20231027 Raven Newsletter

Hail GFOP!

I type with fingers agonized beyond belief. Chaos feels like it is overwhelming order. Humanity is in danger of being degraded. Self-interest smothering collective good. And my lord, how I wish I was only talking about Everton’s rumored forthcoming 12-point deduction. We have lived through a week of all-pervasive pain. Globally and domestically. I especially want to send enormous love to everyone in the state of Maine. It is such a singular place I have adored since first visiting as a camp counselor in Bridgton, ME. I spend time up there, in and around that magical kingdom of Portland every summer, reveling in its natural beauty and the remarkable human beings that call it home. Proper football town too. To see the fabric of life eviscerated in Lewiston has been a horror. I cannot imagine the agony and pain the community is experiencing today, and shudder at the thought of just how long it will take to heal. To life, to love. To better, saner, days ahead for all.

This has been a hard week to focus on the football. But that is what this newsletter is all about. Let’s dive into it all – the Manchester Derby, the David Moyes Memorial Derby, Milan, Wrexham, Barcelona, the USWNT, THE LOT.

2. To the Football 🍻

i. Manchester United vs. Manchester City (Sunday, 11.30 a.m. ET, P’Cock)

Manchester United gird their loins for the first Derby of the season knowing their two most important players this month have been Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay. The unlikeliest of duos who have simultaneously resurrected their reputations having been buried by the club, and at times humiliated. As the Ten Hag-era has stalled out, the old United trope of veteran leaders ostriching into action to avoid becoming the scapegoat has been all too evident. It has been humanly fascinating to see Maguire and McTominay True Detective their way to the forefront to fill that vacuum. Will that be enough to fend off a ruthless-again City? Erling Haaland was emphatic in key moments midweek, ending a 543-minute Champions League drought. This goal was the Hammer of the Gods. Pep’s comments post game were fascinating: “the people want him to fail… I am sorry, but this guy will score goals all his life… he is going to score until the last day he plays football." I spoke to a United fan during the team’s stumbling, but ultimately heroic performance against Copenhagen midweek. She said about the Derby, “If you offered me a 3-0 loss right now, I would bite your arm off because it could be so much worse.” Which sounded eerily like me ahead of a Merseyside Derby.

More: Erik Ten Hag has abandoned his ideals to play formless, ad-hoc football.

ii. Crystal Palace vs. Tottenham (This afternoon, 3 p.m. ET, USA)

Top of the table unbeaten Spurs swagger in having piled up 23 points out of a possible 27, unfurling a fearless, tenacious style of football, to give Ange Postecolglou the best start by a new Premier League manager of all time. James Maddison and Sonny will revel in the chance to charge at a Palace who have been startlingly blunt in the absence of their two attacking jewels, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise. Spurs have scored in every game so far this season and can go five points clear at the top of the table by Friday night, yet Ange maintains their attacking play can still go another level. How long can they maintain their searing form? With no European games to misdirect them this squad has a singular focus. Remember the Leicester City Cinderella season? Will we also keep writing Spurs off every week, until the day they win it all? BTW Ange talking about Hodgson is a human delight. Asked if he will still be managing at Hodgson's tender age of 76, he said he hopes to be on a "Greek island somewhere".

More: Lovely piece on Ange Revolution. “The reality of the Big Ange revolution is that it is free of tall tales. Like the man himself, it is rooted in normality and authenticity, common sense; just saying and doing logical stuff. There are people at the club waiting for the catch because they cannot believe there is a manager who is actually not bonkers.”

iii. Chelsea vs. Brentford (Saturday, 7.30 a.m. ET, USA)

We’re Cole Palmer’s Chelsea, now. And Mykhailo Mudryk’s.

More: Poch starting to assert himself at Chelsea and in the next transfer window.

iv. Wolves vs. Newcastle (Saturday, 12.30 p.m. ET, NBC Proper)

Wolves enter on a mini three-match unbeaten run and Gary O’Neil has inculcated an admirable belief in his limited yet tenacious Neto-propelled squad. Newcastle had a reality check in Champions League play, losing at home to Dortmund. Their trophy signing Tonali will receive a 10-month ban for illegal gambling, yet at time of writing, Italian authorities have rather farcically not rubber-stamped the ban and he might still be registered to play.

v. West Ham vs. Everton (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, USA)

Our former stern yet beneficent stepdad David Moyes welcomes Everton at the end of a week in which it has felt there is no bottom. The lingering sting of refereeing injustice in the Merseyside Derby defeat, our longtime chairman, Bill Kenwright passed away after a battle against Cancer, then news broke the Premier League has recommended that Everton should face a 12-point deduction in its case against them for the one charge of breaching profit and sustainability rule. The sanction felt startlingly severe. Everton’s case is currently up before an independent commission after the club recorded financial losses of $368 million over a three-year period, which is well over the permitted amount of $127 million allowed out by the Premier League. Many are wondering why Everton are being pounded for their single charge while everything has gone seemingly silent around Manchester City and their 115 charges. Jamie Carragher chief amongst them. There may be reasons: The complexity of City’s case, and the sheer legal firepower they have employed to snarl the case. Yet, the optics are terrible.

More: Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright passes away. This obituary gets both sides of his tenure right: “Sporting Love Story with Unhappy Ending.”

vi. Liverpool vs. Matt Turner’s Nottingham Forest (Sunday, 10 a.m. ET, P’Cock)

Liverpool continue their stealth swagger of a season after obliterating Toulouse in the Europa League featuring a goal that might just be the most Darwin Nunez thing that ever Nunezed. Mo Salah is in blistering form. No player has topped his 19 goals and 12 assists in 2023. He seeks to become just the third Liverpool player in team history to score in the team’s first five home games. Divock Origi now rides with Nottingham Forest. How I pray Steve Cooper has had him solely focus on shouldering in goals this week in training.

vii. Arsenal vs. Sheffield United (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, USA)

Bleeding, bloodied and battered Blades limp up to the Emirates with their tattered record of owning the second to worst start to a Premier League campaign of all-time. Arsenal were given a blow to Gabriel Jesus's availability which will see him miss out on this weekend's match. The Brazilian was transcendent against Sevilla in Champions League action midweek only to limp off with a touch of hamstring knack. He did not train Thursday and is now out. Last call for my interview with Mikel Arteta which was really, really lovely. A deep dive into empathy.

More: Entire Premier League Broadcast schedule here.

3. AC Milan face the Champions in Serie USA 🇺🇸🇮🇹🔴⚫️

The Rossoneri will attempt to get back to winning ways after back-to-back losses in the Champions League at PSG and that jarring 1-0 weekend slump in the American Bowl to Juventus. The good news is, Milan remain just one point off league leaders, San Siro twins, Inter Milan. Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and mates will board a train to face defending Champions Napoli Sunday afternoon (3.45 p.m. ET) to take on a side who beat Brendan Aaronsen's Union Berlin on Tuesday. Last year's Serie A winners Napoli have 3 wins in their last 4, but a hamstring injury will leave them without embattled star Victor Osimhen who Sky Sports is reporting could take legal action against his own club after they mocked him on social media. Godspeed Christian and Yunus.

More: El Clasico finds both Barcelona and Real Madrid off-form. (Saturday, 10.15 a.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇪🇸

4. THIS WEEK AT MEN IN BLAZERS WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Loved European Nights with Rory Smith in which we peeled back the PIF-fueled layers of the Newcastle United onion… a special YouTube conversation with The Athletic’s Serie A expert James Horncastle 🇮🇹 about how our American gents are bedding in at Milan and Juventus… a really lovely episode of VAMOS with Herc Gomez and special guest Stefan Frei. We can’t stop. We won’t stop. Even though you keep asking, “please stop.”

🗣️And coming up this Sunday, it’s a very special YOUTUBE LIVE POD WITH ROG AND DAVO IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MANCHESTER DERBY. A LIVE POD COVERING ALL OF THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION. COME BE WITH US. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE TO MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT MISS IT. 🚨

5. More Football, Did Ya Say?

i. Inside story on how Adidas rushed to produce enough Messi Miami jerseys which surged to transcend even the NFL in popularity. Love this look behind the scenes.

ii. I love Messi. I adore what he is doing for football in the United States. But this is really not smart by MLS and I feel for the young players who truly deserved it and would have gotten a boost in their own careers.

iii. Liam Gallagher doing the Manchester public transport announcements is excellent. Here he is announcing the Etihad stop More on this here.

6. Wrexham face El Big One against Old Frenemies 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

After a 7-game unbeaten run with insane last minute goals seemingly every match, Wrexham's campaign is beginning to pick up momentum. An 89th minute goal from Elliot Lee versus Sutton United midweek propelled them into 3rd place as they head to Old National League turned League 2 Frenemies Notts County Saturday (10 a.m. ET iFollow) in hopes of repeating last season's epic victory. With recent last-dash wins against United and Salford City, fans can expect similar drama against League Two's current 2nd placed side. Irish Defender Eoghan O'Connell and 2023 signing Ryan Barnett are out for the Dragons due to injury, but manager Phil Parkinson has assured fans he's got a strong squad to take on the fixture that last season "put the National League on the map".

BTW: Season 2 Episode 6 of Welcome to Wrexham – the deep dive into the Wrexham Women’s team is a really, really beautiful piece of work. ❤️💚

7. PODS FROM THE MIB VAULT 🪄

In honor of the Manchester Derby, we give the Red and Sky Blue halves something to listen to pregame. For City fans, it is our Pod from 2015 with the inimitable Noel Gallagher. An absolute all-time Men in Blazers Pod in which the British cultural icon unpacks City’s journey from Noisy Neighbor to Global Juggernaut. LISTEN HERE.

For United fans, because we’ve never booked Mick Hucknall, you’ll have to settle for one of the greatest English footballers to ever live: Wayne Rooney. That snarling ball of aggression. A gent who came into the Panic Room in 2018 when he came to America as a player for DC United. And I’ll always remember him asking for a coffee with a little milk. We asked, “Is there a specific type of milk you’d like?” And he said… “Like… uh… milk.” He doesn’t want to hear about your Almond or your Oats or your Lactose Intolerance! Wayne was so generous in this conversation about his incredible career. LISTEN HERE. This is one of my all-time favorites.

8. THREE QUESTIONS WITH SAMMY FROM SURREY ☕️☕️☕️

Bringing back one of my favorite old school MiB newsletter features to talk with the gent at the heart of a very new school MiB Podcast: Sammy James aka Sammy from Surrey aka the host of MEN IN BLAZERS EARLY KICK OFF, our daily news show which brings you everything you need to know about the day’s biggest football headlines, straight from the back pages of Europe’s newspapers.

Rog: The football world is a frenzy. A spigot that never stops. You have become masters of distilling 24 hours of madness into a 10-minute listen. What is the secret to stripping it all down into bonsai tree-size?

Sammy: I think the biggest key is knowing where to look and also having a good filter for what's extraordinary and what's actually not that remarkable. There's so many football stories and matches on any given day, so our key is just trying to decipher which of those makes you go "ooh I wasn't expecting that" or "that's incredible". Every day we're learning, and it is the feedback from you listeners that really helps drive the stories we're choosing.

ROG: What is one thing you have learned about the football world that you did not know before from the experience of conjuring this show on the daily?

Sammy: I think the sheer volume of news content that's actually produced, particularly by British tabloids such as the Daily Mail, is astounding. Jadon Sancho literally can't put one foot in front of the other at the moment without 17 new articles being written about it. Also, we have a newfound appreciation for the extremely random and varied times that football lovers in the USA have to build their lives around to watch football. RB Leipzig versus Young Boys Bern at 12.45 p.m. on a Tuesday? Ok, let's roll with it!

Rog: So many of our Raven readers are already die-hard Early Kick Off Listeners... I have to admit, I have subtly shifted from building the show, to becoming a true devotee of it. I find it both really functional, and incredibly enjoyable. But make the case to readers who have not yet treated themselves to a listen -- what is the single promise you would make about what Early Kick Off offers?

Sammy: Our promise is that not only will we give you a dosage of the news and latest scores, that's to be expected, but each day we'll bring you some stories that will either make you smile, or teach you something completely new about the football world. Early Kick Off is a quick listen that hopefully entertains as much as it informs!

SUBSCRIBE TO EARLY KICK OFF HERE. Follow Sammy on Twitter HERE.

9. USWNT: A new cycle begins with a Klang and a Thud 🇺🇸🦅

Last night in a frigid Sandy, Utah, the United States began to prepare for next summer’s Olympics, entering the post-Vlatko-era with a 0-0 draw against an admirably defiant Colombian Women's National Team. It was a night of some frustration. The best chance of the night was a generous penalty which Alex Morgan klanked against the post bolstering the people’s case that Alyssa Naeher should become the team’s designated penalty taker.

Despite the performance, there were a number of positives on the night: the return of The People's Captain Becky Sauerbrunn, her first appearance in a USWNT shirt since April, as well as the return of the more recently injured Sophia Smith. Trinity Rodman continued to sizzle down the right. The backline kept World Cup and now Real Madrid star Linda Caicedo quiet. And there was a first USWNT cap for 18-year-old San Diego Wave phenom Jaedyn Shaw. But ultimately this still very much looks like a team in need of leadership and cohesion. They go again Sunday at 5.30 p.m. EST in San Diego, also against Colombia, (TNT, Telemundo, UNIVERSO, Max) but the appointment of a new permanent Head Coach, who can hopefully bring new ideas and new direction, can not come soon enough.

More: English pundit Jacqui Oatley wondered in the print edition of the Mirror if Chelsea’s epic manager Emma Hayes could be the next USWNT coach. I would love it. Listen to Emma Hayes tell her story on our show, including an important chapter in America, which informed her winning philsophy.

Men in Blazers x Bud Light Sweepstakes - Exclusive Prizes for GFOPs 🍺

You’ve long known about the GFOPs at Bud Light’s support of the game we all love. Now, they’re giving us the chance to give away some exclusive prizes only to those of you reading this newsletter. Entering is easy: just head to budlight.com/MIB to enter for your chance to win signed gear, exclusive Bud Light merch, and more.*

10. Not Football, and All the Better for It

i. A running store in Paris let people keep what they stole if they could outrun their pro-sprinter-turned security guard. I've had nightmares quite similar to this.

ii. The Guardian looks at how Cooking shows are influencing what we eat. I've missed my calling, who knew there was such a thing as a “food studies professor?”

iii. The history of the Chrysler Building, which now looks "diminutive" compared to other buildings. Bring back romantic skyscrapers!

iv. Winging It with the New Backcountry Barnstormers. Would you get in a tiny plane with a pilot wearing flip-flops, shorts, and a “Fly Low, Don’t Die” hat?

v. Some magical images that will make your heart soar: Explore the 46 winning shots from the Mangrove Photography Awards.

vi. Have you ever dreamed of being a castaway? There’s an industry to cater to your desire. Might do this if we get that 12 point deduction.

vii. "For the first few minutes, it felt like being drunk in a hotel room, watching Bulgarian television." Gods and influencers: ringside at KSI vs. Tommy Fury.

viii. The family who left America to live in their ancestral Italian cave, Yea, well, I have a portion of an ancestral 1 bedroom flat in South Liverpool. Take that.

ix. A Professional Pumpkin Carver Spills His Guts. Don't ask about carving other fruit, he's NOT INTERESTED!

x. Bali Is Developing A New App To Track Disrespectful Tourists. No surprises on the nationalities of the people most frequently deported (USA! USA! USA!).

xi. Rest in peace to lovely Bobi, the world's oldest dog ever, dies at 31. 217 (in dog years) is a pretty good Roy Hodgson-esque run.

xii. 10,000 Maniacs were such an immense band, spreading a sense of poetic wonder for all who listened to them. Natalie Merchant talks here to the New Yorker about Americana and her place in the musical world which is so supremely, perpetually underrated.

xiii. Trippy eagles, vagina wounds, dragon intimacy: how medieval art got weird.

xiv. This song gave me a lot of joy this week when I needed it: Adam by Lotte Gallagher.

xv. I read this book this week: The Secret Hours by Mick Herron of Slow Horses fame. And while it is no Slow Horses, it is Slow Horses enough, human insight and intelligent one-liners-wise, to enable Jackson Lamb fans to revel in a return to Spool Street vibe and a tinge of backstory.

That is it for me today. Listen to WGFOP: Weekend Preview which I am about to tape. I will leave you with a beautiful Raven I received from Jeremy Lance who wrote that he and his brother Josh are “long time fans of MIB. We are our own MIB duo in that he supports Everton and I support Chelsea. We grew up as passionate fans of all sports. As we got older we found a common love in the beautiful game. Watching it together whenever we were together was always a blast. With him in Chicago and I in Cincinnati, these occasions grew rare. Mostly over holidays. We’d sit and watch premier league matches while my dad would drop in with his usual joke. “Is it still nil-nil, boys?” He’d say with a giddy laugh.

Last December, Josh was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. An evil sinister cancer with an extremely low survival rate. I sent him a care package including the Blazertannica. This week my mom phoned me with the news that I needed to hurry to Chicago as Josh was running out of time. We all sat in the room with Josh Friday night as he laid in bed, struggling to breathe. Before I left, I told him I’d be back in the morning to watch the Merseyside derby together. 3 hours before kickoff Josh left us. I would give anything to watch one last match with him. The soccer I love will never be the same again without him to share it with. And though he won’t be there with me I will feel his presence with me on the couch at every match”.

Jeremy. I am so sorry for you and your family’s loss. We cannot imagine what you are going through. May Josh’s memory be a blessing to you in times of wonder and challenge to come. All of this is a reminder we should never take a moment for granted. Let’s savor every second. I look forward to the day we are able to toast your brother’s memory with a beer in person. ‘Till then, to better days ahead for all.

Big Love

Courage.

ROG

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