Football news - The Warm-Up: Dilly ding, dilly gone
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Updated 01/03/2019 at 08:20 GMT
Claudio Ranieri has joined the long list of Fulham managerial casualties, while Chelsea have somehow dodged a UEFA punishment...
Fulham Manager Claudio Ranieri
Image credit: Getty Images
FRIDAY’S BIG HEADLINES
Ranieri sacked by Fulham
After just 106 days and only three wins from 17 games, with 32 goals conceded, Claudio Ranieri has been sent packing from Fulham, with his framed picture of Jamie Vardy and pizza box signed by the old Leicester back four thrown hurriedly in a cardboard box as he was presumably escorted off the premises by Scott Parker.
When Ranieri landed the job in November, he was heralded by his new employer as “risk free and ready made for the Premier League". As it turns out, in roughly the same way as a rusted out old Cortina is risk free and ready for the motorway. Not only did Fulham not improve under Ranieri, they arguably got even worse.
They conceded more goals, two per game, after Ranieri arrived with a reputation for defensive nous. The football was dire, and perhaps most crucially, Ranieri appeared to have difficulties in his relationship with the enormously talented Ryan Sessegnon, as well as sending his brother Steven back to the youth ranks.
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Fulham's travelling supports expressed their feelings in the defeat at Southampton
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In fact, the more illustrious Sessegnon – a player, let’s not forget, who was tipped for an outside shot at England’s World Cup squad last year after scoring 15 goals in Fulham’s promotion season – started only seven games under Ranieri and was hauled off at half-time in no less than three of them. Instead of nurturing this talent, Ranieri decided to buy helicopter enthusiast Ryan Babel.
Chairman Shad Khan said in a statement:
Following our discussion this afternoon, Claudio Ranieri agreed to my decision that a change was in the best interest of everyone. Claudio's tenure at Fulham didn't produce the outcome we anticipated and needed when I appointed him as manager in November but, be assured, he is not solely to blame for the position we are in today.
That last sentence is certainly true, given Fulham's wild and seemingly unfocused transfer splurge this summer - coupled with the muddied thinking that has been a feature of their recent top-flight history.
Parker has been named as his immediate replacement and his first match in charge comes against his former club Chelsea at the weekend. Fulham are 10 points from safety with 10 games to go. Gulp.
UEFA drops Chelsea case
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Europa League - Group Stage - Group L - Vidi FC v Chelsea - Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary - December 13, 2018 Vidi's Szabolcs Huszti in action with Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi
Image credit: Reuters
A somewhat bizarre story now, with UEFA dropping a disciplinary case against Chelsea for alleged anti-Semitic chanting during a Europa League match against Vidi in December.
After initially charging Chelsea, UEFA has reportedly ended the disciplinary proceedings due to a lack of evidence.
Which is strange, as there was enough evidence on the night in question for Chelsea to release a statement condemning their own supporters in forthright terms: "Any individuals that can't summon the brainpower to comprehend this simple message and are found to have shamed the club by used using anti-Semitic or racist words or actions will face the strongest possible action from the club."
Not for the first time, UEFA have missed a chance to send a real message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.
Valencia set up Barca final
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Dani Parejo, captain of Valencia CF celebrate the pass to the final with their fans during the Copa del Rey match between Valencia CF and Real Betis
Image credit: Getty Images
The Copa del Rey final has been set after Valencia beat Real Betis 1-0 on Thursday night for a 3-2 aggregate win which sets up a meeting with Barcelona on May 25.
Rodrigo Moreno scored the only goal of the game for Valencia - you can read a full report here.
Maybe it had something to do with this pre-match welcome:
IN OTHER NEWS
In case you missed it, Maurizio Sarri now has an inventive way to respond to reporters who ask him if his job is safe...
The next step is to start picking apart their articles directly. “I see in your latest back-page lead you had three split-infinitives and mistakenly used the passive voice. Oh, and the headline didn’t work either.”
In other, In Other News, news, Manchester City yesterday signed a £650m, 10-year kit sponsorship deal with Puma. Maybe they can reinvest a tiny portion of that income in acting lessons for Vincent ‘wooden’ Kompany and David ‘hostage held against my will’ Silva.
IN THE CHANNELS
The sound of Sam Allardyce bellowing “build that wall” is probably a familiar one to the legion of players who have worked under him and been drilled hard in the art of set-pieces. But as it turns out, you’d probably be just as likely to hear it these days as part of a resounding endorsement of Donald Trump.
“He’s done more for America than we could probably imagine.” Just let that sink in.
HAT TIP
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Olympique Lyonnais' Norwegian forward and first woman Ballon d'Or Ada Stolsmo Hegerberg,
Image credit: Getty Images
We tried to solve it, we had meetings, but she decided not to play. As a coach, you need to focus on the players who want to be a part of the team and Ada doesn't.
Hands up who knew the Ballon d’Or winner was boycotting this summer’s World Cup?
Incredibly, that is the stance taken by Norway superstar Ada Hegerberg due to what she considers to be a lack of respect for female athletes in her home country.
The BBC shed some light on this amazing story via an interview with her coach, Martin Sjogren.
COMING UP
Can Leeds halt their stumbling form which Marcelo Bielsa definitely isn’t annoyed about when people suggest a post-New Year drop-off is a common factor in his career? Their game against West Brom is tonight - with highlights of that and all the other EFL action on Quest on Saturday!
Join Marcus Foley on Monday for his celebration of Arsenal's magnificent North London Derby win over Tottenham
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