IT’S THE GRAND CUP FINAL, BABY
After a season that has become more extraordinary with each passing week, it all comes down to that. Two teams fueled by a sense of destiny, competing for a grand prize in a brilliant modern football cathedral; it’s a shame someone has to lose. And yet, when The Fiver presented his 3,000-word play about the League Two playoff final to The Man, they sent it back to us in a thousand pieces, the confetti arranged on what goes through a desk to write. two words: BIG CUP.
And if that initial tactic was more telegraphic than a $ tevie Mbe Hollywood pass, Saturday night’s clash in Paris promises to be much less predictable. Liverpool will start as favorites, but Real Madrid have shown that they can destroy a carefully built Big Cup project in 90 seconds, let alone 90 minutes. After increasingly dramatic final comebacks against PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City, we expect Karim Benzema to appear with a late winner halfway through the Liverpool trophy parade.
So if you’re the kind of fan who likes to post the “UCL” number of the chosen team to all the misfortunes of the available social media, as if you’ve somehow contributed significantly, here are some analysis patented by Fiver. Liverpool can move on to seven Big Cups, putting them level with Milan, but more importantly, spoiling the flow of that sad “we’ve won it”. [x] sometimes ”cant. Madrid, of course, have won 13, not that they like to talk about it. That’s right, The Fiver is making fun of teams for winning too many Big Cups. But what else is there?
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Both teams have earned their place, and both are trained by friendly deans of modern play. Carlo Ancelotti’s tactical tweaks to the game may involve a talk with Luka Modric and a theatrical eyebrow, but hey, it works. As for Jürgen Klopp, he remains the Big Cup winning coach most likely to keep up a team-building weekend, followed closely by Roberto Di Matteo. Opponents who might point out that this is just a repeat of the 2018 show, and that six of the last nine Big Cup finals have had at least one of these clubs, a fair point. But again, one of those teams lost at home to Sheriff Tiraspol in the groups; the other qualified thanks to a header against West Brom. For his goalkeeper. Bad luck, Mansfield and Port Vale: this is the true story of the weekend’s underdogs.
APPOINTMENT OF THE DAY
“There were many dark days and there will be some in the future, but I felt ready to lead my staff and my players” – Vale coach Darrell Clarke returned after a family mourning close this year, as he prepared to lead. Saturday at Wembley.
Darrell Clarke de Vale. Photo: Christopher Thomond / The Guardian
FIVE LETTERS
“Within hours of kindly printing my letter to Fiver yesterday, Soccer Canada canceled its friendly against Iran. I knew you were a global power in the world of football, but that’s just remarkable. “- Alan Etherington.
“It’s interesting that the Norwich suit described his team as the medium (yesterday’s news, Bits and Bobs). I would think that if they had reached the high levels of the average, they would still be in the Premier League “- Dominic Dawson.
“Fiver letters passim”. Just watch Antiques Roadshow to understand the applause of the money. The low value gets no applause from the audience, the high value gets a lot of applause … but no one has done anything, they have just received the news of a lot of money tied to them. Really good! Newcastle fans can understand this idea “- Paul Sanderson.
Like John McKay (yesterday’s letters), I can’t believe I’m reducing myself to writing a letter to The Fiver. Mostly because I really have nothing ingenious to say. A bit like The Fiver ”- Steve Mintz.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And you can always tweet The Fiver via @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our non-prize letter of the day is … Dominic Dawson.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Get your ears around the latest Football Weekly extra. And while we’re at it, Max, Barry and the pod squad are back on tour. Tickets for live shows in June and July are available here.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
It looks like Sadio Mané could stay at Liverpool after all. “Come back with me on Saturday and I’ll give you the best answer you want to hear, for sure,” he teased. “She is OK. Then I’ll give you everything you want to hear. “
Sadio Mané with a great match towards Paris. Photo: Oils Scarff / AFP / Getty Images
Forest Green considers the handling of tempting manager Ian Burchnall of Notts County to be one of Watford’s eyes. “We have shown among ourselves how the moves in football can still be done correctly and above the table,” said President Dale Vince.
Another non-league leader is Pete Wild, who has traded Halifax for the League Two Barrow concert.
England captain Harry Kane has been talking at Jimmy Fallon’s nightly conference in New York. “We have a great team, very good players, a very good coach, and we’ve been building this World Cup very well and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said, giving the old look to a relatively blank audience. “I hope I can try to break that goal record while we’re at it.”
Badoom-tish. Photo: NBC / NBCU Photo Bank / Getty Images
This sharp moan that you may be able to detect is the ongoing conflict between French and Spanish football suits, especially this Kylian Mbappé business. “When Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos and others left your league, by election, last year, instead of acknowledging their [greatness]you commented on his age and said that our league is “like the legend given the age of some players”, Vincent Labrune of the LFP sniffed in a letter to his counterpart Javier Tebas. “Now yours Disrespectful slander seems to be directed at Mbappé, who is widely recognized as one of the best players in the world and who simply did not join your league by choice, despite having received a similar offer. “
And in the news of older men, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry have played on Twitter Abomination of social media, for the ranking of the first of the best central Premier League, with himself at number 1 and Terry at number 5. He is too tired to go any further.
DO YOU WANT ANY MORE?
Want to know where to win and where to lose the Big Cup final? Then lend your eyes to Jonathan Wilson [he’s written a tactical breakdown, he’s not gone serial killer – Fiver Ed].
Here we come. Composition: Getty, Shutterstock
Karen Carney anticipates Liverpool against Madrid, while Philipp Lahm offers his thoughts on the big game.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté tells Andy Hunter how excited he is to be back in Paris and Sid Lowe listens to Thibaut Courtois. Meanwhile, Steve McManaman reveals that his most true allegiance lies with Liverpool. Amazing!
It can be quite a weekend if you’re into Huddersfield persuasion, reports Aaron Bower.
Another final review of the 2021-22 Premier League, this time choosing pre-season predictions.
And if it’s yours … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. AND INSTACHAT, TOO!