#012 - 'Well. It May Have Escaped Your Notice...But Life Isn't Fair'
Football makes us dream but we cannot escape its reality. Some win, hence others' must lose. Michael, Charlie & David put a spotlight on some of the winners and losers in today's footballing world.
Ömer’s Note:
For one to win in competition, another must lose. That’s life, that’s sport and that’s football. However, one thing that remains a constant in football is that no matter who you are, you will experience heavy loss within the game, now with regards to the frequency of that loss, well, some would say, that’s up to you. The way I view things, should you apply the correct mindset, you can never truly lose. Yes, you may lose a final, score an own goal or miss a hatful of chances in a game that total to a extortionately high xG figure. However, it’s all about your reaction to that setback that will either set you back or set you up for a bigger comeback. This doesn’t just apply to players, it can and has applied to managers, coaching teams, analysts, owners and even footballing associations. On-field strategy is largely fuelled by a wide variety of off-field strategy and decision making. In today’s piece we witness 3 different types of personality within football at their own cyclical stage regarding success or failure in the industry.
Michael, who I congratulate on making his debut for Revamp The Game will headline today’s edition and shine a light on Marcus Rashford, a man who has seemingly utilised his own failures as motivation for his new found success in football. On the contrary, we have Charlie who unwillingly piles more misery onto Graham Potter, manager of his beloved Chelsea. Potter finds himself at the forefront of Chelsea’s own performance crisis, can he resurrect the seemingly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented to him in the way Marcus Rashford did? Finally, following on from his piece in #011, David provides us with the results of his Coefficient battles from the latest round of European competition. Success or failure here exists on a much more macro scale with Football Associations across Europe competing for the much coveted UEFA Coefficient positions that determine the participation of their nation’s clubs in European football next season. The value of further exposure and revenue from attaining a higher Coefficient position cannot go under the radar for many of the continent’s smaller nations.
I hope you enjoy :)
Ömer Cayir
Editor-In-Chief
Revamp The Game
Resurgent: The Marcus Rashford Story…
Michael Grigoropolous
One thing that defines a player in sport is how they rise after they fall. Every player has a moment or stretch where they hit a low point. Some even hit rock bottom. That’s what happened to Marcus Rashford last season. He hit a low that many thought he would never bounce back from. While there were still some loyalists out there backing him through thick and thin, the general feeling across media was ‘it’s over’. But as Michael Jordan famously said, “It doesn't matter if you fall down, it’s whether you get back up”.
The Downfall
Before we discuss the comeback of Rashford let’s understand how he got to that point. After back-to-back great campaigns in 19/20 and 20/21, Rashford headed into the 21/22 campaign injured after surgery on his shoulder. He wouldn’t come back until mid-October in a 4-2 defeat to Leicester. He wound up scoring after coming on in that game. For the first month or so upon return from injury his goal rate was fairly good for a player coming off a major surgery.
The real downfall started in the winter. The body language was horrid. Sulking on the pitch, jogging out of possession, and no spark on the ball. The boy from Wythenshawe looked like he fell out of love with the game. Verbal fights arose with those who were once his supporters, these very fans had now turned into haters outside the ground. Interim manager Ralf Rangnick became critical of him in the press and even claimed that he might need to find a new home. The toxicity at Manchester United dimmed the light of the hometown hero.
The Saviours
Rashford deserves the majority of the credit when it comes to his resurgence and reaching an unprecedented level of form, but there are two guys who deserve a chunk of the plaudits. Erik Ten Hag and Benni McCarthy. The former has given Rashford all the confidence in the world off the pitch and on the pitch is putting him in the position to be his best self. That is all you can ask of from the manager.
As for Benni, the former Porto striker has done wonders for Rashford on the training ground. They participated in a load of personal training together to work on Rashford main weaknesses. Heading and back-to-goal play. The results show Rashford has been lethal in the air, and he is only improving when playing as the 9. On a side note, Jadon Sancho is now seeking help from Mccarthy to regain his once scintillating Dortmund form.
The Franchise
Not even Rashford’s biggest fan could have predicted Rashford’s form within the last 2 months. He has scored in 14 of the 17 games post World Cup and has 16 goals in those 17 games. That’s the kind of stretch you expect from the best players in the world such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Karim Benzema.
Rashford is inevitable these days. He is a one-man attack at Manchester United, and every time he touches the ball you almost expect magic. He’s giving you dribbles, long range screamers, assists, headers, and 1v1 finishes. There comes a moment when a talent hits that jump to where they hit another level. Vinicius Jr is a great example from last season. This is Rashford’s jump. We thought it might have been in 19/20 but this jump quite frankly feels different. This is the jump that can put him into the world class category if he can maintain such levels next season, which I personally think he will.
The 18-year-old boy that made his debut against Midtjylland in the Europa League in the 2015/16 season has grown up. He is now the franchise player of Manchester United. The mantle is now his. The legacy of the number 10 shirt is on his shoulders. And if this form is what to expect from Rashford from now on, the club is in good hands. The potential and ability have always been there, now it’s about the consistency. I have no doubt that he is ready to assume that role and lead us (Man United) to the promised land.
(Piece written prior to Man United’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final)
Written By: Michael Grigoropolous
The Difference Makers In Uefa’s 12th-15th Coefficient Battle
David Parkes
After an intense battle for four of the most important places in UEFA’s five-year country coefficient ranking, we now know who will end up where. Well, just about...
The Set Up…
At the start of the season, an analysis was done, highlighting which countries were serious contenders for places 12 through 15 in the ranking. At that time, less was known about UEFA’s reforms for their club competitions. The access list was not out, with only a few people with possession of it. When the dust cleared, Turkey managed to beat out seven countries ahead of them for 12th spot. Given the fact they were 3.500 points from 12th at the start of the campaign, it was a remarkable comeback that few saw coming. They can still finish in 10th spot before season’s end. In this piece, we will look at a match or tie that cost seven countries a place in the top 12 or top 15. These seven national associations were the ones initially mentioned in this article as competitors for places 12th to 15th .
Greece: PAOK vs Levski Sofia, Europa Conference League 2nd qualifying round
Ahead of the campaign, things looked somewhat promising for Greece. PAOK reached the UECL quarterfinals last May, while Panathinaikos returned to Europe after several years away. Although AEK Athens’ absence was a difficult one, everything looked like Greece would be a challenger for at least 15th . Starting in the second round of Conference League qualifying, PAOK was expected to make the group stage, and could even be in pot 1 for the draw. Yet, the Thessaloniki-based team would have to traverse through three rounds first.
Their first clash would be with Bulgarian cup winners Levski Sofia. Levski’s last European appearance was in 2019/20, and although they were no strangers to the continental stage, PAOK was expected to win this tie. The disaster started early in the Bulgarian capital. The first 20 minutes would see PAOK conceded twice, and suddenly progression looked difficult. The first leg would end 2-0 in Levski’s favour. In the decider, PAOK would again concede midway through the first period, putting the final nail in the coffin. Despite a second half consolation, it would not be enough. PAOK exited Europe after just one tie, going down 3-1 on aggregate.
It was sheer disaster for Greece, as two of their three Conference League teams failed to even get past one round. Panathinaikos’ return to Europe was cut short by Slavia Praha; and since Czechia was a direct competitor, it added salt to Greece’s wounds. Aris Thessaloniki fell to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the third round of qualifying as well. To make matters worse, Olympiakos did not win a single match in Europe, even though they had 12 matches.
They made the Europa League group stage, but seldom collected a win. It surprises no one that Greece finished the worst of the seven countries, with a meager 2.125 points earned on the year.
Croatia: Rijeka vs Djugården, Europa Conference League 2nd qualifying round
As per usual, Croatia only ended up with one team in any group stage. That was Dinamo Zagreb, who participated in the Champions League proper. Their other three teams fell in Europa Conference League qualifying, two of them at the first hurdle. Like Greece, things became disastrous very quickly. One of the Croatian sides to be eliminated right away was Rijeka. With the potential of being seeded throughout UECL qualifying, a massive opportunity was available for them.
In their first tie, Riječki bijeli was paired with Djurgården of Sweden. Having had several group stage appearances in recent years, Rijeka was understandably favourites for this one. Instead, it turned out to be a nightmare for the Croatian regulars. Despite going up inside 15 minutes of the first leg, Djurgården came from behind to take a 2-1 lead home for the return leg. There, the Swedish club would score two more to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate. Along with Rijeka, Osijek also lost to Kazakh debutants Kyzylzhar, which further compounded Croatia’s woes before the group stage even started. But, Rijeka’s setback was all the more disappointing, given the promising position they were in.
As a result, by the group stages, Croatia was already out of contention for 12th place. Fifteenth was practically impossible midway through the fall. Croatia will finish 19th in the ranking this season, more than 3.500 points out from 15th.
Denmark: Silkeborg 0-2 RSC Anderlecht, Europa Conference League group stage Matchday 6
Having five teams in Europe, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Denmark to finish higher than the 17th place where they started. Matters were made worse when Brondby lost on penalties in the UECL third qualifying round to Basel. Switzerland was a direct competitor for one of these special spots. Viborg lost in the UECL playoff round to West Ham as expected, so there were only three Danish teams in the group stage.
Heading into matchday 6, it was very simple for Silkeborg: avoid defeat at home to Anderlecht, and they would progress to the knockout round playoff. With two wins and two draws from five group games, Silkeborg was in the more commanding position. Disaster struck for the Danes 20 minutes in as they went down a goal. Five minutes later, Silkeborg would be reduced to 10 men, meaning they would have to score at least once in the final 65 minutes down a man.
Unfortunately for them, an equalizer would never come. Anderlecht scored a second in injury time to secure a 2-0 win. More importantly, the Belgians progressed at Silkeborg’s expense. Only Midtjylland remained in Europe after the group stages for Denmark. They were eliminated in the Europa League to Sporting CP, ending Denmark’s chase for a top 15 spot. Silkeborg’s group stage elimination costed Denmark at least 0.400 points as the Nordic country will finish 17th at season’s end.
Norway: Gent 4-0 Molde, Europa Conference League group stage Matchday 6
The other Nordic nation involved in this fascinating battle was Norway. Initially, they started off in impressive fashion, as three of their four clubs made the playoff round in Europe. Viking had caused a major upset (more on that later) in their run to the playoff round of the UECL. A 94th minute penalty in their return leg against FCSB was what ultimately ended them.
Still, two of Norway’s four teams made the group stage (the other club, Lillestrøm, lost to Antwerp in the third qualifying round of the UECL). Bodø/Glimt finished third in their Europa League section, allowing them to continue in the Conference League in the knockout playoffs. Looking to join Bodø was Molde, who went into their final group game in the ECL with the same situation as Silkeborg above. A point from their trip to Gent was enough for the Norwegian champions to move on at their opponents’ expense. Going into half time of that game, Molde had second spot in their hands. They had done their job to hold Gent to no goals in the opening interval. It would be the second 45 that did the damage though. Seven minutes into the second half, the hosts scored to take command of second place.
Just 10 minutes later, Gent’s lead doubled. By the full time whistle, Molde had shipped another two goals to the Belgians, exiting Europe with a humiliating 4-0 defeat. Of the matches mentioned in this article, this one had the most profound outcome in the coefficient rankings. This match, along with Bodø/Glimt’s 1-0 loss to Lech Poznan in the Conference League’s knockout playoffs, would prove to be the decider for Norway. After amassing 5.750 points in Europe this campaign, they lost out on 15th spot to Czechia by just 0.050 points. Molde’s progression would have put Norway over the line, as an extra 0.400-0.600 points would have been added (at least). Goes to show how every single match in Europe matters.
Czechia: Sparta Praha vs Viking, Europa Conference League second qualifying round
At the time of writing, Czechia has the best seasonal coefficient of the seven countries touched upon in this piece. Switzerland and/or Ukraine can overtake them still. Nevertheless, 6.750 points for a country that had no teams left in Europe after the group stages, that is impressive. One of the reasons Czechia did so well in this campaign is that they had three of their four European representatives in a group stage. Slavia Praha had defeated Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round of the ECL, which was a direct clash. Plzen’s Champions League group stage appearance brought a full point to Czechia, while Slovacko making the ECL proper also did a lot for the country’s coefficient.
While they finished 15th in the five-year ranking, they missed out on the perks of 12th, 13th and 14th place. And who has (arguably) the biggest blame in all of this? Sparta Praha. They were the only Czech team to not partake in a group stage. To that point, Sparta, like Croatia’s Rijeka, was potentially in line to be seeded throughout UECL qualifying. In the second round, they met Viking.
In what was a direct head-to-head matchup for Czechia and Norway, this would prove to make a considerable difference in where Czechia would finish. After the first leg finished 0-0 in the Czech capital, Sparta headed to Norway knowing an outright win would take them through. As the favourites in this tie, much was expected from them. Taking the lead in the 42nd mimute of the decider, it seemed as if Sparta would finally kick on and leave their opponents in the dust. Yet, just before half time, Viking equalized. Then, in second half stoppage time, the Norwegians grabbed a winner just as extra time seemed to be a certainty. Although it has to be considered a successful year for Czechia as they finished 15th, there are still questions to be asked as to what could have been. Sparta would have been seeded for the remainder of qualifying, allowing them a glorious chance at group stage football.
That fact cannot be ignored. Who knows how many more points Czechia could have obtained had Sparta played their part?
Ukraine: Zorya Luhansk vs Universtitatea Craiova, Europa Conference League third qualifying round
Ukraine is one of two countries in this piece that still has a team left in Europe. That would be Shakhtar Donetsk, to the surprise of no one. Due to the war with Russia, it was always expected that the Ukrainian clubs would struggle to keep up in this race. Home matches have been staged in neighbouring countries, making the challenge all the more arduous. Many believed they would fall out of the top 15 at season's end for the first time since 1998. Yet, thanks to Shakhtar and Dnipro-1, Ukraine will finish in the top 15. Either 13th or 14th spot will be theirs at the end of the campaign.
That will be considered a massive success given the circumstances. With all of that said, they did still have a chance at 12th place before a ball was kicked. Regardless of the likelihood of it happening, this cannot be ignored. So, what proved to be the downfall for the country on this front? While Dynamo Kyiv's last place finish in the Europa League group stage was damaging, at least they played continental football in the fall.
The same cannot be said for Zorya Luhansk, one if two teams initially playing in the Conference League qualifiers. In the third round of qualifying, the round Zorya entered, they were pitted against Romania's Universitatea Craiova (not to be confused with FC Universitatea Craiova). Defeating Vllaznia Shkodër of Albania in the previous round, CSU already had two continental games under their belt. Still, Zorya entered the tie as favourites. After all, they were seeded throughout qualifying, thanks to recent group stage showings. A 1-0 victory in Poland put the Ukrainians in the driver's seat going into the decider. Just five minutes into the return leg, CSU levelled the tie. It would stay that way until the second half, where the Romanians struck twice in five minutes to take a lead they would seldom abandon. It would end 3-1 on aggregate for CSU Craiova, who would go on to lose on penalties to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the playoff round.
Ukraine went into the group phase with three teams, as Vorskla Poltava also lost in ECL qualifying. But Zorya's premature elimination would be a difference maker in finishing 13th/14th instead of 12th.
Switzerland: Young Boys vs Anderlecht, Europa Conference League playoff round
We end with Switzerland, a country where expectations were high. They ended the 2021-22 campaign in the top 15, a first since 2017/18. Finishing below 15th once again would have to be considered a massive disappointment given their group of clubs competing in Europe. Things seemed to look good for Switzerland. Both Basel and Young Boys were seeded throughout UECL qualifying, Zürich needed to win only one tie to assure group stage football. Even after Lugano lost to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in Q3 of ECL, things still looked good. Although Zürich went on to finish bottom of their UEL section, the real damage came in the UECL playoff stage. Young Boys had what many considered as the tie of the round: a date with Anderlecht.
This was always going to be an incredibly tight matchup. Little separated the two sides, as evidenced by the fact that both won their away match 1-0 scoreline in this tie. Penalties were required to decide who would move on. Young Boys, playing the second leg away, had a tough task, trying to complete the comeback via spot kicks. That was where Young Boys faltered. After converting the first penalty, the other three attempts were all unsuccessful. Anderlecht scored three of their four to prevail 3-1. It was a disappointing setback for Young Boys, who exited from Europe at the final hurdle before the group phase. Basel still remains in Europe for Switzerland, who will finish 13th or 14th in the ranking. But, Young Boys' elimination in late August did the most damage.
Conclusion
One conclusion to take from this piece is that every game in Europe matters when it comes to coefficients. You never know which match will be the last one, so results are pivotal. In what was an enthralling race for places 12th to 15th, Switzerland, Ukraine and Czechia were the winners (at least for spots 13 through 15). As for the four countries it will be a matter of what could have been. Next year's battle for these same spots will continue to be exciting for all involved. Who will learn from their errors of this year (and previous ones)?
Time will tell…
David Parkes
Shatterpoint: The Graham Potter Story…
Charlie Patrick
Another Nail In...
Just when you thought things couldn’t get much worse for Chelsea a new low was hit in a season of lows. Having lost 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund despite an improved showing only three points would do as bottom of the league and manageress Southampton came to Stamford Bridge. James Ward-Prowse’s free kick in first half stoppage time was enough to take the three points back to the south coast.
Southampton arrived in London with one clean sheet in their last 28 games and nine defeats in their last 10 but they somehow left with three points to throw Graham Potter and Chelsea deeper into the mire. It was the expensively assembled Blues who looked like the team rooted to the bottom of the table as Southampton somehow found a way to sort their issues out with Romeo Lavia excellent in the middle of the park. Having spent best part of £300m in a record-breaking January window, there has yet to be any sign of improvement with Potter’s men looking like a complete bunch of strangers which you might expect when trying to bed so many new faces in.
Spineless, Gutless, Hopeless...
What cannot be an excuse is a fundamental lacking within the squad of doing the basics properly and showing some fight, passion and desire on the pitch, all of which remain nonexistent. The term, ‘leaders’ is thrown around a lot but it’s becoming worryingly evident that Chelsea not only lack them on the pitch, but they also lack leaders within the dugout.
You can’t imagine the likes of Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba accepting this level of performance on the pitch. They would be there, right in front of their teammates faces demanding a positive footballing reaction, and yet with this current crop of players, it feels like they are just accepting of the now consistently poor performances and not commanding more from themselves and each other. The excuses are running out quickly and the decision to leave two of your best players in Thiago Silva and Reece James out of the match day squad in a must win game is completely baffling given the current form of the team. It felt like Potter was taking a dangerous liberty with those decisions.
Having said that, there is absolutely zero excuse for the players on the pitch to fail to put away a team struggling to avoid relegation to the Championship. Itt was indeed a new low for the boys in blue.
On The Road To Avolition...
Datro Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Mason Mount all came into the side and struggled to make an impact with Koulibaly lucky not to see red for a rash lunge and he was duly replaced at the break. Mount, despite the backing of the fans, simply cannot find a respectful performance from anywhere. Moreover, what to do with him is a whole other issue considering he is locked in a negotiations stalemate regarding his contract.
During a break in play, as Cesar Azpiliueta received treatment for a nasty kick to the head, a fan shouted at Potter to “talk to your players.”
With the second worst win percentage as manager in Chelsea history, it is of no surprise that there is anger within the fanbase. Some inspiration from the sidelines wouldn’t go amiss as the team look completely lost for ideas. No fan is asking Potter to become the next Jose Mourinho or Thomas Tuchel but there is now a desperation for him to at least show something.
The Eleventh-Hour...Tick...Tock...
Met with boos at both half time and full time at Stamford Bridge, the home of the Blues is now becoming a toxic place with a lot of fans turning against the manager. Potter still seems to have the backing of the board who believe in him, but many fans have already made their mind up about the former Brighton manager. I guess the only way to stop the soon to be deafening noise is to start picking up results as quickly as possible.
Chelsea should forget about finishing in the top four and the Champions League qualification that comes with it and instead focus on trying to simply score goals again.
Since the January transfer window closed, Chelsea have scored one league goal. In the last two games the Blues have had a total of 38 shots with not one hitting the back of the net. As a result of the poor goalscoring form, Chelsea only has one win in ten in the calendar year (2023).
Potter is under a wad of pressure, and just over 6 months in, it feels like his long-term project has already reached a point of crisis.
(Piece written prior to Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Spurs on 26/02/2023)
Charlie Patrick
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