What a weekend. So much football. So. Bloody. Much. The last unbeaten team losing. Minnows rising up like ewoks. Managers being fired left, right and center. Christian Pulisic trotting back onto the field for the first time since August. Every game felt seismic. I will break down the big talking points below. But first, let’s revel in three truly human moments which really moved me.
i. Everton legend and assistant manager Duncan Ferguson responds to an Everton fan who drew a picture of him. This is just incredible. To me… this…THIS… is what football is all about.
ii. Trinity Rodman posts about the complex emotions she experienced as her father, Dennis, came to watch her play in her first NWSL playoff game. I thought this was so brave, honest and wonderful.
iii. Carli Lloyd’s Gotham FC were eliminated from the playoffs, which meant the US international legend has now played her last match. We were blessed to interview Carli on the eve of this moment, and her willingness to talk about the sacrifice and loneliness of her ascent was humbling to listen to.
To the Football
I have never seen United so outclassed in a Manchester derby
Liverpool may have beaten United 5-0, so City’s 2-0 victory does not sound as bad in comparison. But to me, this was worse. United played the role of Everton at their loveliest in a Merseyside Derby. A team without hope or much of a plan, who just prayed they could land some kind of miracle haymaker. To play a back 5, and yet not prep that five with strategy of whom to pick up and when, was negligent self-sabotage. City were essentially able to park the bus – but park it in their opponents area, at Old Trafford, and humiliate their once-vaunted rivals in their own backyard, in front of their own agonized fans, and say: “We can do what we want to you, when we want to do it. We could smash you if we wanted, but you are not worth the effort.” What could be more emasculating than that?
It is all a bit like a story I have told on the pod before, about the rivalry between D.C. and New York, which was waged only in the pages of Washington D.C.’s City Paper. Every year, the City Paper would run a special edition about “Who was winning the NYC v D.C.” rivalry over which was the cooler city. Every year D.C. would somehow edge it. Living in Adams Morgan, D.C. at the time, I was fascinated by it, until I moved to New York City and discovered that no one there… NO ONE… was having this discussion. They did not think about D.C. at all. That is what the City-United rivalry felt like on Saturday. It was that one-sided.
What now for United? Not much is going to change…
Managers are being fired everywhere in the Premier League… but not at Old Trafford, where the media are being briefed “there are no plans to replace Ole,” causing Craig Burley to tweet that they could have stopped that sentence after “no plans.” Truth is, there are no elite managers available right now. United sat out Conte, fearing he would be Mourinho 2.0. Erik ten Hag is flavor of the season at Ajax, but he will not leave Ajax mid-campaign. Pochettino is exactly what United need – a culture builder – but he too won’t leave. So you either Ralf Rangnick-a-fireman-style-half-season interim caretaker, or stay pat, and pray the immense quality of your players can conjure football in magical moments that can scrape 4th position. A huge gamble. Especially as I watched Pep v Ole in the Manchester Derby and was reminded of that classic Trapattoni quote, "A good manager makes a team 10% better and a bad manager makes it 30% worse." In today’s modern elite football, as we saw on Saturday, the percentages are more, much more than that.
One interesting read about the state of modern football and what is wrong with United. United’s social media director talks about pulling fan sentiment to work with players to counter the narrative.
11 Games into the Season. 5 managers fired. Why?
Farewell Daniel Farke at Norwich and Dean Smith at Aston Villa. Two men who achieved iconic status at their clubs. I met babies in Norwich who were named after Farke in the good times.
The international break is now Squid Game for managers. The mere hint of relegation demands a change of horses and riders, because the financial risk is that great. Farke was fired after a win. Dean Smith after five straight losses. I feel for Smith immensely. He was a childhood Villa fan whose father had been a steward at the club, and led them managerially to great times. The arrival of Buendia, Bailey, and Ings, financed through the Grealish money, were meant to lead to next level great things, yet injuries revealed the thinness of the Villa squad. He departs beloved.
The rumored arrivals of the likes of Frank Lampard at Norwich and Steven Gerrard at Villa will send narrative next level. Prepare for babies across Norwich to be named “Super Frank.”
Eddie Howe at Newcastle is the oddest of matches
Eddie Howe is a decent man. Perhaps that is what earned him the Newcastle job. This one feels like when Fagin brought in Oliver Twist. Howe talks about himself as a learner who likes to lead a learning organization. There are few clubs that fit that bill less than the Toon. The squad needs so much help. Howe has nine more games until the transfer window opens. One note that is fascinating: While at Bournemouth, he quit to join Burnley but lasted only 20 months, citing his family’s inability to settle up North. Newcastle is a wonderful city. It is way, way up North.
Conte is about to go Medieval on Spurs
After a 0-0 at Everton in which both teams played in a puddle of their own self-confidence, Antonio Conte must have a real sense of just how medieval he is going to have to go on this Spurs project. His team has failed to muster a shot on target in their last 227 minutes of Premier League football. The Spurs of Kane and Son. Expect Two-A-Days and Three-A-Days as Conte introduces his players to his instruments of torture. A serial winner at a team that has been a serial non-winner. Something has to give. I appreciated this GFOP tweet from @Curley_MD
Arsenal: Get carried away Gooners. Get very carried away
Spotting the rest of the league a 9-point head start and charging right back to 5th place. It is remarkable how Mikel Arteta has played this season of Hare and Tortoise. Or Hair Helmet and Tortoise. Emile Smith Rowe’s third in three games was enough to prevent Auba from self-sabotaging everything with his missed penalty and stealing a certain goal from Odegaard by tapping it in on the line from an offside position. Liverpool and United away in two of the next three games. So much to feel optimistic about as an Arsenal fan. A young team bedding in. A defence that can play football at both ends of the park. Ramsdale. Producer Jonah texted “history tells me not to get carried away here. But I'd describe the Arsenal good vibes right now as germinating. I’m getting carried away. Very carried away.”
USA! USA! USA!
As I type, the US Men’s National Team squad are Avenger Assembling in Cincinnati to do battle against Mexico. No Gio or Sergiño Dest, both out with injury. Joe Scally incoming! I wish John Brooks had been picked, despite a dip in form. Veteran experience is in short supply, and he could have added some to this Children’s Crusade. The good news of course is Christian Pulisic is back. This Mexico game is going to be the real test for both squads. Different to the matches we won over the summer – the Gold Cup with our B-Team and the Nations League, which is a new tournament without meaning. This one will be a true barometer for progress. I wish our gents strength. Confidence, belief, and godspeed. Roll on Friday.
Heads up: Tyler Adams debuts in American Dreams Presented by Budweiser
Our digital series and podcast drops Wednesday. It is a beautiful interview with the man who has been the heart and soul and brain of this US campaign so far, Tyler Adams talks about the secret to making dreams real, the joys of leadership, and just how far this Baby Eagles team can go.
MiB INCOMING
We will be back on Spotify Greenroom this week at our regular day and time of Wednesday at 7 PM ET. To make sure you never miss a Spotify Greenroom, download the app here. Give us a follow (in People, not Groups), turn on your notifications and never miss a show. And a second piece of news… The Men in Blazers Season Eight Premiere, which aired Sunday on NBCSN, is available now on Peacock, where all of our episodes will live this season. It is me and my new Dad, Rafa Benitez. Next show is November 21st at 3 PM, starring the magnificent Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who is proper Leeds.
Courage
ROG
