Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Seeing Mason and Foden at Wembley will prove our game can still be beautiful
FUNNY old game. For a couple of days, the Carabao Cup final was shaping up to be the match that symbolised everything wrong about football.
A pariah derby. Unimaginably rich ownership not giving a toss about the fans versus filthy rich ownership not giving a toss about the fans in a competition neither gives a toss about.
A competition under the flag of the Football League, an organisation neither gives a toss about.
The Could-not-care-less Final. A sham of an occasion.
As that paragon of sporting virtue, Aleksander Ceferin, might say, a spit in the face of football lovers.
Yet now, it might be a moment to wipe that scowl from the face of football, to remember it is a beautiful game.
Professional football has had ugly, greedy owners since time immemorial.
But it is still beautiful. What could be more beautiful than a 29-year-old, who nearly lost his life to the game, now leading a team out at Wembley?
What could be more beautiful than Ryan Mason – four years on from emergency brain surgery after fracturing his skull playing the sport he loved – facing none other than Pep
Guardiola in front watching millions?
Imagine Mason’s feelings this Sunday. Imagine those of his family and friends.
His temporary appointment may be seen as an odd one, but his unlikely, monumental day will make a lovely change from Jose Mourinho posturing on centre stage yet again, melodramatically throwing away his runners-up medal.
And what could be more beautiful than watching Phil Foden play football?
That is a generic question of because the chances are Guardiola will save Foden’s legs for the Champions League engagement with PSG three days later.
Let’s hope he does appear at some stage at Wembley, but, if not, no matter, because it is going to be his manor for many years to come.
He is a once-in-ageneration talent. After the aberration of the Super League, it is
OK to dream about
Foden inspiring
England at Wembley this summer. It is OK to dream about Foden helping England lift a trophy at Wembley again.
He is that good.
To watch him perform on Wednesday night at Villa Park was like having your football spirit cleansed after the poisonous intoxication of the previous 48 hours. No exaggeration.
The issues that dominate the sport’s thinking right now are serious. The rips in the fabric of the sport are significant. The cancer of greed, avarice and self-interest in the sport has been spreading. The railing against that spread MUST continue. It halted the heinous Super League scheme, but there is so much more work left to do. But you are allowed to enjoy the beauty. Barcelona were one of the despicable dozen, but we can still marvel at Lionel Messi. Even if Foden does not play against Spurs this weekend, savour the way Guardiola’s team play.
Just because both clubs had to back down might not make it any less of a pariah derby. They have a lot of making up to do.
But, as Foden takes his place on the pitch or among the subs and as Mason tries to soak up the wondrous, almost surreal, enormity of his situation, remember one thing. Football. It can still be beautiful.
To see Foden was like having your spirit cleansed after a poisonous intoxification