PATRIO GAMES
The battle between club and country has come a long way. It only hit the headlines in the 1990s when Alex Ferguson withdrew his entire first-team squad, under-14s and canteen staff from the upcoming international break. Now it’s about something more sinister. Ben White, a man who had the audacity to be born with the name of the predominant color in the St George’s Cross flag, has turned down the chance to sit and watch other people play for England. Worse still, he did this on this of all weeks, when the ink on that Photoshop wasn’t even dry yet.
Yes, the news about White – who Football Daily thought had been put to bed in 2022 – sparked a startling response from the minority of demented patriots who dutifully thank king and country after every orga$m, and who find the solution to what kind think of a problem. of mental health issues or neurological differences is stiffening the old upper lip, breaking out a few bars of We’ll Meet Again in the shower and just being a little more normal. (We won’t mention them by name, because they are human beings, and no human being deserves an uproar from our 1,057 pedants over something so damn trivial.)
The idea that White has to explain something that is a) private and b) often impossible to put into words because it comes from the gut., is especially strange. White will now enter the biggest two months of his career knowing that he is wanted for treason, and that to some people he is no better than the guy who deliberately dodged the draft in 1916 by eating himself out of the fight. The difference is that White has opted to miss friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, not a five-year fixture against the Central Powers.
And let’s face it, this sanctimonious froth makes it even less likely that he’ll ever change his mind. So perhaps by reducing England’s chances of winning Euro 2024 just to fulfill their narcissistic obligations, people [come on, you said you wouldn’t name them, you’re nearly there now – Football Daily Ed] should also be done for treason.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The staff knows how much I love football. If there’s a ball in front of me, I always play with it, whatever it is: a tennis ball, a small float – whatever. Or I make a ball out of socks. They said, ‘You’re not quite at the stage of kicking balls yet.’ On my first lap around the field one of the players tried to give me the ball and I just had to leave him. It was heartbreaking” – Coventry’s Callum O’Hare tells Ben Fisher about the pain of 303 days on the sidelines and why he can’t wait to join Wolves in Scrappy Do style in their FA Cup quarter-final.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
I don’t understand why anyone would question the complexity of the draw for next season’s Grand Cup (yesterday’s Football Daily). We have the perfect solution for every pulling need. I am of course referring to the brilliant performance of the all-new Rod Stewart who selected one half of the teams in the fifth round of the 2016-2017 Scottish Cup. I’m sure Rod can pick any number of teams at once if UEFA requires it. But please don’t let Alan Stubbs, sober and fit, do the other teams: he fell into the classic trap of not being sure whether he had drawn No. 6 or No. 9” – Ken Muir.
Well said, Russell Pulford (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), but you know, for now you could watch the Irish league on the BBC and hear the great David Jeffrey wax lyrical about some exciting, fair and passionately played matches . And then just go to the nearest club you can find and, for a few quid, watch… say Golcar United’s epic 13-penalty semi-final against Emley. Top football fans are like those guys who go to F1 in Ferrari baseball hats and admire the technical excellence of gearboxes from afar. Have some fun. It’s the best game in the world” – Jon Millard.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our Prizeless Letter of the Day is…Ken Muir.
THE ROAD TO WEMBLEY
Following their win over Leeds, we follow Chelsea on our FA Cup journey [don’t @ us – Football Daily Ed]. They take on another Championship high-flyer, Leicester City, at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping that a win will give his expensively put together but nervous young pups a chance at a happier visit to Wembley than the heartbreaking visit they had in the Milk Cup final against Liverpool. “It will be huge for us to beat Leicester,” he roared. “Some players didn’t sleep the day before the match [Fizzy Cup] definitive and that is about experience in these situations and it must be improved. For us it will be huge to compete in the final and play in Europe through the FA Cup. We have learned through experience and through pain [of defeat] we learn more.” However, Chelsea’s players won’t have any sleepless nights when they face a certain Foxes legend: Jamie Vardy is missing with a “little problem”.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Harry Kane returns to North London. Not sensational transfer news, but one of the focal points during Friday’s Grand Cup draw when Bayern played Arsenal in the quarter-finals. If successful, the Gunners will face the winner of the now annual showdown between Manchester City and Real Madrid in the semi-finals. That means [checks notes and raises eyebrow] one of Atlético, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Barcelona will play the final at Wembley on June 1.
A showdown between Klopp and Alonso in the Big Vase final is still on, honey, with Liverpool’s current and possible future managers separated in Friday’s draw. David Moyes could spoil all that if West Ham beat Leverkusen in the quarter-final. A big “if” there. Liverpool, who defeated Sparta Prague 11-2 in the last round, will face Atalanta in the last eight, while Benfica or Marseille await in the semi-finals.
Aston Villa’s route to the Tin Pot final involves beating Lille and either Olympiacos or Fenerbahce.
Back to home affairs. A decision will be made next week by the Premier League board on whether to accept the future takeover of Everton by 777 Partners.
In words that could come back to bite him, Erik ten Hag says he will not sell Marcus Rashford this summer. “We didn’t re-sign him to sell him for five years,” he barked.
The EFL has said it is “eagerly” anticipating the introduction of an independent regulator after lamenting the “repeated failures” of the Premier League to agree a financial reallocation deal.
And in news that will come as music to the ears of fans of Manchester United, Spurs and Aston Villa, English clubs are on the verge of securing a fifth place in the Big Cup next season, with UEFA experts offering a chance of 90% suggest the Premier League has an extra place to go. of the Bundesliga.
DO YOU WANT MORE?
Barney Ronay explains that Arsenal’s in-form Ben White’s refusal to make himself available for England shows a shift in loyalty towards clubs.
Callum Hudson-Odoi is finding his mojo again after a £3m move to Nottingham Forest. Jacob Steinburg meets Chelsea’s former golden boy.
There is also a three-way battle for glory in the WSL. Karen Carney says there is no room for error as Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal go head-to-head.
The new NWSL season is about to start in the USA, USA, USA. Our panel of writers makes their predictions.
Women’s football needs to take urgent action on the relationship between coach and player, writes Suzanne Wrack.
Ten things to watch out for this weekend in the Premier League and FA Cup. Get stuck in.
And with Ederson sidelined, Will Unwin thinks now is the time for Stefan Ortega to step up at Manchester City.
MEMORY LONG
Bill Shankly listens to the FA Cup draw on the radio with his Liverpool players at lunchtime on March 3, 1969. Emlyn Hughes, to his manager’s left, seems particularly pleased with what he hears. He would not smile again later that day when Liverpool were defeated 1-0 by Leicester in the fifth round replay at Anfield. They would have faced Mansfield in the quarter-finals.