It was a supremely audacious move, even by the standards of Martin Selmayr, whose audacity often seems to know no bounds.

On the day after European Council President Donald Tusk put forward compromise proposals on migration policy in draft conclusions for next week’s EU leaders’ summit, Selmayr, the European Commission secretary-general, issued a rival document — far more sweeping and ambitious — in preparation for a “mini summit” on migration at the Commission this weekend.

And in the EU version of a gloating, post-goal cartwheel routine on the football field, the Commission also issued a slick “note” by its President Jean-Claude Juncker on migration policy, which proved, among other points, that the Council is heavily outnumbered by the Commission when it comes to graphic artists.

Overall, it was a stunning usurpation of the Council’s institutional role as convener of EU summits and, more personally, of the role of Piotr Serafin, Tusk’s chief of staff. Adding to the chutzpah, the Commission noted the document was distributed to prepare for a meeting of EU sherpas. Running such meetings is part of Serafin’s basic job description.

Welcome to another round of Selmayr vs. Serafin: Battle of the Bureaucrats.

They are the right hands of the most powerful men in Brussels. And they keep their own left hands clenched so they can punch each other.

At the center of the latest battle is one of the most difficult issues facing the European Union — mass migration, over which member countries have sharply differing interests and strongly held points of view. Leaders’ reelection prospects, not to mention the very survival of the Schengen common travel area, potentially hang in the balance.

Selmayr, the steamrolling secretary-general, is the closest counsel to Juncker. Serafin, the soft-treading sherpa’s sherpa, fills the same role as chief of staff to Tusk. And together they are the faces of a remarkable institutional rivalry that has been a running sub-plot to some of the biggest crises in EU history: the eurozone meltdown, the migration crisis, Brexit.

The fierce struggle burst into public view again this week as Brussels wrestled once more with the contentious migration question.

After Tusk turned down German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s request to organize a mini-summit of EU leaders ahead of next week’s traditional Council summit, Selmayr saw an opening — and effectively drove a tank through it. Juncker not only put himself forward as host of the gathering, but Selmayr then issued the draft leaders’ statement clearly intended to push aside the traditional Council conclusions proposed a day earlier by Tusk.

Italy reacted furiously to the document on Wednesday, saying it appears to prioritize Merkel’s own domestic political problems on migration over Italy’s longstanding complaint that frontier countries bear too much of a burden in accepting and processing migrants. On Thursday, Merkel shifted into damage-control mode and told Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte that the draft text would be ditched. As a result, Conte said that he would attend the mini summit.

Such squabbling within the Brussels bubble typically infuriates leaders in national capitals, and — based on Merkel’s swift willingness to ditch Selmayr’s document — this week’s conflict seemed to be no exception.

“With just a few exceptions, member states … don’t like to see these institutional fights, especially when they take place in public,” said a senior EU diplomat. “But since [the migration crisis of] 2015, many positions have changed and tensions have been rising.”

One of the biggest shifts concerns Tusk himself.

A former Polish prime minister, Tusk has been accused of not paying enough attention to Southern Europe, and of siding with Eastern Europe. A signature example occurred at the peak of the migration crisis, in June 2015, when hours before the start of a crucial European summit on refugees, Tusk posted a tweet appearing to side with hard-line countries like Hungary over frontline countries like Italy.

“No consensus among MS [member states] on mandatory quotas migrants,” he wrote. “Voluntary mechanism only credible with precise & significant pledges by end July.” Diplomats from Italy and several other countries were furious, saying that Tusk preemptively helped torpedo the plan.

Based on this experience, and also sharp criticism from EU leaders who were not included in a March 2015 meeting about the Greek debt crisis, Tusk — with Serafin as his point man — has worked to avoid the appearance of favoring any subset of EU countries over others.

The battles between Selmayr and Serafin are on some levels not a fair fight. Selmayr is a self-declared warrior for the cause of European federalism, which means he has enemies among national governments who see him trying to usurp their power. National leaders often complain that the Commission should remember it works for them not the other way around. There are no such complaints about the Council.

Grenades launched

Merkel’s outreach to Conte seemed to defuse tensions, at least among some EU leaders. But there was no mistaking that the latest shots in the long-running feud across Rue de la Loi have been fired, and there is no putting the grenade back in the launcher.

In a way, it was a throwback to previous years, when Selmayr and Serafin, serving as proxies for their bosses, clashed repeatedly for control — and later for credit — as the EU navigated a series of storms, including the Greek debt crisis, and the opening stages of Britain’s withdrawal from the EU.

Among the many examples was Selmayr’s rush to hire Michel Barnier as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator amid fears that Council officials were conspiring to take control of the negotiations.

The institutions have also tussled for control of a so-called leaders’ agenda, traded barbs over digital policy, and even bickered back and forth over the precise date on which to schedule a special post-Brexit leaders’ summit in Sibiu, Romania.

But even then, the confrontations were rarely as open and obvious as the one this week, and some officials suggested tensions might be rising as Juncker and Tusk maneuver to seal their legacies before the end of their mandates next year.

Two diplomats noted that it is clear Selmayr intended his draft leaders’ statement to be fully adopted by the Council because otherwise a document agreed by just a handful of leaders would not have the force of EU law.

Selmayr is both feared and admired as the most devastatingly effective EU policy aide in recent memory, but critics say his federalist enthusiasm sometimes creates a blind spot when it comes to the political implications for national leaders — for instance, in inviting only some leaders to a meeting on a topic that is of intense interest to all.

“What the hell?” one EU diplomat said, shaking her head in disbelief. The diplomat noted the quagmire created for her country’s prime minister. “Should he just come without an invitation? Should he request an invitation?”

As is usually the case after inter-institutional tensions boil over into public view, neither Commission nor Council officials wanted to comment on Thursday.

A Commission spokesman, Alexander Winterstein, seemed reluctant even to acknowledge that a draft leaders’ statement had been issued to capitals.

“It is clear that the Commission is helping this process along,” Winterstein said at the Commission’s daily news conference when pressed on the matter. “The president of the Commission is inviting leaders here. What is important to note is that the drafts you are seeing are exactly that, drafts. And what will happen to these drafts will be seen at the end of the process.”

After Merkel’s effort to squash the draft text, one Council official couldn’t help but claim a bit of a victory for Serafin. “It was an error in judgement,” the official said of Selmayr’s document. “It was a very, very serious error in judgement.”

Another EU diplomat, clearly in the spirit of the World Cup, said it is Italy that has come out ahead in this match. “Selmayr: 0, Conte: 1,” the diplomat wrote.

Of course, the final score will only be known when the leaders’ make their decisions on migration policy. Until then, the hard tackling will continue. And there’s bound to be another match before too long.

Left-wing Hollywood A-lister Samuel L. Jackson reacted to President Donald Trump criticizing director Spike Lee Monday by comparing Trump to a slaveholder.

“[Trump] said that he’s done more for African-Americans than almost any other president,” a TMZ reporter told Samuel L. Jackson, to which Jackson responded, “Yeah, he’s got a bigger plantation.”

This comes after Trump knocked Spike Lee Monday for his politicized Oscar acceptance speech.

“Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!” Trump said in a social media post.

During the Oscars Sunday, director Spike Lee won an award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his film BlacKkKlansman. He used his speech to bash the president and his supporters, saying, “The 2020 presidential election is around the corner.”

“Let’s all mobilize, let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing. You know I had to get that in there,” the Do the Right Thing director said.

Jackson has a long past of attacking the president. In January, he called Trump a “cheap motherfucker” who should pay for the border wall himself.

Brussels to hold emergency meeting on North Korea standoff

Ambassadors will meet Monday to discuss ‘possible next steps,’ according to EU foreign policy chief.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini will convene an extraordinary meeting of ambassadors next week to discuss the diplomatic crisis surrounding North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, the bloc’s external action service announced Friday evening.

Tensions erupted between Pyongyang and Washington this week after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury like the world has never seen” in response to the country’s successful testing of several intercontinental missiles. Some could reach the mainland U.S., according to Pyongyang.

North Korea in turn threatened to strike Guam, a Pacific-island U.S. territory home to a strategic air force base and a population of 162,000.

Numerous world leaders have since called for calm in order to end the standoff.

Members of the Council of the European Union’s Political and Security Committee will discuss  “possible next steps” at Monday’s meeting, according to the statement.

Ernst Tanner, who was sporting director of the German club when a Brazilian forward moved to Europe, never doubted the striker’s technical ability

Former Hoffenheim sporting director Ernst Tanner says he never had any doubts over Roberto Firmino’s ability, but admits the current Liverpool star arrived in Europe with stats “worse than my grandma”.

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The Bundesliga outfit took a calculated gamble on the Brazilian when snapping him up from Figueirense in 2011.

Firmino was a 19-year-old rough diamond at that time, with plenty of polishing required once he landed in Germany.

More teams

Tanner told Bleacher Report of his efforts to get the South American on board: “You should have seen the data that we got on him when he was coming for the first time [to Hoffenheim].

“In Germany, we usually do these endurance tests, blood ones, which are pretty accurate, you know, and he had the worst numbers I have ever seen in professional football.

“I would say to emphasise that he was even worse than my grandma. You can’t imagine.

“They were so low that you couldn’t even believe that he was ever able to play professional football.”

While early questions were asked of Firmino’s fitness, Tanner claims there was never any doubt that he would go on to thrive in European football.

He added: “I was pretty sure that he would be a top Bundesliga player. We do these evaluations in our scouting reports, you know, and I think that out of 10, nine and 10 are international level. And I gave him, I don’t know if it was an eight or nine, but I’m sure it was pretty high.

“Everyone [at Hoffenheim] was a bit curious about that at the time, but I rated him pretty high because I was so convinced about his abilities and even more so by his attitude.

“When I saw how the coach criticised him [in a training with Figueirense], he was like a schoolboy standing there and listening to his teacher. I still have that picture in my brain.

“I thought to myself after an hour that if that coach had done that to a German player, he would head straight to the locker room totally pissed off, but Firmino took the criticism well. He tried to improve, to do better. That was really impressive.”

Firmino spent four years with Hoffenheim before making a big-money move to Liverpool.

He has gone on to become a Champions League winner and Premier League title hopeful with the Reds, recording 76 goals in 230 appearances for the club.

The former Red Devils defender believes those at Old Trafford should be looking to invest in a proven playmaker during the summer transfer window

Manchester United should be favouring a move for James Maddison over Jack Grealish, says Jaap Stam, with the Aston Villa star considered to be a more of a “winger” than a playmaking rival at Leicester.

The Red Devils remain in the market for added creativity heading towards the summer transfer window.

Big-money moves have been mooted for two highly-rated talents currently tied to Premier League rivals.

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Maddison and Grealish are said to figure prominently on the recruitment radar of those at Old Trafford, with both considered to possess the qualities that an inconsistent United are crying out for.

Stam can see why the Red Devils would be keen on both, but feels a potential target in the East Midlands wins out over another in the west.

“I like Maddison a lot,” the 1999 Treble winner told 888sport.

“He’s a midfield player who is very comfortable on the ball and he’s always going into certain positions where he becomes an extra man. He can go by players and score goals as well as creating opportunities for others.

“Jack Grealish, I see more as a winger coming in. For United, they need to look more at direct wingers with pace going forward, instead of a player like Grealish.

“Who knows, he might be an important player because he is good in tight areas. But for me, it’s Maddison for United.”

United’s efforts to get another midfielder on board may be stepped up if a long-running saga involving Paul Pogba eventually leads to the France international moving on.

Former Red Devils defender Stam hopes that situation can be avoided, adding on the World Cup winner: “Pogba is a quality player and I’d like to see him back in the squad because he brings something extra in terms of his ability on the ball and his passing.

“Then there’s his strength going forward and scoring goals and bringing others into positions to score goals.

“The difficult thing is that agents are always pressing on behalf of their players, especially when you’re a big player and a manager tells you that you’re not going to play. You then want to go somewhere else and play for another club.

“And if you’re a big player like Pogba there are always teams asking for you and who want to sign you. That makes things difficult for the manager who has to keep the player calm and make him feel happy and appreciated.”

EU looks ahead to post-Brexit budget

‘Hard choices will need to be made,’ Commission warns.

If budgets are a government’s purest expression of values and priorities, Brexit will likely force the EU to issue a whole new mission statement, including potentially steep cuts, the bloc’s budget chief, Günther Oettinger, warned Wednesday.

In the latest, and last, of a series of reflection papers from the Commission on the EU’s future, Oettinger warned that the U.K.’s departure, expected in 2019, will blow a hole of €9 billion to €12 billion in the EU’s roughly €150 billion annual budget.

“If Europe is to tackle new challenges, the money must come from somewhere,” Oettinger, the commissioner for budget and human resources, said in a statement presenting the paper. “We can either spend less or find new revenues.”

“Hard choices will need to be made,” according to the paper, co-authored by Oettinger and Corina Creţu, the commissioner for regional policy.

But there are upsides for the EU: the U.K.’s departure will eliminate distortionary rebates that Britain has been receiving, potentially paving the way for a sweeping overhaul of the EU budget process. It will also position the Commission to redirect funds to policy priorities that will emphasize greater integration and cooperation among the 27 remaining EU countries, particularly on security and defense. That could help the bloc to capitalize on the political momentum provided by the election of French President Emmanuel Macron and other pro-EU leaders.

The EU’s budget is set forth in a multi-annual financial framework, with the most recent totaling about €1 trillion over the years 2014 to 2020.  The annual budget, of between €140 billion to €150 billion a year, has represented roughly 1 percent of the EU’s collective GDP, with 80 percent financed directly by EU countries.

More than 70 percent of the EU budget is now allocated to regional development and agricultural policy. While EU leaders generally agree the bloc should undertake new initiatives and spending on security, defense, migration and other priorities, they are divided on whether existing programs should be cut to free up funds.

The reflection paper does not seek to settle that policy debate, but rather to lay out the parameters for a discussion among commissioners that will intensify in drawing up the new multi-year financial framework, which is now expected to happen in 2018.

“How the budget changes — and what it is used for — depends on what future we want for our Union and on the level of ambition,” the paper says.

The reflection paper does not specify how the EU should fill the budget hole that will be left by Brexit. But Oettinger did not rule out trying to end national rebates to EU contributions. At the moment, besides the U.K., countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark also pay in less than they should, according to the EU’s formula for assessing budget contributions.

“We are missing the financial impact of Brexit,” one Commission official said, noting that much would depend on the financial settlement reached with the U.K. in Brexit negotiations. By some estimates, the U.K.’s financial obligation to the EU could total €60 billion or more.

The reflection paper touches on other contentious areas, including:

Conditionality: Some countries such as Germany have suggested EU payouts to member countries should be linked to conditions such as respect for the rule of law — an idea described as “poison” by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Any such change would be difficult as it would require unanimity among EU member countries. Crețu said the question of  “how to construct” the relationship between rule of law and budget payments remained open. For his part, Oettinger declared that “solidarity is a two-way street.” The German commissioner has previously suggested that member countries’ deficits, attitude to rule of law and migration policies could all play a role in how much EU funding they receive.

Agriculture: Agriculture accounts for the biggest expenditure in the EU budget so slashing EU spending could open a pandora’s box over what to do with the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Oettinger indicated he wanted a radical reform of the policy but that the program should continue to provide subsidies to farmers.

More cash for EU officials? Oettinger noted the Commission would reach its objective this year of cutting staff by 5 percent, compared to the level in 2013. However, the reflection paper hints that the number of EU staffers could increase as new missions would require more resources and “further reduction in staff levels could jeopardize the good functioning of the EU institutions.” Oettinger said the Commission may need more economists and specialists in security and border management.

This article has been updated with more information.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his performances since joining Arsenal, according to Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

The Gabon striker hit a brace in Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League victory over Everton as the Gunners rallied from conceding inside 49 seconds to secure their third win in a week.

That takes Aubameyang‘s goal tally for the season to 17, level at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with Leicester’s Jamie Vardy.

The 30-year-old was linked with a move away in January and rumours continue to circulate, especially given his contract expires at the end of next season.

OPINION: Deeply flawed Arsenal are heading towards a proper recovery…

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And Neville reckons the Arsenal striker needs to be given more credit for his high level of performances over the past couple of seasons.

Neville told Sky Sports: “Including me, we have stopped short of announcing Aubameyang as world class. We’re happy to go with Aguero, we’re happy to go with Mane and Salah, Firmino, Kane… all these players who have graced the Premier League in the last two or three seasons.

“I feel that Aubameyang doesn’t get that same credit and maybe it’s something that comes from when he first entered into English football. It was a case of, ‘Why didn’t any of the top clubs want him? How did Arsenal get him? Is there something wrong with him? Why didn’t Klopp take him to Anfield?’ All these questions were being asked. I asked them myself.

 

“But now we’re talking about a really high level of performance over a couple of years and today, I thought it was a brilliant performance from him. Not just his goals, which he took really well, but also the shift that he put in.”

Neville added: “I didn’t know how he would adapt to being told to go and play on the left-hand side – and the idea of doing a shift there when you think you’re the top man and you’re the goalscorer – but he seems to have really bought into it.

“He doesn’t look like he has been a moment’s bother since he’s come to Arsenal, so all the suggestions that he could have issues off the pitch have not materialised.

“I think it’s getting to the point now where you could argue that he is the top goalscorer in the Premier League over the last couple of seasons.

“He’s one of the best players we’ve got in the Premier League, but for some reason he doesn’t quite get the credit and the plaudits that others get. I don’t know why that is, but I think now’s the time for us all to start recognising the quality and the brilliance of this player.

“He fights for the team, he’s always there, and for me, he’s everything you would want in a football player.”

 

For some bizarre reason, the F365 Show was not cancelled after the pilot episode. So we’ll be back every Thursday with more irreverent nonsense intriguing insight. Subscribe here.

Send your mails to [email protected]…

 

England’s Pickford problem
Jordan Pickford had yet another performance that makes you feel uneasy about him being England’s number one. With 4 months or so to go until the Euros this looks to be a bit of a problem. Southgate has a tough choice in either hoping his current number 1 can get in to some sort of form before the tournament or he has to possibly unsettle things in bringing in a new number 1. If he is going to do this, surely he needs to make this change as soon as possible, starting with the Italy game? Is 5 games enough to settle in a new keeper?

I’m not even an Everton fan and I get nervous watching him any time the ball goes near him.
Hugh, Kent

 

Mourinho moan
There’s been a fair few mails defending Mourinho in the mailbox this week after the abysmal performance against Leipzig but it’s the one from Ursolin Waxoh today that has pushed me to write in.

Firstly, cards on the table, I never wanted Mourinho at my club. Yes he may get you trophies in the short term, although that’s debatable these days, but at what cost? Not one worth paying in my book. However I support my club so I was willing to give him a chance. But saying he doesn’t deserve criticism because we have injuries to important players is a bit much.

Yes, any team missing attacking players of the quality of Kane and Son would suffer, but Eriksen had been out of form before being sold and clearly wanted to leave (plus we bought a very good looking replacement in lo Celso). And an out of from Alli? The same Alli who’s form everyone was praising mourinho for a couple of months ago? Who’s job is it again to get the players to their best form. We also have Bergwijn, who looks an exciting signing, lamela, who I’ve always thought is pretty underrated, plus some Brazilian guy who someone tells me scored a couple of goals in something called the ‘champions league’ last season. Add to them sessegnon and Troy parrott and we have 5 internationals and 2 exciting youngsters for 4 positions in the 4231 we usually play. Are we a bit short? Yes. But we still have an attack that most teams would be very happy with. However…..

Mourinho doesn’t seem to know how to use them. When he came in we started playing long ball football, using Kane as a target man. Not pretty, not what I’d choose to watch but I could see it working with his strength and eye for a pass when he has the ball, plus the pace of son and moura playing off him so let’s give it a go. Then Kane gets injured, out for the rest of the season, so the manager changes tactics to adapt to the players he now has available right? Not Mourinho apparently, we continue playing long balls up to our new target men the 5 ft 8 Moura and the 6ft but not particularly strong in the air Son. And we go 5 games without scoring at the start if the year. Go figure.

Then there’s the defensive tactics, particularly in big games. Again it’s not what I’d choose for us to do but if it works then fair enough. But. To play defensive mourinho style, a quality defensive midfielder is essential and we don’t have one. We have 1 truly defensive minded midfielder and that is Dier, who is very aptly named. But mourinho sticks with it anyway, leaving a defence low on confidence exposed by the lack of proper midfield cover. Then to make matters worse he chops and changes the defence so no one can get a run of form going and plays an exciting new prospects, tanganga, in his correct position once before shunting him between left back, right back and the bench after a promising debut at CB. How is he going to develop being used like that?

The best managers all have a preferred way to play, but they can also adapt their system to suit the players at their disposal. Mourinho doesn’t seem to be able/willing to adapt. He is sticking to the same old tactics regardless of the fact that the players he has don’t fit the tactics. Either he is sacrificing the remainder of our season to prove a point to the board like he did at United or he actually doesn’t know how to play any other way. I’m not sure which is worse tbh.

We’ve spent more in the last 2 transfer windows than in the previous 4 under Pocchetino (or in the whole of this century if you take player sales into the equation) and he took us to 3rd and the champions league final. Mourinho needs to stop moaning and throwing players under the bus and start finding a way to what he’s got pretty pronto or he’s going to lose the team and the fans.
Simon (THFC obviously), London

 

United are going in the right direction
Somewhere between articles on low blocks, opposing views on the managers ability (Ole in /Ole out), mails complaining about arrogance because the shiny new toy wasn’t risked in an away 1st leg ,when there are potentially over 25 games every Thursday/Sunday, till mid may and people projecting 2022 as our year, complete with our acquisitions/deadwood (how much will we owe liverpool fans for copyright infringement) I believe there is only one truth.

The position of this Utd team will be dictated by the quality available , Love or loathe the manager, his three windows have had a positive effect, the team ain’t perfect neither was this performance, but with Bruno you can honestly see a direction, now you get the feeling that with 2 or 3 more players up front like this the banter years may finally be over… Maybe not this season but soon.
The methodology currently in place needs to continue, forget about big names who have proven themselves, focus on hungry guys who want to win. Less prima-donnas waiting for the team to be built around them more people who want to be in the shirt.

The next sequence of premiership games oddly against 3 of the greatest managers of all time (Ancelotti, Pep and Jose) will shape this season but having gotten past the kind of opponent that has usually hampered us this year we have hope.
Roode, MUFC

 

Official incompetence
How many mistakes is it possible for the officials to make in one weekend. Because believe me what happened in the Premier League games on Saturday and Sunday had nothing to do with VAR it was quite simply incompetence by the men in black.

In a parallel universe:
De Bruyne conceded a penalty against Leicester
Lo Celso was sent off against Chelsea.
Josh King scored against Burnley.
Sheff Utd had a player sent off late in the game vs Brighton
Martial had a stunning goal disallowed for offside
Dale (give me a whistle, I could do better than that) Marlow

 

You are the ref
Riddle me this:

Manchester City vs Liverpool 2017/18

Sadio Mane makes an attempt at controlling the ball in the air with his foot. The ball is 5 or 6 feet in the air. As Ederson is trying to head the ball in the same space Mane’s foot catches Ederson in the face and the referee deems this to be a reckless challenge and issues a red card for Mane.

Now let’s look at Leicester vs Manchester City and Ihanecheo vs Ederson last night and swap Mane’s foot for Ederson’s fist. Why is this any different in terms of a reckless challenge?
James Outram, Wirral

 

Protecting keepers
…In response to Tom Parker on ‘why do keepers get so much leniency when they mistime a punch?’

I first had to explain this to a friend in around 2004…im aghast I’m still having to explain it on various forums (social media etc) but here we go….

Direct free kick

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force.

– charges
– jumps at
– (The list continues)

The key word here is CARELESS

Careless – adjective

Not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm or errors.

When a goalkeeper raises their arms to catch or punch a ball, their ribs are no longer protected and they are unable to use their arms for balance.

Ergo, to challenge a Goalkeeper in this instance is regarded as careless.

Hope that clears things up.
Graham, LFC (Retired member of the GK Union)

 

Continuation of a theme
How Liverpool can be fixed for net spend of nowt.

Do absolutely nothing.

Take the summer off Jurgen.
Pip

 

Grow up, everyone
A pause for thought today as the respectful silence for the passing of Harry Gregg was observed at Old Trafford, and observed impeccably, all people in the ground , Watford and Manchester supporters alike, rightfully taking a moment to consider what that man went through, the tragedy of that night, and uniting in a common bond of humanity.

Which makes it all the more disgusting to hear at every Merseyside derby the songs which come from each sets of fans. Munich, Hillsborough, it’s disgusting, but both clubs seem to in some way tolerate it. The first time I heard the song about Hillsborough I just about threw up. Then the response about Munich.

Kenny Dalglish was close to a broken man after Hillsborough and commitment to the funeral services he attended and coordinated. Bobby Charlton suffered nightmares his entire career after the Munich crash; each were icons for their respective clubs, but both of those clubs seem to pay lip-service to seeking out those disgusting groups who want to use those tragedies as a form of goading.

Premier League grounds how have full crowd surveillance, they can find, identify and ban racists, homophobes, sexists and anyone else that blips the radar of unacceptability, and thankfully and rightly so.

So why are these groups of sick people still attending games? Why have they not been identified, prosecuted for public order offences and banned?

I know this is not timely as there was not a Merseyside derby this weekend, but if one of the legacies of Gregg’s passing was to ignite a discussion and a serious initiative to root out this pernicious hatred and take it out of the grounds, and hopefully into prison, then that’s a way to celebrate this great man beyond his time with us. It’s time for everyone to stop wringing their hands, whining that it’s “not right”, boo-hooing that it’s not what the club “stands for”, whatever that means, hiding behind “it’s just a minority”. Stop it. Put a stop to it.

Rant over, for the time being, until the next song about Munich, or Hillsborough, goes unpunished.
Steve, Los Angeles

 

Two left feet?
PSG v Bordeaux on Sunday evening… Unfortunately I do not know the commentator’s name but around 27 min Di Maria shoots over with his right:
‘His right foot is not is his left foot when it comes to Di Maria’
Larus

 

 

For some bizarre reason, the F365 Show was not cancelled after the pilot episode. So we’ll be back every Thursday with more irreverent nonsense intriguing insight. Subscribe here.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is glad to see Anthony Martial gaining confidence for Manchester United after putting in “extra work” on the training ground.

The Frenchman has been in good form recently, scoring in each of Man Utd‘s last three matches against Chelsea, Club Brugge and Watford.

And Solskjaer was thrilled to see his striker scoring different types of goals and showing off his undoubted talent.

FEATURE: Premier League winners, Girouds and losers

“Anthony is still learning. He’s played in a wide role for many, many years, but he’s getting more and more used to playing as a no.9 now,”Solskjaer told talkSPORT.

“He’s been training really well and doing extra work. He’s playing every game and becoming fitter and fitter.

“As a result he’s becoming more and more confident scoring different type of goals.

“This week he scored three different goals, one as a centre forward/no.9 [against Chelsea] with a header.

“The one in Brugge was all about hard work and being an opportunist after picking up on a mistake. But he did all the work himself.

“And today that is the Anthony we have always known, the more who has more skill than most of the players around.”

 

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised star man Bruno Fernandes as Manchester United’s January signing put in another man-of-the-match display as Watford were overcome.

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Summer interest in the 25-year-old turned into an active pursuit last month, with protracted negotiations with Sporting Lisbon finally bearing fruit towards the end of the transfer window.

Fernandes arrived for an initial 55 million euros (£46.6million) and, while that could rise to 80 million euros (£67.7million) if a variety of targets are reached, United look to have struck a good deal.

The Portugal international has been man of the match in all three United starts to date, having followed up fine displays against Wolves and Chelsea with a goal and an assist as Watford were beaten 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday.

“In today’s market I think we got a good deal,” Solskjaer said of Fernandes. “Obviously he’s come in and done really well.

“He’s given everyone a boost. It means more than just getting a player in. You can see the supporters, they’re used to players with that personality, mentality and quality so he’s been a big plus.

“He’s come in from day one, the first minute, and felt like a presence in the group. First training session, demanding the ball.

“Some players take some time in warming up but he felt confident straight away.

“He’s a bit of a mix between (Paul) Scholes and (Juan Sebastian) Veron, to be fair.

“He’s got the temperament maybe of Veron and a lot of the quality of him and Scholesy.”

Solskjaer says Fernandes is a “big piece” in the team that United are looking to build, while Anthony Martial has shown this week that he too can be a key component.

Monday’s header at Chelsea was followed by a fine goal at Club Brugge in the Europa League and a clever clipped finish past Ben Foster on Sunday.

“I am delighted with the week Anthony’s had,” Solskjaer said. “He has got his critics and I am one of his biggest probably because I keep demanding different stuff from him.

“But this week he’s come up with a number nine, centre-forward’s goal, a header against Chelsea.

“He did everything to get the goal against Brugge – defending, winning the ball, running through.

“This today is more than the Anthony we know about. The skill because that is just mind-blowing, sometimes the skill that he shows. But I want more from him and I’ll keep at him.”

It was a far better performance from United than the one at Vicarage Road two months ago, when Solskjaer’s side fell to a 2-0 loss as Nigel Pearson started life at the helm with a bang.

Watford were far from that standard on Sunday, although they saw a Troy Deeney equaliser ruled out as Craig Dawson was adjudged by the video assistant referee to have handled.

“It’s a frustrating day in the sense that, when you play the bigger clubs, it’s very important that when you create chances or have opportunities, you do everything you can to take them,” the head coach said.

“We didn’t take the chances we had early in the game. I think our attempts to press them high up the pitch caused them a few problems in terms of frustrating them at times.”

 

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