BIG WHOOP
In idle moments, Football Daily occasionally wonders, in idle moments, Harry Kane occasionally wonders what would have been if he hadn’t played the Big Cup final with one leg. Is he contemplating an alternate universe in which he selflessly settled for a cameo off the bench so that a fully fit, firing and in-form Lucas Moura could take his place against a conspicuously underperforming Liverpool? While he may not feel like he deserves it, he could well have a winner’s medal to his credit, and his current predicament may not look so frustrating. A predicament that could see him overwhelm everyone else with Europe’s Golden Boot at the end of the season, as part of an all-conquering Bayern Munich team that somehow manages to acknowledge the shortcomings of others for the first time in 12 years overcome and nothing to gain.
Although it would be premature to write an obituary for this season, Bayern have already lost the German Super Cup, been knocked out of the cup proper by a third division opponent and are behind unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, who recently finished with opened the ground for them. To make matters worse, Bayern lost the first leg of the Big Cup round of 16 against Lazio in a performance that could hardly have been more boring when strolling through Norwich city centre. While their season may end quicker than a broken cardigan, Bayern could still turn things around, but given their current form it seems unlikely. While no one but the most vengeful Gooner wants Harry to be walking around another football field at the end of this season, clapping and looking lonely, such a scenario seems all too likely at the moment.
“A really tough week,” Harry said after a performance that earned him repeated bad reviews in the German tabloid Bild. “We started well in the first half and had clear chances, one for me. There are big moments in these games. The second half was disappointing. We came out with less energy and less confidence. We were punished. We have to find it among ourselves. We are still in the race for the Bundesliga and still in this duel. We have to keep fighting.”
Meanwhile in Paris, perennial favorites Paris Saint-Germain did a more than passable impersonation of Bayern as they trashed the Parc des Princes in the first half of their first leg against Real Sociedad. Although it may have been Valentine’s night, there was more Parisian shame than love in the air as Kylian Mbappé and his pals were oppressed, outdone and outdone by comparatively poor people. Finally, Mbappé and young Bradley Barcola scored the goals that will make their capitulation in the second leg all the more amusing, much to the relief of PSG coach Luis Enrique.
“If someone had told me after the first half that we would win 2-0, I would dance for two hours,” he said, even going so far as to explain some moves to the TNT reporter on the sidelines to make his point to clarify . “It was like a nightmare; it was very, very difficult. I think in the second half it was more what we wanted, so I’m very happy.” In a competition where the defending champions play such great football that it resembles a completely different sport, one might suspect that Pep Guardiola will be the last smiling coach.
LIVE ON THE BIG WEBSITE
It’s Big Vase action, with Dominic Booth leading our hot Clocko for the 5:45pm GMT games, before Scott Murray takes over for Milan 2-1 Rennes and the rest of the 8pm GMT kick-off games.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“For various reasons, it was concluded that coach (Jürgen) Klinsmann can no longer assume a leadership role as coach of the national team and must be replaced,” Hwang Bo-kwan, technical director of the South Korean Football Association, told reporters after a crisis summit at the to discuss the German coach’s future following the country’s disappointing loss to Jordan in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup. Klinsmann – who has been repeatedly criticized for frequently working in Los Angeles, where he lives, despite initially saying he would spend much of his time in South Korea for the job – spoke via video call from his US home on Thursday part.
“It occurs to me that Sonia Bompastor and her assistant Camille Abily could ably carry out the dual task of taking charge of both the men’s and women’s teams at Chelsea. The former play worse than the latter, who require less coaching and team selection” – Graham Lees.
“Son driving himself crazy playing table tennis is one thing (Wednesday’s Football Daily), but no list of them is complete without Liverpool goalkeeper Michael Stensgaard dislocating his shoulder while setting up his ironing board” – Kev McCready.
“Can I be the first of the 1,057 readers to mention Robbie Keane in response to today’s email from Football Daily? Robbie managed to injure himself while lying in bed and reaching for the remote. There was also Dean Windass, who injured his back while lifting his bag out of the car, and of course Santiago Cañizares, who missed the 2002 World Cup when he dropped a bottle of aftershave that shattered and severed a tendon in his foot” – Brendan Mac Carron.
“According to Big Website, apparently ‘Brexit means Brexit’ is what kids in north London now shout when they make a tackle where they don’t aim for the ball and just take the player out (or ‘Brexit means Brexit’).Doing a Vinnie Jones‘ in old money). Taking back control and so on” – Noble Francis.
“In relation to yesterday’s letter from Mark Bennett, I would just like to point out that technically Bayern scored a cricket score against Lazio” – Bryan Paisley.
Send letters to [email protected]. Today’s winner of our Unpaid Letter of the Day is…Brendan Mac Carron.
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