The Warm-Up: United respond to Jose, Aguero gets PFA XI call and Joey Barton: Football Manager
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Updated 19/04/2018 at 06:55 GMT
Adam Hurrey - sunburnt already - gets stuck into the midweek's big issues...
The Warm-Up: United respond to Jose, Aguero gets PFA XI call and Joey Barton: Football Manager
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THURSDAY’S BIG STORIES
United players back in Mourinho’s good books…just about
Jose Mourinho’s seven changes to his Manchester United side for the trip to Bournemouth last night were as much about keeping players on their toes as well as keeping legs fresh for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final. While Romelu Lukaku, a certain starter at Wembley, was on the bench, Paul Pogba (taken off before the hour of the defeat to West Brom) had no such luxury.
The response to that humbling at the weekend, in Mourinho terms, was something of a B+. United left with two goals, three points and a “good collective performance, with good responsibility and a great attitude”.
Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Antonio Valencia will likely slot straight back into the starting line-up against Spurs this weekend, but Alexis Sanchez – outscored by Chris Smalling since signing in January – could lose out to either Marcus Rashford or the Wembley-loving Jesse Lingard.
As always with Mourinho and United, there are as many questions as answers.
Aguero finally wins official respect of his Premier League peers
After seven seasons, three Premier League titles and nearly 150 goals, Sergio Aguero has finally managed to persuade his fellow professionals to find him a place in the PFA Team of the Year. As footballing mysteries go, it’s been a low-key one.
Aguero was joined by four of his title-winning Manchester City team-mates – Nicolas Otamendi, Kyle Walker, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva – while Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane completed the frontline for PFA’s first-ever departure from 4-4-2. Times are a-changing.
Rather tellingly, Manchester United and Chelsea provided just one player each – the peerless David de Gea and the often pedestrian Marcos Alonso – in what proved to be just another reminder of the rebuilding work they need to do this summer.
Joey Barton: Football Manager
“Joey Barton to take Fleetwood manager’s job once betting ban ends” is not the most promising headline to herald the start of one’s managerial career, but there we go.
Once Barton’s 18-month suspension from football ends, he’ll have a new challenge waiting for him in the middle of League One.
“I’m very excited by the challenge and the project at Fleetwood Town,” Barton said. “It’s a club I’ve known for a long time and a chairman I already have a very good relationship with.”
Ah, now it makes sense. Anyway, on with the platitudes.
“My first job in management was always going to be a big decision for me and I’m delighted with the opportunity ahead, I’m joining a club with big ambitions. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
It would be easy – almost too easy – to sneer at the prospect of Joey Barton: Football Manager even before it gets started, so let’s reserve judgement for now – so we can sigh about it when he leaves by mutual consent in October.
IN OTHER NEWS
With Liverpool’s Champions League semi-final with Roma fast approaching, CEO Peter Moore delved into his loft to find the club’s scouting report ahead of the 1984 final. Plenty to enjoy here...
…while, over at Chelsea, the almost-certainly-departing Antonio Conte was reduced to the most basic of press-conference gags to try and get a smile. Yep, it’s the ol’ phone-going-off classic:
Roy Keane won’t be impressed, but it’s nice to see Conte actually laughing for once.
HEROES AND ZEROS
Hero: Lazaros Christodoulopoulos
Easy for you to say, Clive, etc. Anyway, Lazaros – as he is conveniently known – popped up with this 94th-minute winner for AEK Athens to put them into the Greek Cup final at the expense of Larissa.
Zero: Pitch invader in unsuitable footwear, No. 16,937
Here’s an Oldham fan’s entirely proportionate response to his side conceding a penalty against Rochdale.
Thanks to a nifty sidestep from referee Peter Bankes and an agricultural tackle from Oldham’s Anthony Gerrard, things didn’t turn out quite as nastily as they might. Anyway, the unwanted guest was charged with possession of class A drugs, among other offences, Rochdale missed the penalty and the match finished 0-0. Worth it? Probably not.
HAT TIP
…recently I ran so far into London that I jumped on the tube back to Morden, from Tooting Broadway, which is near where I grew up. It was after we had played Plymouth and lost; I wasn’t happy so I thought: ‘Right, I’m going out in anger’ and I ended up in the middle of nowhere, really. I ended up walking in Sainsbury’s Local with my hat, luminous shorts on, my tights on.
The ever-engaging Chris Powell talks to the Guardian’s Ben Fisher about tackling the London Marathon for the first time at the age of 48.
RETRO CORNER
On this day in 1989: Real Madrid turn up at the San Siro for European Cup semi-final, second leg against AC Milan…and get absolutely annihilated.
Carlo Ancelotti, of all people, gets things started by larruping one in from 30 yards, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit rub salt in the wound, Marco van Basten finishes off “IL GOL CLAMOROSO!” (sensational goal) for 4-0 and Roberto Donadoni wraps it up.
COMING UP
We’re into the “getting the fixtures ticked off” phase of the season, and so Chelsea – who will make approximately eight changes to their team ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final – trudge up to face Burnley, who could move within five points of the defending champions.
Tomorrow’s edition will be brought to you by Tom Adams, if this “heat wave” hasn’t finished him off
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