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Did something occur in soccer this weekend? Apart from the announcement of a Tremendous League — with a Q&A breaking it down — sure, we had loads of on-pitch motion too. Man Metropolis’s quadruple quest was crushed at Wembley by Chelsea within the FA Cup semifinal, whereas Tottenham adopted the Tremendous League information by firing Jose Mourinho. There was additionally a trophy for Barcelona as Lionel Messi led the “disaster” membership to Copa del Rey glory.
It is Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the largest moments on this planet of soccer from the previous weekend of internationals in Europe.
Leap to: Messi’s Copa magic | Why Spurs fired Mourinho | Man Metropolis’s quashed quadruple quest | Bayern, Flick drama
Messi shines as Barcelona move their technique to the Copa del Rey
There is a fairly acquainted trope when Barcelona are in what we used to name “tiki-taka” mode and are racking up possession dominance north of 60% per recreation. In the event that they rating, the knee-jerk response is to reward. But when they do not, they’re fools for “attempting to move it into the again of the web” and “not having a go.”
Barcelona’s Copa del Rey ultimate in opposition to Athletic Bilbao seemed to be heading in direction of the latter in a scoreless first half, earlier than reverting to the previous after the break as Ronald Koeman’s crew rolled to a 4-0 victory. And, in actual fact, that possession represents two sides of the identical coin.
Towards a Bilbao crew that sat very deep and congested the area, Barca selected to maintain the ball, to maneuver it, probe, take a look at and in the end exhaust — mentally and bodily — the opposition. That is the purpose of this model of play. They scored 4 objectives after the break, and will have had seven or eight if not for some good Unai Simon saves, and loads of it needed to do with the injury completed to the opposition within the first half, psychologically if not when it comes to objectives.
Oh, after which there was Lionel Messi. He bagged two, his first a factor of magnificence. It got here from a type of classic runs the place he performs a one-two with a teammate (this time, Frenkie de Jong) with uncanny precision, accelerates into area and buries it. His second was courtesy of his previous accomplice in chic, Jordi Alba.
Outcomes elsewhere imply Koeman now has a recreation in hand and a five-point deficit to make up in La Liga’s title race, however greater than that, he has a aspect that, whereas removed from excellent, is clicking and brimming with confidence. Even Antoine Griezmann — who lined up as a center-forward alongside Messi, a task he was supposedly unable to play — seemed good in opening the scoring, whereas De Jong reminded us simply why he stays the most effective all-rounders within the recreation.
Mourinho by no means felt like a pure match at Tottenham… particularly with no followers
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Julien Laurens believes Jose Mourinho is not a viable alternative for high golf equipment after his time at Spurs.
You already know issues need to be fairly dangerous if you half methods with a supervisor every week earlier than your first cup ultimate in six years and with a shot at European soccer (perhaps even a Champions League place) nonetheless within the stability. That is why it is arduous to just accept that Jose Mourinho is not Tottenham Hotspur supervisor merely primarily based on outcomes — particularly when, as late as mid-December, this crew had been high of the Premier League.
Was is it merely the case — as may need occurred with Chelsea after they changed Frank Lampard with Thomas Tuchel — that they turned satisfied Mourinho wasn’t going to ship a top-four end and so that you may as effectively transfer on now?
– Tottenham fireplace supervisor Jose Mourinho
Presumably, however that might imply they’ve their alternative lined up, as Chelsea did with Tuchel. It might should be any individual out of labor, and on condition that we’ve not heard a peep, they might have needed to have moved swiftly and quietly. Given the bookies’ favourites to exchange Mourinho (RB Leipzig’s Julian Nagelsmann, Leicester Metropolis’s Brendan Rodgers) are each gainfully employed, that state of affairs seems unlikely.
Somewhat, you get the sense that the scenario had merely develop into unsustainable on a private degree as effectively. It isn’t simply that the crew appeared to regress each when it comes to outcomes and efficiency; it is the best way Mourinho’s personal manner appeared to decay because the season wound on. All that wide-eyed enthusiasm he displayed in his welcome video when he joined the membership — he talked about how the coaching floor was “one of the best on this planet” — and in his early months, after they completed the 2019-20 season on a excessive, was changed by the haggard look of a man who was going to work down a coal pit.
It is true as effectively that there could have been breakdowns in private relationships with sure members of the squad. There is a acquainted sample when a supervisor is let go, significantly at a high membership, whereby tales immediately seem to assist justify his departure. They could be true; they might be exaggerated or self-serving. It occurred after Mourinho was let go by Manchester United, Chelsea and Actual Madrid earlier than that. Count on it to occur right here as effectively.
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Julien Laurens believes the entire of Tottenham’s dressing room turned on Jose Mourinho leading to his sacking.
Mourinho by no means fairly felt like a rational match for Spurs. The place he is had success up to now, it has often include successfully managing huge gamers with huge gamers and large personalities. (Huge salaries, too.) Typically he did it by making a siege mentality and generally by clashing with the membership, however at all times — when he was profitable — with fan assist.
But Tottenham did not have the large, vocal star personalities. (Not that they do not have nice gamers; it is extra that the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son merely have totally different personalities than, say, John Terry.) Nor did they’ve the huge sums to safe them, like a few of his earlier golf equipment. And so far as clashing with membership administration, few have taken on Daniel Levy and lived to inform the story, in order that was by no means going to occur.
As for the followers? Nicely, it is arduous to construct a rapport pitch-side when there’s no one within the seats behind you. Possibly this had an impression too, significantly within the new stadium.
And so that you marvel what occurs subsequent. Mourinho has burned bridges at each membership he is been at, bar Porto and Inter. Portugal, after Fernando Santos, is smart on paper, and he has expressed an curiosity up to now. There’s additionally a really proficient era of gamers with whom to work. (However, there’s additionally an ageing Cristiano Ronaldo, and the 2 typically have not seen eye-to-eye up to now.)
Wherever he goes subsequent — and sure, I mentioned this when he was sacked from Chelsea the second time and sacked from Manchester United — rather a lot will depend upon what classes he has realized from his current experiences. You typically be taught extra from defeats than from victories. It is seemingly his finest probability to get again into the limelight.
The quadruple is not going to be televised… not this yr, anyway
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Shaka Hislop is befuddled by Zack Steffen’s positioning on Chelsea’s profitable objective vs. Manchester Metropolis.
Pep Guardiola did not like listening to discuss of a Quadruple in 2021 primarily as a result of he is aware of that in knockout competitions, it takes little or no to throw you off. Little question you are feeling for him. Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup semifinal defeat to Chelsea means he could need to accept a Treble (presumably), a Double (in all probability) or simply his third Premier League title in 4 years.
It wasn’t a very entertaining recreation. Chelsea defended stoutly, as is Tuchel’s wont as of late, and the distinction was a run by Timo Werner and a stretch by Hakim Ziyech. Kudos to Chelsea; we all know they will get outcomes this fashion. That they created little besides in transition would not matter an excessive amount of as they are not being judged in opposition to Metropolis’s customary (not but, anyway).
– Ogden: Guardiola was proper about quadruple impossibility
But it surely was noteworthy that Guardiola made eight modifications from midweek. Positive, the fixture checklist is congested, he has one other recreation on Wednesday (Aston Villa within the league), adopted by the Carabao Cup ultimate on the weekend and the primary leg of the Champions League semifinal in opposition to Paris St Germain after that. Nonetheless, eight modifications is rather a lot and except you might have blind (and, frankly, unjustified) religion in your crew’s capability to retain chemistry and high quality even when your XI is a revolving door, it speaks to greater than customary rotation. In spite of everything, this was an FA Cup semifinal and in contrast to League Cups, Premier League titles, Champions Leagues, Liga and Bundesliga crowns, DFB-Pokals and Copas del Rey, he solely has a type of at house.
I think the manifold modifications had extra to do with Metropolis’s run of type in current weeks and perhaps desirous to ship a little bit of a shock to his crew. Over their previous three video games, they wanted an injury-time winner in opposition to Borussia Dortmund, they misplaced to Leeds United they usually went a objective all the way down to Dortmund within the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinal, having fun with the advantages of some huge refereeing calls alongside the best way. They did not essentially play poorly, however the execution wasn’t there. It wasn’t actually there in opposition to Chelsea, both.
It isn’t a purpose to fret, although. In spite of everything, you may make the purpose that from right here on out, there are simply three video games that matter: the League Cup ultimate and the 2 semis in opposition to PSG. (Plus, after all, the Champions League ultimate in the event that they make it.) So if Pep realized one thing from the Metropolis recreation, extra energy to him. In any other case, the one upshot is that there will likely be no Quadruple.
Bayern present character in direction of Wolfsburg… and a little bit of nasty in direction of Flick
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Jan Aage Fjortoft praises Bayern Munich’s capability to attain objectives with out their chief Robert Lewandowski.
Bayern Munich’s 3-2 win over Wolfsburg was considerably overshadowed by what occurred post-match, when coach Hansi Flick went off-message and mentioned he want to go away on the finish of the season. It actually should not have been, as a result of the win over third-placed Wolfsburg — coming because it did only a few days after elimination from the Champions League in opposition to PSG — was an enormous deal. It took their Bundesliga lead again as much as seven factors after Leipzig’s scoreless draw Friday, it confirmed the aspect’s perennial bounce-back-ability (yeah, that is a phrase) and it reminded us what a gem they’ve in Jamal Musiala. It wasn’t simply the 2 objectives he scored, however the best way he took duty in Bayern’s midfield and the intelligence with which he tracked again. It is easy to overlook that he solely turned 18 two months in the past.
However again to Flick, who confirmed in public his intention to maneuver on. (The good cash is on him taking the Germany job, post-Euros.) Bayern issued the tersest of statements, saying that they’d agreed with their supervisor that they might broach the topic of his departure after the sport with Mainz on April 24, and that “FC Bayern disapproves of the unilateral communications issued by Hansi Flick and can proceed talks after the match at Mainz, agreed.”
Not fairly heat and fuzzy in direction of the man who helped ship the Treble final yr, was it?
Essentially the most easy studying is that Bayern resent what seems to be an try by Flick to get them to launch him from his contract in June. Superb. However the actuality is that no membership goes to maintain a supervisor in opposition to his will — not except they will pay him to sit down round and do nothing. It isn’t as if Flick is on the lookout for an enormous pay-out both: if he was, he would not be going to the Germany job. So why deal with him like a bit of child who’s speaking out of flip?
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