The Warm-Up: Don't even think about kicking that bottle
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Updated 28/12/2018 at 08:58 GMT
Forget all the other stuff: just be reminded that Philip Brown is back, back, back baby...
Arsenal manager Unai Emery gestures with the fourth official after he kicked a bottle into the crowd
Image credit: Reuters
FRIDAY’S BIG STORIES
A dive is fine but kicking a bottle? Absolutely not!
Look, the Warm-Up is well aware that we’re quite close to sounding like your dad after one too many Christmas liveners, but the FA’s retrospective action department really did excel themselves on Thursday.
Firstly, they decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest that Mo Salah dived to win a penalty for Liverpool against Newcastle, despite multiple TV camera angles showing Mo Salah diving to win a penalty for Liverpool against Newcastle.
But secondly, there apparently was enough compelling evidence for them to charge Unai Emery after he kicked a water bottle in frustration, which sort of hit a Brighton fan during Arsenal’s draw with the Seagulls. Emery apologised, and nobody seems to have been hurt, but that’s of no interest to the pencil-lickers who make these sort of calls.
Sure, there are probably all sorts of procedural issues which meant they had to take these courses of action, and Jose Mourinho was also charged with something similar to the bottle thing so there was precedent to follow.
But even if they were following the law to a T, the FA would look like complete chumps with just one of these decisions, never mind both of them set side-by-side to make them look like double-chumps. But, it seems, they’re more than happy to be as chumpy as you like.
Felipe Anderson digs West Ham out of a hole
Felipe Anderson is proving to be one of the most enjoyable players of the season. Capable of that brand of anonymity where you genuinely forget not only that he’s on the pitch but that he’s a West Ham player, a professional footballer and a sentient human being, but also capable of the most profound, game-changing brilliance…he’s the Warm-Up’s sort of player.
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Felipe Anderson of West Ham United celebrates after he scores his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium on December 27, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom
Image credit: Getty Images
Regard West Ham’s game against Southampton: they were losing 1-0, until Anderson decided to change that, he promptly scored two goals and they claimed the win.
Not that Manuel Pellegrini was entirely impressed, saying of his winger: “I continue to think he will improve. He gives away too many balls, maybe because he has to understand the Premier League is difficult.” Sheesh, there really is no pleasing some people, eh?
Nasri heading back to the Premier League
Speaking of West Ham, Anderson might have some more competition for a spot in the team if they sign Samir Nasri: and reports on Thursday indicated that they would be doing exactly that.
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Sevilla's Samir Nasri celebrates scoring a goal
Image credit: Reuters
Nasri is in the last few days of an 18-month doping ban, and has been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Antalyaspor earlier this year, but thanks to a few injuries here and there, the Hammers are in need of a little help and will apparently offer Nasri a contract worth around £80,000-a-week until the end of the season, then see how things have gone from there.
Will this work? Is it the last act of a desperate team? Will he still have that silly peroxide hair? These are all crucial questions, the answers to which will be revealed in the fullness of time.
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Phil Brown
Just in case you missed this glorious Christmas present…
Passion. Honour. Glory. Philip Brown. Philip Brown.
Zero: Filippo Perucchini
Look, we really are sorry to make things worse for you here Filippo, but…yikes.
HAT TIP
The call came, a five-minute warning, and then the bombshell landed. It did so about the same time as Aeroflot flight 2501. In the long, slow queue at Sheremetyevo airport were staff from a Spanish radio station: presenters, reporters, producers, technicians, arriving in Russia to cover a World Cup they still thought Spain could win. “Julen Lopetegui’s gone to Real Madrid”, someone told them, standing there, watching the first message appear on his screen. “Nah, no way” came the reply. But their phones too flickered into life, beeping frantically, and, bloody hell, it was true. It couldn’t be – not now – but it was.
With 2018 coming to an end, Sid Lowe in the Guardian takes us over one of the most extraordinary events of the year – Julen Lopetegui and Spain’s implosion at the World Cup.
RETRO CORNER
And on a similar theme, ‘this summer’ might be a pretty loose definition of ‘retro’, but any excuse to watch this absolute clinic in montage-making by the BBC, about England beating Colombia on penalties at the World Cup.
COMING UP
No football today. This is just the time to limber up for Saturday and Sunday and Tuesday and Wednesday when there’s flippin’ loads of the stuff. Lovely.
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