Saturday Morning Hot Links
An eventful day, was Friday! Let’s get to it:
Leeds United
Leeds United Great Joe Rodon scored the opener for Wales in their World Cup Qualifier against Lichtenstein on Friday, as Wales cruised to a 3-0 victory.
Leeds United-or-Somewhere-Else-Soon Left Back Junior Firpo withdrew from his inclusion in the Dominican Republic squad with “minor physical discomfort.”
Brenden Aaronson noted that Daniel Farke has spoken with him about being more clinical in his finishes.
Former Leeds United Great/My Large Brazilian Son Raphinha won La Liga Player of the Season.
We’ve noted the drama surrounding Serie B team Brescia in this space over the last few weeks, as they’re owned by Former Leeds United Owner/Psychopath Massimo Cellino. Some accounting errors led Brescia to receive an end-of-season points deduction, enough that they would be relegated to Serie C, the third tier of Italian soccer. WELL: Cellino pulled the plug on Brescia, they’re headed to bankruptcy, and are set to miss the deadline to register in Serie C for next season. Cellino belongs in jail.
Elsewhere
Norway 3 - 0 Italy. Italy are off to a rough start in trying to make their first World Cup since 2014 (which does not seem real).
Former Leeds United/Current Canada Manager Jesse Marsch has called on CONCACAF to do something about the fact that a visiting MLS team has gone to Mexico and have gotten food poisoning two years in a row. The Vancouver Whitecaps - the team that “got poisoned” - don’t think they were poisoned intentionally.
16 days after winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League, Tottenham Hotspur have fired manager Ange Postecoglou after two seasons with the club. In his first season he guided Tottenham to a 5th Place finish in the Premier League. In his second season…things fell apart:
Their 11 Premier League wins were the fewest in a full season since 2008.
Their -1 Goal Differential was Spurs’ first season with a negative goal differential since 2004.
Their 65 goals allowed were the most in a season since they allowed 66 goals in 1993.
Spurs’ 17th-Place finish was their worst finish in the table since they got relegated in 1977.
Spurs issued a press release noting that they had won 78 points from their last 66 Premier League games which…is not great. Still, it seems a bit silly to fire Big Ange, given the injury problems that plagued Spurs all season long. Since Mauricio Pochettino was fired from Spurs five months after leading them to the Champions League Final in 2019, Tottenham have gone through four managers: Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espiritu Santo, Antonio Conte, and now Big Ange.
Sky Sports: Was sacking Ange justified? Opta has a great article on the facts/stats surrounding the sack.
Tottenham’s players are furious.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank is apparently at the head of Spurs’ wishlist for a replacement manager, but Spurs are also looking at Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, and Fulham’s Marco Silva. Former Brighton manager/Current Marseille manager Roberto de Zerbi “instantly rejected” Tottenham when they approached him. Former Tottenham manager/Current USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino has been considered, but it would take a fee among “the biggest in football history” to pry him away from the USA.
Arsenal have opened talks with RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko.
Daily Mail: Florian Wirtz-to-Liverpool is a done deal.
BBC: The stunning football pitches hiding in the Arctic Circle.
The Dallas Stars fired Pete DeBoer after the Stars went to three straight Conference Finals.
The original 1922 Nosferatu is going to be set to Radiohead’s Kid A for a cinematic release.
What To Watch: Saturday
11am (Central). World Cup Qualifier: England vs Andorra in Barcelona. Some illegal stream, probably. Why is this game being played in Spain?
12pm. NWSL: Kansas City Current at Gotham FC. Paramount+
2:30pm. International Friendly: USMNT vs Turkiye. TNT/HBO Max/Peacock.
8:30pm. MLS: Austin FC at Colorado Rapids. Apple TV+