In his exclusive column for a popular publication, the issue at hand is not Mauricio Pochettino. The problem does not lie with him. Instead, the owner, Todd Boehly, is the root cause of the problem. Pochettino has a proven track record of extracting the best performance from young players, so given some time, he will succeed. It is disheartening to hear talks of him being sacked already. Boehly must understand that he cannot simply resort to firing managers every few months. Not only is this financially imprudent, but it also creates instability within the club.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for Chelsea. Their performance against Aston Villa in the FA Cup earlier this week was excellent. Admittedly, Villa was not at their best, but Chelsea played exceptionally well against the opposition they had. With one cup final approaching at the end of the month and another still in contention, this season may turn out to be decent for Chelsea. Given how things have transpired, it feels strange to make such a statement.
Some fans may argue that Chelsea, having spent £1 billion on signings, should at least win the Carabao Cup or FA Cup. While there is some truth to that, it is important to remember that the majority of their spending has been on young and unproven players. If they can win the Carabao Cup in their first season, it would be a significant achievement. It would demonstrate that these young players have the potential to win trophies, which bodes well for the future.
It appears that Ivan Toney will be a sought-after player in the upcoming summer transfer window. It is almost inevitable that Brentford will sell him at the end of the season. Several top clubs have been linked with him, and it is not surprising. Toney is more than capable of leading the line for any team. However, there may be concerns regarding his disciplinary record, including a recent ban for illegal betting. While this may have been a significant story for Brentford, it is likely that it would have garnered even more attention if he were at Manchester United, Chelsea, or Arsenal. Nevertheless, I believe that this alone will not hinder his move to a big club. He would be a great addition to any of those clubs.
Rasmus Hojlund currently has Anthony Martial as a moody role model, but a player like Toney, who is more enthusiastic and knows how to lead a line, would be beneficial for a young player like Hojlund. Arsenal is in need of another striker to elevate their game. Chelsea’s goal-scoring issues have been well-documented, and I expected them to pursue Victor Osimhen in the summer, so Toney may not be an option for them. I would also love to see Aston Villa enter the race for Toney’s signature.
While Toney may prefer to stay in London, if he desires a change of scenery, I would gladly drive him to the Midlands myself. Unai Emery’s squad is one injury away from not having a recognized striker. If Ollie Watkins is sidelined, only Jhon Duran remains, and he is currently injured as well. Therefore, Villa is in need of a new forward, and Toney would be an excellent addition.
With Thiago now suffering from a reportedly serious hamstring injury, it appears that he may never play for Liverpool again. This would be a disappointing end for him, the club, and the fans. However, I believe that his time at Anfield has been somewhat exaggerated.
In my opinion, since joining from Bayern Munich in 2020, he has been average for Liverpool. While he may have been a valuable addition to the dressing room in terms of experience, professionalism, and leadership qualities, his on-field contributions have not lived up to expectations.
Thiago’s contract expires at the end of the season, and it is highly unlikely to be extended. At 32 years old and with injuries taking their toll, it would not surprise me if he moves to either the MLS or Saudi’s Pro League in the summer. I do not believe that any top European club will make him an offer. This phase of his career is likely coming to an end.
There is currently a lot of talk about Thiago’s speed after he became the fastest-ever player in the Premier League, clocked at 37.38km/h against Brentford last month. He is incredibly fast!
Interestingly, Van de Ven’s running style reminds me of Steven Gerrard, although Gerrard was not as quick on the field as Spurs’ number 37. When you watch clips of the two players and observe their movement, they are very similar.
Aside from his pace, Van de Ven appears to be a top-quality signing. Credit must be given to Spurs’ recruitment department, as despite missing a significant portion of the season due to injury, he seems to be one of the standout signings of the season.
Van de Ven possesses excellent positional awareness and appears to be a solid leader who communicates effectively and organizes the defense. Without Van de Ven, Ange Postecoglou would not be able to implement his preferred high defensive line. Van de Ven’s ability to make recovery runs and tackles is crucial to the way Spurs play.
Spurs’ main concern will be retaining Van de Ven in the long term. It would not surprise me if Real Madrid or Manchester City show interest in him in a season or two. They may already have their eyes on him. Daniel Levy should start preparing a new contract for him, one that includes a clause to prevent the club from losing their most valuable asset.
The proposed introduction of blue sin-bin cards should be immediately abandoned. It is a terrible idea, and let me explain why…
Imagine a player makes a tackle with only 10 minutes left to play. It is a clear foul, but not severe enough to warrant a red card. What happens then? The referee shows the player a yellow card. This serves as a final warning and punishes the player for a poor challenge.
Now, consider another player in the same game who mutters foul language under his breath in response to the referee’s decision. While officials should be respected, which is important, which offense is worse? The poor tackle or the use of foul language? Clearly, the poor tackle is the more severe offense. However, with the introduction of a blue card, the player who swore would receive a harsher punishment. If shown a blue card for swearing, he would effectively be sent off because there are only 10 minutes remaining. This scenario exposes the flaw in the new rule. The use of yellow and red cards has never been an issue, which is why they have been in place for so long and why other sports have adopted similar procedures. Leave it as it is – there is no need for change. The majority of fans do not want this new rule in their game, as evidenced by the backlash.
According to the Source caughtoffside.com