Football Daily | Chelsea feeling blue as constant rotation leaves Maresca in a spin

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While Chelsea didn’t completely torpedo their chances of finishing in the top eight of Bigger Cup group stage by losing against Atalanta, they performed a precise, surgical strike on their own chances of waltzing straight into the round of 16. Of course, the good news is that in the short one-year history of the new and not-necessarily-improved Bigger Cup, achieving a top-eight finish isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The recently revamped competition’s first champion – Paris Saint-Germain – finished 15th in the “league phase” after Uefa jazzed things up, introducing what appears to be a Super League by stealth. And besides, if any club has sufficient personnel to deal with the added hassle of an extra playoff round, it’s surely the one with so many players on its books that their squad list has to be written on a toilet roll, with a librarian employed to keep track of all their loans.

Well, no wonder Wolves are in such a sad state (yesterday’s Football Daily). As any longtime reader of this email will know, the only good pre-match protests involve marching from a pub that the supporters planned to be at anyway, to the stadium that they were inevitably going to. Just showing up 10 minutes late? That’s how long it takes fans to get to their seats anyway” – Mike Wilner.

I see that Noble Francis not only got Tuesday’s letter o’ the day, but also a name check in Matthew Kipwell’s letter. On a night where both Sheffield teams (again) surrendered points after leading, I am led to ponder: with the two correspondents mentioned, plus Jon Millard, myself (occasionally) and, no doubt, others, could Sheffield be proving that the frequency of representation in your letters section is inversely proportional to the value of anything our teams are achieving on the field?” – Trevor Townson.

Before Sunday’s Wear–Tyne derby and inspired by Matthew’s experience, I recalled a trip to Roker Park for a derby between Sunderland and Newcastle. No Newcastle fans were allowed in, but a friend got me a ticket in the paddocks and, not wanting to miss out on a bit of history, I went along incognito. When Peter Beardsley equalised, one of the ‘luxury boxes’ erupted in delight. As the Sunderland fans worked themselves into an indignant frenzy trying to storm the boxes, one of them turned to me and said ‘It’s just ‘cos they’re rich. If there was a Mag in here right now, they’d rip him limb from limb.’ I’ve never been as emotionless, or terrified, at any game before or since!” – Ben Graham.

The past six months have proven difficult for West Brom supporters. The old regime had been consigned to history, clearing the way for better times. The new manager arrived with a track record that held the promise of a brighter future. Instead, season ticket holders are (still) unable to identify a philosophy or tactical approach. Knowledgeable football people are surprised by team selections and then dismayed by substitutions made during the game. The manager is a quietly spoken, dignified, courteous, calm man who wears a pained expression when asked to explain himself that belies a clear and obvious lack of confidence and authority. For a Labour voter, this is all too much” – David Royce. Continue reading...