ALL ON BOARD
Chelsea fans were also present when the team, consisting of Diego Moreira, Robert Sánchez, Marc Cucurella, Ian Maatsen, Bashir Humphreys, Lesley Ugochukwu and Mason Burstow, went one goal behind to AFC Wimbledon in the 18th minute of the Milk Cup second round match in August. One would think that anyone who suggested that the players in question would take part in this Sunday’s final at Wembley was a stone-ax madman. Considering Moreira is currently on loan at Lyon, Sánchez and Cucurella have been beaten since December, Maatsen is at Dortmund, Humphreys is at Swansea, Ugochukwu has not been reviewed since Christmas they too would be dead. Eve and Burstow are now trying to make sense of it all under their fourth different manager in seven months, having been sent on loan to Sunderland in September.
However, despite all the confusion, Chelsea then somehow overcame the challenge of Brighton, Blackburn, Newcastle and Middlesbrough to qualify for Wembley, and now only the expertly devastated Liverpool stand in the way of suffering a record sixth consecutive defeat in the domestic final at Wembley. Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t care, as the previous five were lost under the watchful eye of other managers and thrown on the bus of history, if not in the dustbin. “A finale begins and ends, but that’s about it,” he chirped. “You hide it in the bus. There was never a reference to this finale and this will translate to its finale. This is history. Of course people are paying attention. But when we prepare, we don’t think about what happened a year ago, two years ago, three years ago.”
While Pochettino does not say whether he has thought about what happened three weeks ago, he would do well to remember that it was only the almost preternatural passion of Darwin Núñez in Liverpool’s 4-1 win over his side at Anfield. Hitting the goal prevented Jürgen Klopp’s side from doubling their points. You wouldn’t give Chelsea a chance to beat Liverpool on Sunday as evidence of this performance, but since then Liverpool have lost many key players. In the team that started that day, Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota were skillfully eliminated; Núñez, however, aroused great suspicion. Mo Salah, who did not feature in the defeat in question, could also miss Sunday due to a situation that has led Klopp to describe Chelsea as clear favourites.
Needless to say, Pochettino is having none of it. “Of course I think Liverpool are favourites,” he roared in the pre-match media session. “They have the experience of competing as a team and reaching finals over the last few years. Our players are only interested in this competition, the Premier League and [Carling] Cup but for some it’s their first final. “To me, I make them my favourite.” No matter how fascinating and devilishly clever these mind games are, punters disagree, but this is not a market Football Daily will be involved in with any confidence. Given that the last two finals between the two sides ended goalless after extra time before penalties, a dull draw seems the most likely outcome. Our only hope is a good match and a few goals.
LIVE ON MAJOR WEBSITE
Join John Brewin from 19.45 GMT for minute-by-minute updates from the Lionesses’ 0-0 friendly against Austria; Dominic Booth will be on stage at 20.00 for Leeds 0-0 Leicester in the Championship.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I am not a magician. “I’m not David Copperfield… I don’t know what you’ll see tomorrow, but everything you’ll see, it’s Oliver Glasner” – the new Crystal Palace manager is trying to temper fans’ expectations ahead of facing Burnley and gets his third man while he’s at it.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
I was very interested to read Magdalena Eriksson’s column exploring the question of how to stop Spain (yesterday’s Moving the Goalposts, full email edition), but I was disappointed that she made no mention of Japan. Seeing Japan beat Spain 4-0 in the group stage of the 2023 World Cup became one of the games of the tournament for me, and from then on I was backing Japan to go all the way. In the end, of course, Eriksson’s Sweden decided the matter. Both Spain and Japan faced Sweden in the qualifying rounds, and only Spain managed to get past them. “I think Spain are happy Japan isn’t playing in the Nations League” – Tim Scanlan.
Answer: Tottenham are signing a Harry Kane statue ‘to encourage their forwards who don’t score’ (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). I’d go a step further and put him in the opposition box. Who knows, he might even win Spurs a few penalties” – Antony Train.
Send a letter to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of the non-prize letter of the day is… Antony Train.
NEWS, TITS AND BOBS
The FA wants a banning order on people entering matches through the back door without tickets. Currently anyone caught entering or trying to enter without a ticket can only be ejected, but if the ‘Football Match Trespass Bill’ is passed they could be fined up to £1,000 and could also be banned from the match.
Club Atlético Tigre will impose a lifetime ban on the fan who threw a bottle at Chacarita Juniors’ Fernando Brandan, hitting him in the eye and causing the Argentine Cup match to be postponed.
Manchester United will have to be without in-form Rasmus Højlund for up to three weeks after the striker suffered a muscle strain. “That’s the risk of playing at high intensity and in training,” Erik ten Hag sighed. “He has to wait.”
The Big Vase last 16 draw includes Brighton v Roma, Liverpool v Sparta Prague, West Ham v Freiburg and Rangers v Benfica.
David Moyes has revealed that a new contract with West Ham is on the table but he is not sure whether he will sign it. “I am the one who decided that I want to wait until the end of the season, make sure everything is right and concentrate on this season,” he exclaimed. “There are many reasons. I have to make sure it’s the right thing for the club, for myself and my family. I’ve spoken to the board. I’ve had a fantastic four years. We’ll figure it out but I’m happy to wait.”
And St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson says he calmed things down with the fans after the 1-0 Scottish Premiership defeat to Livingston with whom he had a full and frank argument. “Every week I receive criticism in various forms, some more malicious than others, and that was not the case on Saturday,” he exclaimed. “He was someone who expressed an opinion that I did not agree with. He reached out, apologized, and his apology was accepted. It was just two angry people. We talked several times. He’s a good guy, a big St Mirren supporter and will be there on Saturday. I will not apologize for being passionate and emotional. “I am an emotional person.”
STILL WANT MORE?
From Berlin, Kate Connolly reports on German fans whose dogged defense appears to have triumphed over private capital, foreign investment, remote-controlled cars and more.
Here’s the crossover you’ve been waiting for: 10 things to watch out for this weekend… Premier League and Milk Cup final.
Jacob Steinberg warns on the eve of the Littlewoods Cup final that Raheem Sterling’s critics should know better than to write him off.
Fast breaks continue to slow Newcastle’s progress, as Louise Taylor explains.
In troubled times, let’s make Euro 2024 a celebration of our best values, writes Philipp Lahm.
And it’s time for the Championship to jinx: Harry De Cosemo reveals how Hull City are re-promoting for a return to the Premier League.
WITH MEMORY STRIP
After Roy Hodgson was mutually allowed to leave Selhurst, a new era is expected at Crystal Palace, where Oliver Glasner takes charge. Here, during the Neuchâtel Xamax days in 1991, he takes it all in by a Swiss lake. And here’s a Swiss TV chat with Hodgson from that time, easily translated from start to finish.