<\/p>\n
Manchester City versus Liverpool was an instant classic but the Mailbox is also pretty concerned with figuring out who football\u2019s sh*thousing GOAT is.<\/em><\/p>\n Send your mails to\u00a0theeditor@football365.com<\/strong>\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Football! So many thoughts:<\/p>\n 1. is de Bruyne stoppable in this form? Methinks not. Belgium must be in really bad shape\u2026 \u2018its only the carabao cup anyway\u2019 is not something i felt today. i wanted to Liverpool to win this. Helps January\/February fixture list i guess. \u00a0<\/p>\n 1. great game, end to end, if only other teams would go toe to toe with city<\/p>\n 2. Wasn\u2019t it nice to watch goals and *celebrate* without VAR killjoy<\/p>\n 3. Nunez is frighteningly quick, if he can finish he could be special<\/p>\n 4. De Bruyne ran the game. Sensational but the tag of \u201c best midfielder in the world\u201d \u00a0is gone, true greats drag their teams up<\/p>\n 5. A welcome return to form from Fabinho, great interceptions.<\/p>\n 6. I love Joel Matip. Simple<\/p>\n 7. Grealish looks like a shadow of the player City signed. Played like Almiron when he\u00a0came on<\/p>\n 8. Kelleher is too good to be a Liverpool number two. He is better than ramsdale, mendy, de gea, lloris. Fully expect him to be sold for big money in the summer<\/p>\n 9. Akanji looks like an astute signing, he\u2019s a mix of stones and ake but not a mistake waiting to happen<\/p>\n 10. Why does Foden persist with that haircut ?<\/p>\n 11. Gutted to be knocked out<\/p>\n Ran out of conclusions. \u00a0<\/p>\n Qatar critics must keep that same energy It\u2019s hard to disagree with Rory\u2019s assessment that the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will make for a rather more wholesome World Cup hosting committee than the denizens of Doha, and for all of the reasons Rory describes. It is difficult indeed to imagine a more problematic host nation than Qatar. And yet, if we\u2019ve learned anything from the miserable context surrounding this year\u2019s World Cup, it is surely the imperative that we subject\u00a0all\u00a0prospective host nations to the same level, and the same kinds, of scrutiny to which Qatar has (rightly) been subjected over recent weeks, months, and years. If we can agree on that, then concerns about the behaviour of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico\u00a0must\u00a0be debated.<\/p>\n Yes, the 2026 hosts are \u2018better\u2019 than the 2022 hosts. But that does not render them unimpeachable, and legitimate critiques should not be conflated with what Rory describes as \u2018oh-so-original and not-at-all moronic \u201cThe USA sucks lolz!!\u201d sentiments\u2019. In many respects, the U.S.\u00a0does\u00a0suck. So does the U.K., where I was born and raised; so does Norway, the country I now call home. But neither the U.K. nor Norway is hosting a World Cup in four years\u2019 time. With great power comes great responsibility \u2013 and all three of the 2026 host nations have difficult questions to answer about how they operate.<\/p>\n For all three nations, some of those questions have to do with human rights violations.<\/p>\n Where to start with the U.S.? Abu Ghraib happened. Guantanamo Bay is still open. The Republican Party brazenly refused to admit evidence during an impeachment proceeding designed to hold a sitting president to account. An independent panel has recommended that said president be tried in a court of law for abetting a bona fide insurrection. Rampant gerrymandering is\u00a0 disenfranchising innumerable U.S. citizens, a majority of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds and underrepresented populations. The U.S. Supreme Court revoked the rights of women to bodily autonomy. And so on.<\/p>\n According to Human Rights Watch, in Mexico, \u2018[h]uman rights violations\u2014including torture, enforced disappearances, abuses against migrants, extrajudicial killings, gender-based violence, and attacks on independent journalists and human rights defenders\u2014have continued under President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador, who took office in December 2018. Impunity remains the norm\u2019. Femicide, in particular, remains a huge problem for Mexico. The situation in Canada may not be quite as troubling in the same ways, but it\u2019s worth remembering that, as recently as last year, mass graves were uncovered, full of the bodies of indigenous children forcibly removed from their families and sent to residential schools, never to be seen again.<\/p>\n We all have a larger number of skeletons in our respective closets than we would care to admit. I\u2019m not saying that these transgressions are as abhorrent as those committed by the Qatari authorities. I\u2019m not saying that these transgressions are sufficient to prevent the U.S., Canada, and Mexico from hosting the World Cup in 2026. What I\u00a0am\u00a0saying is that, if we\u2019ve decided that some nations should not be granted the right to host the World Cup because of such transgressions, then we cannot fail to identify and weigh up those transgressions in the case of\u00a0every\u00a0potential host nation,\u00a0every\u00a0time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Consider another point that Rory makes \u2013 and another\u00a0good\u00a0point, at that: the shocking arrogance of Qatar\u2019s complete disregard for the unfolding climate crisis. Yes, Qatar\u2019s carbon footprint is among the worst in the world per head of population, and yes, I fully agree that this should be a significant consideration in determining who gets to host the World Cup. Let\u2019s remember, then, that the U.S. remains the world\u2019s largest legacy polluter; that, for this reason (among others), U.S. leadership is a non-negotiable feature of any meaningful global attempt to forestall the worst effects of the crisis; and that, quite aside from reneging on its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement for a number of years, the U.S. boasts numerous members of Congress ideologically wedded to climate denialism.<\/p>\n Oh, and, since we\u2019re on the subject, let\u2019s not forget that the 2022 event took place within what is effectively a city-state. The 2026 edition will be spread out over an entire continent. Air miles, much?<\/p>\n Both sides of the argument between Rory and Paul K have their merits. Still, if Rory is frustrated \u2013 as I am, too \u2013 by the lack of progress made on the issues presented by Qatar\u2019s hosting role this year, then maybe we can stop engaging in parochial pissing matches about who is \u2018better\u2019 or \u2018worse\u2019, and focus on having meaningful conversations about the precise criteria FIFA should use in order to determine who gets to host this thing. This isn\u2019t rocket science: let\u2019s make a rule and judge everybody according to that rule, regardless of where they sit on a map, or what preconceived ideas about them obtain.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t mind having the difficult conversations. It\u2019s the pointless ones I can\u2019t abide.<\/p>\n Like I say: just my two cents. \u00a0<\/p>\n I don\u2019t normally write in or bite when I read the mailbox, but Rory defending the US really got my attention.<\/p>\n Carbon emissions? Meh\u2026 Wahhabism? Couldn\u2019t care less\u2026<\/p>\n But how about having a host who are the largest military dealer in the world? Which also happens to make it the largest and most active cause of wars around the world. How about Iraq? Syria? Lybia? Afghanistan? Vietnam? And how about regime charges around the world? How about economic sanctions on countries that are considered not pliable, which affect birthday people first and foremost? How about multinational corporations based in the US which mine, pollute, exploit millions of people around the world? And this is just the tip of the iceberg\u2026<\/p>\n But I suppose all those things are okay as long as none of that carnage affects the Miami or NYC nightlife eh? Or the prices in local supermarkets\u2026<\/p>\n Seems like a pretty unsavory host if you ask me. It\u2019s not moral relativism, it\u2019s an immoral host<\/p>\n But actually, I\u2019m perfectly fine with having the WC in the US. I really am. Because football is the reason I want to watch the WC. I\u2019m not John Nicholson who seems to like everything about football that has nothing to do with football and loves nothing that has to do with what the game is.<\/p>\n I love football, and if it\u2019s in the US or Russia or China or on the Moon, I will watch it.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t want the rules changed, except maybe for Wenger\u2019s suggestion about offsides, I don\u2019t want anything changed. Football is loved for what it is, not for some hypothetical changes in the future.<\/p>\n I love the hatred it brings out in people, I hate some clubs viscerally, and I love the joy it brings.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t defend the hosts, the US has done immeasurably more damage than Qatar ever could. Don\u2019t attack the hosts, it has nothing to do with football. Just make sure there is infrastructure in place so we can enjoy our escape from everyday life. Give it to China, to Saudis, to Greenland for all I care, just as long as stadiums are there and people are having fun.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re not having fun, don\u2019t watch, and don\u2019t speak of it \u2013 no one needs to know about your non-experience.<\/p>\n I, on the other hand, will speak of a final that will likely never be matched by any other game as long as I live. It\u2019s a memory that I will recount many times in the next 30-40 years I have left. I will remember the ups and downs of that game, the beauty of each team\u2019s second goal, the drama. And I will remember it with joy and wonder. And not once will I care to remember where the final was located\u2026<\/p>\n So, bring on the WC in the US! The the home of militarism, empire, regime change, corporatism, incarceration of 2m people, gun attacks, etc\u2026 None of it actually matters. The 2026 World Cup is due to be played 8 June to 3 July 2026.<\/p>\n In one of the co-hosts, the USA, the number of mass shootings (3+ people killed or injured in a single gun incident, not including perpetrator) from 8 June to 3 July 2022 was: 62 (SIXTY-TWO).<\/p>\n \u2014 Nick Harris (@sportingintel) December 19, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sh*thousing GOAT Jamie Vardy \u2013 So many moments in his career, from winding up opposition fans after scoring, comments in the media and so much more.<\/p>\n Antonio Rudiger \u2013 He may have since left for Real Madrid but outside of Chelsea i know not many rival fans liked him due to his antics.<\/p>\n Neal Maupay \u2013 Injured Leno and then scored a winning penalty, celebrating how you may expect, wound up Crystal Palace fans to the point where flares and loo rolls were thrown at him.<\/p>\n Robbie Savage \u2013 He was one of the league\u2019s true world class players, world class at winding anyone and everyone up.<\/p>\n Who do you feel deserves a mention to be the GOAT in terms of Sh*thousing? \u00a0<\/p>\n Really gets my GOAT I first heard that phrase in 2010 on the Fight Night boxing games and since then I only encountered it if Lebron v Michael Jordan debates somehow appeared on my social media feeds.<\/p>\n It\u2019s everywhere now and it\u2019s nauseating. If the Yanks started using snot for tooth paste I swear we\u2019d be doing it within 10 years too. \u00a0<\/p>\n Interesting to see the rise of the GOAT as the go to football conversation of the past 3 or 4 years.<\/p>\n I\u2019m completely with Jack from the Friday mailbox. It\u2019s weirdly childish seeing adults use \u201cmy dad is better than your dad\u201d style arguments about footballers, some of whom aren\u2019t even playing for countries these people are from and or for teams that this person supports.<\/p>\n The absolute worst of these are the people on Twitter, who have either Messi or Ronaldo as an avatar and who\u2019s entire online persona is going to bat against the opposite number by insisting that other player just scores penalties. They refer to their hated rival cult leader as Pessi or Penaldo. They use bogus stats to highlight how crap the other player is, while talking about conspiracies by FIFA and UEFA to make these players better\/worse than they are.<\/p>\n Just imagine that. Your entire personality defined by which player you like the best. And I thought the #backboris crew were sad.<\/p>\n As they say these days\u2026 touch grass. \u00a0<\/p>\n The GOAT debate is really infuriating. There is no GOAT and there never can be. It\u2019s not how football works.<\/p>\n There can be a greatest in some sports. E.g. Who\u2019s the greatest sprinter? Easy. Usain Bolt. He has run 100m faster than anyone else. He\u2019s won the triple double. So he\u2019s the greatest. But is he the best runner ever? For example, is he better than Mo Farrah? How can you answer that? Usain Bolt is better at sprinting, Mo Farrah is better at long distance. Neither of them is a better runner because they\u2019re out to achieve different things.<\/p>\n It\u2019s similar in football. There\u2019s clamour for Messi or Pele or Maradona to be declared\u00a0the greatest, but what about others who don\u2019t get discussed? What about Maldini? Or Beckenbauer? Or Baresi? How about Buffon or Kahn? Why can\u2019t they be declared the best?<\/p>\n This is where the debate is just maddeningly pointless. For example, who is better at football, Messi or Maldini? If Messi is the greatest, he must be better than Maldini, no? But what does that ever mean? \u201cBetter at football?\u201d. They both do completely different jobs. Maldini is better at defending. Messi<\/strong><\/a> is better at attacking. But neither is better than the other \u201cat football\u201d, because you\u2019re not comparing like for like. If you throw goalkeepers into the mix it becomes ever more absurd. Trying to say who is better, Maradona or Buffon, is just utterly meaningless.<\/p>\n Add into the mix the fact that we\u2019re trying to compare players from completely different eras who played in totally\u00a0different conditions and the comparisons become more ridiculous.<\/p>\n Messi is great. Maradona was great. Pele was great. But so were many other players who played in positions where they didn\u2019t get all the glory and the headlines. There is no GOAT, there never was and there never will be. It\u2019s not how football works. <\/div>\n
<\/strong>Yes \u2018real\u2019 football is back! Crazy game in the carabao cup last 16<\/strong><\/a>\u2026what a difference\u00a0to the World Cup<\/p>\n
2. feisty\u00a0is the only word that comes to mind for this game. Shouldve seen more yellows, perhaps the odd red.
3. i think 7-6 to city would have been a more appropriate scoreline. Couldve been 3-up before the 1-1 scoreline and either Nunez or Haaland with 2 wouldve\u00a0been ok.
4. Palmer, who? Looks a very good prospect. christ\u00a0he\u00a0owned that left side.
5. Gomez \u2013 shit in any position apparently. how he starts ahead of Phillips for Liverpool baffles me. Phillips always looks decent, except for the Napoli game but jesus Gomez is a liability both at CB and RB.
6. ah Darwin\u2026just keep smashing them. no need to place these shots. three times he dragged them. he needs to hit them.<\/p>\n
NIk (quadruple dreams ended before Christmas \ud83d\ude09 ), Munich<\/strong><\/p>\n
Ade (7 is coming ) Guildford\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/strong>Seldom feel compelled to throw in my two cents, but the recent mail from Rory (MUFC, USA)<\/strong><\/a> got my hand a-scribbling.<\/p>\n
Tom (THFC, Oslo)<\/strong><\/p>\n
James, football fan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
<\/strong>Emi Martinez is causing a divide in the football landscape since winning the World Cup with Argentina, now we crowned Lionel Messi the GOAT of the sport on Sunday but we cannot crown Emi as the GOAT of Sh*thousing, sorry but there are so many that could take that crown in the Premier League<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n
The Admin @ At The Bridge Pod<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/strong>When did football talk become so awash with this GOAT stuff?<\/p>\n
Silvio Dante<\/strong><\/p>\n
Jae The Manchild, Tunbridge Wells<\/strong><\/p>\n
Mike, LFC, London<\/strong><\/p>\n