Premier League Gameweek 29: Overreaction Monday ft Italy, Don Carlo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's credibility
Overthinking and over-reacting to situations is the human way but when it comes to football something clicks in a person that makes things comical, ludicrous and rarely sensible. That being said after a packed weekend of hysterical fans in England, there were bound to be a few hare-brained ideas.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves a lot more credit
With Manchester United doing the double over Chelsea and Manchester City for the first time in decades, many have suggested that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows what he is doing.
SC Take: Few would have blamed the Manchester United for sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with the Red Devils in fifth, their finances in tatters and their football utterly mediocre. The only thing that has changed since then is the fact that Bruno Fernandes has walked in, the player Solskjaer wanted last summer, and the midfielder has transformed the team. After all, that is what a creative midfielder does.
Especially a creative midfielder who wants to stay at the club and it means that for once Solskjaerâs version of Manchester United looks somewhat like what he wants it to look. Theyâre playing the football he wants them to against the bigger sides and the smaller sides. Now all they need is a consistent Anthony Martial, and maybe a better Sporting Director. Oh, and faith in the fact that Solskjaer actually knows what he is doing.
Mauricio Pochettinoâs legacy at Tottenham is overachievement
After a mediocre week for Tottenham, the Sun and itâs reporters have claimed that Mauricio Pochettinoâs legacy at Tottenham is not a CL final but making a group of players, who've thrived since he left, better than what they are.
SC Take: Now this was written after that loss to Norwich City in the FA Cup but a days later and the piece has been regurgitated by those on the interweb. And somehow the point Paul Jiggins of the Sun made, still doesnât apply because if anything Pochettinoâs legacy is far from the fact that he had a âsquad of players who believe they were good when they were notâ.
Because this is the same Pochettino that took over from Tim Sherwood, and lead that same team to consecutive top-four finishes, a Champions League final, and played some of the best football that England had seen in the last decade. Oh, and a Champions League final. That is his legacy and while he isnât blameless for the mess that is Tottenham this season, saying that he has no legacy when he reached a Champions League final without no signings in just under a century is nonsensical and exactly what we expect from the Sun.
Everton and Carlo Ancelotti are a relationship waiting to fail
In the three games against Big Six sides the Toffees have played, theyâve won only one point and it has seen the interweb claim that an implosion between Don Carlo and Everton is around the corner.
SC Take: Just one point after four games against Big Six sides. Completely humiliated by Chelsea, somehow managed a 1-1 draw against Manchester United, unluckily lost to Arsenal and lost to Manchester City. Thatâs the four Big Six games that the world is using to beat up Don Carlo and the Italian looks about as angry as the world has ever seen him. His post-match presser after the loss to Chelsea was pure business and he had nothing but anger at his underlings.
And rightfully so because Everton were terrible. But this is Don Carlo a little over two months into his spell at Goodison. This is Ancelotti transforming the Toffees from relegation-threatened to a side that might actually challenge for a place in Europe. This is the Italian great without a transfer window, without a proper defensive line and forced to use a combination of Michael Keane and Yerry Mina. Even if the relationship implodes a little after two years later, making that call right now is a humongous overreaction and an unwarranted one.
European football special:
Italy need to suspend the Serie A season
Italy's Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora and Italian Footballers' Associationâs president Damiano Tommasi called on Sunday for an immediate suspension of the Serie A season due to the coronavirus outbreak.
SC Take: The outbreak of coronavirus has seen Italy completely shut down. Itâs seen the world come to somewhat of a screeching halt even though, those in England, India, Africa, Russia, South America, and North America seem disinterested despite the virus spreading about and gathering steam on its road to travel the world. Donald Trump, his entourage and America clearly donât care about it with them uncertain about what to do with Coachella. That is a massive gathering of people who do nothing but touch each other.
But closing down an entire football league means little to nothing. Not when the virus/disease is not just preventable but also testable. Playing football behind closed doors makes a lot of sense but with modern medicine as advanced as it is, and football clubs as paranoid as they are, there is testing going on behind the scenes. And sorry but the world is unlikely to die from the virus which means Sports Minister and Italian Footballers' Associationâs president but youâve gone a bit too far.