Questions to be asked, answers at an opinionated rate, would Manchester City have achieved without the player investment, is it possible? Not to detract from Guardiola’s achievements, but Pep does need to top rated players to implement Pep’s coaching theme come skills onto the playing field, so to reiterate can you make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, in playing terms of course? Can managers coach their team to play above their station? But would it only be spasmodic performances, consistency can disappear into the fog bound distance, the want, the need to look for that extra consistency is the manager’s work value, the theme to relate. Everton’s Carlo Ancelotti can make players punch above their weight, to give more consistent performances, but with some players it is not quite enough, enter into the transfer market for players who can improve the team ethic in positional areas, in the manager’s mindset, the buying of players can be precarious, enter a club’s technical director on player recruitment. On a personal basis, is there a need for this position at a football club? It’s a foreign concept, the manager will instruct the technical director to go and get player A, if not, player B. The problems arise when the TD overrides his position and can purchase players of his own will, it does happen, but not so prevalent today I would suggest. The manager and the TD must have a good working relationship, a good understanding, the need, the want to relate to each other, Everton being a good example with Ancelotti and Marcel Brands the technical director having a good working relationship, a perfect fit for the club, with Carlo, you look, listen and learn, brands in many quarters have a good mantra.

Referring back to the original paragraph, the first Pep Guardiola sets his teams up like no other, the pass, move variable options, so can the trophy winning teams be built with a limited, restrained budget? Yes, the history books confirm that detail, Leicester City being the limited project that delivered the crown, the Premiership crown, Claudio Ranieri, the manager was never revered as a top bracket manager, but they delivered, how? Everything clicked into place, a cohesive team with quality players and a manger who bled his experience well dry, with every glory hunting team you need a proven goal scorer, that man, James Vardy, from Fleetwood Town to the Crown, the Premiership crown, quite a leap for Vardy but the JV arrival came from the fishing towns to be exact, a salmon’s leap, nothing but the best will do for James Vardy, a remarkable achievement, but this is football. Make no mistake the history books have been written at many clubs in the pyramid system, is it all relative, yes it can be, it is. The glory hunters on occasions who don’t hit the back pages of your tabloids (article dated April 28^th, This is What Football, What We Stand For) Chester City 3 Leeds United, the greatest giant killing of all time? Perhaps, you decide. Enter Manero to reveal the facts to drive against, Rochdale reaching the League Cup Final in 1962 v Norwich, Rochdale from the old Fourth Division, fast forward to Swindon Town who lifted the trophy v the mighty Arsenal seven years later on a fouled up Wembley pitch courtesy of the Hickstead show jumpers, the horses, not to detract, a monumental moment for all of Wiltshire, the memory serving time goes on , back to league matters, the meteoric rise through the pyramid system of Swansea and Carlisle United from fourth to the First Division, the Premiership as it stands today. All clubs have historical moments, stories to tell, great achievements, its just not confined to the top flight.

On occasions managers can have quality players in numbers but fail to reach their plateau, teams can become individuals, the game has changed from utilising wingers who in part have become a dying breed, but is that breed of winger being reborn? To suggest that managers are looking to adopt a winger, a change in the offering? A new tactical approach? Teams still persist with playing across the line, square balls, looking for the openings moving forward before the delivery, the pass. Has football become over tactical, over systemised, over indulged? The return of the ball over the top, down the channels is a distant wish, mix it up, flexibility, must be able to go from plan A to plan C on match recognition, there’s more at stake now, ‘money’. How will football evolve in the decade ahead, is there room for another wingspan, another dimension, put into context and the present, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has added another dimension, that can be said. To how the game can be played and should be played, no time to pass the baton Pep, the other one, Jose Mourinho’s train has derailed, flight bound to AS Roma, the Serie A, a downbeat league compared to the Premiership, to give a comparison. So questions can be asked, why AS Roma? Options limited for Jose, at the crossroads, tossed the coin, went for Roma. Can Roma lay claim to operating at the level of Aston Villa or Westham United on a bad day, the twister, if Jose was offered the position at either of these clubs, would Jose accept? If the goods could not be delivered at Manchester United or Tottenham, to suggest both would be rejected, no deal, in Italy it’s an easier field of play, the now Mourinho way, park the bus, counter attack football, eek out the results, the Italian way, the Italian Job, as Michael Caine would say “Not a lot of people know that” perhaps we do!

Sister Act the Nolans

The new wingspan added to the football umbrella, but not on the field of play with sports recruitment agencies being employed by football clubs, the Professional Footballers Association and the FA. To find managers of whatever the description, the troublesome face is their involvement with the selection of a football manager. Welcome to the twenty first century, mumbo jumbo, another waste bin of money. London based the Nolan partners have been tasked with finding the next England under 21’s manager, is the Nolan motto “We are the pair of hands”, don’t drop a b—— on recruitment. To the layman’s terms, former England players can come into the format to recruit on this position, to suggest Glenn Hoddle, Peter Shilton, David Seaman, failing that, the rocket science formula will be brought to the selection committee.

Sheikh Ashley

Suited but not beautied, the Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has decided to turn uglier v the Premier League, lawsuit filed on the back of the alleged blocking of the protracted sale of Newcastle United, sale collapse, July 2020, the accused, the Premier League, quote Ashley “Excluded new owners and new investment, dark forces need to step aside”. In response, Ashley has been playing this card with his ownership of the magpies blocking possible investors, new owners, coming into the club. Covid-19 has been batting for the toon army and hit the undercarriage of the Ashley business empire, is Ashley the dark force and the desperado? There’s always a reason behind a reason Mike, the Saudi’s human rights issues, hence the hidden blockage, the non understanding of reasoning, not your forte Ashley, expect the same in return courtesy of the Premier League, no sale!

1,2,3 Dusty Binned > The Wombles

Remember you’re a Womble, they have returned to their rituals, no, not on Wimbledon common, but Plough Lane home of the reborn, the new AFC Wimbledon (ref Manero article 05.2020 Historically Yours) having previously been binned without grace by the Football Association, but we do have MK Dons? Link to the fish and chip tabloid who ran the paper presses to the sound of the innocents, the FA, but not behind the veiled curtain.

Date back time to May 4^th 1991, the last match at Plough Lane for the old Wimbledon. Those thirty long years can whistle in the wind for the FA who stated, quote “Don’t want clubs disembarked from their communities”, but what followed did not link to the quote, the FA had control but they relinquished the control hence the setting up of an independent commission to decide Wimbledon’s fate, a passing of the buck, a shirking of responsibility, was this commission of a legal standing? A handcuffing of Wimbledon FC led to the chambers my lord, judged by the three clowned commission, the end of Wimbledon FC consigned to the record books, the FA then had the bloody stained cheek to state that they did not agree with the decision, they could have disbanded the commission which they set up themselves, realised the folly of their actions, blood stained they are, as long as Wimbledon had a stadium to continue playing in, Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace at the time, then there was always hope they could return to Wimbledon at some stage or a possible new stadium build with initiatives (ref Manero article dated 05.01.21 FC Manchester).

Merton council for their part have a stain on their history, they watched the Wombles drown, the boat sink. The boat that did not get a chance to sink was the one earmarked for Ireland with the crazed idea of the Dons having a new stadium in Dublin, a long trek for the supporters, choppy waters, don’t forget the sea sickness tablets, nice pint of Guinness, that idea fell straight down the shark’s jaw, gulp, binned. Wimbledon hung out to dry on a sweltering hot day, SW19 as for the FA who sit on a huge mountain of bull—- let the pigs roam free, the FA sweet F—- All.