Daily Archives: November 27, 2023

Arsenal have accepted how they must play to win a Premier League title – Jonathan Wilson

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“A sign of champions, the theory has it, is winning ugly. No side can be at their very best all the time and so, over the course of a season, there will be occasions when a team that is going to win the league has to gut it out, to keep going with their plans, to keep believing, whether that means withstanding pressure or burgling a late goal. Not all points are won with beauty; some have to be fought for or stolen. In a title race, character matters as much as ability. …”
Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Juventus make a point against Inter as talk of title grows louder in Turin

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“On the eve of this season’s first Derby d’Italia, both managers insisted they would not “sign for a draw”. Simone Inzaghi was pragmatic, claiming he would never do that ‘unless it’s the second leg [of a knockout game] and you already won the first.’ Massimiliano Allegri found a way to be even more so, saying: ‘No. We need to play the match that starts at 8.45pm.’ Those replies were as inevitable as the question being posed. Neither manager could pre-declare a willingness to settle for a point in a game against their most likely rival for the Serie A title. Yet it was reasonable to think that outcome might suit them both. …”
Guardian

Conspiracies, suspicion and mutiny – this is the Premier League in 2023

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“Walking down Goodison Road can feel like stepping back to a time a world away from the steel-and-glass office-block conformity of the modern Premier League landscape. On one side of the road are terraced houses as well as the Blue Dragon Chinese takeaway, the Goodison Cafe and The Winslow Hotel. On the other side, the faded grandeur of one of England’s most historic football grounds. …”
The Athletic

Union bid farewell to Urs Fischer, the FußballGott who created dreams

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“It is often trite to describe a particular goal as the turning point of a season. Especially with late goals, we have the tendency to let the emotion describe them, as if they are more important than they actually might be. Divorcing events from emotion has never been a speciality of Union Berlin, however. This is a club and a fanbase that feels everything. The club whose supporters literally gave their own blood to raise funds to fill empty coffers, who rebuilt a crumbling stadium with their own hands – and who, on the back of a horrendous run of 12 successive defeats which turned what should have been a dream season into an unfolding nightmare, chanted not for their head coach to be sacked, but emptied their lungs with the gospel that he was still a FußballGott to them. …”
Guardian

Eurowatch: Paulo Fonseca’s Lille rediscover their rhythm to end November on a high

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“Lille have regained their stride. Until Sunday night, November had been a frustrating month for Paulo Fonseca’s team. They had been held in Marseille, dropped points carelessly at home to Toulouse and, in between, failed to beat Slovan Bratislava in the Europa Conference League. But Lille ended the month well, proving too sophisticated for Lyon at the Groupama Stadium. They produced a stylish attacking performance to move up to fourth in Ligue 1 and the 2-0 win also offered a reminder of how watchable their head coach’s brand of football can be. …”
The Athletic