Football news - The Warm-Up: Is Mauricio Pochettino right about preparation or just making excuses?
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Updated 05/03/2019 at 09:03 GMT
Plus: Gary Neville tells Liverpool to lose a game: is it just one big Jedi mind trick?
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Tottenham Hotspur Press Conference and Training on March 4, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany.
Image credit: Getty Images
TUESDAY’S BIG STORIES
Does Mauricio Pochettino have a point?
When a manager complains about something there is a tendancy to write it off simply as that, to just try tuning out the high-pitched whining and think they’re just looking for excuses.
There might be an element of that with Mauricio Pochettino in this case: maybe not complaining so much, but playing down expectations ahead of their Champions League last 16 second-leg against Borussia Dortmund, because everybody expects the team with the 3-0 lead to simply cruise through without breaking sweat.
But, like others have done before him, he might have a point in this case. With apologies for the length, here is Pochettino’s complaint, about the relative lack of preparation time English teams tend to have in comparison to their continental opponents.
It’s impossible in this type of game, the last 16 of the Champions League – with how important it is – that one team have 24 hours more than the other to prepare. I think it is massive. I don’t understand that both clubs are not going to arrive in the same situation. It is not the same to have 24 hours more or less to prepare for the game. We must prioritise different things and we cannot work on the pitch. It is not fair for the players and for the team who compete with a massive disadvantage. We need help from the FA, we need help from the Premier League, and it’s true they need to be more sensitive to this type of situation. It’s difficult already and it’s going to be more difficult. Look what happened with Rennes in the Europa League. They cancelled their game at the weekend to help provide Rennes [with more time] to play against Arsenal. In Europe the FAs are more sensitive. It is a problem that we need to change if we want to help the English clubs be stronger in the competition.
Will the extra 18 hours or so that Dortmund had, after playing their last league game on Friday night, really make that much difference? We’ll find out tonight.
Should Liverpool chuck the Champions League?
Granted, the following is an idea from Gary Neville when discussing Liverpool, so treat it with whatever caveats you see fit, but it’s something to consider. Should Jurgen Klopp’s side even bother trying to get through against Bayern Munich in the Champions League tomorrow night, in order to benefit their Premier League title run?
Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast:
I’m going to say it: go out against Bayern Munich. That sounds like madness. Of course, you’d never play to lose a game but it will be in Liverpool’s favour if they have a clean run as they can get everyone fresh. City have got a couple of FA Cup games, where Liverpool could go five or six points in front. That’s tough to pull back in the closing weeks.
He has a point. Liverpool have looked a little nervous and tired in recent weeks, and getting rid of some obligations might help that along.
But, then again, it is Gary Neville telling Liverpool they should lose a game, so…
England could win something…
While brother Gary is spouting off about Liverpool, Phil Neville is busy in America. England Women could be the first England team to win anything significant since 1966 if they beat Japan tonight in the SheBelieves Cup, in a ‘winner-takes-all’ affair in Tampa, Florida.
Having beaten Brazil and drawn with the USA, England can take the trophy with a victory, and you wouldn’t bet against them with players like Steph Houghton in their side.
From the start in the game against Brazil, when we went 1-0 down, to [against the USA], when we went 1-0 down, our responses are unbelievable. We don’t ever get down on ourselves because we know the quality that we’ve got and in offensive moments we can cause some damage.
Hear that? It’s the potential for tangible achievement. What a world.
IN OTHER NEWS
Former PSG player and football’s premiere Larry David lookalike says that he won’t be able to get tickets to their game against Manchester United on Wednesday because they’re more fussed about getting famous people, like Leo Di Caprio, in. Ouch.
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Younousse Sankhare
Presumably, like the Warm-Up, you had been sick with worry about the absence of Bordeaux midfielder Younousse Sankhare. Well, worry no more: or at least you now know why he’s been out of the team for the last few weeks.
It’s because apparently he suffered an adverse reaction to some beard implants.
Honestly, we didn’t even know beard implants was a thing you could do, so absolutely hats off to Mr Sankhare for coming up with the single stupidest reason for a player to miss a game since Santi Canizares missed the 2002 World Cup after dropping a bottle of aftershave on his foot.
Zero: Jonathan Barnett
Having a gobby agent who’s happy talking to the media at every opportunity must be a little like having an embarrassing parent. But rather than just shouting “MMMUUUUUUUUUUUUMMM!!!” and running to their room, footballers have to deal with the consequences of what their agents say.
So we assume that Gareth Bale’s Mr 10%, Jonathan Barnett, probably didn’t help matters when he responded to a question from ESPN about the Real Madrid fans booing his boy thusly:
The fans are a disgrace. They will be speaking about him and his goals for years to come. The press are also a disgrace, but less important.
HAT TIP
Jordan Henderson was unequivocal about how Liverpool would handle the slip from leaders to chasers in the title race. “It will not change our mindset,” the Liverpool captain said at Goodison Park where, on the streets outside, Evertonians rejoiced not in a goalless draw from the 233rd Merseyside derby but depriving their rivals of two precious points in pursuit of the Premier League crown. The midfielder’s message was upbeat but not reassuring. It is form, not mindset, that Liverpool need to change.
Bottle jobs! Chokers! Losers! The whole world seems to be lining up to write Liverpool off in the title race, but Andy Hunter in the Guardian takes a more measured approach.
RETRO CORNER
Given they’re heading for League One, it feels a little cruel to remind them of this. But 24 years ago today, Ipswich Town were pumped 9-0 by Manchester United.
And as it turns out today is a big day in Ipswich’s history…
COMING UP
Will Spurs hold their nerve and not throw away a three-goal lead in Dortmund or will they make a complete Spurs of it? Elsewhere, Real Madrid’s tie with Ajax is more finely poised and there’s a big game for Frank Lampard in the Championship, as Derby face Wigan.
Introducing the author of tomorrow’s Warm-Up: making his big debut, it’s Mr Ben Snowball. Be kind to him.
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