#011 - 'Patience Is Bitter But Its Fruit Is Sweet'
Season 2 of Revamp The Game is HERE! Charlie, Kaustubh and David kick us off with themes of patience, time & urgency.
Ömer’s Note:
To all those who have supported Revamp The Game, we appreciate your patience in waiting for our return. To maintain the quality of our content I felt it be wiser for the team to focus all of our energies into a ‘10 episode’ seasonal format that allows for the standard of quality to remain consistently high. Nonetheless we are back and we have missed producing these newsletters for you. With new writers joining the team and new ideas for the evolution of Revamp The Game, stay tuned for a greater variety of football content infused with cultural themes that only Revamp The Game consider and champion!
Patience is an idea that is rapidly leaving the ever-growing corporate model of football. The speed and thrill of the sport on the pitch seems to have veered off it as well. Not too long ago, football asked us to seek the fruits of a manager’s visionary labour. However, football now lives in what I call, ‘The Results Based Era’. The speed of success outweighs the importance of the journey one embarks on to well earned success. Stripping away the sporting element of football, it would be fairly easy for one to get muddled up between the ruthless hustle of the modern day corporate world and that of the football industry. Now, I guess that’s just a sign of the times right? I question why we allow the ‘game of the peoples’ hearts’ to become so cold and robotic, instead of encouraging an emphasis upon the romantic aspect of football. At the end of the day, the sport is a reflection of the time we live in and we’re going to have to accept it as it is.
In today’s newsletter, Charlie asks for patience at Chelsea, claiming that Rome wasn’t built in a day yet, sadly that was a tale of ancient Rome. In modern day Rome, Kaustubh details how time is up for one of its former sweetheart’s, Nicolò Zaniolo. David concludes by bringing us back down to earth, reminding us of the importance of results based football nowadays. The UEFA Coefficient points race returns as European football returns providing another reminder of the need for sporting and financial success within football.
Ömer Cayir
Editor-In-Chief
Revamp The Game
Chelsea FC’s Restless Pursuit For Success Restrained By Potter’s Need For Patience
Boehly’s Billions…
As the dust settles on a January transfer window like no other which saw no less than seven new faces come through the door at Stamford Bridge including a British record signing on deadline day, attention now shifts to turning this expensively constructed squad into a team.
Easier said than done, the only time Chelsea looked like a team against Fulham was when they all walked out the tunnel together before the game kicked off, they did the customary high fives, got in a huddle and then set themselves up in a formation that would have presumably been discussed and agreed beforehand.
From the moment the first whistle blew it became abundantly clear that Chelsea are anything but a team right now. The Blues right now are a combination of three different teams, one of the longer serving players who look to have had their confidence eroded away from all the instability of the last year, one of players working their way back to full fitness and another of the expensively assembled new signings bought by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.
From the stands it was painful to watch at times as this group of individuals tried to form relationships with each other off the cuff which lead to plenty of loose passes and missed runs. Marco Silva’s Fulham side look well drilled and were excellent. Silva didn’t use any of his three January signings at Stamford Bridge whereas his counterpart Graham Potter fielded a debutant for the sixth game running, a Chelsea record.
Enzo Fernandez was that man and less than 48hrs after being unveiled as Chelsea’s newest signing from a remarkable January window becoming the most expensive Premier League signing ever he was tasked with trying to get a tune out of a group of near strangers.
Can Potter Really Just ‘Wave His Wand?
During the first 45 minutes Fernandez did well, he got stuck into challenges and played quick progressive passes which lead to some of Chelsea’s brightest moments.
Potter praised him after the game saying: “I thought he handled himself magnificently.
“It was a tough game and you can see his quality, you can see what he will bring to the team.
“It’s not easy for him or for us because he’s not been with us that long.
I think you’ll see how good he can be and how much he can influence the team, so we’re excited with him.”
When Fulham did threaten on the counter Thiago Silva and Benoit Badisashile dealt with everything and they look like the only reliable partnership on the pitch for Chelsea right now. Beyond that, there were some good individual performances with Kepa Arrizabalaga making some big saves and David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke looking dangerous from the bench.
Potter added: “I’m confident with the potential we have, with the ability that is in the group.
“What we need to do now is gel the team.
“That’s the challenge.”
Some of Potters decisions in regards to team selection can certainly be questioned, the involvement of Mykhailo Mudryk who had been suffering with a heavy cold all week and was earmarked to play 60 minutes only lasted a half and couldn’t get into the game at all.
A Squad Oversized And Underperforming?
The inclusion of Hakim Ziyech after what was a seriously eventful build up as his loan move to PSG collapsed with Chelsea sending the wrong documentation three times (something that the club deny). His body language looked positive but was his selection more of an apology from Potter or an indication that he didn’t want to lose the Moroccan in the first place?
Potter has shown great faith in certain players without being rewarded during the early stages of his Chelsea tenure. Mason Mount is going through arguably the toughest spell of his career and can’t seem to make a correct decision on the pitch at the moment, just as his contract talks enter a crucial stage. He really needs some time out of the side and it’s up to Potter to be brave and select players that deserve to play on merit.
With each game that passes Kai Havertz looks less and less like a viable option as a striker with another passive performance compounded by him overcomplicating his best opportunity of the night.
Surely a striker is on the shopping list this summer as Chelsea try and solve the curse of the number 9 at Stamford Bridge, with Napoli hot shot Victor Osimhen linked with a move.
Chelsea have a clear target on their back and every opposition will be relishing the chance to get one over and shut down the free spending Blues and their expensive new toys.
Will Potter Be Allowed To Build His Rome?
It’s just a further complication for Potter who is burdened with the task of turning this expensively assembled group of talented footballers into a real team. A trip to the London Stadium to take on strugglers West Ham will see the return of another new signing Joao Felix and after that is the first of two ties against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League which is Chelsea’s only hope of a trophy this season.
It’s much harder to win on the pitch than it is in the transfer market and right now Chelsea look an example of the old football saying ‘you can’t buy a goal’.
Rome wasn’t built in a day and it is clear Potter needs time to mould this group into a team, but it is inevitable that patience on the terraces and in the boardroom will start to wear because of the significant investment in the last two transfer windows.
Charlie Patrick
The Dichotomy Of Nicòlo Zaniolo
A Race Against The Transfer Window Clock…
Over the last month or so, Nicolo Zaniolo has become one of the most talked about players in European football. Once hailed for his promise and talent, the Italian is heading to Galatasaray in a move that doesn’t inspire many and is seen as an underwhelming pathway for a player that many expected to head to one of the very best clubs in the world at some point.
It is fair to say that the last month has been a PR disaster for 23-year-old Zaniolo. From Tottenham failing to meet Roma’s demands and the player then refusing to train with his club and then Milan following Spurs’ pathway, an exit became complicated. Bournemouth did have a bid accepted by Roma but Zaniolo wasn’t having any of it. After Leeds couldn’t agree a fee with Roma on deadline day, the Italian went back to considering Bournemouth, but the Cherries weren’t having him after having signed Hamed Traore. By this time, Roma managed to wage a war against the player and the Giallorossi fans followed, unfurling offensive banners and a gang confronted the player at his house. This forced Zaniolo to go back to his home in La Spezia.
When In Rome…
There is, though, a much bleak context to the perceptions around Zaniolo and it often gets skipped when the player is spoken of. It sheds light on how footballing perceptions might be flawed and often inconsistent.
The then-teenager had joined Roma in a swap deal involving Radja Nainggolan, but he was not expected to make an immediate impact. His breakout for the club came in the 2018/19 campaign for the Giallorossi and it came at a time of tumult for the side. With James Pallotta’s control over the club wavering, issues with Monchi cropped up. Nainggolan, Alisson and Kevin Strootman had left the club in the same season, and Monchi replaced these stalwarts with much lesser-known replacements. With manager Eusebio Di Francesco struggling to get consistent results on the board, Roma lacked reliable quality in depth for the forward areas. Patrik Schick was in the middle of his horror spell and the signings of both Justin Kluivert and Javier Pastore had been underwhelming. Zaniolo was handed a chance amidst struggle and disturbance, as Claudio Ranieri ended up managing the club later.
He scored four times that season in Serie A, getting three assists. His ability to take defenders on fearlessly out wide or slide into the attacking midfield positions was seen as a huge positive for a very static attacking structure. Zaniolo seemed like a breath of fresh air, when the other forwards around him were not as dynamic as him.
While four goals was a decent enough tally for a player who was in his first season, it was not something one would term as ‘world beating’. Roma finished sixth, with Stephan El Shaarawy being the top scorer in the league with only 11 goals. It was one of the club’s most turbulent seasons over the previous few years and whilst it brought about Zaniolo’s emergence, the question which arises is whether fans and the media end up hyping younger talents (or players in general) more when they play well in a poor season for the club in general? When no other player is truly making an impact, a younger player doing that is likely to get more attention for the spark he/she presents in an otherwise bleak situation.
Arresto Momentum…
The Italian media, which is usually not used to witnessing too many great young players in the country (apart from some recent examples), glossed over Zaniolo throughout the last three years when the La Spezia-born star has never crossed the six goals tally in Serie A before the ACL injuries hit - very unfortunately so. The first ACL injury struck after his most promising spell in the 2019/20 campaign and while his sensational goal against SPAL only days after his return made many optimistic about his future again, disaster hit in a vital game against Juventus.
ACL injuries are generally massive momentum-killers for younger players and after Zaniolo’s return, he has shown a similar spark when it comes to going past defenders and his general pace and his lack of final ball has been quite similar to how things were in his teenage days. He did score the all-important winner against Feyenoord in the UEFA Conference League final, scoring five goals across the competition, but three of those five goals came against Bodo/Glimt in what was seen as a revenge game by Jose Mourinho. For the quality of the opposition Roma came up against, it wasn’t a massive achievement for Zaniolo to score as much as he did.
He had scored only two Serie A goals last season and a horror stat from as recently as this season suggests that the Italian did not score a single home goal in Serie A in three seasons. The last few months, amidst contractual uncertainty, have seen Zaniolo’s final product slack off further, leaving Roma fans frustrated with the player. The media, which has expected a fair bit from him, has constantly used his personal life to throw shade at him and the recent spell hasn’t helped.
Is It Time Up For Nicòlo…
Now, it isn’t to say that Zaniolo was never the real deal. There’s every chance that he goes onto have a great career. All of this is to question the very idea of whether Zaniolo had actually done enough to be handed the ‘wonder-kid’ tag, comparing his tally and abilities from a global standpoint and keeping the ACL injuries within vision. Are the ways through which young footballers judged flawed and do they rely on the rawness of skill, the tangibility of numbers or both? How do biases come, and cultural contexts of a country and media come into play when it comes to judging a player? Zaniolo’s case is a true example of how these factors work.
There is no doubt that Zaniolo might still have a glittering career ahead of himself. Galatasaray might not be the most glorious club out there, but having a lot of Italian speakers, European competition and a €35 million release clause could make it work. Working with someone like Juan Mata could bring the final product into Zaniolo’s play and make him more incisive. If things go well, he would likely be out of Turkey in quick time whilst also staying away from the media storm brewing against him back home in Italy.
Kaustubh Pandey
An Urgent Desire For Coefficient Success In Europe…
A Battleground Re-emerges
UEFA Club Competitions Knockout Rounds 2022-23
Here are some battles to look out for from a coefficient perspective as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League return next week.
The UEFA club competitions return for the knockout rounds next week, where 64 teams from 24 countries will dream of becoming continental champions. With 16 teams left in the Champions League and 24 remaining in each of the Europa League and Europa Conference League, there is still plenty of drama to be had. As we head into this season’s knockout round, here are the four battles to pay attention to.
Battle 1: Netherlands vs Portugal For Sixth Spot
One fascinating aspect to look at going into next week is what is still at stake regarding country coefficients. Of the 24 national associations with clubs left in Europe, about half of them still are battling away for important points for certain positions in the ranking. Sixth place is somewhat still alive between Netherlands and Portugal. Both countries have four teams left in Europe.
The Dutch has Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord in the UEL, with AZ in the UECL. As for Portugal, Porto and Benfica are still in the UCL, Sporting CP is in the UEL, whilst Braga is partaking in the UECL. The latter is the first Portuguese side to partake in the UECL proper. About 3.000 points separate the two countries, with Netherlands holding on to sixth spot. The importance of sixth place is an extra Champions League spot in the 2024/25 season, the first under the new format. This could very well be done and dusted by the end of the last 16. At this stage of the season, 3.000 is quite a bit to overcome. That leaves no room for error from a Portuguese perspective.
Battle 2: Austria vs Serbia vs Turkey
One of the other battles left to fight for is 10th place between Austria, Serbia and Turkey. The first two countries mentioned have one side left each. Austria’s RB Salzburg will partake in the UEL knockout playoffs, while Partizan Belgrade of Serbia will be in the UECL’s equivalent. Turkey, meanwhile, has four teams remaining in Europe, giving them a considerable advantage in this race. Fenerbahce (UEL), Trabzonspor, Basaksehir and Sivasspor (all UECL) remain, with three of the four teams earning byes to the last 16 of their respective competitions (Trabzonspor is the exception).
An automatic Champions League spot for 2024/25 is on the line here. It will go to one of these three countries. Going into the knockout rounds, Austria has a 1.725-point advantage over Serbia and a 2.500- point lead on Turkey. Keep in mind though, that the latter has four clubs left. That allows them to really collect a bag of points between now and season’s end. If RB Salzburg and Partizan fail to get past the knockout playoffs, Austria and Serbia better watch out.
Battle 3: The Battle For 15th - Five Does Not Go Into Three
Places 13th, 14th and 15th have not been decided yet. The fascinating thing about this battle is that there are still five countries fighting to end up on the right side of the line. Funnily enough, one of the five no longer has any teams left in Europe this season.
Switzerland, Czechia, Norway, Ukraine and Denmark are all still in the running. Ukraine is the only one of the group to have multiple teams left (two), while Czechia is the country without any teams left. Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) and Midtjylland (DEN) are the sides left in the UEL, both in the knockout playoffs. Basel (SUI), Bodo/Glimt (NOR) and Dnipro-1 (UKR) all remain in the UECL, the three partaking in the knockout round playoffs there.
While there are no direct matchups between any of the clubs mentioned, it will be very interesting to see how they all fare in the next month. Chances are by the end of the knockout playoff; much will be decided on this front.
Places 13th and 14th will allow the domestic champion to start in the UCL playoff round in the 2024/25 season. That ensures at least Europa League football for those sides. Fifteenth place is the lowest rank where five teams will play in Europe.
Czechia is in an interesting position. With no teams left in Europe, they have no more opportunities to collect points. They hold on to 14th spot right now, but a Bodo/Glimt win or a pair of draws, and they drop to 15th. If either or both of Shakhtar Donetsk and Dnipro-1 gets two wins or a win and a draw, Czechia would drop a spot. Should both scenarios occur, then the Czechs will fall out of the top 15 altogether. If Midtjylland gets three more wins, Denmark would also pass Czechia.
So, just about anything can still happen in the race for 15th. The knockout playoffs will be season defining for all five countries involved.
Battle 4: Cyprus v Sweden
At the start of the campaign, it was not really foreseen that we would be talking about a race for 22nd . Cyprus had a comfortable enough distance over Sweden (and those below them) not to worry. Yet, we are in February, and somehow, Sweden has closed the gap between the two to just 0.125.
Djugarden won their UECL group, meaning they will return in the round of 16. AEK Larnaca finished third in their UEL section, seeing them drop to the third-tier tournament. These two clubs are left to determine this race.
To give some perspective as to just how close this race is: if AEK does not win both of their games in the knockout playoffs, just one Djugarden win in the last 16 would see Sweden pass Cyprus. That puts a ton of pressure on the Cypriot league pacesetters to perform.
On the line here is a UCL second qualifying round spot in 2024/25 for the domestic winner. The country that finishes 22nd will see their champion enter a round later than the champion of NA 23. This may seem insignificant, but remember that making the second qualifying round nearly guarantees group stage football. Win just one tie, and UECL group stage is a certainty.
The next month will likely determine a lot from a coefficient standpoint. Battles will be won and lost among these 12 countries. Time will tell who will celebrate and who will be frustrated, but be sure of one thing; we will see more twists and turns in these never-ending races.
David Parkes
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Revamp The Game would like to finish this week by passing on our condolences, thoughts and prayers to all those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
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