NO GIFTS FOR THE XAB
Going into Wednesday night’s match against Manchester City, Xabi Alonso’s future as head coach of Real Madrid seemed as up in the air as a Spanish omelette being flipped by celebrity chef Keith Floyd in his pomp. Just 14 games into his reign, the only unsightly blot on the 44-year-old’s copybook had been an unacceptable 5-2 hammering at the hands of Atlético. But, since the start of November, Madrid have only won three in nine, with arguably their most unpalatable results coming in the form of draws with supposed La Liga cannon fodder, including Elche and Girona, culminating in Sunday’s embarrassing home defeat at the hands of Celta Vigo. In Bigger Cup, they still look set fair to secure an all-important top eight spot despite their reverse at the hands of City, a defeat which was greeted by shrill whistles of disapproval from hard-to-please fans who had actually just seen their knack-ravaged team play reasonably well.
“When you don’t win at home that can happen,” sighed Alonso of the reaction from the famously tough crowd. “The team kept going, we tried until the end and with all the difficulties we have [with knack] the players gave everything. Today I have nothing to criticise. The results in November and December haven’t been good, or what we wanted. We’re self-critical, but have to keep working and believing it will pass.” Despite rumours Madrid’s overpaid prima donnas have little or no truck with Alonso’s insistence on making them “do” tactics, sit through long-winded video presentations and attend mandatory evening seminars on the economic history of the Galician fishing industry, there was no shortage in shows of support for the beleaguered manager.
Upon scoring their opener, Rodrygo high-fived Alonso on the touchline, while both Thibaut Courtois and Jude Bellingham provided heartwarming post-match references in front of the TV cameras. “The manager’s been great,” tooted Bellingham, in an act of unedifying sycophancy he might do well to replicate next time he’s on England duty. “I’ve personally got a great relationship with him, a lot of the lads do as well. After the first run of games where we drew a few, we had some great conversations internally. In the last couple of games, we’ve just let ourselves down again. But no one is downing tools, no one is complaining, moaning, thinking the season is over.”
While it would be unheard of for any British publication to twist what Bellingham says to suit some weird agenda, it could be argued that by saying that “a lot” of his teammates get on with Alonso, the midfielder was tacitly implying that quite a few others don’t. Vinícius Júnior clearly hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with his boss and the winger is widely reported to have told Madrid’s overlords he will not ink a new deal as long as Alonso remains in charge. One wonders what the Brazilian made of Thursday morning’s Spanish press, which gave Alonso a free pass for this defeat while laying the blame squarely at Viní’s wasteful feet.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Freedom of expression and the right to privacy are universal human rights. No football fan surrenders those rights just because they cross a border. This policy introduces a chilling atmosphere of surveillance that directly contradicts the welcoming, open spirit the [Geopolitics] World Cup is meant to embody and it must be withdrawn immediately” – Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, condemns the Trump regime’s plan requiring fans travelling to the USA USA USA for the GWC to disclose information about their social media disgrace accounts.
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FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Re: yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs (full email edition). It was bad enough when Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico. Now Football Daily has taken a much bigger, and I suspect more controversial step, and relocated a USA USA USA conurbation, by moving England’s opening Geopolitics World Cup fixture location of Arlington, Texas, to ‘the east coast’” – John Scent.
David Royce (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) achieved the unachievable by triggering empathy to a West Brom supporter from a fellow Labour-voting lifelong Wolves supporter. This season sucks” – Rob Taylor.
In keeping with what seems to be a theme of letters about where you sit, I grew up an Arsenal fan, but in Canada, and so did not have a chance to see them play – even on TV! My first chance to attend a game came in 2006 when a friend gave me a ticket, but for their visit to Old Trafford and not in the visitors’ seats … Fearing exactly what Ben Graham described (yesterday’s letters), I sat resolutely on my hands determined not to cheer when Arsenal scored and went on to win. I needn’t have worried, Wayne Rooney made sure of that. I was able to walk out unscathed – physically at least” – David Mutimer.
In the early-90s I took my eight-year-old son to a Friday evening game at Tranmere where my team, Bristol Rovers, were playing. Thinking my son wouldn’t stand for 90 minutes I got two seats in the main stand. To my surprise (Bristol) Rovers scored in the first few minutes. I was so shocked that I rose to my feet and celebrated loudly only to find I was the sole person in the whole stand that was. Fearful of the consequences I quickly sat down and kept quiet for the rest of the game. Unfortunately/fortunately Tranmere equalised near the end and the game ended all square. When the final whistle went, to my horror the chap behind me clapped me on the shoulder but pleasantly said: ‘Good game, you were a bit unlucky.’ A true gentleman and I’ve had a soft spot for Tranmere ever since” – Andy Smith.
Re: yesterday’s Football Daily (full email edition). We can only hope that Paul Pogba doesn’t get the hump if his investment in Al-Haboob camel racing goes to waste” – Stewart McGuinness (and, surprisingly, no others).
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