Football Daily | Idrissa Gueye And Warm Feelings Of A Keane-related Stramash At Old Trafford

7 hours ago

THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB …

When Jordan Pickford’s clip arsenic England and Everton’s eternal No 1 comes to its end, a profession successful peacekeeping, aliases failing that, manning nan doors backmost successful Sunderland, whitethorn await. As Idrissa Gueye and Michael Keane, teammates fto america recall, went for each different astatine Old Trafford successful afloat hold-me-back, hold-me-back mode, successful stepped Pickford’s beardown hands. Too late, it turned out. By then, Tony Harrington, nan referee, had reached for his reddish card. Harrington had seen Gueye slap Keane, and nan PGMO (no L these days, each you pedants) doesn’t work together pinch that successful nan workplace.

All alternatively negligible, little nan type of barren slap Frank Butcher utilized to frighten immoderate EastEnders tormentors pinch than a playground, petulant clip, thing and nothing. Still, nan rustle had landed, and truthful nan video adjunct could do small much than work together pinch Harrington’s call. Compared to Lee Bowyer v Kieron Dyer 2005, Graeme Le Saux v David Batty 1995 aliases even, successful 1993, Steve McManaman taking 1 successful nan chops from Bruce Grobbelaar and landing 1 back, location hadn’t been excessively overmuch successful it. Though had Pickford, Wearside’s reply to Jane Fonda, not stepped in, it could person escalated. The reddish mist was astatine its thickest betwixt Keane and Gueye erstwhile nan determination had been taken. Thus, Gueye became nan first Premier League subordinate dismissed for clouting a teammate since Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller was red-carded for lamping Andy Griffin successful 2008, a forgotten, underground classical of nan genre.

How champion to defuse nan situation? Everton recovered nan reply by beating Manchester United pinch a show of calm, measured defending. Those Newcastle, Blackburn, Liverpool and Stoke teams each lost. David Moyes was capable to afloat workout nan “men, astatine it” schoolhouse of justification. “I for illustration my players fighting each other,” he roared. “If you want that toughness and resilience to get a result, you want personification to enactment connected it.” He had intensely enjoyed winning astatine nan spot wherever his sanction entered an infamy that nary longer holds. All those who person managed United since coiled up conscionable arsenic hollowed retired and insensible. As for an apologetic Gueye, he received a information of applause for his post-match declaration of regret.

Meanwhile, pursuing a genuinely incompetent show of exerting a numerical advantage complete an opponent, a acquainted gloom descended connected Old Trafford. Here was further grounds Ruben Amorim will instrumentality to that 3-4-3 statement – 5 astatine nan back, successful truth, for astir of nan crippled – successful immoderate condition his squad finds itself. United, erstwhile they mightiness beryllium expected to batter down nan door, made only polite enquiries that Everton, pinch Keane peculiarly outstanding and Pickford adjacent to nan progressively hopeless potshots aimed astatine nan goal, dealt pinch expertly. “We request to beryllium cleanable to triumph games,” groaned Amorim. “We were not cleanable today.” After stating nan bleeding obvious, he offered Everton sympathy for nan reddish paper decision. “Fighting is not a bad thing.” As agelong arsenic it is done successful a 3-4-3 formation.

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Jon Scott Murray astatine 8pm GMT for Bigger Cup updates connected Chelsea 3-3 Barcelona, while Rob Smyth will beryllium taking Marseille 1-0 Newcastle and Manchester City 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen into his clockwatch astatine nan aforesaid time.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I was taking 38 pills per day. I possibly played much than 700 master games, and erstwhile group ask: ‘how galore games did you play wherever you felt 100% fit?’ I would astir apt opportunity possibly five. Throughout my career, I was perpetually reaching for painkillers – it was portion of nan job. At that level, sometimes moreover if you’re injured, you don’t person a prime but to play” – Patrice Evra reveals really reliant he was connected medicine to get done matches successful his playing profession and really his acquisition prompted him to put successful an anti-inflammatory merchandise derived from turmeric.

I spot Spurs person signed nan cleanable ‘global partner’ for fans who recovered themselves pulling their hairsbreadth retired arsenic nan 4th Arsenal extremity went successful connected Sunday: Turkish hair-transplant institution Elithair. Sometimes, you conscionable person to look successful nan reflector and admit nan bald truth of your shortcomings” – Justin Kavanagh.

Re: Patrick Connolly (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). Mate being responsible for a subordinate not being capable to execute astatine their best? I didn’t moreover cognize Ange Postecoglou had managed nan Portland Timbers” – Derek McGee.

Will Leo Messi and Inter Miami winning a playoff game mean they will now beryllium invited to participate successful nan World Cup finals adjacent summer?” – Martyn Shapter.

Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless missive o’ nan time victor is … Justin Kavanagh. Terms and conditions for our competitions, erstwhile we tally them, tin beryllium viewed here.