Jonathan Liew's Blog, page 101

Manchester United's inconsistency and Giroud's fab four – Football Weekly Extra

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Liew and Marcus Bean to discuss United, Oliver Giroud and question if Pablo Picasso is French. Plus; Archie Rhind-Tutt joins us for all things German football

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PSG beat Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford, leaving their Champions League group with Leipzig very much in the balance, but how much of the blame can be sent Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s way?

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Published on December 03, 2020 07:16

Does Maradona's greatness really have to stand in opposition to something else? | Jonathan Liew

Lionel Messi’s tribute to his fellow Argentinian was strangely moving, an acknowledgement of a debt owed to the previous generation of players

It’s a tribute, but there’s more to it than that. It’s a shirt, but there’s more to it than that, too. For a fleeting moment, as Lionel Messi stands at the Camp Nou in 2020 wearing the No 10 jersey that Diego Maradona wore for Newell’s Old Boys in 1993, past and present are aligned. Messi isn’t just paying homage to Maradona; in that moment he is Maradona, two as one. Then, as if re-entering the earthly plane, he slips his Barcelona jersey back on and dutifully collects his yellow card.

So yes, here we are: another paean to Maradona, this time – usefully! – from someone who never actually saw him play. I have a few vague, pointless memories of the 1994 World Cup, a tournament at which I later learned Maradona was not – pharmaceutically speaking – at his purest vintage. But this isn’t a personal history, or any sort of history, or really very much about Maradona at all. It’s about football now; about magic and where you find it; about joy, and how you pass it on.

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Published on December 01, 2020 00:00

Edinson Cavani could face three-game ban as FA investigates social media post

FA to look into Instagram story post which uses ‘negrito’ termCavani will face minimum three-game ban if found guilty

Edinson Cavani, the Manchester United striker, could face a three-game ban if the Football Association deems that he used discriminatory or racist language in an Instagram story shared from his account on Sunday evening.

The FA has confirmed it is investigating the post, which was published shortly after United’s 3-2 win against Southampton, in which Cavani scored two goals after coming on as a half-time substitute.

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Published on November 29, 2020 16:16

Solskjær hails Cavani's impact for Manchester United in comeback win

Manager praises Uruguayan after winner at Southampton‘Cavani is very hard to defend against,’ says Hassenhüttl

Ole Gunnar Solskjær believes Edinson Cavani is giving Manchester United’s attack a dimension they have lacked since the departure of Romelu Lukaku. Cavani came on at half-time against Southampton with United 2-0 down and inspired them to a 3-2 victory with two goals and an assist. And afterwards the manager praised the impact and professionalism of the 33-year-old Uruguayan signed on deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain.

“He’s got all the attributes of a top-class footballer,” said Solskjær. “He’s had a great career and scored goals wherever he’s been. He’s so meticulous with his preparation, with his recovery. And to have that focal point in the box: we haven’t really had that since Romelu left [in 2019].”

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Published on November 29, 2020 10:14

Edinson Cavani on target as Manchester United fight back to beat Southampton

The early signs, it has to be said, were not auspicious. As the whistle blew at the start of the second half, Manchester United’s substitute was still at the side of the pitch, fiddling with his bootlaces. On the game went, with Edinson Cavani still on his haunches adjusting his footwear. And with United 2-0 down against a bold and well-organised Southampton side, this little vignette felt like a microcosm of United’s afternoon: a ragged, expensive shambles.

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Published on November 29, 2020 08:14

Frank Lampard resists title talk but knows intensity of Chelsea demands

As Roman Abramovich racks up his 1,000th game, the Russian’s favourite player, now manager, faces José Mourinho’s Spurs with the owner’s support – but knowing he is hard to satisfy

Sunday’s game against Tottenham will be Roman Abramovich’s 1,000th as Chelsea owner. There probably won’t be a cake. Nor should we expect much in the way of a lavish presentation, given that the supreme leader himself hasn’t been glimpsed at a home game in two and a half years. And yet as Abramovich watches on from afar – presumably from his Moscow palace, surrounded by objets d’art and luxury snacks – he may reflect that this is a curiously appropriate fixture to mark the occasion. It is, after all, a meeting between the two men who have arguably defined his 17 years in English football more than any other. His favourite player, and his favourite manager.

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Published on November 28, 2020 00:22

Adam Hills: 'Tacklers know which foot I'll step with – only one works'

The Australian comic has found physical disability rugby league with Warrington and hopes to appear in a world cup next year

Adam Hills will not do stand-up gigs on a Tuesday night. Some time ago, he told his agent to stop booking them. Instead, every Tuesday afternoon he will leave his house in London, catch a train north to Warrington and spend a couple of hours getting smashed to bits. Then he goes home.

Over the last few years, it is a hobby that has cost him thousands in train fares, a broken ankle and on one occasion his consciousness, after he was laid out on the turf by a hit. But it has also given him hours of pleasure, a sense of purpose, a cause and a community. And it is why a 50-year-old comedian and television presenter now finds himself on the verge of fulfilling his lifelong dream of playing in a rugby league world cup.

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Published on November 27, 2020 03:49

Solskjær takes the handbrake off but can he do it when it really matters? | Jonathan Liew

Manchester United’s sparkle early on against Istanbul Basaksehir was eye-opening yet even in victory there remain questions

Up in the Old Trafford stands sat Sir Alex Ferguson: quiet and discreet, 80 next year, watching the game in a suit and tie and a club-branded mask. There was no furious chewing of gum, no swearing at the fourth official. And in a way, to glimpse the present-day Sir Alex through a shaky television long lens is to be reminded of the extent to which his genius was grounded in performance. For Ferguson, management was theatre: the taps on the watch, the press conference mind games, the affected fits of anger. Ferguson understood, as did so many of the game’s great coaches, that the bigger you made yourself, the bigger the shadow you cast.

In a way, this was the best way of understanding United’s triumph here: a 4-1 victory over Istanbul Basaksehir that was effectively sealed in the first 20 minutes, and less effectively protected in the last 20. The underlying numbers will tell you just how threatening Istanbul were at times: taking 13 shots to United’s 14, enjoying long spells of possession, moving the ball smartly up the flanks. But to a large degree, this was not a game about underlying numbers.

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Published on November 25, 2020 00:00

England's veneration of Eoin Morgan may cause complications when he steps down | Jonathan Liew

The white-ball captain is adored by all but he will not be in charge forever and a succession plan will need to be in place

A quick quiz question: without looking it up, what do you remember about Eoin Morgan’s contribution to the 2019 World Cup final? The more retentive of you will recall his scratchy innings of nine from 22 balls. Perhaps you remember his quirky dismissal, caught brilliantly at deep point to leave England 86 for four. For a good many of you, I’ll wager, the answer is almost nothing at all.

In fact, Morgan’s role in that final was one pieced together largely in retrospect. The soft-focus images of Morgan holding the trophy aloft against a backdrop of flames. The memorable press conference in which he attributed England’s triumph to their diversity and claimed Allah had been with them. The numerous end-of-year retrospectives and pandemic-inspired nostalgia features in which Morgan, as captain, was naturally the most sought-after guest.

Sam Curran (pictured) had the rare opportunity of chasing down two winning targets in one innings as England made the most of their final warm-up before facing South Africa.

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Published on November 23, 2020 11:15

Cycle of impatience and change leaves Arsenal still searching for an identity | Jonathan Liew

Stalemate at Leeds illustrates how Mikel Arteta is struggling to get the best from his expensively assembled squad

Fair play to Arsenal: if this is all a devious ploy to inflate Mesut Özil’s transfer value before the January window, then it’s working a treat so far. While Arsenal again struggled to create, their best creator was on Twitter having an argument with Piers Morgan. Their record signing was sent off for a sneaky off-the-ball headbutt in a venue with 38 live cameras and video replay technology. Against a promoted team, they spent most of the closing minutes pleading with the referee to blow the final whistle. Meanwhile, they remain 11th in the Premier League.

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Published on November 22, 2020 12:40