SHAKE IT OFF
The first two installments of Sunderland ‘Til I Die were highly captivating. It was a gripping television documentary that showcased real-life personalities with such low levels of self-awareness that it would put Alan Partridge or Richard Keys to shame [EDM continues]. However, as any fan of football documentaries would know, it’s never as exciting when the team is doing well. Just try watching five minutes of the monotonous Amazon All Or Nothing Manchester City documentary without falling asleep, and you’ll see the difference. The brilliance of Sunderland ‘Til I Die was its raw and unedited portrayal, allowing the audience to enjoy the chaos of things going disastrously wrong, almost like a real-life version of Dad’s Army. Upon the release of the latest episodes, which chronicle the club’s successful 2021-22 season in League One, the show’s producer Gabe Turner stated that “we needed a third installment to see Sunderland win.” But did we really? Perhaps it was more for the benefit of Sunderland fans who have endured endless taunts from rival teams across the country after the first two series.
Despite Sunderland’s 2022 peak seeming like a distant memory, football moves quickly, especially in the Championship. In just three months after leading the team to promotion, Alex Neil departed from the Stadium of Light to join Stoke City (we all know how that turned out). Since then, the Black Cats have gone through two more permanent managers: Tony Mowbray, whose firing in December of last year is still puzzling, and Michael Beale, who only lasted 12 games before exiting through the red and white revolving doors labeled “Do One.”
The last incident that caused a problem for some people appeared to be Beale’s treatment of Trai Hume, the full-back who had extended his hand for a handshake after being replaced in the loss against Birmingham by manager Mowbray. However, Beale ignored Hume’s gesture and later tried to deflect the situation by saying he didn’t notice Hume, even though Hume is a tall, grown man standing only a few feet away from him in a red-and-white uniform. Maybe Beale should get his eyes checked because the excuse didn’t satisfy Sunderland fans, and Beale was fired two days later.
There is a common issue with the Championship in that there are too many teams expecting to achieve success. Around 20 teams start the season with the goal of making it to the playoffs or beyond, but most end up disappointed. When parachute payments end, as they have for teams like Cardiff, Swansea, Huddersfield, and Stoke who are currently struggling in the lower ranks, hopes of returning to the Premier League become unrealistic. However, with 19 out of the 24 current Championship teams having experienced the wealth of the top league at some point, it’s understandable that fans would long for a return, but this desire is not sustainable. As we near February, teams like Leicester, Leeds, and Southampton, with their large budgets and squads ready for the Premier League, are only a minor setback away from pushing straight back to the top tier. And then there’s Sunderland, sitting at 10th in the table and recently appointing Mike Dodds until the end of the season.
Broadcasting on a major website.
Join Bryan Graham at 7:30 PM GMT for the latest updates on the Manchester City vs. Brentford match. Scott Murray and Rob Smyth will cover the Inter vs. Atlético and PSV vs. Dortmund matches for the Big Cup.
ANDREAS BREHME (1960-2024)
The soccer community has paid tribute to Andreas Brehme, who passed away at 63 years old. Brehme, a former defender for West Germany, scored the decisive penalty kick in the 1990 World Cup final, securing his country’s third world title. He is most remembered for his time at Inter, where he achieved success by winning the Serie A and Uefa Cup during his four-year tenure. In honor of Brehme, Inter players will wear black armbands during their match against Atlético. The club released a statement calling him a “magnificent player” and a devoted Inter fan, bidding farewell with “Ciao Andy, forever a legend.” His other former team, Kaiserslautern, also expressed their condolences, highlighting his 10-year tenure with the team and his contributions as a player and manager. In 1990, Brehme’s penalty kick led Germany to their World Cup victory and solidified his status as a football legend. Rest in peace, Andreas.
Display image in full screen mode.
“Be the change you want to make”
“The change you desire can only come from within. Take action and be the catalyst for transformation.”
“How could I be a flop when I only played 12 matches and not all of them from the start? And not in my position, either? Oh well, that’s the football world, you know” – PSV’s Luuk de Jong laughs off suggestions in British tabloids that he’s right up there among the worst Premier League strikers after his struggles at Newcastle a decade ago. Read the full interview with him here.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Andreas Brehme’s death adds to the list of glorious footballers that we have lost in recent times. He personified Germany – tenacity, skill, ice-cool nerves and those flowing locks that one would kill for. Auf wiedersehen” – Krishna Moorthy.
I suspect that the individuals throwing tennis balls onto the field during recent German league games are actually secret supporters of the former Bundesliga team, Tennis Borussia Berlin (now unfortunately in the sixth tier). It is likely that they will continue to make a fuss and create chaos by releasing thousands of table tennis balls, as the club was originally established in 1902 as “Berliner-Tennis-und Ping-Pong-Gesellschaft Borussia” – said by Adrian Irving.
Regarding yesterday’s Football Daily, Manchester United fans who have endured disappointment for a long time would do anything to go back to the successful days of inconsistent signings. Currently, the unexciting pattern of new players struggling to adapt at Old Trafford, or any other stadium for that matter, has dampened the excitement of the most thrilling part of the season: the transfer window. – Warrick Brown.
Please email letters to [email protected]. Our chosen recipient for today’s letter of the day is Krishna Moorthy.
This is a passage from our daily football newsletter… Football Daily. To access the complete version, simply go to this page and follow the provided instructions.
Source: theguardian.com
