CHRISTMAS WITHOUT THE KUIPERS
When the Fantasy Football League reboot rose like a phoenix from last year’s Flames on Sky on Friday nights, it was largely well received, even if a skit making fun of Nottingham Forest made it to the back pages of your invariably po-faced Daily Mail. In a segment gently poking fun at the newly promoted club’s influx of 29 summer signings, one of the presenters did an impersonation of Steve Cooper, doing little more than talking in a slightly cartoonish Welsh accent and wiping his eyelid half closed. He was subsequently excoriated by the Comedy Police for the heinous crime of “significantly altering his appearance” to belittle the manager in a skit deemed “cruel, crude and incredibly poorly judged”. Football Daily can only speculate as to how cruel and crude this very soft approach would actually have been had the Welsh comedian responsible for it not been a die-hard Swansea City fan whose well-documented love for Cooper is more powerful than 10,000 suns.
The recently dismissed forest manager, a likeable, apparently ego-free man of the people, without charisma or grace, was held in equally high regard by the regulars at the City Ground, not least for ending their 23-year exile from the Prime Minister. League, but also because he happens to be a very nice and modest man. With the exception of Marcelo Bielsa during his time at Leeds, few managers have been as unconditionally bombarded with love in recent years as Cooper. Books about the club, its fans and their relationship with this humble Welshman who brought them back to the promised land.
While you could argue that the decision to get rid of him while Forest were five points clear of the drop zone was cruel, rude and incredibly poorly judged, it is believed that the lanyard-wielding, volatile Greek billionaire who sacked him was from a was a great class. I plan to replace Cooper for a while. It was for that reason that his resignation on Tuesday was greeted with wistful sadness, but without great surprise. Cooper is already being touted as a potential replacement for Roy Hodgson when the Crystal Palace manager returns – or is put out to pasture – and is likely to be highly sought after and not out of work for long.
Nuno Espírito Santo was already in place to take charge of Forest after Saturday’s home defeat to Bournemouth, but it is now up to Nuno Espírito Santo to take the club into the upper reaches of the Premier League, where their ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis feels at home. The Portuguese, who was last seen on these shores failing to endear himself to Spurs fans during a brief and fruitless spell in charge, will have to sleep with half an eye open if his regime pulls off a similarly disappointing start knows.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Scott Murray from 8pm GMT for MBM’s exciting Milk Cup quarter-final coverage over Liverpool 3-1 West Ham, while Sarah Rendell will be on deck at the same time for updates from Häcken 1-2 Chelsea in Women’s Big Cup.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I feel very normal, which I love. I take the tram to [Manchester City] during my training it feels like I’m playing local football. I definitely googled myself after the World Cup, but stuff like that – I try to stay out of it… to know who I am and not be too bothered by other people… I just try to be genuine and if that makes someone who wants to Pursue a dream, that will make me happy” – Australia’s Mary Fowler tells Caitlin Cassidy how Greater Manchester’s public transport system is helping to keep her grounded after a monumental year for her – and women’s football.
THE TOP 100
Whine about it if you want, but you’ll still want to click on the latest installment of our 100 Best Male Footballers of the Year, which is now counting down to that all-important number 41 spot.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
In a sport with more experts than 19th century India, every opinion from Rio Ferdinand (yesterday’s Football Daily) should be followed by a clip of him trying to beat Lionel Messi in the 2011 Big Cup final. Enjoy just like it man. I did” – Kev McCready.
Not just because I used to watch and love York City, but might I suggest that losing to York isn’t Citeh’s low point (yesterday’s Still Want More, full email edition)? I think playing the absolutely ominous Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia is probably the low point, and the way things are going there will only be more low points to come” – Jon Millard.
Mick Beeby (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) opens the floodgates by inviting further behavioral suggestions from players to expand VAR’s correction of ‘clear and obvious errors’. Have them restrict the use of nicknames, first names and inappropriate abbreviations on players’ shirts. It all started, if I remember correctly, when Cruyff Junior used ‘Jordi’, in an understandable desire to distinguish himself from his father. Unfortunately for him, he let his football do the talking” – Alan Giles.
Mick forgot to mention he was walking on his lawn and the music was loud after 5pm” – Mike Dax.
Send any letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. The winner of today’s letter is… Kev McCready, who will receive a copy of Matt Tiller’s excellent The Lion Who Never Roared, published by Pitch Publishing. Visit their bookstore here.
COLORFUL ENEMIES BECOME FRIENDS
♫ A time to forgive and forget ♫ Christmas is love, Christmas is peace ♫ A time to stop hating and fighting ♫
No, we didn’t expect to hear the lyrics to Cliff Richard’s festive 1988 hit Mistletoe and Wine either. But it’s what came to mind when we saw this image of PSV Eindhoven mascot Phoxy inviting his furry rivals from other Dutch clubs to the Philips Stadium for Christmas dinner. His message: “Rivalry is only something for during the match. Happy holidays, friends!” Yes, Phoxy!
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
In a Football Weekly podcast special, Max Rushden and co look at the World Human Rights Championship a year later and wonder: where are we now?
RECOMMENDED VIEWING
If your teenage kids aren’t as interested in nerdy information as you are, show them this video of the best football moments of 2023, featuring stunning goals, clumsy accidents, toddlers and dogs invading the pitches.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
The Lionesses have continued their grip on the Sports Personality of the Year trophy – Mary Earps has her gloves on the gong this year, following Beth Mead last year.
On the day matches resumed in Turkey after competitions were suspended after Faruk Koca punched referee Halil Umut Meler… Istanbulspor leader Ecmel Faik Sarialioglu apparently led his team off the field after a decision that went against them with their side 2-1 against Trabzonspor. The match was stopped. Sigh.
Fulham and Chelsea are through to the semi-finals of the Milk Cup after Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier and Everton’s Amadou Onana lost their lines in penalty shootouts (and, in the England defender’s case, also in extra time). Middlesbrough are also through to the last four after a 3-0 win over Port Vale. “We’re not stupid – we know whoever goes into the draw wants to play against us – but we have the chance to reach a final, an inspiration in itself,” cheered Boro boss Michael Carrick. “Sometimes the door of opportunity opens and I thought we went through it tonight.”
Forest Green continues to live their values by recycling managers at a global pace. However, it is good news for Troy Deeney, who has been handed his first managerial gig after David Horseman mutually agreed to go straight into the green bin.
Manchester City will take on Fluminense in the Club World Cup final on Friday after a 3-0 win over Urawa Red Diamonds in Jeddah. Rodri hopes winning the tournament can shake off the “very bad feeling in the dressing room” caused by the recent shakiness.
Neymar’s slow journey back from a cruciate ligament injury will not be completed in time for the Copa América next June, the Brazilian team doctor sighed.
And get your Plymouth Argyle 2024 calendar now! Starring new Stoke City manager Steven Schumacher.
MOVING THE GOAL POSTS
The latest edition of our sister email is out today and takes a look at Paris FC and its quirky plan to step out of the shadow of their super club neighbour.
A … ME ABOUT THE FUTURE
“We saw in chess how AI came up with some strange strategies that were difficult for humans to accept. They were counterintuitive, but ultimately they were right. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the arrival of AI in football… like going 2-4-4 instead of 4-4-2, for example. AI will provide very counter-intuitive solutions and strategies, but the outcome will be the same as in chess.” powered managerial cyborg.
DO YOU WANT MORE?
Here’s our appropriately festive Knowledge, featuring the first ever Christmas Day scorer, the pitch that became An Actual Ice Rink, plus the big name whose father was asked to do one on December 25.
Will Unwin investigates whether Forest’s appointment of Nuno is all a sideways move.
It feels like just yesterday everyone was saying West Ham were slow to spend The Declan Rice Money. Edson Álvarez is a big reason no one is laughing now, notes Ben McAleer.
Ryan Baldi is saving European soccer scouts a job by suggesting the top MLS targets for them next month.
And here’s a review from Peter Bradshaw on Next Goal Wins: Can Michael Fassbender be funny?
MEMORY LONG
At the Wimbledon Christmas Party in 1993, where Joe Kinnear is pictured enjoying the festivities. He seems to be having more fun than he did a few years later on Tyneside.