by ALL ABOARD
When a team featuring Diego Moreira, Robert Sánchez, Marc Cucurella, Ian Maatsen, Bashir Humphreys, Lesley Ugochukwu and Mason Burstow went behind to AFC Wimbledon after 18 minutes of their Milk Cup second round match back in August, fans Chelsea present. you’d think anyone suggesting the players in question would be competing in this Sunday’s Wembley final would be mad. They were dead right too, because Moreira is currently on loan at Lyon, Sánchez and Cucurella have been sidelined since December, Maatsen is now playing for Dortmund, Humphreys for Swansea, Ugochukwu hasn’t looked in since Christmas. Eve and Burstow are trying to make sense of that under their fourth different manager in seven months after she was loaned to Sunderland in September.
However, despite all this turmoil, Chelsea somehow later emerged from the challenges of Brighton, Blackburn, Newcastle and Middlesbrough to qualify for Wembley and now only a miserable Liverpool stand on their sixth and most successful record. more than ever in a Wembley home final. Not that Mauricio Pochettino is concerned, as the previous five were lost under the auspices of other managers and are the consignment – if not the bin – of the bus of history. “A final starts and ends but that’s it,” he said. “You store it on the bus. There was never any reference to transferring this last will to his final game. It is history. Of course, people pay attention. But us, when we are preparing we are not thinking about what happened a year ago, two years ago and three years ago.”
Although Pochettino has not said whether he is thinking about what happened three weeks ago, it is worth remembering that it was around then that Liverpool beat his team 4-1 at Anfield in a game that was only an almost supernatural arrangement by Darwin Núñez with him. the woodwork prevented Jürgen Klopp’s side from doubling their score. On the evidence of that performance you’d give Chelsea no chance of beating Liverpool on Sunday, but since then Liverpool have lost a number of key players. Of the teams that started that day, Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota have been ruled out with a knack, although Núñez is also a major doubt. Mo Salah, who did not play in that particular defeat, could also miss out on Sunday, in a state of affairs that has led Klopp to label Chelsea as his favourites.
Needless to say Pochettino was having none of it. “Obviously, I think Liverpool is the favourite,” he said in his pre-match media session. “Over the last few years, they’ve experienced competing as a team and being in the finals. Not only are our new players in this competition, Premier League and [Carling] Cup, but for some, this is their first final. I think I do them the best.” As interesting and clever as these mind games are, the bookies disagree, although it’s not a market Football Daily will be taking part in with any kind of confidence. Given that both finals between these teams ended goalless after extra time before penalties, a tedious final seems the most likely outcome. All we need is a good game and a few goals.
LIVE ON A BIG WEBSITE
Join John Brewin from 7.45pm GMT for minute-by-minute updates from the Lionesses’ 0-0 friendly draw with Austria, while Dominic Booth will be on deck for Leeds 0-0 Leicester in the Championship at 8pm.
STATEMENT OF THE DAY
“I’m not a magician. I am not David Copperfield … I don’t know what you will see tomorrow but everything you will see, this is Oliver Glasner” – the new manager of Crystal Palace tries to temper the expectations of the fans before facing Burnley, and gets He’s third person on and he’s at it.
DAILY FOOTBALL LETTERS
I was very interested to read Magdalena Eriksson’s column exploring the question of how to stop Spain (yesterday’s Moving the Goalposts, full email edition), but I was disappointed that she did not mention Japan. For me, when Japan saw off Spain 4-0 in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup it was one of the games in the tournament, and I was backing Japan to go all the way after that. In the end, of course, Sweden Eriksson decided the matter. Both Spain and Japan met Sweden in the knockout stages, with only Spain making it past them. I love that Spain are happy that Japan don’t play in the League of Nations” – Tim Scanlan.
Re: Tottenham sign Harry Kane statue ‘to boost their goalless streak’ (Football Daily letters yesterday). I would go a step further and put it in the opposition box. Who knows, it could even earn Spurs some penalties” – Antony Train.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. The winner of our unique letter from today is … Antony Train.
NEWS, YEAST AND BOBS
The FA wants banning orders issued for ticketless people who affect matches. Currently anyone caught entering or attempting to enter without a ticket cannot be expelled, but if the ‘Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Bill’ is passed they could be fined up to £1,000 and banned from put on them.
Club Atlético Tigre will give a life ban to the fan who lobbed a bottle at Chacarita Juniors’ Fernando Brandan, hitting him in the eye and suspending their Copa Argentina game.
Manchester United will have to do without the in-form Rasmus Højlund for up to three weeks after suffering a muscle-gah start. “That’s the risk, playing at high intensity and training,” said Erik ten Hag. “It has to wait.”
The last-16 Grand Vase draw is out and will feature Brighton v Roma, Liverpool v Sparta Prague, West Ham v Freiburg, and Rangers v Benfica.
David Moyes has revealed that a new contract with West Ham is on the table, but he is unsure whether he will sign it. “I’m the one who decides I want to wait until the end of the season, to make sure everything is right, to focus on this season,” he said. “There are many reasons. I have to make sure it’s the right thing for the club, for me and my family. I spoke to the board. I’ve had a great four years. We’ll sort it out but I’m happy to wait.”
And St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson says he has calmed the waters with the fans he had a completely honest discussion with after their 1-0 Premier League loss to Livingston. “I take criticism in different forms every week, some more offensive than others, and Saturday was not like that,” he said. “He was someone who expressed an opinion that I did not agree with. He reached out, apologized and that apology was accepted. It was just two frustrated people. We have spoken several times. He’s a good guy, a big St Mirren supporter and he’ll be there on Saturday. I will not apologize for being passionate and emotional. I am an emotional person.”
STILL ABOUT MORE?
Kate Connolly reports from Berlin on the German fans who seem to have won over their vague defense against private equity and foreign investment, remote-controlled cars and all.
Here’s the crossover you’ve been waiting for: 10 things to watch out for this weekend … in the Premier League and Milk Cup finals.
On the eve of the Littlewoods Cup final, Raheem Sterling’s critics should have known better than to write him off, says Jacob Steinberg.
Fast breaks slow Newcastle’s progress, as Louise Taylor explains.
In troubled times, let’s celebrate Euro 2024 in our best values, writes Philipp Lahm.
And Championship jinx time: Harry De Cosemo on how Hull City are rising again to push back into the Premier League.
MEMORY LANE
A new era awaits Crystal Palace, with Oliver Glasner in charge after Roy Hodgson agreed to leave Selhurst. Here he is during his Neuchatel Xamax days in 1991, taking it all in from the Swiss lake side. And here’s the Swiss TV conversation with Hodgson from then on, easily translated throughout.
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