As I write this, Facebook is down. Writing this new Monday Morning Newsletter has brought the curse of Rog to Zuckerberg. I swear I had nothing to do with Ozy Media though.
I am going to jump into the big storylines of the Premier League in a moment, but would be remiss if I did not touch upon the continuing trauma of the NWSL situation after the harrowing revelations about Paul Riley’s sexual misconduct and the subsequent enabling and cover-up across the league. We talked in-depth about this darkness uncovered by Meg Linehan’s incredible reporting on Monday’s pod. After a weekend in which all the games were cancelled, a league which has long been under-reported by the media was thrust front and center for the most heinous imaginable reason. It now stands on the brink of losing the confidence of its players and diehard, deeply devoted base of fans. The future of the entire league is in real danger. This is not a situation which can be PR’d away with surface changes and a Comms strategy. The next steps must constitute real change and involve a diverse group of the players, first and foremost so they feel safe. That is the most important issue right now. Everything else is secondary. The league cannot sustain any more missteps of surface change which are immediately rubbished by their own stars like Midge Purce. This piece by Claire Watkins sums up where we are incredibly well.
Update: Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly were on the Today Show this morning with Alex Morgan alongside them. Their appearance was incredibly powerful. "It's so prevalent, it's not just this team, it's not just this coach, it's across the league, it's across this sport and we have to do something about it." -- Mana Shim. Watch it here
1. Quite Enormous Ted Lasso News
Ted Lasso' has struck a licensing agreement with the Premier League worth over $680K, as reported by The Athletic. This remarkable deal will allow the use of archived footage, team jerseys, and the league trophy in future episodes of the show. A testament to the impact of Apple TV’s show. The Premier League was initially not keen on its creation. The sweeping global popularity has had them change their tune. 😉
2. What we witnessed Mo Salah perform on Sunday was next level even by his standards
First of all. A heavyweight, Premier League clash which delivered and then some. A transcendent showcase of skill, tactical acumen, and above all, tenacity. In which all the goals were haymakers. One which both managers will walk away from believing they should have won. I will talk about Manchester City’s perspective in a moment. But Liverpool Football Club. To roughly paraphrase Julius Caesar, “I came to bury Liverpool but can only praise them.” What they achieved inside 90 minutes was that remarkable. To have a team as fearsome as Manchester City have both of their feet on your throat for 45 minutes, and then shake that off and have the confidence to unfurl your own style of brilliant football. Pep’s is cashmere. Klopp’s more studded leather jacket. But Mo Salah’s second goal was one which, as the Liverpool manager himself correctly quipped, will be “talked about in 60 or 70 years time.” Ballet as Sports. Dance Billy Dance! Break it down… there’s a Cha-Cha Slide in there. A Juju on Dat Beat. Some Scoop there it is. A goal so good it could win either Goal of the Season or Strictly Come Dancing.
3. I am increasingly convinced Phil Foden has Artificial Intelligence
You know those twitter videos where robots are shown to be able to dance or jump incredibly? That is what I think of when I see Phil Foden play. Tell me this spectacular blast – no-look to boot – smoked past the incredible Alisson was not Robocop-esque. Man is a Robot shorn of emotions. Think about it for a mo’. Also explains the haircut decision.
Two things for the record. City were unlucky not to have a one-man advantage. Milner should have gone. Only reason to let him off was for reasons akin to Lifetime Achievement Award. Also – in one of the best games I have watched this decade - my favorite moment was not a goal. Bernardo Silva’s run in which he picked Hendo’s pocket, then lazy mazy just humiliated the Liverpool midfield was almost more humanly beautiful, like Michelangelo’s David, for being imperfect.
4. Do we know anymore about who the title winner is?
No. Only thing for sure is, we are in for a Title Race for the Ages.
5. Manchester United are a loose assembly of superstar individuals who were shown up by Everton’s magnificent no-name collective
A mismatch summed up by the fact one team subbed in Ronaldo, Pogba and Sancho, and the other chucked Tom Davies, Mason Holgate, and Lewis Dobbin into the fray. Despite the incredible injury list he suffered, Rafa Benitez always has a plan, and team buy-in. United have neither – merely the belief that they can conjure something out of nothing – which leads to a lot of nothing. It is impossible to watch United without wondering how good they would be if Tuchel, Pep, Klopp or even Benitez were at the helm. They currently feel like the Ozy Media of Global Football.
Everton: Long live the Rafalution. As much as I loved, loved, loved King Andros Townsend’s goal and Ronaldo celly, his post match interview was almost as great. Give it a listen. When Townsend was asked how he has gotten his scoring touch back, he just laughed and said the truth: “You say back, but I have never had it.” Man is a testament to the truth we all just need to love and be loved. Both are happening to him at Goodison Park.
6. Chelsea needed that win. They are Top of the Table. It does not feel like it though
Perhaps exhuming Ross Barkley to be a game-changer in an hour of need is Tuchel’s greatest act as a manager. His first exquisite ball set up Dave to provide a chance Timo could not manage to cock up. Watching Chelsea with Ross Barkley feeding Rom Lukaku channels the spirit of Everton's 2016 squad. Roman just needs to add Aaron Lennon and Yannick Bolasie and the title will be theirs. In truth, TT needs to spend the international break working out how to gel his clenched-fist style of football to Rom’s strengths. He needs constant touches and the ball played often and quickly to his feet. He is currently getting neither.
7. Brentford are this season’s Sheffield United
What I admired about this game was that they showed they can emerge victorious with breathtaking counter-attacking football, but also play hand to hand collective gripple-grapple at a dark art level to undo Black-Belt David Moyes. Yes, West Ham may have had post Europa League heavy-legs, but what a moment, deep into NBC Sports Bonus coverage as that supersub Yoane Wissa, who scored within 4 minutes of coming on against Liverpool last week, did it again in the 94th minute. Wissa’s story is amazing. He had acid thrown in his face in July. Now he is starring in the Premier League for the best Bees since Samantha.
8. The World Needs more of this kind of Joy
My favorite moment of the weekend: Hwang Hee-chan scores his second of the game empowering South Korean commentators to rack up a record number of likes and retweets. I don’t speak Korean, but I understood every word of their joy.
That is it for today. We will be back with a Spotify Greenroom at the final whistle of USA-Jamaica on Thursday night and a Jagermeister Happy Hour Zoom for 100 GFOPs you can access via our newsletter. Until then, Courage.
AND LISTEN TO OUR BAND OF BROTHERS PODCAST: This one with Frank John Hughes is life-affirming. (New ep out Thursday)
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Courage.
