Reading the Game ⚽

The Independent’s football newsletter ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0REaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvYXV0aG9yL21pZ3VlbC1kZWxhbmV5P2xpZD01bXkxZmpzYWdldmhXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~ ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0REaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvYXV0aG9yL21pZ3VlbC1kZWxhbmV5P2xpZD0zZm1hMndmd2FnMnZXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~ Friday, September 6, 2024   ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvZW5nbGFuZC1yZXB1YmxpYy1vZi1pcmVsYW5kLWNhcnNsZXktcmljZS1ncmVhbGlzaC1iMjYwNzY1OC5odG1sP2xpZD1rdTI0YW16azV4dnNXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~ A show to be put on, and a job to be won Ireland-England throws up a lot of themes, not least identity issues[that intertwine the two nations](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0R9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvZW5nbGFuZC1yZXB1YmxpYy1vZi1pcmVsYW5kLWNhcnNsZXktcmljZS1ncmVhbGlzaC1iMjYwNzY1OC5odG1sP2xpZD00d2l0YnZ4NTk0ZHZXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~) as seen with Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, but there that are more important than any other in terms of purely football. One is whether Lee Carsley will make this a different England, and one where the attacking talents of so many forwards are finally maximised. The other is whether the interim manager himself can make that leap from underage football to the senior national level. There are obviously many significant differences. While Carsley has partly been given this chance because he last year won England's first under-21 European Championship since 1984, but that level is still mostly about development, where as the senior team is about deliverance. That is also what England are waiting for, after all, as Carsley made clear in last week's introductory press conference. "If we are going to win a Euros and a World Cup, we have to push it further forward." One figure who knows the England camp well uses tech terminology. "It's like going from research and development stage to selling the finished product." That is what England want now, to make that last step. It is why Carsley's pitch for the job is particularly interesting, given there have been shortcomings in Gareth Southgate's side that his replacement has particular acumen with. Perhaps the biggest was England's failure to control midfield in big games, having lacked that number-six player. Carsley does not just want to sidestep that, and has already taken the novel approach of putting Angel Gomes there, as well as calling him up despite a move to Lille. That might sound a bit dismissive, but that's also the reality of the perception of Ligue 1 these days. There is then that sense that Southgate and assistant Steve Holland were that bit too safe in their thinking to properly maximise England's abundant attacking talent. Carsley is really of a different tactical ideology there, having been so influenced by Pep Guardiola. There has already been some excitement about how he has used Grealish and Eberechi Eze in training. And, this Saturday, there's going to be a very specific challenge for that. There are obviously layers to this given that the Carsley era starts against the country that he has 40 caps for, but most relevant to the pitch is that Ireland are also under a new manager in Iceland's Heimir Hallgrimsson. The message he has been hammering home all week is to keep a clean sheet and make Ireland very difficult to play against again. That might require patience, as Carsley takes his first steps. There is more at stake here than just the Nations League. Written by Miguel Delaney   Support The Independent Join The Independent's mission for truth. With your support, we challenge the status quo, uncover crucial stories, and amplify unheard voices. Your contribution ensures our independence and fuels honest, transparent journalism. Whether $5 or $50, every donation matters. Support us today to keep truth free. [SUPPORT US](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0Q1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvZG9uYXRlP2xpZD1lc2lnbjVkOWplNGhXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~) A break that is good for the rest of the game While there are many justified criticisms of the modern Uefa, it should be acknowledged that the Nations League has been a success. Its audience figures across Europe are good, and it is obviously better than friendlies. Those more immersed in the club game may be complaining at the speed with which another international break has come around, but national teams need time with the players too. This is what is required to make tournaments. We aren't yet at the point of reshaping the football calendar so as to change the nature of these breaks, even though that is badly needed, with a relevant issue touched on in the section below. [San Marino's win over Liechtenstein](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvc2FuLW1hcmluby13aW4tbGllY2h0ZW5zdGVpbi1maWZhLXJhbmtpbmdzLW5hdGlvbnMtbGVhZ3VlLWIyNjA4MTIzLmh0bWw_bGlkPXIzcXZ3bW9oMXlpNlcFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~), meanwhile, showed what this is supposed to be about. Plans to expand the Nations League have nevertheless been slowed amid wider politics. The idea had previously been raised that Uefa might combine with South American federation Conmebol to create a super Nations League, but that was mostly viewed as a bulwark against Fifa's idea for biennial World Cups. There may be further ructions there... Mind and senses not quite purified in calendar battle The timing really couldn’t have been more acute, especially given time in football was literally being discussed. On Wednesday, international media were invited to a zoom call to discuss a new report by player representative group FIFPro on the workload in men’s football. That had only been going 15 minutes - with PFA chief Maheta Molango describing a “defining season” for the calendar - when press releases dropped from Fifa announcing the branding for the new Club World Cup. That is of course the competition that FIFPro are threatening Fifa with legal action about, precisely because they say it has been imposed upon the game without consultation or consideration for this workload. The press release even had the audacity to say the “inaugural 32-team tournament in the United States will change the face of club football globally”. Quite. The view is that could disrupt the entire calendar, and maybe more, especially if the prize money to clubs is big enough to really take it seriously - and perhaps seek to host it more often. Some even talk of something like IPL in cricket. Except, although we know the competition will take place between 15 June and 13 July 2025 - starting a mere two weeks after the Champions League final - the press release couldn’t yet announce a match schedule, venues, stadiums, cities or that prize money. It is at least unusual all of this would go unconfirmed a mere nine months from the planned start. The musical theme was announced: Gala’s Freed from Desire. That certainly fit with the theme of overuse. On a more serious issue, that does genuinely affect the quality of football and clearly impacted the Euros, FIFPro's study found that [more and more players are hitting around 70 games](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0R5aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvZmlmcHJvLXJlcG9ydC1jcmlzdGlhbi1yb21lcm8tcGxheWVyLXdvcmtsb2FkLWIyNjA3NjUzLmh0bWw_bGlkPW0xcmY5N3RrdmY1OFcFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~)in a season for the first time. West Ham's executive box no oasis for Noel Given we’ve now had two weeks of Oasis, with a lot of it related to ticket prices, there is a snippet from the football world. You will doubtless have seen Noel Gallagher in the stands at West Ham United last week, as his Manchester City team won 3-1. That just wasn’t his original seat. Noel had been offered a place in the chairman’s suite with West Ham co-owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady. In other words, the most lucrative seats in the stadium. He refused because the dress code for the suite is business suits, and Noel wasn’t bothered. A ticket for which he could dress as he please was sorted instead. Perhaps it was just surprising that he didn’t wear the tops he showcased with Pep Guardiola on social media.   Football features ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvbWFuY2hlc3Rlci11bml0ZWQtZXJpay10ZW4taGFnLWZhbnMtYjI2MDcwODAuaHRtbD9saWQ9MnJyMjMxMjBubGZlVwVzcGNldUIKZs9Y79pmPn0PYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAMj [Inside the ‘culture war’ ripping through the heart of Manchester United](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RvaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvbWFuY2hlc3Rlci11bml0ZWQtZXJpay10ZW4taGFnLWZhbnMtYjI2MDcwODAuaHRtbD9saWQ9N2pudzMxaWhtOXUzVwVzcGNldUIKZs9Y79pmPn0PYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAMj) ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0SEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvY29ub3ItZ2FsbGFnaGVyLWNoZWxzZWEtYXRsZXRpY28tbWFkcmlkLXRyYW5zZmVyLWVuZ2xhbmQtYjI2MDc2ODEuaHRtbD9saWQ9cjJlM3l4OHdvMWtvVwVzcGNldUIKZs9Y79pmPn0PYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAMj [Why Conor Gallagher doesn’t blame Chelsea for unpopular transfer decision: ‘I looked at the bigger picture’](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0SEaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvY29ub3ItZ2FsbGFnaGVyLWNoZWxzZWEtYXRsZXRpY28tbWFkcmlkLXRyYW5zZmVyLWVuZ2xhbmQtYjI2MDc2ODEuaHRtbD9saWQ9ZXRxZWs1dDdlenp2VwVzcGNldUIKZs9Y79pmPn0PYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAMj)   Miguel's Dispatches This newsletter is written from Ireland, as England face their first competitive game in the country since 1990. There are a few twists to that since so many of Lee Carsley’s squad - including the manager himself - are still so familiar with Ireland. Five of the current squad could have played for the country, and two actually did at different levels in Declan Rice and Jack Grealish. Carsley of course has 40 caps. That has meant the build-up in Dublin has been dominated by an Irish debate over whether any of these figures will be booed. Rice can probably expect the worst of it, since he did actually make three senior appearances for Ireland. Many match-goers would insist that will be no more than pantomime, but it could make for a new atmosphere in a fixture that is a very different type of occasion to the past..   QUOTE OF THE WEEK     ““The schedule is completely crazy... We’ll probably play every three days for months. It's been absolutely absurd. It's true that the squads are bigger, but I'm not going to say that it's easy. It hasn't been easy. I spend very little time with my family and friends. The amount of games we're subjected to is absolutely absurd” Bernardo Silva picks up on a theme of the week   Reading the game quiz Since 2008, there have been 10 players who didn’t win the Ballon d’Or but would have won done so had Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo been taken out of the voting. Three would have won it twice. Name those 10 players who otherwise finished highest in the voting, and would have won it. ([You can find out the answers here](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvbWlndWVsLWRlbGFuZXktbmV3c2xldHRlci1xdWl6LWFuc3dlcnMtYjIwNzc5NjguaHRtbD9saWQ9bGhvNmttd3V2dG5lVwVzcGNldUIKZs9Y79pmPn0PYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAMj). The answer page will be updated weekly and contains answers from previous newsletters, too)   [INDYBEST](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0Q-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvZXh0cmFzL2luZHliZXN0P2xpZD11YXN3OHVrOGwwdHlXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~) / [BEST BUYS](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RPaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvZXh0cmFzL2luZHliZXN0L291dGRvb3ItYWN0aXZpdHk_bGlkPW00aXBoOWZ1dWhnZ1cFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~) [foot pain ](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvaGVhbHRoLWFuZC1maXRuZXNzL29vZm9zLXJldmlldy1yZWNvdmVyeS1mb290d2Vhci1iMjU4ODk2Ni5odG1sP2xpZD1jczl2N3VhcW1vM2xXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~) These shoes cured my chronic foot pain in weeks – [I asked the brand’s co-founder how they did it](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RuaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvaGVhbHRoLWFuZC1maXRuZXNzL29vZm9zLXJldmlldy1yZWNvdmVyeS1mb290d2Vhci1iMjU4ODk2Ni5odG1sP2xpZD13amd2d3EyMm85MGhXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~)   [gym tool ](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvaGVhbHRoLWFuZC1maXRuZXNzL2d5bW5hc3RpYy1yaW5ncy13b3Jrb3V0LWIyNjA2MzUxLmh0bWw_bGlkPW9idGxybnM2MW9kdFcFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~) I swapped the gym for this £30 training tool for a year –[the results changed my life](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0RnaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvaGVhbHRoLWFuZC1maXRuZXNzL2d5bW5hc3RpYy1yaW5ncy13b3Jrb3V0LWIyNjA2MzUxLmh0bWw_bGlkPXBqdTc3bW1vZXQyY1cFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~)   ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0Q8aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3Vic2NyaWJlL2FwcD9saWQ9cmplY2dwNjBmdm15VwVzcGNldUIKZs9Y79pmPn0PYVIbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAMj ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0Q9aHR0cHM6Ly9pbmRlcGVuZGVudC5vbmVsaW5rLm1lL25vNXgvZDI1ZTc0Y2M_bGlkPTk3OHk1Z251eWthZVcFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~   Further reading ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvc2FuLW1hcmluby13aW4tbGllY2h0ZW5zdGVpbi1maWZhLXJhbmtpbmdzLW5hdGlvbnMtbGVhZ3VlLWIyNjA4MTIzLmh0bWw_bGlkPWMwenNqcG9ld2NwdFcFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~ [How Fifa’s lowest-ranked nation finally secured their first competitive win after 20 years of pain](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0SFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvc2FuLW1hcmluby13aW4tbGllY2h0ZW5zdGVpbi1maWZhLXJhbmtpbmdzLW5hdGlvbnMtbGVhZ3VlLWIyNjA4MTIzLmh0bWw_bGlkPTB3bDBsYTE5MDFqbVcFc3BjZXVCCmbPWO_aZj59D2FSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAADIw~~) ~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvbW9oYW1lZC1zYWxhaC1saXZlcnBvb2wtbmV3cy1jb250cmFjdC10cmFuc2Zlci1iMjYwNTQ4Ni5odG1sP2xpZD1pMGR3Z3Qwa3pscWpXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~ [Mohamed Salah’s contract is running down – so why aren’t Liverpool doing anything?](~/AAAHagA~/RgRovXRYP0R6aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW5kZXBlbmRlbnQuY28udWsvc3BvcnQvZm9vdGJhbGwvbW9oYW1lZC1zYWxhaC1saXZlcnBvb2wtbmV3cy1jb250cmFjdC10cmFuc2Zlci1iMjYwNTQ4Ni5odG1sP2xpZD14cmY3YXdqb2JkMTNXBXNwY2V1Qgpmz1jv2mY-fQ9hUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAyM~) 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