightest.

Those three managers failed in their respective seasons, not because of their players but because of their actions, their methods and their philosophies. There is nothing different about Ozil, Vardy, and Hazard (c2015) vs. Eriksen, Coutinho, and Hazard (c2017).

Leicester players didn’t “just stop playing for him”. Their downing of tools was a clear and obvious reaction to the manager’s methods. A huge part of a manager’s job is about communication and man management. At least as important as tactics.

It’s one thing to give the right instructions, it’s another to have your players believe it. The earlier list of players do not/did not believe their manager’s methods, and that comes down to the quality of his ideas, his ability to communicate them and his motivational abilities, it’s as simple as that.

Let me put this another way, can you ever imagine players downing tools for Klopp, Conte or Pochettino? Firstly it’s extremely unlikely they would because their methods, their communication, man management and relationship building with players is a huge strength of theirs, honed to get maximum motivation and effort from their players. Secondly if players did down tools, they would be dealt with swiftly in a fashion that minimises collateral damage to the wider team. Costa was immediately punished for his misdemeanours over the winter and came back firing.

Why is Ozil continuing to get minutes after so many half-hearted performances? Why was Vardy not left out for Leicester? Why does Wenger continue to trust these second rate players who let him and his team down again and again, not through lack of quality, but through sheer lack of effort?

Nobody enjoys players downing tools, it’s unprofessional and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, but we are talking about elite sport here. A place where a 5% drop in performance changes a player from 20 goals a season to five, a team from top three to top eight. When teams start to unravel as seems to be becoming more commonplace, sure the players deserve some stick, but pundits and fans should be looking at the manager and asking why it is really happening.
Dan, Greenwich

On Juventus being sodding brilliant
What a wonderful performance by the old lady last night, Paulo Dybala is some player.

I had to laugh to myself as Talksport were telling me “this game isn’t over, ask PSG” I’m sorry lads but Juve can defend and have more than a touch of bastard about them, Barca may get a ‘UEFA’ appointed ref but there is no way on earth they will get that lucky again.

Well done Juve: A masterclass in how to play Barcelona.
Paul Murphy, Manchester

Allegri showed up Wenger. Heeeeeere’s Stewie…
The Juventus wage bill is over 20% lower than Arsenal’s. Max Allegri earns less than half of Arsene Wenger’s annual wages. Allegri spent far less over summer than Wenger did.

Somehow though, Juventus fans don’t seem to share the laughable outlook most Arsenal fans have each time they face Barca ie “you can’t possibly hope to beat Barca can you?”. Now, I wonder why that is.

Still. Wouldn’t want Allegri at Arsenal as he doesn’t play “entertaining football” that delights the many fans of Palace, WBA, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea! Arsene “deserves more respect” because even though fans of one club want him gone (Arsenal), the fans of 19 other PL teams want him to stay. You know Spurs fans have set up a donation fund for Arsene to get a new contract. Right?
Stewie Griffin

Simeone at Arsenal just doesn’t fit
Took a while but we’ve finally had the suggestion that Arsenal’s next manager should be Diego Simeone.

Simeone’s Atleti team are streetfighters; a compact, organised unit, not the most cultured team around but full of energy, aggression and physicality, ready to run through walls for their manager. Wenger’s team may be incredibly loyal (as you would be to a manager who promoted you way beyond your pay grade and still seems mystifyingly blind to your shortcomings) but energetic, aggressive and physical they are not – try and picture Theo Walcott running through a wall for anyone, even one of those papery Japanese ones.

I don’t see a single player in Arsenal’s squad that Simeone would go out of his way to sign, with the exception of Sanchez – who, given the very probable lack of CL football next year, will almost certainly be off, regardless of the managerial situation. There are a few that could do a job for him, maybe even enough to get out a team that wouldn’t completely disappoint him – but he wouldn’t even let the majority of the squad into the training ground. He is no doubt sickened by the concept of Olivier Giroud.

I doubt there’s a squad in top-level European football that is less suited to Simeone, so if they get him the fans should be prepared for a good two years of transition while the big man rebuilds the squad in his image (no doubt to a backdrop of ‘We told you so’ from the Wengerins). Since the alternative is Wenger-lite, papering the same superficial football over the same structural inadequacies, then I’d say it’s worth a go. Just don’t expect overnight success.
JG LFC

Juventus vs Barcelona: The game that caused a transfer
There’s been plenty of instances where managers have seen a player perform particularly well against them and has spurred them on to sign that player.

I think Dybala could be one instance of this, there’s been murmurs recently around this and his performances over these two legs may just convince Barca. Where he fits in the squad is another matter (Neymar to PSG? Replace Suarez with a player 7 years his junior?).

Another player in this bracket it Youri Tielemans. There’s only so long Anderlecht can hold onto their prodigal son, and the showcase against United should finally earn him his move. For a price of £30m or so he’s affordable for every top half prem club and has been performing at Dele levels this season, with five goals in nine Europa games showing his ability is not confined to the league.

Hopefully he makes the right choice of club (City or Liverpool over United and Chelsea), in order to get great game time in the league.
KC (Youri is a year younger than Dele too)

Michael Carrick should go to Celtic
Over a completely undeserved cup of tea and a biscuit I read with interest your piece on Carrick and his interview about not playing for another English club, hence, in want of something to pass the time I started to have a bit of a think about where that could or should be.

China? He’s not really a big enough name anymore to churn major money and also, why move what I assume is a happy family there now.

The USA? Maybe, but again is the demand really there for successful but not superstar named midfielders – maybe not.

Then I had a thought – Celtic. Now give me a second. He’s not going to be much use in a lot of those 10,000 mph Scottish league games in which bodies and tackles are all on the line. However, for Brentan he offers an awful lot in general: he is a proven and reliable pro and as such is a good example to other players; he’s played in front of huge and passionate support; they are a big enough club to get his blood pressure up to operating levels; but maybe the best thing is he has travelled to and played in the biggest stadiums in the world against some of the very sides in the Champions League.

In a squad short on experience in those games, the ability to control a game and now when to hold and when to go may make the difference between an away point or not. Given the common narrative that Mr BR will ultimately be judged on their success in Europe and not Scotland well…
Matt Hanchett

‘What does he know about that league, Jeff?’
Foreign manager? Tick.
Doesn’t ‘know the league’? Tick.
Owner knows nothing about football and overlooked a number of up-and-coming candidates from the lower leagues? Tick.

Presumably this week’s Soccer Saturday will see Paul Merson and Phil Thompson in uproar at Tony Adams’ recent appointment to Granada…..
G of Bounds Green

A pint of wine
That Allardyce looks a good manager. Someone at the FA really ought to sound him out for the England job.
Mr Goldfish (forgot what I was going to put in brackets)

What you can do to help women’s football
As a massive fan, I am very pleased that there is a discussion about women’s football going on, because it is long overdue. As there are some who might not know how to support change, here are my hopefully not too long-winded suggestions.

1. Watch it when it is on TV. Euro 2017 is this summer and England actually have a decent team. Hooray! Even if you are just waiting for matches with the good teams (France, Germany, Sweden) we can make it more mainstream. I enjoyed the last World Cup a lot and was crushed when France lost.

2. Anyone within a day trip of Cardiff might want to check out the champions league final for £6. All four teams remaining (Lyon, PSG, Man City, Barcelona) are of serious quality and whoever gets through should make an interesting final. It usually gets shown on TV as well.

3. Go attend your local matches. Much like lower league men’s football, people in the stands will make an unbelievable difference in supporting the game.

My final comments are directed towards the progressive media (including f365), as I find the outrage unproductive as it is rarely followed up with action. The guardian’s coverage of the 2015 world cup was pathetic, with fixture lists not even displayed on the football section! Even now it only seems​ to become interested when there are pay disputes (like the ones that the USA, Australian and Irish teams all had recently) or someone does a sexism (Mourinho in 2015, Moyes now). These are athletes, not pawns for political point scoring.

I like F365 because of its sense of decency and willingness to take a stand for good causes. I know you have to pay the bills, but we loved Peter Goldstein’s stats articles and I’m sure the response to this would be similar. Surely at least for the big events you can put your money where your mouth is and give more attention to women’s football? Otherwise we will be trapped in this same vicious cycle.
MN Aditya

I mean… sure
What Happened At Turin Tonight Was What I Called Namesis,when A Fan Of P.S.G Went To Change.Org To Demand For A Replay Of The Match Between Barca And P.S.G It Was Like A Joke And They Overlook It,tonight Dybala And Co Has Paid Barcelona For Their Sin And I Hope That The Miracle That Hapened At Camp Nou Will Not Repeat Itself Again.Barcelona Should Prepare Theirselves And Mind To Go Back To Spain Also Let Them Forget About This Season Champions League Title For What Will Be Must Surely Be.
Anon