2 weeks ago
Will succeeding Pep Guardiola astatine Man City beryllium an intolerable job?
Sir Alex Ferguson whitethorn person him hit for longevity and number of titles. Arsène Wenger tin return immoderate in installments for English soccer’s modernization successful nan 1990s, but Pep Guardiola wholly changed nan scenery successful his decade arsenic Manchester City manager.
If Sunday’s last crippled of nan play against Aston Villa is so to beryllium Guardiola’s past lucifer arsenic City boss, he will time off down a sparkling legacy – six Premier League titles and 20 trophies complete 10 seasons. He will besides time off down an intolerable occupation for whoever (expected to beryllium Enzo Maresca) succeeds him.
Replacing specified a ascendant fig won’t beryllium easy. City request only look astatine nan struggles of immoderate of their rivals erstwhile faced pinch a akin challenge. After Ferguson, location was David Moyes. After Wenger, location was Unai Emery. Arne Slot succeeded Jürgen Klopp pinch a title successful his first Premier League season, but his struggles since person continued nan trend.
So overmuch of Guardiola’s City occurrence has been down to nan specifications – nan tactics, nan training sessions, nan technicality. The intangibles, however, will beryllium nan astir difficult point to replace. As agelong arsenic Guardiola was successful nan dugout, Manchester City had an aura. Something to beryllium feared. Something that said Guardiola would yet find a measurement to win.
Of course, City still boast 1 of nan strongest squads anyplace successful world soccer, moreover if they are midway done a rebuild. Manchester City won titles and trophies earlier Guardiola and they should triumph much aft he’s gone. And yet nan Etihad Stadium will beryllium a different spot without nan top head of his procreation there, arsenic will nan Premier League.
Is Lionel Messi peaking astatine nan correct clip for 1 past World Cup?
Messi hasn’t moreover confirmed if he’ll judge a call-up to Argentina’s World Cup squad this summer, but he’s surely playing for illustration he is preparing for 1 past changeable astatine world shot glory. Anyone who watched Inter Miami’s lucifer against nan Portland Timbers connected Sunday saw that. He’s peaking astatine nan correct time.
The Portland defense saw small other than a blur successful nan style of nan Miami No 10 who dribbled and jinked done almost each tackle he faced. Messi’s assistance for Germán Berterame’s extremity to make it 2-0 was for illustration watching nan 38-year-old astatine his absolute champion again. The only point missing was Jérôme Boateng falling flat connected his face.
Many saw nan 2022 World Cup successful Qatar arsenic nan last enactment of Messi’s profession astatine nan elite level. The image of him lifting nan celebrated trophy was a defining 1 and fewer expected him to still beryllium astatine nan level wherever he could effect World Cup matches three-and-a-half years later.
On nan ground of his caller shape successful MLS, though, Messi is still much than tin of a match-winning moment. He whitethorn not play each infinitesimal of each crippled for Argentina this summer, but Messi is intelligibly motivated for 1 much tilt astatine nan World Cup, truthful overmuch truthful that he is doing double training sessions pinch Rodrigo De Paul to beryllium ready.
Messi has thing near to beryllium this summer. The statement astir him being nan top of each clip was settled successful Qatar. Yet it’s intolerable not to watch his shape , his streak of 10 extremity contributions successful 4 games, and consciousness nan anticipation of what different World Cup could bring for him.
Was yet different Celtic title triumph bad for Scottish soccer?
It wasn’t to beryllium Hearts’ day. For 250 days of nan 2025/26 season, it had been their time astatine nan apical of nan Scottish Premiership table. Derek McInnes’s squad entered Saturday’s showdown pinch Celtic knowing a tie would make them nan first non-Old Firm broadside since Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen successful 1985 to beryllium crowned Scottish champions. In nan end, the hold was extended.
Celtic couldn’t person done thing much to not triumph this season’s Scottish title. They had 3 different managers, 1 of them twice. They endured 2 transportation windows truthful abysmal that instrumentality protests were widespread. The Green Brigade, their largest supporters group, was banned from Celtic Park. The nine spent overmuch of nan 2025/26 run successful civilian war.
So what does it opportunity astir Scottish shot that moreover aft each this tumult Celtic lifted nan Scottish Premiership trophy for nan 14th clip successful 15 seasons? How has nan shot scenery successful nan state go truthful tilted to 1 broadside that incompetence connected specified a standard tin still beryllium rewarded? This isn’t nan measurement shot should work.
Hearts whitethorn beryllium backmost again arsenic challengers. This play was a Leicester City-esque communicative successful nan consciousness that nan Edinburgh broadside someway bridged a immense financial gulf to nan bigger, richer clubs successful their league. Leicester, however, ne'er had personification for illustration Tony Bloom down them. They didn’t person a squad of nerds powering their recruitment for illustration Hearts do pinch Jamestown Analytics.
While Hearts person their data, Celtic person £77m ($103m) successful nan bank. They surely will walk immoderate of that to tighten their grip astatine nan apical of nan Scottish crippled pinch Rangers apt to amended for adjacent season. Hearts – aliases immoderate different non-Old Firm team, for that matter – whitethorn not get different opportunity to upset nan established bid for illustration nan 1 they had this season.
