In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s most important conversing factors, like Ivan Toney’s upcoming, Thiago’s newest injury setback and why blue playing cards should really not be introduced, in addition substantially additional.
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Chelsea could continue to help save their season…
The difficulty isn’t Mauricio Pochettino. The difficulty has by no means been him. The problem is the owner, Todd Boehly.
Pochettino has a tested track file of finding the most effective out of youthful players, so with some time, he’s heading to get it proper. I just cannot feel there is communicate presently of him finding the sack. Boehly have to know he cannot just go on a sacking spree every single few months, not just from a economic facet, but also since of the instability that generates.
It is not all doom and gloom for Chelsea however — I assumed they have been outstanding towards Aston Villa in the FA Cup before in the week. Admittedly, Villa had been inadequate — they have been much from their greatest, but you can only enjoy what’s in front of you and Chelsea did that genuinely very well.
They’ve acquired one particular cup closing coming up at the finish of the thirty day period and remain in a different, so regardless of how underwhelming they’ve been domestically, this period could essentially flip out to be a good a person for them, which, looking at how points have gone, feels a genuinely strange detail to say.
I know fans will say ‘Well, they’ve expended £1 billion on signings, winning the Carabao Cup or FA Cup should really be the the very least they can do’ — and that is genuine to a particular degree, but let us not fail to remember, they’ve spent the bulk of that £1 billion on youthful, unproven gamers, so if they can go on and win a Carabao Cup in their first season, then that is a huge earn. It proves these young gamers have what it will take to gain silverware and that can only be a fantastic thing for the future.
Fancy Villa Park, Ivan?
It appears like Ivan Toney is heading to be one of the major movers in the summer. It feels just about inevitable that Brentford offer him at the conclusion of the time.
All the significant hitters are joined and I am not amazed. I imagine he’s fantastic more than enough to direct any team’s line but there will be considerations around his self-discipline file this sort of as his latest ban for unlawful betting. No disrespect to Brentford, but the story of Toney’s suspension was significant, could you imagine how much far more it’d have blown up if he was at Manchester United, or Chelsea, or Arsenal? — I think these golf equipment would have now requested by themselves that dilemma. But don’t get me wrong, I do not assume that by itself stops him from relocating to a big club. He’d be a terrific fit for all of them.
Rasmus Hojlund has moody Anthony Martial to discover from at the minute but an individual like Toney, a much more enthusiastic striker a player who is familiar with how to direct a line, would verify effective to a youngster like Hojlund. Arsenal naturally need to have a further striker to aid consider them to the upcoming degree. Chelsea’s deficiency of plans is very well-documented but I predicted them to go all out for Victor Osimhen in the summer season, so Toney may well not be an solution for them. I would also adore to see Aston Villa be a part of the bash.
I know Toney’s preference may possibly be to continue to be in London, but if he fancies a change of scenery, I would fortunately travel him to the Midlands myself. Unai Emery is 1 harm absent from owning no recognised striker. If Ollie Watkins is sidelined, that only leaves Jhon Duran, and he’s hurt himself at the second, so it’s noticeable Villa demands a new ahead — Toney would be a excellent addition.
What up coming for Thiago?
Now Thiago is out wounded with what is reportedly a really serious hamstring injuries, it seems like he may well by no means participate in for Liverpool yet again. That would be a sad ending for him, the club and the fans, but I think his time at Anfield has been exaggerated a little bit.
In my feeling, he’s been typical for them due to the fact he joined from Bayern Munich in 2020. I feel he’s almost certainly been a terrific addition to the dressing space with his expertise, professionalism and leadership qualities, but just chatting about his on-area contributions, I never feel he’s actually lived up to anticipations.
His contract expires at the end of the year and I believe it’s a presented that it will not be prolonged. He’s 32 decades old and with accidents evidently catching him up, I wouldn’t be astonished if we see him drift off to possibly the MLS or Saudi’s Professional League in the summer months. I surely do not feel any major European club are heading to make him an present — I consider this stage of his career is in all probability around with now.
Micky van de Ven is a Galactico in the making…
All the speak around him at the instant is about his pace across the floor after he became the fastest-ever player to enjoy in the Leading League right after currently being clocked at 37.38km/h in opposition to Brentford last month — he’s nuts quickly!
Van de Ven’s running design and style essentially reminds me of Steven Gerrard, whilst Gerrard wasn’t as fast across the turf as Spurs’ quantity 37 is, when you enjoy clips of the two and how they shift, they’re really related.
But rate apart, Van de Ven looks like a top rated-top quality signing. Fair participate in to Spurs’ recruitment division because even however he skipped a chunk of the time out hurt, he appears to be like he is likely to be one particular of the signings of the season.
He has superb positional recognition and appears to be to be a sound chief who communicates and organises his backline. There is no doubt about it, devoid of van de Ven, Ange Postecoglou could not participate in the way he likes. The superior defensive line would not get the job done if he did not have a participant able of earning such superior recovery operates and tackles as van de Ven, so his acquisition alone has remodeled a substantial aspect of the way Spurs participate in.
I feel Spurs’ only issue will be trying to keep maintain of him extensive-phrase. I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if True Madrid or Manchester Metropolis come in for him in a period or two — they’ve both probably previously got their eye on him. Daniel Levy should really presently be making ready a new contract for him just one that incorporates a clause to prevent the club from losing a participant that seems like turning out to be their most beneficial asset.
Place blue playing cards in the bin, not players…
The proposed introduction of blue sin-bin playing cards desires to be scrapped quickly. What a terrible idea, and enable me make clear why…
A participant helps make a tackle with ten minutes remaining to enjoy that is a apparent foul, but it is not terrible plenty of to warrant a purple card, so what occurs? — The ref exhibits him a yellow card. He has successfully been offered a ultimate warning and punished for creating a inadequate challenge.
Now consider yet another participant, actively playing the very same video game, swears below his breath at the ref’s conclusion. Admittedly, officers need to be demonstrated regard, but what is worse? — The lousy deal with or the use of foul language? — The solution is of course the weak deal with, but with the introduction of a blue card, it would be the participant swearing who receives the harsher punishment. Though that participant would have been demonstrated a blue card for swearing, he would have correctly been despatched off simply because there is just ten minutes remaining to engage in. That is the type of state of affairs in which the new rule falls flat on its confront. Just leave it alone — the use of yellow and red cards have By no means been a challenge, which is why they’ve been all around for so prolonged and why other sporting activities have adopted the exact same, or very similar, treatments.
It’s just a genuinely terrible strategy and one particular that players, golf equipment, managers and officers most likely have not been consulted on. I hope the International Football Affiliation Board (IFAB) seem at the backlash and realise the large the vast majority of enthusiasts do not want this coming into their video game.
