The Importance of Sport (NEW CONCEPTS)

[Mick Harper]

Let us ponder the lessons of the Euros

First, if there was any doubt and it has been for a season or three, the era of English dominance is over. We will presumably remain in the top tier (sending four teams to the Champions League) because of the co-efficient weighting but gradually we'll be just up there or thereabouts.

Two -- and it may be linked -- the dominance of ticky-tacky is over. Relatively slow, close passing, building from the back seems too susceptible to the new form of all-court press. This is not, as before, simply a matter of pressuring the back four when playing it out, but a kind of subdued frenzy to regain possession, all over the park. Flying at the keeper is clearly here to stay. (My idea originally, if you recall.)

It appears that rapid advance (not long ball) and the ability to counter-attack (sometimes via long ball) when gaining incidental possession is the way to go. It was noticeable that Man City (rather than Barcelona) just looked mildly bereft and relied on Sterling's dribbling to actually create chances. Manchester United might do well here.

Is three at the back dead? It is when it is a disguised five-at-the-back. This means too many people to organise in a line eg when Kyle Walker played a Lyons forward on for their first goal (he shouldn't have been there) and too few players in and around the Lyons box (Kyle Walker should have been there if he had been a true wing back rather than a converted full back). Barcelona showed why a true three-at-the-back may no longer be enough against a rapidly advancing team. It's great against ticky-tacky.

A lot of this suggests a relapse towards, and therefore a hope for, the traditional British game but a) we've forgotten how and b) it isn't really. It is though a bit like the traditional German game of muscular cerebrality. We must learn to speak their language. Liverpool, I suppose, are the nearest we have but I think next season will show they are a bit of a flash in the pan.

[Mick Harper]

Temporarily, we must find a way of exploiting our weird abundance of outstanding full backs. Including Kyle Walker (still, I think, the world's most expensive). Does this mean the spare man in midfield instinctively going into the back line when full backs are away marauding? Man City played three spare men in midfield, according to the commentators. (I still don't know what any of them do apart from de Bruyne.)

[Chad]

Thank god all those Mickey Mouse cups are out of the way and we can look forward to the new season.

[Mick Harper]

Except for the FA Cup.

[Chad]

We decided not to bother with them... especially the FA one that always gets dropped and falls apart.

[Mick Harper]

Sevilla 2 Man Utd 1

Since they are clearly our flag-bearers now I'd better analyse them. First, Rashford's time is up. Since his brand of trickery is duplicated so much elsewhere in the team, his lack of involvement is becoming too conspicuous. If he could be converted into Pogba and Pogba off-loaded, then there may be a future (they did it once with Bobby Charlton but nobody at Manchester United would remember that).

They must spend big on a striker. If you are going to have a game plan that involves the ball pinging around in the opponent's penalty area all the time you must have a Jimmy Greaves to score the boring goals. (None of you will remember him either, I don't know why I bother sometimes.) Wan-Bissaka should stop eating water-melons, if you get my drift.

And last, and least, Oleg Gummer. Are they going to keep him? Should they keep him? My initial assumption would be Yes, No but I'm shifting to Yes, Yes on one ground and one ground only. The players under his care are not going backwards. With Man Utd, post the hairdryer, that is quite an achievement.

[Chad]

Very sound analysis that had me nodding in agreement.

I’ve been concerned about Rashford since ‘The Great Restart’ so your idea to convert him into an attacking midfielder is certainly thought provoking. And Don’t forget, Bobby wasn’t the only convert to that position, we did the same with Paul Scholes. Just not sure Rashford’s from the same mould.

We might get one good season out of Pogba but I’m tired of the annual ‘will he won’t he’, so I’d get shut at the earliest opportunity.

[Mick Harper]

[Chad]

England with Kane and Rashford in midfield, and Sancho, Greenwood and (the idiot) Serling up top... Interesting.

[Chad]

[Mick Harper]

Phoning the pawnbroker, was she? Speaking of idiots, there are fourteen overs to go in a dead test match. You've got three reviews in the bank. You are on the end of an iffy LBW appeal. Do you use up a review? Yes, you moron, what's there to think about?

[Chad]

[Mick Harper]

You Are The Pedant

The ref is only allowed to extend a half to allow a penalty to be taken. When have you ever seen a ref not allow a corner or a free-kick (or even a cross) to take place (and their respective consequences) because time's up? M J Harper 1 Refs 0.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Clive Thomas, 1978 World Cup, Brazil v Sweden.

Nelinho took the corner kick and with the ball in the air, Thomas blew his whistle, and Zico headed the ball into the net.

[Mick Harper]

I not only knew that but I was just waiting for someone to blunder into the trap to illustrate just how right I was as this is the only occasion it has happened since the introduction of watches in the Swiss Premier League 1911-12.