From Abu Dhabi to Zouma...

The Independent’s football newsletter [View in browser]( [The Independent]( February 11, 2022 [The Independent]( Miguel Delaney's Reading the Game Written by Miguel Delaney From Abu Dhabi to Zouma... West Ham decision causes surprise around football There’s no doubting the story of the week, which is [Kurt Zouma](, who has caused incredulity around the Premier League. That obviously isn’t as regards how wrong his act was, since everyone is condemning his kicking of the cat. It’s more how you deal with it, given it’s so unprecedented. Many have commented on English football’s incredible capacity for new forms of controversy - not least as regards West Ham United’s decision to play. The consensus view among the Premier League that he would have at least been dropped for the first match, and forced into some form of education. “There’s no way he would have started for us,” one official confided. There is a growing backlash among players, though, as articulated by Michael Antonio. The mood is that while Zouma was obviously deserving of sanction, it would be good if as much energy was saved for issues like racism. Emirates set for a makeover? [Arsenal](are considering changing the exterior of their stadium, due to a concern it has already become dated. That could well see a change to the murals of so many club legends, although all of this remains open to discussion for now. The club will consult with fans should they proceed with the plan. A lot to consider for Chelsea in Abu Dhabi John Terry made great play of his trip to Chelsea’s Club [World Cup semi-final](against Al Hilal on his social media, and it appears he made his own way. He was not part of the club’s official trip, despite his role. Terry is nevertheless one of a few figures around Chelsea who would want to make good on their previous experience at the competition. The club lost their previous appearance in the final in 2012 and it is a source of regret for those involved. When the current squad got to their opulent Ritz Carlton base in Abu Dhabi this week, there was the sense of a mid-season tour, which the staff very quickly sought to snap the players out of. One of them is of course Anthony Barry, who has caused such consternation in Ireland, as he looks to leave Stephen Kenny’s set-up for Belgium. The explanation for that is really quite simple, though. Barry has his own ambitions to be a head coach, and he wants to work with as much top talent as possible. The World Cup offers such an opportunity in that regard, in so many senses. The move hasn’t been officially announced by Belgium yet but sources in Brussels see the confirmation of a March friendly with Ireland as conspicuous. A move the United players may well be right on A fair few figures around the Manchester United squad have been keen to put out the word that a lot of the senior squad members favour Mauricio Pochettino as next manager. The club obviously won’t be backed into a corner, and there is an argument the players should never be involved in such decisions - especially given this group’s recent record - but there is an obvious logic to it. Up until now, Erik ten Hag has been edging ahead as the club’s primary choice, due to his obvious quality as a coach. There is a sense that he requires a fully-functioning structure to work to his best, though, which United don’t currently have. They need to go someway to build one. Given where the club is, that may mean the job is better suited to Pochettino, who essentially constructed Tottenham Hotspur in his own image. The Argentine is a figure who better fits the traditional image of a transformative manager, which may better fit what United require. Time for replays to be fully reassessed? The FA currently plan to bring back replays for next season, but the glorious entertainment of the current season has at least made them consider the future. Put bluntly, the competition has been much more compelling when games end on the day. It adds a greater unpredictability, and an impetus. It also makes it more likely that the lower-positioned clubs will take rare chances. Consider the psychology of it alone. If a side senses an opportunity is “on”, and the bigger club is there for the taking, that is much more likely to happen on one day when everything is up for grabs rather than the next day. By then, the higher-position team have usually had the opportunity to collect themselves. There’s even the basic maths of it. A shock is statistically more likely over one game rather than two. The grand argument against this is the financial opportunities of a replay. Last weekend, Kidderminster Harriers were denied a trip to West Ham United, Plymouth Argyle a big home gate against Chelsea. The counterpoint is that the FA Cup isn’t just a redistribution mechanism. It’s also a competition in itself, that is much more thrilling when its sudden-death nature is even more immediate. Euros bid displays football's unique politics When the [five-nation bid for Euro 2028]( was announced, rather than the 2030 World Cup, much play was made of a “feasibility study” conducted. The start of that should have been quite simple. Winning a tournament simply isn’t feasible if nobody will vote for you. This is what the FA and the other associations were warned about at a Uefa meeting in December, which most explains the switch from the global event to the continental. The 2030 World Cup is likely to go to a romantic choice of Uruguay-Argentina, to celebrate the competition’s centenary, or maybe even China. Fifa are keen to explore “new territories”, which naturally stands against what has become the home of club football in the UK. There is also a sense that is a sign that the European federations are now signalling their future business is going to be with Uefa much more than Fifa. Newcastle make maybe their best signing of all There was genuine shock at Brighton and Hove Albion that Dan Ashworth left the club for Newcastle United. There was a belief that he was committed to the project, and that they could greatly increase his wages if anything came of it. It points to Newcastle’s power, as well as their influence to come. Ashworth is a coup. He is precisely the kind of football intelligence the club need. The optimism at Brighton is that Ashworth has put in place the structure required, making him that bit easier to replace. Top stories [The phantom tournament that has thrown football into chaos]( [Barcelona have a data advantage - so why aren’t they using it properly?]( Miguel's Dispatches I write to you from Abu Dhabi, where I am for the Club World Cup. That has caused some commentary on twitter, due to this newsletter’s consistent critical analysis of the Emirate’s ownership and running of Manchester City. The only possible response to that is that a fundamental of journalism is to go and report. It remains the root of the job. It is also why journalists should never boycott any event. The exact same applies to the Qatar World Cup. The trip has offered a few interesting insights on a country that is set to be hugely influential to the future of the game, some of which you should read over the next few days. And, on a lighter note, it would have caused us to miss the glorious returns of mixed zones. That is basically a corridor set up so players can stop to talk to talk to journalists, but experience dictates that most just stream by! Credit to Jorginho for stopping for us. Of most interest, perhaps, was Marina Granovskaia being deep in conversation with Petr Cech after Chelsea’s win over Al Hilal. Quote of the day “I’m a big animal lover and it’s something that will have affected a lot of people.” David Moyes on the week’s big story. Reading the game quiz Since the 2003-04 introduction of the Champions League last-16 knock-out stage, nine clubs from outside the five major leagues (England, France, Spain, Germany, Italy) have reached the stage but gone no further. Name them. As an example, APOEL of Cyprus do not count, as they got as far as the quarter-finals. (Answers for last week: Diego Maradona (Barcelona); Ronaldo (Barcelona and Internazionale); Alan Shearer (Newcastle United); Denilson (Real Betis); Christian Vieri (Inter); Hernan Crespo (Lazio) Essential reading [Neil Banfield: ‘Coaching is about making good people, not players’]( [Wayne Rooney documentary reveals devastation behind the glory of England’s most exhilarating talent]( If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. 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