Seems fair. . . not
AS PART of its campaign to expand the Champions League, Uefa have suggested that the FA Cup winners should take a place in the soon-to-be enlarged CL, something that many English clubs have mooted in the past.
But Uefa’s suggestion comes with one important caveat: the winners of the cup will earn a place in the CL “but only if they are a club with a history of success in European competitions who have failed to earn a place in the competition by league position”.
So last season’s winners Leicester would fail the test while a look at the four semifinalists this season shows that even if they win the cup, Palace would go into the Europa League while the other three – Chelsea, Liverpool, and Citeh – would be shoo-ins for the Champions League even if they finished fifth or lower.
Seems fair. But how do Uefa define previous success? Would Arsenal get in even though they’re frankly rubbish in Europe? Would Spurs get in as cup winners (stop laughing at the back) by virtue of winning three European trophies long ago? What if two-times European Cup winners and current Championship club Forest did a Sunderland and won the cup, would they get in? Somehow I doubt it, but as usual with Uefa and Fifa the powers that be haven’t thought things through which, to be honest, is not particularly surprising.
Plus the Champions League is more than big enough as it is. Diluting it still further will weaken the product — leave it alone.
Over the top
Steven Gerrard recently took umbrage at Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka’s claim that his Villa players were a tad robust in their tacking, leading Gerrard to say that Saka needs to “toughen up”.
As a fan of a good tackle myself I agreed with him, until last Saturday night.
Clearly Gerrard had encouraged his players to get at Spurs, and a stronger referee would have sent more than one Villain for an early bath.
But Graham Scott was lenient in the extreme, despite one Spurs player’s season ending early after one of many scissor tackles, and even Ashley Young putting in a potential legbreaker on Harry Kane with just minutes to go and his team being 4-0 down. Methinks young Saka may have a point.
Team of the week
Hugo Lloris Spurs, Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool, Virgil Van Dijke Liverpool, Rodri Citeh, Kevin De Bruyne Citeh, Dejan Kulusevski Spurs, Enock Mwepu Brighton, Mason Mount Chelsea, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Leicester, Timo Werner Chelsea, Heung-min Son Spurs. Manager: Antonio Conte Spurs. Player of the week: Heung-min Son Spurs.
It’s hard to argue that a quite superb hat-trick isn’t player of the week worthy, so I won’t.
This week’s games
Premier League today 2:30; Spurs vs Brighton. 5pm; United vs Norwich, Southampton vs Arsenal, Watford vs Brentford. Tomorrow 4:15; Newcastle vs Leicester, West Ham vs Everton. Tuesday 10pm; Liverpool vs United. Wednesday 9:45; Chelsea vs Arsenal, Everton vs Leicester, Newcastle vs Palace. 10pm; Citeh vs Brighton. Thursday 9:45; Burnley vs Southampton. Selected Championship Monday 2:30; Middlesbrough vs Huddersfield. 5pm; Cardiff vs Luton, Coventry vs Bournemouth. 7:30; Bristol City vs Sheffield United. 10pm; Forest vs West Brom. Tuesday 9:45; Fulham vs Preston. Friday 9:45; Huddersfield vs Barnsley.
FA Cup semi-finals today 5:30; Citeh vs Liverpool. Tomorrow 6:30; Chelsea vs Palace.
Scottish Cup semi-finals today 2:15; Hearts vs Hibs. Tomorrow 4pm; Celtic vs Rangers.
This might get boring, but once again the games of the week are Citeh vs Liverpool and the Old Firm derby. Unlike last week’s league meeting, the game at Wembley must be played to a conclusion so penalties are to be expected, while up in Glasgow, with Celtic virtually guaranteed the league title, Rangers will be desperate to stop them doing the double.
A good walk spoiled?
The above is an alleged quote by Mark Twain about golf, but he didn’t actually say it and its origin is unknown. It does, however, neatly sum up Augusta National, home of The Masters.
My Pennsylvania by way of High Wycombe cousin’s son is as fit as they come, and he was fortunate enough to have tickets for every day of last week’s Masters and he, along with his wife, duly made the most of his good fortune. (Said tickets are almost impossible to obtain.)
What we TV watchers can’t really appreciate is how undulating Augusta National is and the demands it puts on the true golf aficionado who walks the entire course, rather than those who opt for sitting greenside at specific holes.
To quote the lad last Monday morning on his return to Los Angeles: “I’m knackered.” (He gets it from his mother.)
If he was knackered, how must Tiger Woods have felt? Fifteen months on from his last start, and having endured numerous surgeries to the leg he so nearly lost in his famous bit of careless driving in LA, he struggled around the old orchard for all four long days before finishing 23 shots shy of the winner.
The score didn’t matter; the fact that he finished very much did. Nick Faldo asked Woods how much pain he was in and how did it compare with the 2008 US Open.
Woods replied “Oh, it’s a lot worse than that”. “That” was the open he won while carrying two stress fractures and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Speaking as someone who once had to drop out of a tournament because of a slightly ingrowing toenail, I find myself in awe of the man who has committed, health notwithstanding, to the Open Championship at St Andrews this summer.
I have an unfounded suspicion that may be his swansong on our shores, so we’d better enjoy him while we can.
And finally
Last week’s question: name the Premier League stadium that has yet to see all-conquering Manchester City score a goal in four visits to the venue.
I knew this was way too easy and so it proved to be – the venue is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Mauricio Pochettino (1-0, 2-0), Jose Mourinho (2-0), and Nuno Espirito Santo (1-0) led Spurs sides to victories over Pep Guardiola’s men, despite in all four games having negligible possession and scoring opportunities. (Can we play you every week?)
This week: not including this season, which club has had a negative goal difference in each of its last 31 seasons of top flight football?