From the golden ball to silver linings

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( December 03, 2021 [The Independent]( Reading the Game Written by Miguel Delaney From the golden ball to silver linings If I had a Ballon D'Or vote... Some of the comments from the likes of Thomas Muller reflected the mood within the game for [Leo Messi winning the Ballon D’Or](. There is obvious acknowledgement that he is maybe the greatest of all time, but the greatest this year? The votes from Fifa’s ‘The Best’ award may be instructive, since they will feature those from national captains. It may involve a different outcome. Would that be reasonable, though? As an international prize, the Ballon D’Or should really go way beyond domestic form. And given that Messi was a key player in the winning of a major international trophy, he has a better claim than most of the field. Who else compares in that regard? Italy’s Euro 2020 victory felt more a victory of coaching and the collective rather than being about the extensive influence of any one individual. The promotion of Jorginho felt more about the fact he was also a cog in the Champions League-winning Chelsea squad, and thereby claimed more major models than anyone else, than his actual contribution. It was similar with England’s run to the final.[Robert Lewandowski undoubtedly should have won it in 2020]( and maintained a superb individual level, but it was not one of those years where he left his mark on the greatest occasions. His Poland side finished bottom of their Euro 2020 group behind Slovakia, and he didn’t play in the Champions League past the last 16. Both of those may be down to just the bad luck of being in a poor team and suffering injury at the wrong moment, but the Ballon D’Or shouldn’t be based on hypotheticals. Many would similarly point to breaking Gerd Muller’s scoring record in Germany but that comes with heavy caveats as to how the game has gone. No player has done that in 52 years, but then no club has ever won nine German titles in a row, in the way Bayern Munich just have. They have a distorting financial dominance in the Bundesliga, that literally means it is easy for Bayern and Bayern players to score. Their closest competitors, Borussia Dortmund, have a wage bill that is only 60% of the perpetual German champions. In that context, scoring a lot of goals in the Bundesliga doesn’t feel enough to win the game’s most prestigious international award. In short, it doesn’t feel as meaningful as delivering Argentina’s first major trophy in 28 years. While there are arguments to be made about the nature of the 2020 Copa America, it does mean Messi has a fair claim, for what may be his last Ballon D’Or. My vote would have gone elsewhere, though. N’Golo Kante was man of the match in both semi-final legs of the Champions League, and the final. In other words, he was the competition’s most influential player. That is Messi-level performance. That is Ballon D’Or worthy. The best there is right now? That’s also why [Mohamed Salah]( shouldn’t have been on the podium this year. Whether he is now the best in the world is a different debate, though. It may be a simplistic debate, but I often frame it in a simple way. If you are defending, who would you most fear getting on the ball? Who would the most damage? Who has that presence? Right now, it is probably Salah. A Rangnick protege's distinctive ideas for Rashford As Manchester United adapt to life with [Ralph Rangnick](, one of the more interesting questions is what he will do with some of the players; how he envisions them playing, and where. The wonder is whether he will take a similar view on Marcus Rashford as one of his proteges, Thomas Tuchel. The Chelsea manager has long been a huge admirer of Rashford, but has never been able to understand why so many managers put him out as a wide forward. [Tuchel has privately told people]( - often in great detail - that he sees Rashford as a centre-forward, and almost perfect for the role. It is just a working relationship we may never get to see. The value of the Champions League Murmurs from Germany indicate Rangnick will get a significant bonus - potentially up to £5m - if he gets United back into the top four. The game's big step forward leads to some feet in mouths As the debate over an independent regulator for football lingers in the background, figures like [Aston Villa’s]( Christian Purslow and Leeds United’s Angus Kinnear have put themselves to the forefront with some pretty astounding comments. The latter received most attention for describing the fan-led review as “Maoist”. As a brief diversion, that is a remarkable claim on its own terms, given there’s a fair argument that the review doesn’t go anywhere near far enough. It doesn’t even mention state ownership. The sections on redistribution of resources is left so vague. That only feels like it makes Kinnear’s comments all the more astounding, and influential, but not in the way intended. One senior source who is greatly in favour of an independent regulator quipped “we barely need to do any public relations with that”. The prevailing view is they’re making the Premier League look “misguided” and “out of touch”. It does speak to the fragmented power structures in England’s top competition, however, that no figures from the big six put themselves as figureheads in these kinds of discussions. As to what next? That still completely depends on governmental will. No change at Goodison Park yet Rafa Benitez is in the odd situation of almost having his position strengthened, despite such a weak spell of results for Everton. Usually in such circumstances, any fanbase so directing their anger at the club’s hierarchy means they take the easy decision of just dispensing with the manager. It was exactly what [Tottenham Hotspur](did with Nuno Espirito Santo once Daniel Levy was chanted about in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester United. It feels like Everton don’t quite have that option, though, because the supporters are so fed up. It’s gone to another level. There is an awareness that just changing manager wouldn’t placate them, despite Benitez’s history with Liverpool. It has kind of left them restricted, although there is still belief that the Spanish coach has been disproportionately affected by injuries. There is a hope that results might start to change with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure back. Top stories [The TV interview that put Ralf Rangnick on the path to managing Manchester United]( [Euro 2020 final win would have been ‘horrific’, review reveals]( Miguel's Dispatches It is hard to fault Amazon’s coverage, so long as you have a good wifi connection, but some of it has thrown a few of the media. The nature of the football schedule can make us creatures of habit, for one, and 7.30pm kick-offs are just not something we’re used to. They caught more than one journalist out this week. There was then the set-up in Tottenham Hotspur’s press room for the game against Brentford. Out of the many screens there, it was only the one in the toilet that was showing the coverage. That match was of course Manchester United v Arsenal, so you can perhaps make your own joke about that. Quote of the day “I am, and will always be, a Man Utd fan and will come to as many matches as possible. However, after a lot of thought and deliberation, I have decided now is the right time for me to leave the club.” Michael Carrick announces his decision to leave Old Trafford. Reading the game quiz Who are the most frustrated clubs in Europe? Since the competition’s 1999 expansion, 10 have reached the Champions League last 16 at least five times, having never won the trophy in any form. As an example, the answer would not include Benfica, since they won the competition in 1961 and 1962. Name the 10. (Friday's answers: Bobby Robson (Porto), Jean Tigana (Monaco), David O’Leary (Leeds United), Claudio Ranieri (Chelsea), Guus Hiddink (PSV Eindhoven and Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Villarreal and Manchester City), Claude Puel (Lyon) Essential reading [How England became the centre of the coaching world]( [Beth Mead on Arsenal, the FA Cup final and why she remains her ‘own worst enemy’]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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