WanderlustSport

It's time for a reaction to the reaction regarding Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, alongside the contentious notion that Harry Kane could hold greater significance for England than Jarrod Bowen.  Trent is not the antagonist I've been a reader for a long time and I'm not new to writing, but it's been quite a while since I last wrote (7 years… How time flies). I feel the need to write a defense of Trent Alexander-Arnold.  There’s an abundance of hostility aimed at him from both supporters and commentators. Jamie Carragher, specifically, stating that Trent ought to sign a longer deal so the club is compensated for his transfer to Real is nonsense.  John Henry, who is valued at BILLIONS of dollars, did not steer his business to prioritize renewing a highly valuable contract; why are we holding the asset responsible?  If Trent had experienced a career-ending injury at the beginning of this season, would the club have kindly offered him a new contract valued in mill...

There has been a response to an England ranking that positioned Jude Bellingham above Arsenal's Declan Rice and Dominic Solanke above Liam Delap.  England ladder ahoy A couple of remarks:  1. To claim that Bowen lost his opportunity because it was "on a night that seemed perfect for him to excel" is quite severe. Bowen plays tirelessly, pressuring the opponent when in possession and swiftly counterattacking, taking on defenders whenever the opportunity arises. The very last thing he requires is to play “behind” a stationary Kane who, when Bowen has the ball, is inevitably trudging up from an absurdly deep midfield role.  2. Laughing at Solanke in the 32nd. £65 million... Did anyone watching from home believe he could be the solution to any England dilemma, at any moment? I don’t believe so. Indeed, I challenge the mention of Delap at 37, asserting “he would follow Kane, Watkins, and Solanke in line.” To begin with, what has Solanke done to earn a “well of course” remark a...

Jarrod Bowen feels 'extremely bad' about the Mailbox after receiving the Andy Johnson treatment. England have made progress with Thomas Tuchel in charge.  Delulu of Grandu (resembles a Star Trek chapter)  Dude, football supporters are absolutely the worst.  Tuchel’s initial match was a catastrophe, right? Even prior to addressing the fact that we, you know, easily secured a win in a qualification match against a lower-ranked yet competent team, with no sign of risk whatsoever – take a look at the first match of the last 5 managers in charge: Jarrod Bowen feels ‘incredibly bad’ after receiving the Andy Johnson treatment. England have scored points with Thomas Tuchel at the helm.  Steve McLaren – England 4-0 Greece (friendly) – the most straightforward “best” outcome on this list, yet still unremarkable considering the time (Greece had become merely a shadow of the team that won Euro 2004), plus it distinctly indicates that a “thrilling debut match” barely correlates w...

Thomas Tuchel remarked that he would follow the path of every international coach before him, which includes a ‘jab’ at Mikel Arteta and a ‘caution’ to all managers in the Premier League.  A proper Tuch   With the national anthem issue settled and skillfully avoided by Thomas Tuchel, the national media has needed to explore alternative methods of pulling headlines from the England manager during international breaks.  To their credit, they have discovered a lasting solution: acting as if Tuchel is in conflict with the club's management.  The Sun claims Tuchel ‘will not hold back against Prem bosses’, which is odd to mention since none have requested such kindness, as that would be unusual.  ‘TUCH FIGHT CLUB’ shouts the Daily Mirror, while John Cross reports that Tuchel ‘is prepared to engage in a confrontation with Premier League managers’ and ‘even challenged Mikel Arteta’ regarding Declan Rice.  The Times repeats that ‘collision course’ phrase.  Ian ...

One observation I make as England begins a new chapter with Thomas Tuchel is that there is already a significant split between the pro and anti Tuchel factions.  Identifying the opponents is straightforward, as they concentrate on superficial xenophobic arguments against a German managing England, ignoring the clearer point that if a German can be a manager, why exclude a Norwegian striker? Clearly, as they aren't English. Precisely. The primary purpose of international football is competitions between nations; the reason for excluding managers from a major nation is not clarified. Clearly, the belief is 'we just want the best' – well, tough luck, put in more effort to educate and support English coaches instead of using money to essentially cheat. Does it not strike the FA that choices like this continue the issue? Moreover, being the best at clubs is not the same as being the best on an international level. Hire Lionel Scaloni if you're looking to purchase your path t...

Cristiano Ronaldo is among the numerous veteran players who continue to compete in international football. The Portugal captain requires a wake-up call, whereas Luka Modric does not.  Here are ten veteran players selected to represent their nation this month…  Cristiano Ronaldo [Portugal] What better place to begin than the representation of longevity? Cristiano Ronaldo is an extraordinary talent, but time has undeniably impacted him, which, at 40 years old and over twenty years into his professional career, is perfectly acceptable.  As the greatest Portuguese football player ever and, for many, the best football player of all time period, Ronaldo continues to dominate the nation he has represented more than 200 times. The Real Madrid and Manchester United icon does more harm than good these days but remains essential; if Roberto Martinez decides to contest this, Ronaldo's intense gaze will shine bright, and the former Everton manager will retreat as if his life relies on...

Phil Foden is likely to be the initial victim of Thomas Tuchel’s era with England, as Marcus Rashford persists in making Ruben Amorim appear foolish…  Thomas Tuchel's method with the press since taking on the role of England's manager has been invigorating, and we ought to have anticipated nothing less than straightforward, no-nonsense honesty aimed at one objective: securing victory in the 2026 World Cup.  In contrast to Gareth Southgate, Tuchel will not get caught up in unnecessary political distractions or the tedious controversy surrounding the national anthem singing. He’s a consistent victor with a demonstrated history in competitions, so that is rightly where his attention is directed.  Following his daring choices for his initial England squad, Tuchel displayed equal courage in selecting his starting lineup for his team's first World Cup qualifier against Albania on Friday evening.  Arsenal's young Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup final s...

Cole Palmer could be a concern for Thomas Tuchel’s initial England squad after having to miss Chelsea’s match against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.  The 22-year-old was included in the German squad of 26 players for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.  Nonetheless, Palmer was excluded from Enzo Maresca’s matchday roster for the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium.  Commenting on Palmer leaving the game against Leicester due to a stomach upset last weekend, Maresca remarked about the midfielder’s location: “He’s definitely not in the bathroom.” He he he!  “No, he experienced some issues last week, and yesterday he faced a minor [injury] issue, but we believe that after the international break he will rejoin us.”  "He sustained an injury yesterday during a training session." It was a quite relaxed session, which is why we believe it’s not significant, but he still has to wait. The sentiment is that he might return following the in...

Thomas Tuchel has revealed his inaugural England squad, and it has undoubtedly sparked conversations. We possess 16 Conclusions regarding the ridiculousness of the situation.  The positive aspect is we can be angry at England teams again rather than merely counting the number of full-backs. The earth is recovering.  The third-best team in the Premier League has been overlooked, and so has the explanation for why Jordan Henderson's international career seemed to be finished. There's a tremendous amount to work with.  1. The inclusion of Jordan Henderson came as a surprise to us, to say the least. The response from mainstream media – or the noticeable absence of it – is rather puzzling as well.  At this moment, let’s concentrate solely on football and nothing else. Henderson truly embodies a significant figure at Ajax; he occasionally takes the field for them as well. In the last eight games, he has played for a total of 158 minutes – which is 21.94% of the duration. T...