The Warm-Up: Lionel Messi won't get an award, and people are cross
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Updated 04/09/2018 at 08:09 GMT
Plus there's a clip of Roberto Carlos kicking the ball really hard in here, so come and have a read...
Lionel Messi
Image credit: Getty Images
TUESDAY’S BIG STORIES
Messi left off the Fifa shortlist
Football tends to be quite unimaginative. Conservative, even. You try to think of something innovative, and generally you get laughed at. Take a look at Keysey and Graysey finding the idea of Liverpool trying to gain a little advantage by appointing a throw-in coach unendingly hilarious, for example.
So when Lionel Messi was left off the three-man shortlist for the Fifa player of the year, or whatever it’s specifically called these days, then people were not happy. You can search for some of the frothing reaction online if you want: frankly, we can’t be bothered, because it makes all of us just that little bit more tired than we already are. And that’s pretty tired.
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Lionel Messi, left, and Cristiano Ronaldo, right, pictured at last year's FIFA 'The Best' Awards in London, with Messi's wife Antonella Roccuzzo, centre
Image credit: PA Sport
Who cares, really? Messi has won loads of awards, and maybe for once it’s time to give someone else a little trophy. Sure, he’s been the best player in the world for over a decade, so if you want to get angry on his behalf then knock yourself out, but we’re sure he’ll struggle on without another recognition of his brilliance. We don’t think he’s that insecure.
Can Manchester United win the Premier League?
In the internet age, the quick answer to that question, before reading the arguments or considering it either way, would be “lol no.” And hey, perhaps the internet people have a point: after all, this is a team who have already lost two games when if anyone is going to outstrip Manchester City or even Liverpool this season, then they will probably have a maximum of four defeats to play with.
But let’s humour the idea for the moment. Marouane Fellaini reckons it’s on the cards, for one:
We have the quality, that’s for sure. The season is long. It’s the beginning of the season. The last two years we started very well. This season, a bit less, but the season is long so let’s keep going. The next game is more important than this one so let’s go with the national teams and come back very strong. In the Premier League everything is possible so let’s see. Like I said, the next game is more important than this one.
OK, perhaps that’s not the biggest ROAR of title intent. And what else was he going to say when someone stuck a microphone under his nose and asked him whether United could do it, or the next nine months are going to be a colossal waste of everyone’s time?
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Marouane Fellaini sous le maillot de Manchester United lors de la saison 2017-2018.
Image credit: Getty Images
But United do have the quality. They have David de Gea and Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez and Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku. Luke Shaw looks better these days. Nemanja Matic is solid. And yes, even Fellaini can do a job when required.
So let’s park the pessimism for a moment when it comes to United. Maybe they can win the league. It will take some effort to outstrip City, for sure, but what’s worth doing that doesn’t take a bit of effort? Maybe they can win the league.
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Jose Mourinho
Image credit: PA Sport
Still, we should state for the record, in case anyone thinks this is an official Eurosport position: Manchester United will not win the Premier League this season. Cheers.
Arsenal ‘learning like children’ under Emery, says Lacazette
We learn a lot but the manager says if we do this kind of thing [defensive mistakes] we can concede a goal. We did make mistakes because we are learning, like children. So it is OK, it is good. We will be better week after week.
Erm, no comment, Alexandre Lacazette.
IN OTHER NEWS
Here’s Roberto Carlos kicking the ball really hard. Look, what more do you want?
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Ronaldo
Frankly who knows why the Brazilian Ronaldo has chosen to become Real Valladolid majority shareholder, paying a reported €30million for his stake in the Primera Liga club. A desire to stay in the game? A shrewd investment? Something to do? “We want Real Valladolid to consolidate in the top flight and keep building hopes from there,” he said, after announcing his purchase. “It will not stop there because we want to grow to where our hopes allow us to.” All we know is, it’s good to have him back.
Zero: Raheem Sterling
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Raheem Sterling has won 44 England caps
Image credit: PA Sport
News reaches the Warm-Up that the treacherous Raheem Sterling has pulled out of the England squad. It’s because he’s ‘injured’ apparently. Injured? Pah! Let’s see him explain that to the brave soldiers who fought for king and country at the Somme! Sure, they’re all dead, so he won’t actually be able to explain it to them, but that’s not the point. This is just another example of the pampered, overpaid popinjays REFUSING to do their national duty. Injured? Unable to play because of physical impairment? What sort of excuse is that?
HAT TIP
It did not take long after Watford’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham for a typically opportunistic email from a certain bookmaker to pop into the inbox. “Are Watford The New Leicester?” read the heading, with odds of 500-1 offered on Javi Gracia’s men to repeat the “miracle of 2016”.
Could Watford be the new Leicester? No, obviously not, but let’s enjoy it while it lasts, writes Sachin Nakrani for the Guardian.
RETRO CORNER
International friendlies are usually pretty turgid affairs, but not on this day in 1999, when Belgium and the Netherlands played out a 5-5 (five-five!) draw. Drink it in.
COMING UP
Not much. It’s the start of international week, before the games have actually got started, so it’s broadly a fixtureless wasteland out there. Stay safe, kids.
Tomorrow’s Warm-Up will be brought to you by Alex Chick, who is always safe.
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