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Diamond Geezer
Please tell me the Diamond Geezer – Adventures in Championship Manager 01/02 is going to be a series on the site. The screenshots alone have brought me back to a much simpler time.
Simon P, Dublin
(MC – Yes, it’s the first of a weekly series. Although we will only make you wait until Friday for the next part…)
Biggles goes forth
Interesting email this morning from Biggles about the diving debate (apologies for continuing this annoying debate). Biggles argument tends to fall over with the comment “The only time you see a dive is in the box with the intention of winning a penalty”
I am not sure what matches he watches but how many times to do you
A lone striker feeling a hand on his back when the ball comes to him , often from a punt upfield to promptly collapse and be complimented for his clever hold up play.
The mad attacker who has chased a defender into a corner and then puts a hand on his shoulder only to wonder why the defender had then collapsed in relief for get out of jail free kick.
The first one gets a well done from the manager the second probably get an exasperated bottle kicking.
Both have contact but nowhere near enough to merit a fall over and neither prompts and frothing at the mouth from Jermain Jenas et al
AS for the solution it seems awfully complicated and unlikely to solve anything just increase the number of indignant emails to the letters page
David (Liverpool fan who is fully expecting a march collapse)
Diving bans
In response to Ryan requesting bans for diving, I do agree. They should ban people for blatant dives like the Salah one(s). If a few people get an odd ban as collateral damage it’s the price worth paying. As soon as players like Alli and Salah start getting nailed and missing games for their dives they will soon stop it because it will start costing their team dearly.
Rich, Leeds
Penalty textbook case
Following all the debates about who’s the worst diver, distinction between “going down” and “diving” etc, i’d like to summit a textbook case to the mailboxer to illustrate how, in my opinion, considering how unclear the rule is about what is a dive and what is not, going full « give hime a 6 game ban » or « award the opposition a goal » (who should be the goalscorer here ? Is it some kind of penalty try like in rugby ?) is mental.
Why would Madrid want Hazard?
Generally not one for believing anything written in a paper at all, but with yet more Hazard to Madrid rumours…
“Eden Hazard has turned down two opportunities to renew his contract at Chelsea, with the current deal due to expire in the summer of 2020. However, the Belgian is concerned about the lack of noise coming from Real Madrid about a potential move. (AS)”
The thing that hits me is why would Madrid want him? Don’t get me wrong, Hazard is a fantastic player who has hit another level this season but since joining Chelsea not once have i ever considered him the league’s best player (De Bruyne, Salah, Sane, Van Dijk, Silva just to mention a few that i’d consider better). But having to pay 100+ million (according to papers) for Hazard who has hit prime, would Madrid not be better off throwing that cash at a Sancho, a Sane or a Sterling? Fantastic young players with the potential to improve further. Being a Chelsea fan watching Hazard these years have been a joy but it seems he will only end up at Madrid due to incompetence by Madrid of not looking further afield. Vinicious, Sancho and *insert striker here* seems a front three that could serve madrid for the next 10-15 years.
I guess the point of this mail is going ask the mailbox, are there any transfer rumours or past transfers that just screamed short sightedness or incompetence to you?
Aaron (Boateng to Barca… clearly wanted to one up Madrid signing Faubert on loan)
Hyphen XI
All the talk of player initials, has me remembering the prevalance of double-barrell surnames in the country. As good a time as any to pick a ‘hyphen’ eleven (4-4-2 diamond):
GK: Bailey Peacock-Farrell
RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka
CB: Cameron Carter-Vickers
CB: Timothy Fosu-Mensah
LB: Kyle Walker-Peters
DM: Ainsley Maitland-Niles
CM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
CM: Trent Alexander-Arnold
AM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
FW: Dominic Calvert-Lewin
FW: Callum Hudson-Odoi
I seem to recall a few season ago that there is an unusually high number of Jordan/Jordon’s the PL too.
Brian (weird fascination with name trends), Wexford
Dirty talk
Ryan, Ireland – all this talk of ‘going down’ has led me into some weird porn/football parallel universe….
Your points are salient however a different terminology is required to stop children like me doing the ‘skid mark snuffle’ every time they read something that could have rude connotations, no matter how obscure.
Andy
Leicester post-miracle
Ah Wickyleaks, thank you for your kind invitation to discuss Leicester’s current situation – one I will accept with no hesitation whatsoever and in great detail too!
i have only seen a few of our games this season but that is enough to form an overall opinion that is consistent with others who go more regularly.
In the main, there is nothing wrong with our position or our season in isolation, indeed, it may still end up being one of our most ‘successful’ ever should we finish in the top half. But there is a sense of frustration that we are not doing better than we are based on recent history, the talent at our disposal and the money we have spent. I would imagine this is similar to the situation at Everton given the squad they have (minus the recent history of course). It is not to say that we should be automatically challenging the ‘Top 6’, nor is it to say we are more deserving of 7th or above than, say, Watford, it is just frustrating that we don’t appear to be kicking on and making the most of this unique opportunity.
The other main factor is Puel himself. He is widely derided as someone with no passion or inspiration. This doesn’t bother me personally but you do wonder if this has an effect on the whole atmosphere amongst players and fans. He has done a sterling job of bringing on a few exciting young players and recalling Harvey Barnes from his loan at WBA is really positive. But there is an overall sense that with things chopping and changing so much in terms of tactics and personnel, particularly in midfield, then there is no continuity and we are struggling to create that consistency needed to be really effective.
All this was compounded by the recent cup exits. Firstly v Man City in the QFs of the League Cup (we put out a semi-reserve team when we had a real chance to progress) and then v Newport in the FA Cup (when we put out almost a full reserve team, albeit a very expensive one). For a team in our position, with no real prospects beyond jostling for final positions in the middle of the table and the sniff of a Europa Place for finishing 7th, surely we could have given one of those cups a go? Admittedly, both games book-ended the bonkers Xmas period so you don’t know how much he had to manage fitness within the squad but, surely, a chance to go for a trip to Wembley (a proper trip I mean, none of this Spursy stuff we have to do at the moment) and injecting a bit of fun to the season would have been worthwhile?
Instead, despite three excellent victories against Man City, Chelsea and Everton, the move to rest players has spectacularly back-fired and we are now entering a daunting three games v top 6 teams on the back of a poor run of form. As an example, look at Wolves who put out a strong team against Liverpool in the cup, gave it a good go and now have momentum and impetus in their season, evidenced by their weekend 4-3 victory against us.
Finally, there is the Vardy Conundrum. It is well documented that we have bought a succession of strikers for big money who then fail to secure a place in our team, partly due to general incompetence but also partly because they do not suit playing alongside Our Jamie. Vardy is, ultimately, our most potent weapon and remains so. So we should play to his strengths just as we did in the title winning year, in theory. But we do need to evolve in style and personnel and that means Vardy’s effectiveness is lessened as we do so. In the mean time, no manager is going to grow the balls to drop him, not whilst he still shows glimpses of the form that helped win us the league and remains our top scorer. So we are in limbo and will probably continue to be so until Vardy is either sold or is clearly losing his potency and pace (irrespective of tactics). There are loads of other tactical areas that need considering and changing, but this is the big one I feel.
Not a single supporter would change a thing about our glorious title winning season, and if that means ‘penance’ in the form of indifferent midtable wandering for a few seasons afterwards then by God alive we will take that. There is just the frustration that, following that miracle, we couldn’t make the most of it and really do something extraordinary with that opportunity – lets face it, it isn’t likely to ever happen again!
Rob (or is it?!), Leicester
Merson
I think Mediawatch missed a trick reviewing the mighty Merse.
‘Now they’ve got to go for the league too but I just don’t think they’re good enough. They’re hot and cold, you’ve got to be consistent. One minute they’re getting well-beaten by West Ham, but then they’re well-beating Chelsea. The manager’s got to be scratching his head.’
Mediawatch failed to spot our ‘Hero’ has moved on from the bag of revels. ‘Hot and Cold’, ‘consistent’, applaud the man for moving on. Finally…
He’s going to say bag of revels again this weekend isn’t he?
Rob, Gravesend
Neutral shmeutral
Hello,