The Warm-Up: Diego Costa sees sense, Pep Guardiola doesn't, Yaya Toure rejects megabucks

ByAlex Chick

Updated 18/01/2017 at 08:29 GMT

Chelsea's sane and sensible sorting out of the Diego Costa situation wasn't funny, but it was the sort of thing champions do.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa

Image credit: Reuters

WEDNESDAY'S BIG STORIES

Costa and Conte behave like reasonable humans

The brief outbreak of common sense at Stamford Bridge, as reported by Tuesday's Warm-Up, continues apace.

Premier League

Cole exclusive: Playing for Arsenal was 'living the dream', was 'angrier' at Chelsea

an hour ago

A day after reports that Antonio Conte will play the unsettled but excellent Diego Costa if his form in training merits it, come stories that the striker has made peace with the club after last week's bust-up and resumed training with the first team squad. He has reportedly agreed to put thoughts of a transfer to one side for the rest of the season and will concentrate on Chelsea's Premier League title bid.

Football's not as fun when people act like adults, but there's something rather refreshing about people resolving their differences sanely and logically.

Still, you can bet Costa's agent Jorge Mendes and China won't be strangers this spring.

Pragmatism 1, Idealism 0

Over at Manchester City, birthday boy Pep Guardiola and pragmatism remain total strangers.

Guardiola finds himself under increasing pressure to recall Joe Hart from his loan at Torino, and for good reason - he would instantly improve City, boosting their hopes of a top-four finish and success in Europe.

The Warm-Up is reluctant to call Claudio Bravo a waste of space for two reasons:

a) His great success with Chile and Barcelona suggest he is a good goalkeeper having a hard time.
b) He has conceded 14 goals from his last 22 shots faced, so can hardly be called a waste of space given he occupies so little of it.

Hart's loan contract reportedly contains no recall clause (What's the point? Why allow for the possibility Bravo might not work out? - but even if it did it's impossible to imagine Pep swallowing his pride and bring the Hartdog back, for that would be an admission of defeat. It would signify that short-term result matter more than The Project, and what's more it would be hugely, hugely embarrassing given the ostentatious way Guardiola drummed Hart out of the club.

And so while Chelsea are finding sensible ways to solve problems, Manchester City have an highly-experienced, highly-paid goalkeeper under contract who is far better than the one currently in nets... but they can't use him.

England's Joe Hart makes a save

Image credit: Reuters

Lincoln City and the Warm-Up - redemption after 21 years of hurt

Please excuse a personal reminiscence on a quiet Wednesday morning.

The Warm-Up had a school friend who was, and remains, a big Lincoln City fan - and so spent many happy hours at Sincil Bank in its formative years watching John Beck's route one merchants hoof it long to Gijsbert Bos.

In autumn 1996 Lincoln earned a gutsy 2-2 League Cup draw at Southampton, meaning a home replay.

Lincoln led the replay 1-0 until the 75th minute when Southampton scored a disputed penalty after a blatant dive (possibly) by Egil Ostenstadt, then Gordon Watson hit a late winner for the Premier League side.

As Watson scored a deflated hush descended, only for Warm Up Jr to break the silence by loudly yelping: "F*** OFF!"

Clearly, you're either born with a way with footballing words or you're not.

Anyway, it was lovely to see Lincoln on the right side of a cup replay last night, and even better that a match between teams ranked 34th and 93rd in the league ladder managed to delay the News at 10.

Lincoln City celebrate their FA Cup third round win

Image credit: Imago

IN OTHER NEWS

Yaya Toure's principled stand

Given his comments about Guardiola cost Yaya Toure half a season of football, you'd think Dimitry Seluk might want keep a low profile.

But football agents and tact are oil and water, so Seluk was on Sky Sports News yesterday claiming that Toure had rejected a €600,000-a-week offer to play in China.

Seluk said: "Yaya likes football more than money." Well, just as long as somebody does...

Highlights as Ghana beat Uganda 1-0

Alex Buttner razzes Gerrard

If Alex Buttner had been just a little bit better at football, his Bendtner-esque overestimation of his own ability might have got the audience it deserves.

Here he is yesterday: “My adventure with Manchester United was not a failure. Who can say that they have won the Premier League title? I can say that. Even Steven Gerrard hasn’t managed it. And he’s a celebrity.”

And let us never forget the time he claimed to have been man of the match 14 times in 28 appearances for United.

Everton's Romelu Lukaku (L) is challenged by Manchester United's Alexander Buttner during their English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park in Liverpool, northern England, April 20, 2014. REUTERS/Darren Staple

Image credit: Eurosport

HAT TIP

It's not the first time he's appeared here, nor the last - but here's David Squires on Graham Taylor with a lesson in how to make a tribute heartfelt but not mawkish.