The Wicked Chaos of the 198th Manchester Derby 🏟️

Hail GFOP! 

I type with fingers filled with admiration for the Premier League scriptwriters. Dropping their Manchester derby episode on us now while Manchester City are praying they can still cock a fist, and Manchester United are praying they have not fallen and can’t get up, is devious business. All that and Sean Dyche vs. Arsenal Royal Rumble, Liam Rosenior’s vibes against reality, and Jack Grealish and his thighs return to Villa. We are living in blessed days. Also: Chicago Bears glory, hope and shattered hope to come… 🎢

ii. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your response to the news of my book, “We Are The World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting Event.” I would love it if you would take a moment to do a few things: 

1. Read the introduction so you gain a sense of what the book is about. It has taken me four years to write, and if you read this newsletter, you are exactly the human being I wrote it for. 🫵

2. Take a moment to do something counter-intuitive: pre-order a copy now. It is crazy how the book industry works. Pre-orders make or break a book. So if we have given you any joy, and you can find it in your heart to thank us, this would be the way. If you buy one at any independent book store, upload your receipt via this landing page, and I will send you a signed book plate ASAP! Please spread the word. I am so grateful for your support at this moment, more than I can say. 🙌

3. Keep sending us your suggestions for your favorite indie book store we should highlight. We have received so many and I love them, including GFOP Brian Feltovich who recommended Birchbark Books in Minneapolis, Minn. and said, “Birchbark Books is a tiny local treasure packed with flavor. The focus is Native American books, fiction and non-fiction, but there are also shelves packed with all kinds of well-curated stuff. Louise Erdrich, the owner and a prize-winning author, has created the kind of indie shop we all dream of having in our neighborhood.” Godspeed. 📚

4. I am hosting an AMA on our Discord tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. ET to talk about my new book, the writing process and the history of the World Cup. Come and join me and ASK ME ANYTHING – feel free to send your questions anytime before we start. I will see you all there. 🍻

iii. It has been a magical week at MiB Gardens. We sat down with Phil Foden and the thoughtful Jurrien Timber, and spent yesterday afternoon with Wagner Moura, Sad Escobar Meme himself, fresh off his Golden Globe for the mesmeric “The Secret Agent,” but happiest to talk about his love of football in general, and his obsession with hometown team Vitória, who are essentially the Everton of Brazil, in particular. Wagner is one of the most thoughtful and nourishing human beings I have spoken to in a long, long time. You can watch that full conversation here. 🇧🇷

Also: I am so happy our Bukayo Saka show is out in the world. Part one at Nando’s is here. Part two driving around London is here. Bukayo is such a human joy. I cannot imagine the pressure he lives his life under, and how a title would change that in so many ways, and accentuate it in others. I am also grateful to our friends at New Balance. I have worn them on my feet since I was a tiny kid in Liverpool. To partner with them now in this way is the stuff of dreams. 🥳

iv. We are hiring on a number of roles—this Director of Sales job is an incredible opportunity. We want to do good things with great people. Come and join us. 👋

v. I am off to Chicago this weekend to eat all the Pequod’s. This Chicago Bears season has been so profoundly meaningful. The team has brought me more joy than any Bears team since 1985. Coach Johnson. Caleb Williams. Luther Burden. I love them all. I watched the 1985 Bears team club the LA Rams on the way to Super Bowl glory as a kid in Liverpool who had to wait a week to find out the result in the pre-internet age, as the NFL show on Sunday nights played the previous weekend’s games as a highlight package. To live this echo of history with my youngest son Oz, who is Bears obsessed, and my friend Rob, who grew up in Chicago and has the Bears baked into his DNA, is to live life at its best. No matter the result, we will make lifelong memories. Bear Down. 🐻

Also: Our Jameis Winston World Cup content drops today. Man has mad orator skills. Jameis Winston Churchill. 🏈

Courage,
ROG

PS — As we release the newsletter, dark news for Palace fans: Oliver Glasner has announced he will leave at the end of the season and Marc Guéhi is on his way to Manchester City. “I told Steve [Parish] I’m looking for a new challenge." I ache for Palace supporters. It was just 244 days ago that they won the FA Cup with Eze, Guéhi, and Glasner starring, and a Europa League journey to come. Savor every second of happiness. Football is a brutal truth. 🦅

PPS — ICYMI, this might just be strangest penalty save you’ll ever see. 🤔

To the Football 🍻

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

The weekend starts off with the wicked chaos of the 198th Manchester derby. Manchester United delve deep into their big bag of fading glory and DNA to welcome back Michael Carrick. Is there such a thing as the Interim-to-the-Interim Bounce? This is a season salvage mission for the former title-winning midfielder: 17 games to perform triage and qualify for the Champions League. If I were him, I would pick myself in midfield. 

Pep Guardiola’s boys will hope to re-energize their title charge. The 10-1 whupass of Exeter City masks the dank truth of three straight league draws. City are six points behind Arsenal. Gunners beware: City were the exact same number of points behind at this very same moment three seasons ago and ended up romping away with the title by five points. Foden was fascinating to talk to. When he last came on three years ago, he was not a man of words. This week, he was relaxed, and really interesting to listen to—as a player who has won six titles and is still only 25, having experienced fire and rain along the way. To talk about his title-winning mentality, Arsenal’s threat and carp fishing with him was a highlight. He told me he starts paying attention to the table NOW… 

More: On Carrick’s management past—or if you want to feel better about him, this Henry Winter analysis is incredibly emotionally astute and moving.

Rogstradamus 🔮: United have Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo back from AFCON duty. Yet that City frontline of Semenyo (who looks like he has been wearing a City jersey forever,) Haaland (who has not scored in six straight games and will be ravenous) and Doku is terror in human form. City 2-0.

Liverpool vs. Burnley (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, USA)

Lebron vs. JJ Watt. Burnley have not won a league game since October. However, there have been so many nearlies, there has been fight and they have drawn three of their last five games. Do they have the chance to do the funniest thing…?

Rogstradamus 🔮: Burnley 2-1. Speaking it into existence. Laugh at me later…

Tottenham vs. West Ham (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Peacock)

A London derby that is pure trauma and self-inflicted sorrow. West Ham have lost five of their last six league games. Spurs have signed the plucky Conor Gallagher, who becomes the 50th player to sign since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked. Their fans have seen them spend close to $1.3 billion—more than Arsenal and Liverpool—without any of the… what’s it called... happiness? It is almost incomprehensible how West Ham have gotten themselves into this woeful wallow. I am old enough to remember Declan Rice holding the European trophy, the money that replaced him and the future it should have secured…

Rogstradamus 🔮: This is like a fight between a wet noodle and a teardrop. No one wins. Everyone loses. I pray Spurs win because I ache for poor Thomas Frank. 2-1.

Chelsea vs. Brentford (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Peacock)

The long shot faces up to the long throw in the West London derby. Fresh off his first defeat midweek to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, Liam Rosenior will be under pressure to avoid a run of defeats that could expose his lack of experience quicker than he would like. (His unwise decision in the past to go on film with David Brent-esque management quips like this does not help at all.) Brentford do what they say on the tin: ride Michael Kayode’s long-bomb throw-ins, which are akin to footballing proctology. Do Chelsea still have PTSD from their slapstick inability to defend Antoine Semenyo’s arm strength against Bournemouth at the end of last year?

Rogstradamus 🔮: We will learn a lot about Rosenior and his ruthlessness by how he confronts his glaring Robert Sanchez problem in goal. Drop him and Chelsea can win this 2-1.

Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

Everything Arsenal is coming up joyous. Gyökeres scoring a goal. Mikel Arteta is even winning semi-final games, an act which has been his bête noir. The fans are finding new creative ways to taunt Thomas Frank and his coffee cup along the way. Sean Dyche will have spent all week tying his defenders together in their own box during training. Milenković and Murillo are big boys. Their rumble against Gabi and Saliba is the closest modern football may come to a WWF tag-team heavyweight rumble from the 1990s and will be magnificent pandemonium to witness. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: In seasons yore, Dyche’s team would bully Arsenal into a dark place. Arteta’s Arsenal physically fear no one. Arsenal win 3-1, Kai Havertz returning to the score sheet and flickering with emotion for just one second.

Aston Villa vs. Everton (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, USA)

The Jack Grealish Memorial derby. Everton’s squad is thin and stretched, while Villa are level with City on points and still attempting to assert themselves as true title chasers. Eleven straight home wins is an incredible record. It will be 12 come Sunday afternoon. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: I fear Unai Emery may destroy our souls. Villa romp 4-0. 

PS — Where should I watch the game in Chicago? Let me know.

Even More Football ⚽️

• This stat is incredible: Xabi Alonso had a 71.4% win rate as manager of Real Madrid. That’s higher than Zinedine Zidane managed in both of his tenures (69.8% and 60.5%), more than Carlo Ancelotti (68.8%) and only 0.5% behind José Mourinho’s Galáctico era (71.9%). Here is the story of why he was fired… and he was fired.

• Wilfried Nancy, Bob Bradley and the uphill climb for MLS coaches in the global market. Sigh.

• Lovely to see my friend Lindsey Horan announce her return to be the face of her hometown’s new franchise. It must be incredibly moving for her—a winner who has won everything, coming home.

Beautiful Football Around the World 🌎

Real Madrid vs. Levante (Saturday, 8 a.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇪🇸

Managing Real Madrid is more spinning egos than tactical innovation, so despite being an on-pitch legend, Xabi Alonso’s appointment was perhaps always doomed to fail. Since his departure, Madrid have followed the strange Manchester United template by appointing familiar face Álvaro Arbeloa, presumably as a placeholder for a mammoth name like Jurgen Klopp. The pressure cooker is already on full blast for their former fullback after his side were unceremoniously dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Segunda’s Albacete on Wednesday. Luís Castro’s Levante are 19th in La Liga, yet they still feel less chaotic than Los Blancos.

RB Leipzig vs. Bayern Munich (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇩🇪

Even with a win against leaders Bayern Munich tomorrow, third-placed Bundesliga side RB Leipzig would be nowhere near toppling Vincent Kompany’s kaijus, who have scored 11 goals in two games since returning from the winter break. If Ole Werner’s side are to make a dent on the perennial champions, much will depend on their top goalscorer, the 19-year-old former Floridian high-schooler, Yan Diomandé. His breakout season has allured the eyes of Tottenham and Manchester United, so maybe stay put for now, Yan. 

AC Milan vs. Lecce (Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇮🇹

Max Allegri’s AC Milan side needed yesterday’s 3-1 Adrien Rabiot-inspired win at Como to stay three points behind roommates Inter, who have won seven of their last eight Serie A matches. He didn’t, however, require Christian Pulisic, who was an unused substitute and hasn’t netted in five matches, despite being the league’s second top goalscorer. This is Lecce’s second visit to the San Siro this week, which would be cool were they a tourist and not a football team who are winless in five and 17th in the table. 

More: Inter visit Udinese tomorrow (9 a.m. ET, Paramount+), while Napoli host Sassuolo (12 p.m. ET, Paramount+) to try and stay in the Scudetto race.

AFCON Final: Senegal vs. Morocco (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, beIN Sports) 🏆

In current AFCON terms, this is a heavyweight head-to-head like “Marty Supreme” vs. “One Battle After Another.” It’s FIFA’s two highest-ranked African nations and their combined constellation of star players pits Sadio Mané and Nicolas Jackson against Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz, inspiring a Homer Simpson drool for neutrals. Incredibly, Morocco haven’t lost on home soil since November 2009 but their one and only AFCON title came 50 years ago in 1976; there would be no better place to end that wait than in their 68,000 Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Sunday.

Wrexham vs. Norwich (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Paramount +) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Far removed from their Premier League days of 21/22, Norwich head to North Wales in the Championship’s relegation zone, one point from safety. Meanwhile the Red Dragons are fresh off of qualifying for the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since 1997. Saturday’s match may be the last with fan-favorite Elliot Lee on the books after Phil Parkinson confirmed this week the midfielder has asked to leave the club in the January transfer window.

More: Will Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds’ friendship survive this?

Women’s FA Cup 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

There are 16 games this weekend as the Women’s FA Cup rolls into the fourth round. Everton are already through after seeing off National League side West Brom 5-0 on Thursday. Today’s singular match sees WSL hopefuls Newcastle host a West Ham side fairing similarly to their male counterparts near the bottom of the table (TODAY, 2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+).

MiB Mad Libs 📝

This week’s phrase is: “The only thing that can stop Arsenal from winning the league is _______.”

Email us your submissions to be in contention to win a coveted MiB patch.

There were many excellent submissions this week—so many made me laugh—but there can only be one winner:

Greg Jacobs: “Sideshow Bob Terwilliger should be the next Manchester United manager because he can help them recover after stepping on a rake, only to step on eight more.”

Greg, send us your postal and the patch is yours! 🚚

Not Football and All the Better for It 📖

• Troubled Water. I can smell the Gowanus Canal just opening this...

• Olive oil sculptures for the New York Times. Next Week: Magic spray portraits for The Athletic.

• I Asked 67 People to Send Me a Song They Played On Repeat When They Were Crashing Out. Saving this for the next Everton penalty shootout. 

• How Whatsapp Took Over the Global Conversation. Real ones are on Viber!

• The tragedy of Geese’s failure to dominate 2025. Not in my world... not in my world.

• I'm Ann Lee and This Is My Testament About the Mind-Scramble of Sharing Your Name with a Movie Character. Better Ann Lee than Steven J. Lockjaw. 

• This song helped me through the week: “I Miffed It” by Wax Dynamic. This song could be the opening track of the indie movie I will never make.

A GFOP Writes… ✍️

Mark Jones said: Adopt this Dog, Rog! Courage the dog is available! Beat Mateta at his own game. I’m sure Martin Scorsese won’t mind a companion!

Rog writes: Mark, I would love nothing more than to adopt a friend for Martin. My wife would kill me if I did that before the World Cup. But Courage the dog is so gorgeous, it stirs my soul. If a GFOP adopts him, I will send you a signed copy of my new book. Martin has actually been really sick this week and my heart has been so heavy. He is on the mend thankfully. But the agony I have experienced is a testament to the love a dog can bring into your life, and whomever adopts Courage, I promise your life will be all the better for it. 

Keep sending your 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

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