The Athletic

[Yid]

This is against everything the thread stands for, you're supposed to post the full article.
You're rubbing your wealth in the faces of the poor.

Apologies,

Here's a link to a paste with the full article.

https://pastebin.com/00rwhT3A

Let me know if you run into issues with access.

Cheers

 

[Hakkz]

This is against everything the thread stands for, you're supposed to post the full article.
You're rubbing your wealth in the faces of the poor.

Peasant.

 

[Gb160]

Peasant.

 

[Seafordian Spurs]

Apologies,

Here's a link to a paste with the full article.

https://pastebin.com/00rwhT3A

Let me know if you run into issues with access.

Cheers

Cheers dude appreciate this

 

['O Zio]

On the subject of podcasts, are there any good ones? I don't follow any atm. Or any good youtube channels?

The Fighting Cock Extra Inch is worth listening to. The normal Fighting Cock podcast isn't very good but the Extra Inch is just 3 of the more serious ones and they actually talk about the football rather than about how much midget porn they've watched that week.

 

[Hakkz]

The Fighting Cock Extra Inch is worth listening to. The normal Fighting Cock podcast isn't very good but the Extra Inch is just 3 of the more serious ones and they actually talk about the football rather than about how much midget porn they've watched that week.

Yeah, I tried TFC and they had a long discussion about which player they would prefer to fuck their moms.

 

['O Zio]

Yeah, I tried TFC and they had a long discussion about which player they would prefer to fuck their moms.

Ah, you must've tuned into one of their more high-brow episodes then.

Seriously though, The Extra Inch is completely different and genuinely quite good. Worth a listen anyway.

 

[Yid]

Cheers dude appreciate this

Anytime brother

 

[Chris Finch]

Yeah, I tried TFC and they had a long discussion about which player they would prefer to fuck their moms.

Gazzaniga. Treat herself


Oh, i mean. Yeh how stupid!

 

[dk-yid]

Premier League Podcasts

Unrivaled sports coverage across every team you care about and every league you follow. Get exclusive access to breaking news, powerful stories and smart analysis.

theathletic.co.uk

This is a link to an episode under the Zonal Marking podcast with the topic; Is Mourinho actually a defensive manager?

Is Jose Mourinho actually a defensive manager? - The Athletic Football Tactics Podcast

The Athletic's Michael Cox, Ali Maxwell and Liam Twomey examine Jose Mourinho's career from Porto, through Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, right up to Man Utd, with a particular emphasis on how his style of play has evolved over the years and what that might tell us about how his Spurs reign will...

pca.st

 

[dudu]

This is a link to an episode under the Zonal Marking podcast with the topic; Is Mourinho actually a defensive manager?

Is Jose Mourinho actually a defensive manager? - The Athletic Football Tactics Podcast

The Athletic's Michael Cox, Ali Maxwell and Liam Twomey examine Jose Mourinho's career from Porto, through Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, right up to Man Utd, with a particular emphasis on how his style of play has evolved over the years and what that might tell us about how his Spurs reign will...

pca.st

It's a really good listen, kind of puts to bed the whole 'Jose is just a defense coach' line.

He can be sure, but he will play to the strengths of his squad.

That being said, he will not stand for us being so poor at the back. He will want to have the option to be defensive if he needs to be. Sometimes, that's how you beat teams that are better offensively than you.

 

[Shadydan]

Can someone paste bin this for me please

Megan Rapinoe was not the best player of 2019 - her Ballon d'Or win highlights how far the women's game has to go

The USA star made herself a global icon for the very best reasons in 2019 - but others did greater things on the pitch...

theathletic.com

 

[dontcallme]

Nobody has done more for women’s football this year than Megan Rapinoe, and few will have had a larger impact on the sport in its history.

A player who helped her country win a World Cup. An activist who asked the football industry to “use this beautiful game to change the world for better”. A role model who saw an 11-year-old boy dye his hair pink and dress as the US forward for Halloween. This impact is unrivalled, and Rapinoe is now arguably one of the most respected athletes in any sport — male or female — in the world.

But was she the best women’s footballer this year? The answer is no.

When the Reign FC forward was announced as the winner of the second ever Women’s Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday night, it came as little surprise. Joined on a 20-player shortlist that also included the likes of Australia’s Sam Kerr (43 goals this year for club and country), and the Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema (49 goals in 2019), Rapinoe was always destined to win the coveted award thanks to her performance at the World Cup, and because people know who she is.

A panel of 50 judges made up of journalists from around the world were asked to vote on the basis of three criteria; individual and collective performances, player’s class (skill and fair play) and perhaps the most vague element, a player’s career. The latter suggests judges were asked to vote based on performances stretching back further than January 2019.

Response on social media mirrored that of the over-the-top reaction often associated with the men’s game. Having an opinion is fine, but one of the biggest failures of many criticising the decision was that they were aiming their frustration at the wrong target.

Rapinoe hasn’t put herself in that position, that falls on the head of the judges. Votes came from them, a panel of international journalists who we are told follow the women’s game in their respective countries, and they alone determined the outcome. Players like Rapinoe are put in impossible positions when it comes to individual awards, because to shun an award would look disrespectful, and to accept it when perceived as being second best, ungraceful.

The 34-year-old had a solid World Cup, but wasn’t the best player on her team. Speak to US journalists and fans, and the vast majority will have Julie Ertz and Crystal Dunn ahead of her when it comes to recognising the best player of 2019.

Rapinoe scored six goals in France, which earned her the Golden Boot. She won the Golden Ball and she won a World Cup. That earned her the FIFA Best Award and a place in the FIFPRO World XI. However, she managed only five club appearances in 2019 due to injury and international commitments, which highlights the weight judges placed on the World Cup.

It also highlights another factor that plays a significant role in how judges will vote for awards like the Ballon d’Or, whether that’s media or the players themselves – exposure and visibility.

The women’s game is still miles behind the men’s game when it comes to the ability to watch the best players in the world. The UEFA Women’s Champions League doesn’t have any centralised rights when it comes to broadcasts, so matches in the earlier stages of the competition are often only shown on club websites or not at all, while leagues such as the Frauen Bundesliga in Germany may only show one live game per week outside of its own region.

The National Women’s Soccer League in the United States is available to view online, but after a recent deal with ESPN, not all games are now free to air.

The reality is that some of the best players in the world simply aren’t visible, and those that are tend to receive a lot of attention. Do not be surprised if the Tokyo Olympics carries a lot of weight next year for voting on awards such as the Ballon d’Or, while the list is likely to be dominated by Europeans the following year thanks to Euro 2021.

The American forward Ella Masar, who recently retired having played in a number of countries including the US, Sweden and Germany, tweeted her frustration, with many relating to the points she raised…

Ella Masar

✔@emasar3
https://twitter.com/emasar3/status/1201598505623666690

We have come SO far in the women’s game but seriously, when will it stop being a POPULARITY contest?!? 4 the men, it’s stats, it’s numbers for country AND club, but for women’s ... well it can be seen as a jk. They’re incredible players,absolutely, but the best 4 the year?! Hmmm

 

[dontcallme]

Popularity and recognition are the problem. For years, Brazilian Marta has been continuously nominated for awards, much like she was this year, despite not playing her best football. That comes down to reputation, and not always down to performance. Have some of those that voted even seen Danish forward, Pernille Harder, who was nominated but not at the World Cup? At a guess, probably not.

Stats are another problem when it comes to the women’s game. There is an abundance of data available in the men’s game, while trying to find out simple information like an assist or goalscorer in some women’s leagues is like searching for a needle in a haystack. This is an area that is improving with the likes of Opta and Statsbomb venturing into women’s football, but much like its visibility, the game is a long way behind when it comes to crunching numbers.

The Ballon d’Or as a whole was a disappointment. The best player didn’t win, and there was a missed opportunity to correct the wrongs of last year, when Lyon forward Ada Hegerberg was asked to ‘twerk.’

France Football used its social media account to count down the top men’s players until Lionel Messi was announced as winner, but no such countdown was done for the women. The evening centred very much on the men’s game in a year where the Women’s World Cup was held in France, with the ceremony instead asking the women’s players in attendance to play a supporting role to their male counterparts.

Visit the France Football website, and Rapinoe’s victory is nestled halfway down the homepage, not at the top alongside Messi.

Had The Athletic UK been on the judging panel and was asked to submit a its own top five, the list would have looked like this:

• Sam Kerr (Chelsea/Australia)
• Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal/Netherlands)
• Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars/United States)
• Amandine Henry (Lyon/France)
• Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)

Four of the five players were hugely influential for both club and country in 2019, with Kerr edging it with her Golden Boot in two domestic competitions in Australia and the United States, her League MVP in the NWSL, and another impressive year for Australia.

Hegerberg may still be absent for Norway, but she was instrumental in Lyon again winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League, while also breaking the record for most goals in the competition’s history.

Rapinoe would have been in the top ten, based purely on her influence at the World Cup.

Until the women’s game has more visibility and players are judged on performance rather than popularity, the awards are just a trophy with little meaning attached to them. Rapinoe deserves an endless number of awards for her humility, her grace and using her platform to speak about issues that so many in the men’s game are too afraid to touch. She is a world-class footballer, and the perception some have of her being arrogant is hugely misplaced.

But in 2019, she was not the world’s best player.

 

[Shadydan]

Nobody has done more for women’s football this year than Megan Rapinoe, and few will have had a larger impact on the sport in its history.

A player who helped her country win a World Cup. An activist who asked the football industry to “use this beautiful game to change the world for better”. A role model who saw an 11-year-old boy dye his hair pink and dress as the US forward for Halloween. This impact is unrivalled, and Rapinoe is now arguably one of the most respected athletes in any sport — male or female — in the world.

But was she the best women’s footballer this year? The answer is no.

When the Reign FC forward was announced as the winner of the second ever Women’s Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday night, it came as little surprise. Joined on a 20-player shortlist that also included the likes of Australia’s Sam Kerr (43 goals this year for club and country), and the Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema (49 goals in 2019), Rapinoe was always destined to win the coveted award thanks to her performance at the World Cup, and because people know who she is.

A panel of 50 judges made up of journalists from around the world were asked to vote on the basis of three criteria; individual and collective performances, player’s class (skill and fair play) and perhaps the most vague element, a player’s career. The latter suggests judges were asked to vote based on performances stretching back further than January 2019.

Response on social media mirrored that of the over-the-top reaction often associated with the men’s game. Having an opinion is fine, but one of the biggest failures of many criticising the decision was that they were aiming their frustration at the wrong target.

Rapinoe hasn’t put herself in that position, that falls on the head of the judges. Votes came from them, a panel of international journalists who we are told follow the women’s game in their respective countries, and they alone determined the outcome. Players like Rapinoe are put in impossible positions when it comes to individual awards, because to shun an award would look disrespectful, and to accept it when perceived as being second best, ungraceful.

The 34-year-old had a solid World Cup, but wasn’t the best player on her team. Speak to US journalists and fans, and the vast majority will have Julie Ertz and Crystal Dunn ahead of her when it comes to recognising the best player of 2019.

Rapinoe scored six goals in France, which earned her the Golden Boot. She won the Golden Ball and she won a World Cup. That earned her the FIFA Best Award and a place in the FIFPRO World XI. However, she managed only five club appearances in 2019 due to injury and international commitments, which highlights the weight judges placed on the World Cup.

It also highlights another factor that plays a significant role in how judges will vote for awards like the Ballon d’Or, whether that’s media or the players themselves – exposure and visibility.

The women’s game is still miles behind the men’s game when it comes to the ability to watch the best players in the world. The UEFA Women’s Champions League doesn’t have any centralised rights when it comes to broadcasts, so matches in the earlier stages of the competition are often only shown on club websites or not at all, while leagues such as the Frauen Bundesliga in Germany may only show one live game per week outside of its own region.

The National Women’s Soccer League in the United States is available to view online, but after a recent deal with ESPN, not all games are now free to air.

The reality is that some of the best players in the world simply aren’t visible, and those that are tend to receive a lot of attention. Do not be surprised if the Tokyo Olympics carries a lot of weight next year for voting on awards such as the Ballon d’Or, while the list is likely to be dominated by Europeans the following year thanks to Euro 2021.

The American forward Ella Masar, who recently retired having played in a number of countries including the US, Sweden and Germany, tweeted her frustration, with many relating to the points she raised…

Thanks man

 

[Yid]

Here is another article about Mou and United away tomorrow:

Mourinho's new humility and pacifism will be tested to their limits by the emotion of returning to United.

Charlie Eccleshare (published Yesterday)
------------------------------------------

When Jose Mourinho was appointed Tottenham Hotspur head coach, it felt safe to assume that he would follow the pattern that broadly defined his spells at Chelsea and Manchester United: caution on the pitch, carnage off it.

Three matches into his Spurs reign, however, that combination has been flipped. Starting with the football itself, Mourinho’s first three matches have thrown up scorelines more commonly associated with a manager such as Kevin Keegan.

Saturday’s 3-2 win against Bournemouth followed 3-2 and 4-2 victories over West Ham United and Olympiakos, and mean Mourinho’s Tottenham have scored 10 and conceded six in a week. Not since the summer of 2014 at Chelsea has Mourinho been involved in such a high-scoring sequence of three matches.

Off the pitch, meanwhile, Mourinho has been uncharacteristically, almost disconcertingly, calm — like a predator waiting for the moment to pounce. Those frequent claims of humility may be unconvincing, but it can’t be denied that Mourinho has thus far been entirely respectful and non-confrontational.

After the Bournemouth game on Saturday, for instance, Mourinho would have been expected to begin the mind games ahead of Wednesday’s return to Manchester United. Instead, he made no mention of his last employers. Sure, Mourinho wasn’t asked about them, but when has a triviality like that ever stopped him bending the news agenda to his will?

Prior to his first return to Stamford Bridge as United manager three years ago, for instance, Mourinho placed himself front and centre of the discussion by saying: “Chelsea have won four Premier League titles in their history. Three of them were with me and the other one was won by the team I left behind.”

His angry words towards his opposite number Antonio Conte at the final whistle also ensured Chelsea’s 4-0 win was not the only post-match talking point. Two months later, Mourinho still wasn’t done — aiming a dig at Chelsea’s playing style under Conte. “It’s not just the difference in points, it’s also the Chelsea philosophy of playing,” he said, in response to a question about whether his United side could overhaul leaders Chelsea. “They score one goal and they win. They defend a lot. They defend well.”

So far at Spurs, there’s been none of that aggro. When asked on Saturday about his current side catching up the six-point gap between them and fourth-placed Chelsea, Mourinho gave a far more measured response, finishing with the platitude: “We have a lot to work and a lot to improve.” Throw in inviting ball-boy Callum Hynes to Tottenham’s pre-match meal after his “assist” in the Olympiakos match and giving him a fist-pump after Dele’s opener against Bournemouth, and this appears to be a very different Mourinho.

But can the placid “it’s not about me” manager and entertaining football really last in the longer term? For a number of reasons, Wednesday’s match at Old Trafford will give us a far clearer indication of the style of football and type of Mourinho we can expect at Tottenham over the next few months.

It should be said that much of the excitement so far has been more by accident than design. Mourinho was clearly irritated by the concession of two second-half goals against Bournemouth, just as he was against West Ham a week earlier. The cavalier approach against Olympiakos in midweek, meanwhile, was necessitated by falling 2-0 down inside the first 20 minutes.

Nonetheless, Tottenham have been anything but conservative in their last three matches. Against Bournemouth, they refused to shut up shop and play for the clean sheet when 3-0 up in the second half, and continued to commit men forward and look for more goals. The outstanding Dele roamed free in search of his hat-trick, Moussa Sissoko continued to stride forward from midfield having brilliantly scored Tottenham’s third, while at right-back Serge Aurier hurtled up and down the touchline in front of his increasingly agitated manager.

Mourinho had been expected to come in and shore up the defence but, on the evidence of the last week or so, that is a process that will take some time. Saturday’s game actually became so stretched by the end that only a last-ditch Jan Vertonghen tackle denied Callum Wilson the chance to make it 3-3 deep into stoppage time.

Against United on Wednesday, Mourinho’s side will surely not be so reckless. The head coach partnered Eric Dier with Tanguy Ndombele in central midfield against Bournemouth, but could well revert to the more defensive double pivot of Dier and Harry Winks in Manchester. He might even drop Sissoko back to form a midfield three and try to smother United.

The role of Son Heung-min will also be telling. So far under Mourinho, Son has had the left flank almost to himself, with whoever is playing left-back moving inside to be closer to the centre-backs when Tottenham have the ball. Against Bournemouth, Son combined defensive diligence with a highly intelligent attacking display that included two assists, but at United the balance will likely be more on helping out his left-back. Demanding his wingers contribute defensively is a Mourinho staple, especially against the strongest teams.

On the right, there’s the question of whether Mourinho will hold his nerve in continuing to field Aurier as a sort of wing-back/winger hybrid. Doing so relies on Davinson Sanchez covering an awful lot of ground as the right-sided centre-back, and the nominally right-sided midfielder — against Bournemouth it was Sissoko — regularly tracking back to compensate for Aurier’s advanced position. It’s one thing giving Aurier that sort of licence against Ryan Fraser, quite another against a United side where, assuming they are selected, all three of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Daniel James will at one point or another try their luck down that flank.

Fearing the devastation that elite players can cause is why Mourinho has generally erred on the side of caution in the biggest matches. A trip to United, even in their currently diminished state, certainly falls into that category — especially given how much is at stake for the manager and his pride after his sacking just under 12 months ago.

And it is this factor which will tell us so much about how seriously we should take Mourinho’s supposedly new-found serenity. Lavishing Eddie Howe with praise on the eve of the Bournemouth game was one thing, but his humility and pacifism will be tested to their limits by the emotion of returning to Old Trafford. Any sacked manager would feel the urge to prove themselves upon returning to that club, let alone one as competitive as Mourinho.

He can generally be counted on to strike if backed into a corner. After the corresponding fixture last season for instance, which his United side lost 3-0 to Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs, Mourinho held up three fingers and said: “I won more Premierships alone than the other 19 managers together. Three for me and two for them. Respect. Respect. Respect, man.”

During his second spell at Chelsea, “the Happy One” facade quickly crumbled once results started to go against the team. It’s easier to be humble as a winner, of course.

On this occasion you would expect the anti-United jibes and psychological warfare to start in his pre-match press conference and continue until after the final whistle — win or lose. And given his history with United, Mourinho will surely also struggle to repeat, with a straight face, his mantra that Tottenham — not him — should be everyone’s focus. “I am nobody,” he said the day before the Bournemouth match, convincing few with his self-effacement.

But should Mourinho maintain his statesmanship in spite of his personal axe to grind with United, we will have to take the idea of a new man seriously.

Likewise, should he pick a team to go out and attack United then it might be time to start preparing for a Spurs side more similar in approach to his Real Madrid teams that scored 100-plus goals in successive La Liga seasons rather than the stingy Chelsea sides he created at Stamford Bridge.

Either way, Bournemouth was an important hurdle for Mourinho to overcome. But Manchester United — especially off the pitch — has the feel of an early acid test for “the Humble One”.

(Photo: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

 

[Yid]

Eriksen has told Mourinho he won't be staying. - Pastebin.com

Pastebin.com is the number one paste tool since 2002. Pastebin is a website where you can store text online for a set period of time.

pastebin.com

 

['O Zio]

I have to say, despite not being overly fussed about their articles, the new podcasts they've released have been pretty good. So far I've listened to:

• The first episode of Zonal Marking, which was excellent, was all about Mourinho. The next one is about Arsenal though so I'll reserve judgement
• The Mark Chapman one with Ornstein - 2 episodes in now and I think it's pretty good, some interesting insights into the way a lot of things go on behind the scenes either in terms of journalism and the way clubs operate. However, it's let down a little bit by Chapman being sort of weirdly "star struck" by Ornstein. I know the whole schtick of the show is that they've got this very well-connected journo on there, but Chapman kind of rams that home a bit too much like it's some incredible coup that he can hardly believe. If he calms down a bit it would improve the show IMO. They also spend a lot of time talking about how despite Ornstein's connections at Arsenal the show isn't an Arsenal-show, which ironically kind of makes it sound more like an Arsenal show because they keep saying Arsenal every 2 mins. We get it, it's not an Arsenal show, move on.
• The spurs one, has a bit of a rubbish name that I can't remember. I've liked it so far. It's with Jack Pitt-Brooke mainly and then a few others who pop in and out. It's been 2 episodes and both have been worth a listen. Will be good to have another serious Spurs podcast other than TFC Extra Inch because other than that it's slim pickings between The Spurs Show which is like listening to your dickhead uncle mouthing off about Brexit at a wedding, or the ordinary Fighting Cock which is like listening to a bunch of 14-year-olds who've been allowed to go into town without their parents for the first time.

 

[Marty]

I have to say, despite not being overly fussed about their articles, the new podcasts they've released have been pretty good. So far I've listened to:

• The first episode of Zonal Marking, which was excellent, was all about Mourinho. The next one is about Arsenal though so I'll reserve judgement
• The Mark Chapman one with Ornstein - 2 episodes in now and I think it's pretty good, some interesting insights into the way a lot of things go on behind the scenes either in terms of journalism and the way clubs operate. However, it's let down a little bit by Chapman being sort of weirdly "star struck" by Ornstein. I know the whole schtick of the show is that they've got this very well-connected journo on there, but Chapman kind of rams that home a bit too much like it's some incredible coup that he can hardly believe. If he calms down a bit it would improve the show IMO. They also spend a lot of time talking about how despite Ornstein's connections at Arsenal the show isn't an Arsenal-show, which ironically kind of makes it sound more like an Arsenal show because they keep saying Arsenal every 2 mins. We get it, it's not an Arsenal show, move on.
• The spurs one, has a bit of a rubbish name that I can't remember. I've liked it so far. It's with Jack Pitt-Brooke mainly and then a few others who pop in and out. It's been 2 episodes and both have been worth a listen. Will be good to have another serious Spurs podcast other than TFC Extra Inch because other than that it's slim pickings between The Spurs Show which is like listening to your dickhead uncle mouthing off about Brexit at a wedding, or the ordinary Fighting Cock which is like listening to a bunch of 14-year-olds who've been allowed to go into town without their parents for the first time.

Good summary. I'm subscribing to the first two you mention but not the Spurs one, I listened to the first one but Jack Pitt-Brooke's voice was a turn off. Definitely a better writer than speaker.

The only Spurs pod I subscribe to is TFC Extra Inch.

 

[coyspurs18]

I have to say, despite not being overly fussed about their articles, the new podcasts they've released have been pretty good. So far I've listened to:

• The first episode of Zonal Marking, which was excellent, was all about Mourinho. The next one is about Arsenal though so I'll reserve judgement
• The Mark Chapman one with Ornstein - 2 episodes in now and I think it's pretty good, some interesting insights into the way a lot of things go on behind the scenes either in terms of journalism and the way clubs operate. However, it's let down a little bit by Chapman being sort of weirdly "star struck" by Ornstein. I know the whole schtick of the show is that they've got this very well-connected journo on there, but Chapman kind of rams that home a bit too much like it's some incredible coup that he can hardly believe. If he calms down a bit it would improve the show IMO. They also spend a lot of time talking about how despite Ornstein's connections at Arsenal the show isn't an Arsenal-show, which ironically kind of makes it sound more like an Arsenal show because they keep saying Arsenal every 2 mins. We get it, it's not an Arsenal show, move on.
• The spurs one, has a bit of a rubbish name that I can't remember. I've liked it so far. It's with Jack Pitt-Brooke mainly and then a few others who pop in and out. It's been 2 episodes and both have been worth a listen. Will be good to have another serious Spurs podcast other than TFC Extra Inch because other than that it's slim pickings between The Spurs Show which is like listening to your dickhead uncle mouthing off about Brexit at a wedding, or the ordinary Fighting Cock which is like listening to a bunch of 14-year-olds who've been allowed to go into town without their parents for the first time.

The View From The Lane innit? I agree with your assessment as well. They did a really good job sorting out their podcasts.