WanderlustSport

Reports indicate that Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca opted to cancel a day off for his senior players this week after a disappointing practice session.  Maresca is nearing the conclusion of his inaugural season as Chelsea's head coach, and it has been quite a journey as they shifted from being contenders for the Premier League title to battling for Champions League qualification.  Chelsea’s choice to substitute former manager Mauricio Pochettino for Maresca faced criticism in the summer, yet this appeared to be a brilliant move at the beginning of the season as they became an unexpected contender for the Premier League title.  Nonetheless, the Blues have considerably dropped in recent months, as they currently sit 14th in our Premier League table for the calendar year.  Five teams from the Premier League are poised to participate in next season's Champions League, while six clubs are competing for fourth-placed Chelsea with nine matches left to play.  Chelsea w...

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...

Pep Guardiola has asserted that he will continue as manager of Manchester City even if the club faces relegation, yet he has continually defended the club’s innocence amid the lengthy struggle with the Premier League regarding their supposed violations of financial fair play, as he presumably believes they are innocent.  If they're declared guilty – unless he’s aware too and has just been shielding his superiors – they’ve been feeding him lies and he will probably feel quite upset about the misleading reassurances they've provided him for the past two years. The Spaniard could potentially create a scene to prevent being associated with the con artists above him.  He has stated before that his upcoming, and perhaps last, management position will be with an international squad, but with a City contract expected to extend until 2027 now shortened due to a guilty verdict, relegation, and a contentious separation, Guardiola might believe he has unresolved matters in club football....

Reports suggest that Real Madrid have once again focused on Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori in anticipation of the summer transfer window.  The Gunners invested £42m in Calafiori last summer when the Italy international joined from Serie A club Bologna, which is having another successful season in the Italian premier league.  Calafiori’s season hasn’t unfolded as he expected, as injuries have hindered his advancement in Mikel Arteta’s squad, with the 22-year-old making just 11 Premier League appearances this season.  The Arsenal defender has been performing well lately, although he sustained another injury while on international duty with Italy last week.  The Spanish site Fichajes claims that Real Madrid has ‘reactivated the option’ to acquire Arsenal defender Calafiori after previously contemplating his recruitment.  While the Spanish club ‘searches the market’ for defensive upgrades, ‘one of the names that is rising in popularity again’ is Calafiori, as t...

Dean Huijsen, a target for Man Utd and Liverpool, has had to refute claims of smoking weed during a peculiar interview, with the Bournemouth defender maintaining he merely has "sleepy eyes."  The 19-year-old has displayed outstanding performance in his debut season in the Premier League, as Bournemouth sits 10th in the standings, just four points behind fifth-placed Man City.  Huijsen made his senior debut for Spain during this international break and received high praise from manager Luis de la Fuente.  His performances this season and later selection for the national team result in a higher profile and increased interviews.  However, the Bournemouth defender, who has been widely associated with Liverpool and Man Utd, among other teams, encountered more than he expected during a podcast with football influencer Papa Pincus.  The Bournemouth defender had to refute allegations of cannabis use after the influencer commented on his looks during the interview. ...

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 ...

Mo Salah requires a playmaker such as Philippe Coutinho to truly excel, yet the Brazilian was the ‘superior player’ and Liverpool managed fine without him.  Tuchel is gone.  Dear wanderlustsport.  Up to now, it's been terrible. England performed poorly in Thomas Tuchel’s inaugural match as manager. The only reason we won while playing like that was because we faced Albania. There won't be blame directed, but there will certainly be no abundant accolades. If we perform like that in our first group match at the real World Cup next year, Tuchel will likely face severe criticism.  Dan, Londres  Impulsive choice   Will Matt Stead betray Tuchel if he ejects Rashford to enhance England's chances of winning the next World Cup?  Salute!  Ashwin (supporter of Manchester United and England)  Struggling to keep my eyes wide open  For those doubting the Nations League, it generally results in more entertaining matches than most of the European World ...

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...