Hail GFOP!

I type with fingers buzzing to be in the magical kingdom of Los Angeles. A city that has been through so much, and that we have had to watch suffer from afar, as it now begins to rebuild. We are here to shoot a live show with your defending champions LA Galaxy in which we will relive their epic “worst to first” journey of cultural transformation on the road to title glory. The night will raise money for the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and will be broadcast on Apple TV next weekend. I know from our staff in LA just how much so many in this town have been through. The honest truth is, to commune with the GFOPs who will be joining us tomorrow night, will be the true highlight. 

ii. I also want to thank a lovely GFOP whom I met on the flight back from Manchester, England last weekend. I sat down in my plane seat, and the bloke sitting by me looked up and said, “Wow, it’s you.” To which I, not entirely sure what we were doing in this moment, replied, “Yeh, it’s me.” He sat up and put out his hand and said, “You’re one of the two Rogers.” I wanted to hug him at that moment for coining that bastard fusion between the 2 Robbies and MiB. “The 2 Rogers” sounds so grand. It needs to be on the side of a mug.

iii. One other random but important thing: I am sure I am not alone, but I have not been sleeping well this week. The world being in chaos does not make for a rich night’s sleep. On Tuesday night, I finally hit deep slumber and had a dream in which I was woken up and, still in the dream, spun around to see who had dared wake me. Blow me down, if it wasn’t Gregg Berhalter. And in the dream, Gregg proceeded to unburden himself of all of the angst he had been carrying for so long, explaining in rich detail how things went wrong for him as U.S. manager, and making his case why those problems were systemic, and not his fault. Out of respect for Dream Gregg, I will not divulge the details, but I want you to know, he made a very good case. I woke up, both truly feeling for the man, and believing that he was deeply articulate in ways I had never truly factored in. Psychologist GFOPs who might understand:

1. What this dream means. 

2. Why I would be having it now?

I would love to hear from you via [email protected]. 

This Week at MiB HQ 📡

This has been some week at MiB. I am so proud of the work we have been doing across the platform – bringing together the joy of James Tarkowski talking about his Derby wonder goal, Lindsey Heaps, aka The Great Horan, talking with Sam about her leadership of this young USWNT squad, and Miggy Almiron opening up to Herc Gomez about his return to Atlanta United. 💪🏼

ii. Fresh on the feed this morning, our interview with beautiful, beautiful Beto. A gent who was playing part-time football in Portugal while working in a KFC as recently as 2019 and is now banging in goals for David Moyes, after struggling for months to find the net under Dyche. His spirit of tenacity and passion and the love he has for the Everton fans, as well as self-awareness of his story, is utterly inspirational. Please give it a watch. 💙

iii. Over on The Women’s Game channel, USWNT midfielder Lindsey Heaps joined Sam Mewis on this week's episode of "Friendlies,” where she talked about the SheBelieves Cup, her relationship with Emma Hayes, her thoughts on Denver's new NWSL team, and lots more. To make sure you don't miss anything from The Women's Game, sign up for our TWG newsletter. ⚽️

iv. Speaking of newsletters, we have some exciting news: starting next week, the Raven will land in your inbox on both Friday and Monday. Expect more of the same, plus recaps of the biggest match moments from the weekend, everything you need to know about the glorious week of football ahead (and where to watch it all), answers to more of your emails, and yes, even more Everton. Thank you for going on this journey with us, and if you know anyone who could use a bit more MiB in their lives, they can subscribe right here just in time for Monday. 🐦‍⬛

To the Football 🍻

🏆 The Champions League draw for the Round of 16 has just taken place and one side of the draw is stocked, the other, not so much: Liverpool vs. PSG, PSV vs. Arsenal, Real Madrid vs. Atléti, Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa, and Bayern vs. Leverkusen are the eye poppers. More here.

Manchester City vs. Liverpool (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, Peacock)

A game that has embodied so much that is fearsome about the Premier League suddenly features two teams desperate to prove themselves to themselves. A wobbling aspiring champion dropping points in four of their last eight travels to a broken defending champion who appears to be in full meltdown. Manchester City were humiliated before an Olé-ing crowd in Madrid as they were dumped out of the Champions League with Kylian Mbappé torching and tormenting them. Erling Haaland’s knee remains a concern, and without him, Manchester City are a shadow of a team. It remains to be seen if City are truly that catatonic or did Pep prioritize the Liverpool game over the Champions League tie he believed was already lost?

On the very same Wednesday night, Liverpool dropped points in the league again. Another 2-2, this time against Aston Villa. Their lead is now at eight points, but the big difference is they have suddenly now played a game more than everyone else. This Darwin miss is haunting, and after it, Slot called out Núñez for the striker’s attitude post-miss. Can Slot regain control of his team’s emotions?

More: Does Pep Guardiola have the stomach and energy to rebuild City?

Rogstradamus 🔮: And breathe Liverpool fans. Egyptian prince Omar Marmoush vs. Egyptian King Mo Salah is the biggest thing to happen to the Nile region since King Tut's tomb was first opened in 1922. Mo thrives in these situations and will laugh last, aka take his shirt off last, as Liverpool win 2-1.

Arsenal vs. West Ham (Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET, Peacock)

Arsenal will see Liverpool’s eight-point lead through the lens of their own May 10th trip to Anfield still to come. They have three points in their own hands, and will pray for Slot wobbles elsewhere. But that depends upon them remaining perfect – a tall order with an injury list spiking their front line guns. Mikel Arteta has a big decision: Does he start new goal-hero Mikel Merino or False Nine it again with Trossard, Nwaneri, and lost boy Raz, and have Temu Giroud enter late off the bench? 

Rogstradamus 🔮: This game has West Ham shock written all over it. I close my eyes and gulp as I type this. Fear Jarrod Bowen, people. 1-0 Bubbles. I am sorry Arsenal fans, I just report the visions, I don’t control the score. And this game makes me as sad and frustrated as it does you.

Aston Villa vs. Chelsea (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

Marcus Rashford’s Aston Villa™ attack with options face a team who somehow have spent $1.8B and have no fit strikers AND managed a grand total of zero shots last week in defeat against Brighton. In the first half of the season, Chelsea seemed poised to replace the Villa as the surprise Top Four dark horse until their campaign belly flopped into a winless-in-their last-six-games free fall. Noni Madueke is the latest injured Chelsea talent, which means Maresca will be without two of his top three goal scorers for much of the next month. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: Morgan Rogers will revel in the opportunity to challenge Cole Palmer’s trademark of his celebration. 2-1 Villa.

Ipswich Town vs. Tottenham (Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET, USA)

What can go wrong now? Tottenham are on a roll, after a United victory, which featured a second-successive Premier League clean sheet for the first time in 16 months. Ipswich are two points from safety yet they have not won a game in 2025. Spurs gave the Tractor Boys their first win in 22 years back in November. Will they do the charitable thing here again?

Rogstradamus 🔮: Ipswich do the double over Spurs for whom last week’s joy will turn to ashes in their mouths. 2-1. 

Fulham vs. Crystal Palace (Saturday, 10:00 a.m. ET, Peacock)

Most American game that ever American’d. Antonee Robinson. Chris Richards. Matt Turner on the bench. Only the presence of a Tkachuk brother could make it more Red, White, and Blue.  

Rogstradamus 🔮: 3-1 Fulham, who showed they can win winnable games and will be on the cusp of the Champions League places by the end of the weekend. 

Newcastle vs. Nottingham Forest (Sunday, 9:00 a.m. ET, USA)

Stealth great clash of the weekend: Chris Wood and Elliot Anderson revenge game. Carabao final-distracted Newcastle are the most erratic team in the Premier League. Elite in their day. Anonymous on others.  

Rogstradamus 🔮: Newcastle thrive on chaos, which Forest do not allow. Nunoball rolls 2-0.

Everton vs. Manchester United (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, USA)

Where do you go from being beaten by Dr. Tottenham? Ruben Amorim has eked out a miserly 14 points from his 14 Premier League games in charge of Manchester United as the club have lolloped from 13th to 15th place. St. David Moyes has had the opposite impact, harvesting a life-affirming 13 points from six league matches back at Everton, alchemizing a rise from 16th to the giddy heights of 14th. The Scot is all too familiar with the career buzzsaw that United is for managers. He still carries the scars of his painful 10 months in charge there and will welcome the opportunity to do the club who prised him away from Everton in the first place. I am starting to wonder at what point Amorim would like to be fired, get on with his career, and let this United disaster seem like a blip on his resume. A no-fault divorce. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: United will continue to be extremely limited with an injured midfield and JV bench, but the Everton in me means I still fear them. Carlos Alcaraz will score for Everton, but this game has Zirkzee and Højlund written all over it. 2-1 United win in the David Moyes Memorial Derby.

More: Everton’s new stadium. First reviews are in. ‘It’s out of this world.”

📺 Full Premier League Broadcast Schedule here.

📧 Enjoying The Raven? Check out our other Men in Blazers newsletters.

More Football, Did Ya Say? ⚽︎

• Inside football’s injury crisis which may define the title race more than the games themselves. 

• Irish football is on the up. Incredible to witness. Here is how and why.

• MLS season is about to kick off. Only one question for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami: Can they rise up and beat the colossus that is Brad Guzan this time round?

• This interview between goalkeeping father and son, Peter and Kasper Schmeichel after Celtic had conceded to Bayern and lost with the last kick of the game, is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Peter Schmeichel has quietly become one of the most tender broadcasters in the game.

PrizePicks: Best PP Since Parker Posey ✅

Charlie Kipp Writes: Everton are good at football? This could either read as a statement on the profound impact St. David Moyes has played in the turnaround of a proud club, or a deeply ironic, evergreen sentiment shared by the fanbase for the better part of a decade. Regardless of your interpretation, PrizePicks lets you cash-in on your point of view with a wide variety of picks spanning the whole of the Everton roster. My shout? Beto MORE than two shots.

As Rog opined above, Everton host lower-in-the-table (yes, really) Manchester United at Goodison, Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET on USA. In a turnaround comparable with Everton itself, Beto – the Blues’ 27-year-old Portuguese striker – has been a genuine force of late. Four goals and nine shots in his last three PL matches suggest that this matchup against a once-vaunted, now-derided United backline will not be the spot where a slowdown occurs… cue the Silencer celly. Beto MORE than two shots.

If you haven’t joined PrizePicks, CLICK HERE and use code MiB for a first deposit match up to $100.

More Football, Sweet Football to Revel in 🌍

Mansfield Town vs. Wrexham (Sunday, 10:00 a.m. ET, Paramount +)🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

11 points off the top, Wrexham hit the road again to meet fellow promoted side Mansfield Town, who have struggled to adapt in League One since finishing two points behind Wrexham last season. Back in Wales, reports this week suggest promotion hero and all round great human being Paul Mullin may be in his farewell season as new signings Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith have kept the fan favourite out of the squad since arriving in late January. Growth Pains.

Torino vs. AC Milan (Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET, Paramount +) 🇮🇹

All eyes will be on AC Milan’s domestic ambitions following Tuesday’s "EURO DISASTRO" that saw all three Italian sides crash out of the Champions League. Saturday the team heads to Turin knowing a win could take them above Fiorentina into Serie A’s lone European Conference League place.

More: Christian Pulisic, Youssouf Fofana not in spat with AC Milan boss.

USWNT vs. Australia (Sunday, 5:00 p.m. ET, TBS) 🏆

SheBelieves is BACK baby! After a typically spicy 2-0 win against Colombia that featured Cat Macario’s first international goal in nearly three years and 21-year-old sensation Ally Sentnor doing THIS, Emma Hayes now continues her team’s title defense against The Matildas in Phoenix. Australian interim coach Tom Sermanni is still without Sam Kerr despite the team captain returning to training this month and his squad was thumped 4-0 by Japan in their opening game. However, Sermanni will be able to call on the talents of Lyon’s Ellie Carpenter, as well as WSL stars Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, and Mary Fowler.

More: Watch Sam Mewis and the legendary Alyssa Naeher break down last night’s win. 🇺🇸

Also: Australia’s new kit is their first imagined by a First Nations designer, Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie, and it’s absolute fire. 🦘

Not Football, and All the Better for It 📖

• How Kieran Culkin became the No.1 Culkin and a walking King of Sarcasm. I love this man and our interview remains one of my all-time favorites.

• Barry Bonds... cycling influencer??? Barry Bonds is now putting up mind-bending stats outside of baseball.

• The Lorne Michaels Book-Event Thread Is the Reply-All Disaster We Need. Celebs, they're just like us!

• Can’t shell it out! NYC bodegas selling ‘loosie’ eggs as bird flu causes prices of cartons to skyrocket. One egg and one cigarette—all part of a balanced NYC breakfast.

• Did you know Audio Magazines exist??? So much here in the first edition: Signal Hill. 

• A newly discovered Robert Frost poem was found written on the inside of a book cover. Short enough to read before the paywall kicks in.

• This Song Helped Me Through the Week: “It’s Amazing to be Young” by the quite prolifically amazing Fontaines D.C.

Dear Rog... GFOPs Write ✍️

This Made My Week: Long-time readers will know just how fond I am of footballing license plates across our nation. You fans who drive “Shed End” plates in Nebraska, or “MOSALAH” in New York. So imagine my delight to see this from GFOP Jason Weigand in the great state of Louisiana:

Jason wrote: “After an accident, I had to buy a new vehicle. I requested the plate almost immediately, but it took quite a while to arrive. Turn a negative into a positive, as my dad always said.” 

Rog writes: Jason. I cannot tell you how moved and proud we all are here. You are such an OG GFOP, and your love and support moves us more than we can say. GFOPs, keep sending your license plates you spot, as well as your best stories and questions to [email protected].

To Better Days Ahead for All.

Let’s not take a moment watching football together for granted and make great memories,

Big Love,

Courage.

ROG 

Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.

Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.

Sign up now!