by SPOT-KICK OF ROAD
After seeing his side record their best result of the season against Everton, Mauricio Pochettino must have been delighted that the talk in his post-match press conference was dominated by talk of an invisible squabble between some of his players regarding with whom punishment should be taken. And while it may seem like we’re being facetious, nothing could be further from the truth – finally, the world of football has been given irrefutable evidence of just what the Argentinian is up to. . An elite manager played more of a nursery cop role than Jürgen Klopp, Pochettino has long been suspected of pushing a squad that lacked wisdom and experience. And on Monday night, like two entitled children at a party fighting over the last piece of cake, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke were the point when the two tried to immediately snatch away from each other and his designated team-receiver penalties. In the end neither of the tantrum wielders managed to get their way and displaying the effortless cool of the jazz musician his name suggests he really should be, Cole Palmer managed to riff , be-bop and scat on an already perfect hat-trick.
Of course we’ve been here before. It is not uncommon in professional football for a player to block the penalty spot while trying to throw the ball under the arm of a nearby teammate and not on the ground where Madueke and Jackson licked their identities. From sulking Cristiano Ronaldo refusing to celebrate with his Real Madrid teammates because Xabi Alonso denied him a spot-kick, to Edinson Cavani asking an offended Neymar if he thought he was Messi, some of the biggest names in the game have been reduced to to. a playground was cluttered with humorous disputes in which individual self-interest prevailed, or in which the collective good was threatened. “If we want to be a great team, fighting for big things, we have to change and think more in a collective way,” said Pochettino, although he ruled out a spell at the Naughty Stage for either of his erratic children. .
Arguably their biggest penalty save occurred at Selhurst Park in December 2017, when bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace drew 2-2 against Bournemouth and earned themselves an injury-time penalty. And Luka Milivojevic, who is famous for taking away and all the subtlety of police raiders early in the morning crashing through a suspicious door, ready to give the second part of the game, the skipper Palace was loudly violated by Christian Benteke, who did not score in. 11 games and continue to strike with all the venom of a detached cobra. Roy Hodgson was left unimpressed. “It was a one-sided decision, nobody on our team could throw the ball away,” he said. “We – the management – decide who the penalty takers are and we don’t expect players to change those during the game.”
Arguably the biggest, but not the biggest. That was in Sunderland’s thrashing of Charlton in 1998, arguably the biggest final of them all. After drawing 4-4 at the end of overtime, the sides were tied 5-5 on penalties after each designated receiver took their turn. It went to 6-6 and then 7-6 to the Addicks, and players who didn’t volunteer were forced to make the long journey from the center circle to the spot. Trying to get a score to stay in the game, Sunderland’s striker Danny Dichio relied on a man who would surely succeed in his hour of greatest need. Quite the opposite. He sat on the grass with his boots off and “didn’t want to”, according to goalkeeper Mickey Gray, who was left with what would have been a terrible and unbearable burden on his shoulders. Now to It’s the kind of spark of punishment we all love to see.
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STATEMENT OF THE DAY
“He apologized to me three times and he doesn’t need to ask for forgiveness. It’s inevitable that we’ll remember this … that’s part of the game” – Osasuna manager Jagoba Arrasate shows far too much mercy for Football Daily’s liking after watching striker Ante Budimir take one of the worst penalties have we ever seen (yes, it’s up there with the one with Pat Nevin and to Peter Devine) scored a point in the 97th minute of their 1-0 La Liga win over Valencia.
DAILY FOOTBALL LETTERS
I’m going to try ‘I believe in rainbows and unicorns’ (Yesterday’s football, full email edition) at my next performance review with management when they ask me what I’m going to do to improve my work performance . I would think that a better solution might be ‘stop sending yourself terrible goals’. “Once is not lucky, twice is careless” – Brian James.
WOW! That Wrexham team must be really good, back-to-back promotions. They have to be better than any other team in League Two. What is that? They have played one game more than Stockport County and are four points behind. But, but, that must mean Stockport are a better team this season? It must be puke. Wrexham were National League champions last year. Where was Stockport then? Oh, in League Two because they won the National League the year before. Where was Wrexham that year? Oh, second, behind Stockport and failed to go up in the playoffs. How about one to one? Stockport 5-0 Wrexham, a game at Wrexham still to be played. That’s good, it will give the Wrexham players a chance to form a guard of honor for the champions (I hope)” – Dave Challinor Brian Ross.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. The winner of our unique letter today is … Brian Ross.
