Enzo no no no and other stories.
Hope you enjoyed the weekend. Here’s 10 things that caught my eye and delighted/annoyed/concerned me…..
Enzo no no no. Chelsea have made some strange decisions recently but Enzo Maresca making Enzo Fernandez captain must be the most tone-deaf. The Argentine’s pre-season started with having to apologise to team-mates for his involvement in a racist song about France. Yet there he was on Sunday leading Chelsea out and taking the knee as Premier League footballers highlighted their “No Room for Racism” campaign. All very awkward. Giving Fernandez the armband highlights even further the lack of leadership at the Bridge, especially with the popular Conor Gallagher being forced out. From a playing perspective, and with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia starting as Maresca’s double pivot, it means Fernandez at No 10, which does not bring the best out of his skills. He’s more an 8. Chelsea’s best 10, Cole Palmer, remains out wide, not out in the cold, but deserving of a more central role. Chelsea have some good players, but too much bad decision-making.
Young and old. When news emerged on Friday that Everton’s issues at right-back meant Ashley Young, 39, would start against the fit-again, flying Kaoru Mitoma, a few Brighton & Hove Albion fans placed wagers on an 8/1 double on a card for Young and an Albion win. Young was dismissed after 66 minutes for pulling Mitoma back as he hared through on goal. As Brighton were leading 2-0 at the time, one bookie even paid out early.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Raheem Sterling did not have the best of seasons last term, but still contributed eight goals and four assists in 31 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, not a bad return especially given he handed penalty-taking duties to Cole Palmer. Sterling’s 29, not in keeping with Chelsea’s focus on youth. He’s got major competition out wide, not least Pedro Neto, 24, although the Portuguese can play either flank. Sterling’s days at Chelsea had looked numbered even with glowing reports, not least from Maresca, of his good form on tour and his “importance” to the team. If Chelsea want to offload Sterling which they do, then do it with some respect, not this current cack-handed, dismissive shoving towards the exit. Sterling, one of the most important English players of the modern era, deserves more respect.
Parish community. Crystal Palace’s co-owner, Steve Parish, came on the radio show I co-host on Sunday morning. He talked for an hour, and stayed on for a further 15 minutes before hot-footing to Brentford. He was open, nothing was off-limits, even the minutiae of negotiating with Newcastle United over Marc Guehi. The reaction was hugely positive with Palace fans proud of Parish’s eloquence, transparency and obvious passion for his club and determination to fight for the best deal, ie £65m+ for Guehi. He took us through how Palace alighted on Adam Wharton when no other Premier League club was seriously interested. Oliver Glasner gave a four-hour presentation on how he wanted to play, Parish said we don’t have a passer in midfield to facilitate that, and a trusted scout piped up, “Just sign Adam Wharton”. They did, and it helped Blackburn Rovers needed the money, so a deal was quickly done for £18m in January. Seven months later, and already an England international, Wharton is now worth £50m+. Parish is a smart negotiator as well as good talker on radio. Supporters of other teams, even a Brighton & Hove Albion caller, also praised Parish. Given that the media is essential a conduit to fans, more chairmen from more clubs should appreciate that it’s good to talk.
No doubting Thomas 1. Brentford’s head coach Thomas Frank takes everything in his stride, victory or defeat, and then reflects honestly and openly. Frank, in every sense, talking about Ivan Toney being likely to leave. Some managers might have prevaricated – Maresca summed up his feelings about the possibility of Sterling remaining at Chelsea with a long pause. Brentford fans deserve to know what’s going on. So Frank praises Toney for his contribution and explained he was omitted from Sunday’s game against Palace because of “transfer interest”. Toney has been linked with a move to Al-Ahli, which would be a huge coup for Saudi football. Of course, Toney would be mad to go to Saudi now, given the 28-year-old still has England ambitions. And it would be nice if he stayed at Brentford, and showed some loyalty to a club and manager who stood by him during his betting ban.
No doubting Thomas 2. I had the good fortune to spend a term at school in Munich but the misfortune that it coincided with one of the poorest seasons in Bayern’s history, 78-79. Bayern came fourth in the Bundesliga, although there were the delights of Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s finishing to appreciate at the Olympiastadion and the farewell season for the great goalkeeper, Sepp Maier, who made a record 709 appearances for Bayern. On Sunday against Ulm in the German Cup, Thomas Muller moved to within a game of Maier’s remarkable mark. Longevity is no surprise in the modern era of sports science and sensible refuelling but loyalty is more of a shock. He’s won the World Cup once, the Champions League twice and the Bundesliga 12 times. Muller was one of the first Bayern players to welcome Eric Dier, who swiftly took to the German’s humour. There’s a serious side to Muller, who works for a charity that helps kids who have suffered bereavement. Muller’s one of the great players of the modern era, one of the most intelligent with his movement, and will soon stand alone as Bayern’s longest-serving legend. A great role model.
Angel Gomes. Wishing a speedy recovery to the 23-year-old Lille midfielder who suffered a horrific head injury after an aerial collision and needed 20 minutes’ on-field treatment. He was stretchered away, taken to hospital and has since posted an update saying, “Just a message to let everyone know that I’m all good!” He added, “Remind me not to jump for headers anymore”. Those who know Gomes says that sums him up, a very upbeat character who famously delighted team-mates while at Manchester United with a bravura display in training - in goal. Gomes didn’t make it at United, not even in midfield, and decided to go to Lille to rebuild his career. Such were his performances last season that Lee Carsley made Gomes a central figure in his England Under-21 side that won the European Championships in Georgia last summer. He also won the Fifa Under-17s in 2017. Let’s hope he’s back resuming a promising career soon.
Mo-mentum. The most prolific scorer on Premier League opening day is one of the more niche records, but, still, hearty congratulations to Mo Salah on passing Alan Shearer and moving to nine. It was a mark mentioned a lot this weekend, a tribute to their finishing, but also to their characters. Shearer loved to hit the grounds running and scoring. Salah eschews alcohol, as a devout Muslim, and invariably returns in supreme condition. No wonder the Liverpool attacker has again started by finishing.
Travel doesn’t always broaden the mind. Ben Brereton Diaz should be a fairly worldly character. Last season he played in La Liga for Villarreal at both Atletico and Real Madrid, in the Copa del Rey in Andalucia and in the Europa League in Rennes, Athens and Larnaca. He played all over the Premier League for Sheffield United from Newcastle to Old Trafford and in the third round of the FA Cup at Priestfield Stadium. Brereton Diaz represented Chile in World Cup qualifiers everywhere from Montevideo to JFK Avenue in Quito, in the Copa America in Dallas, New York and Orlando, and in friendlies from Parma to Santiago via Marseille. Now at Southampton, the 25-year-old still has to beware gaining a reputation as a wind-up merchant. Fabian Schar was foolish to lower his forehead towards Brereton Diaz who had pushed the Newcastle centre-back at St James’ Park. Brereton Diaz milked the contact, then miraculously made an immediate recovery when Schar was dismissed. Players won’t forget. And nor will fans or officials.
Turning the other cheek. Gabriel Jesus was remarkably restrained when the Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera bizarrely tapped him on, well, the Arsenal. Earlier, Kai Havertz just looked shocked and bemused at Mosquera’s strange behaviour when the Colombian put him in what almost amounted to a choke lock. As debuts go, Mosquera’s could have been terminated long before the final whistle had the referee Jarred Gillett and VAR had been more vigilant. Gary O’Neil really needs a quiet word with Madcap Mosquera before he gets a reputation as an oddball.