BLUE ORDER
While the preparation and energy Everton fans put into protesting alleged corruption in the Premier League this weekend was commendable, some people are finding it difficult to understand what exactly they are so unhappy about. Everton are founders of the Premier League. Everton broke the rules of the Premier League. Everton admitted breaching Premier League rules. Everton were punished for breaking Premier League rules. So while Everton and their fans have every right to feel aggrieved by what they see as an excessively punitive sanction, it seems a little strange that they have decided that the body that imposed the sanction is “corrupt”. In any case, it could be argued that the decision to give one of their most established members a ten-point deduction is evidence that the Premier League is demonstrably balanced and fair. For now, Football Daily is holding off on judgment until we see what happens if Manchester City are found guilty of one or more of the 115 rules-breaking charges currently leveled against them.
Older, more jaded readers will remember that City claim to be in possession of irrefutable evidence proving their innocence, but for reasons best known to themselves and their lawyers, seem strangely reluctant to make it public. On Saturday and Sunday, Sky Sports showed similar restraint, going to great lengths to avoid broadcasting images of Everton fans’ protest banners above the Etihad or in the stands at Goodison Park. They even went so far as to reduce and sometimes replace the angry noises from the crowd at Goodison Park, to spare TV viewers the trauma of hearing unhappy fans shouting foul words. It seems fan anger is all well and good unless there is a risk of damaging the carefully polished Premier League brand.
Related: ‘Abuse of process’: Andy Burnham lashes out at Premier League Everton penalty
Few people in the Premier League are as enraged as Everton’s, and with everyone seemingly out to get them, their festering sense of resentment was expected to filter down to the players who put them on the line. field represented. With an in-form but out-of-shape Manchester United in town, many had predicted a win at Everton. What exactly no one had predicted was a potential goal from Alejandro Garnacho’s season hopeful, whose astonishing acrobatic howitzer within three minutes of kick-off caused outright delirium on the pitch and in the away game, as well as predictably nasty comparisons with similar efforts from other players, the kind of buzzkills who apparently can’t appreciate one nice thing unless it’s clearly better than everything else nice that has happened before. “I honestly can’t believe it,” Garnacho said. “I didn’t see how I scored, I just turned around and said, ‘Oh my God’. But yes, for me it is of course one of the best goals I have scored and I am very happy.”
Despite this early setback, Everton rallied and should have equalized or even been ahead by the time Ashley Young put the game beyond his own team by swinging a lazy leg for Anthony Martial in his own penalty area and take down the Frenchman. “The way the game is going, it’s bizarre to me,” groaned Sean Dyche, in his long post-match moan about the entirely legitimate penalty awarded for a flagrant foul by a player on his team. If club managers enjoy airing such misplaced and unlawful grievances, is it any wonder fans are willing to do the same?
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Daniel Harris at 8pm GMT for glowing minute-by-minute updates on Fulham 0-0 Wolves.
RIP TERRY VENABLES
Football mourned the death of Terry Venables this weekend, but across the country fans, pundits and players celebrated his life. Paul Hayward credits El Tel with saving English football from the island, while Jonathan Liew remembers him as a football romantic who made every player feel like a star. Richard Williams’ obituary names Venables as one of the sharpest minds of his generation, while this stunning gallery of images and video obituaries provide insight into the player, manager and personality who captured the hearts of the nation. And the Football Weekly podcast pays its own tribute to Venables here. RIP Terry, we will miss you.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It always hurts to lose, but even more so when it is like this and with an unfortunate action that has limited the team’s possibilities. Football does not forgive, but it does offer new opportunities. It’s Wednesday… let’s go for it!’ – Sergio Ramos is trying to put his 29th career red card behind him by focusing on Sevilla’s upcoming Big Cup match against PSV. He is so good at receiving red cards that he was even sent off twice. Kind of. His two yellow cards, which led to a first red card, were replaced by a direct red card after VAR intervention. He really is the doyen of an early bath. Watch all his broadcasts again here. Glorious stuff, Sergio!
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
For some reason I heard the subtitle in this Big Website piece in Alan Partridge’s voice. Anyway, for the Christmas tree formation, for Euro 96, for being a pundit and laughing and joking with Des on the day of the cup final, for winning La Liga with Barcelona when they have only done it in the last 24 seasons had won once, for living up to football heritage and being the last Spurs manager to win the FA Cup when the year ended in one and for managing Gazza, as far as anyone could do, thanks for the memories. RIP Terry Venables” – Honorable Francis.
Pep Guardiola would do well to fear a visit to Sincil Bank (Friday’s News, Bits and Bobs) as City have lost on their last two visits, including this thumping in 1997. To top it all off, we also won the second stage on Maine Road. . Oh, happy days. But try telling this to young people today and they won’t believe you” – Dr. Peter Storch.
I saw this on Big Website’s TV selections (sounds like a good idea, maybe FD could make a football selection!). If I don’t see Jonathan Wilson from wall to wall I will be very disappointed” – Mark Bennett.
Send any letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. The winner of today’s letter is… Noble Francis, who will receive a copy of Woman Up by Carrie Dunn. We have more to give away, so get typing.
• This is an extract from our daily football email… Football Daily. To get the full version, go to this page and follow the instructions.