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Writer's pictureTristan Figueras

Magic of the Bernabeu, The Red Devil's Savior, and Pep's New Weapon

Hello and welcome to Early Doors Football! Over the past few weeks, there has been no shortage of entertainment. From blockbuster transfers to unbelievable matches, there is a lot to discuss. As I normally do in these recap articles, I am going to go over some of the news that I find most important. There is not much else to say, so let's jump in!

 

The “Team of Dreams” gives Pep Nightmares: City Crash out of the UCL


First off, if you have not seen the full 210 minutes of this tie, I implore you to go watch these two matches as soon as possible. It was genuinely some of the most enthralling football I have seen; it was truly a joy to watch. Matches like this remind us why the Champions League is considered the pinnacle of football.


In a campaign of Real Madrid comebacks, this was certainly the most absurd turn-around yet. With Manchester City heading into the 90th minute leading 5-3 on aggregate, it seemed as if the tie was over. I am sure City fans were booking their flights to Paris as the minutes ticked off the clock. Unbeknownst to them, they were about to witness one of the most shocking comebacks in Champions League History. In the 90th minute, Rodrygo got on the end of a clever Benzema cutback, to breathe new life into the Bernabeu. Once the ball hit the back of the net, you knew what was going to happen next. The stadium erupted, and not only willed Madrid to score a second, but EXPECTED them to. Surely enough, Rodrygo steered home a header a minute later, and sent the world into delirium. As Peter Drury so beautifully said, “They pray for miracles, and miracles arrive”.


If there were any doubts about the outcome of the tie, Benzema removed them only minutes into extra time. Now leading 6-5 on aggregate, it was evident Real Madrid would not let this slip. They closed out the game expertly, and completed a special comeback. As if their incredible turn-arounds against PSG and Chelsea were not enough, they simply refused to lie down against what is widely considered the best team in the world. Ancelloti and his players seem completely resistant to the pressure they endure. The circumstances do not matter, the scoreline does not matter, the opponent does not matter. At any moment, they can conjure something special and flip a tie on its head. I do not think it is outrageous to say that they have been outplayed in all 3 rounds, and yet here they are in the final. That may sound like a dig at Madrid, and perhaps it is a dig in terms of their tactics, but it speaks highly to their mentality. There is no other team that battles the way they do, and certainly no other team that could replicate their revivals.


On the flipped side, Manchester City have missed a glorious opportunity to win their first Champions League. With the Cityzens dominating domestic football, it is well known that their main priority is the Champions League. They were seconds away from taking a massive step towards a second consecutive final, yet they still stumbled. So where did it all go wrong? From my view, it seems like the majority of problems stemmed from lapses in concentration. Both of the penalties conceded were completely avoidable: Laporte jumps as if he is trying to receive a pass from Tom Brady and Dias dives in on a ball he was never going to reach. Both of these occurred late in matches, so I assume they were mentally and physically tired, but these mistakes were avoidable nonetheless. I also think that this tie could have been put to bed in the first leg. Manchester City, while they overperformed their expected goals on the night, missed a few key chances in the first leg. Mahrez and Foden lacked composure to put away some solid chances, leaving them with only the 1 goal advantage heading into the second leg.


While I think it is important to acknowledge City’s shortcomings, Madrid’s unbelievable mentality outshines everything else. While City played a part in their demise, Ancelloti’s men did something no other team could ever dream of doing. They have fought hard every step of the way, and will be formidable opponents for Liverpool when they meet in Paris.

 

The Sky Blue Terminator: Haaland Joins the Cityzens


This rumor has been floating around for a while, but this blockbuster move was recently confirmed by the clubs. Erling Haaland will be trading his black and yellow Dortmund kit for the sky blue of Manchester City, in a move worth €60 million. After the sadness of their Champions League exit, this news will undoubtedly be the remedy. The move away from Dortmund always seemed likely, with Manchester City and Real Madrid the only genuine suitors. Haaland has been destined to play for a top-quality side, and with BVB wallowing in mediocrity, it was time for him to take the step up.


After playing without a formal striker for the entirety of this season, Guardiola will have a new weapon in his arsenal. Despite his sides’ proficiency in a false nine system, Pep has pursued a striker for months. They failed to acquire Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo in the previous window, but with the Norwegian wonderkid soon to arrive, those transfer failures may have been blessings in disguise.


As I previously mentioned, City have played without a traditional number 9 for months, so we will be left to wonder how they will function with a player like Haaland being injected into their forward line. With his ability and Pep’s coaching, I am sure it will work out beautifully. It is perfectly reasonable to expect some growing pains at the beginning of next season, however, seeing as their attacking style is likely to be altered heavily in order to incorporate Haaland.


From the perspective of a Premier League fan, this is a frightening transfer. It will undoubtedly make for some wildly entertaining football, but will only make City stronger. Haaland will be surrounded by some of the greatest chance creators in the world, so the Norwegian could rack up a scary goal tally. I reckon I could bag a few goals in the Premier League if I had KDB and Bernardo Silva behind me, with Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez alongside me.

 

Ten Hag Signs at United: Is He the Solution?


After each passing week, it became rapidly clearer that Ragnick was not the man to replace Soljskaer on anything other than an interim basis. The manager search began a few weeks ago, and after continual rumors, we finally have clarity. Erik Ten Hag of Ajax has been announced as the new manager of Manchester United. For once, I think United have made the correct decision. There was not exactly a plethora of options, but for me, Ten Hag was the clear choice. The Red Devils have drastically needed a complete rebuild for years, and he is the perfect man to lead it.


In his time at Ajax, he has proven to be a tactically astute manager who can play some lovely football. Beyond that, he has been surprisingly adaptable to his players, which will come in handy at Manchester United. As much as he would love to, he cannot overhaul the squad in one transfer window. He will be left with some players that may not be in his long-term plan, but I am confident he can get the best out of them.


For this to work long term, there has to be some sort of communication between board and manager for signings. United have made a handful of mindless transfers without any comment from the manager (Donny Van De Beek for example), which only adds to the deadwood that future managers are forced to work with. We saw this occur this season, with Lingard’s awkward saga over the January window. While I have full trust that Ten Hag can do well in this new role, I still question the competency of the upper departments at United. Regardless of my skepticism, I believe fans of Manchester United can look forward to next season with cautious optimism.

 

Forward Merry-go-round: Transfer Rumors Circulating Already


On top of the blockbuster transfer of Erling Haaland, many other players (forwards in particular) have been linked with moves away, even though the window is yet to open. With the forward line at Manchester City getting quite crowded, Gabriel Jesus has been touted with a move to Arsenal. There has been a massive vacancy up front for Arsenal since Aubameyang left, so it makes sense that they would be looking at the Brazilian forward. I am unsure if he would slot in the Arsenal side in terms of style, however Jesus is undoubtedly a hugely talented player. After being schooled by Pep Guardiola perhaps he has the ability to play in a new role under Arteta.


Moving away from England, a pair of high-profile forwards have made statements suggesting that they have played their final game at their respective clubs. Firstly, Lewandowski has suggested that he played his last match at the Allianz Arena this past Saturday, after drawing 2-2 to Wolfsburg on the final day of the season. After lengthy contract talks, it seems that an agreement cannot be reached. Lewandowski reportedly wanted to be locked down for 3 additional years, but Bayern’s hierarchy would only offer him 2. With the Polish striker nearing 34, I suppose it is reasonable to be weary of committing for an extended period of time, but with the rate he is scoring, it seems risky to lose him. There is one year left on his current deal, but Lewandowski is likely to push for a move away from Munich. Barcelona is the most likely destination according to Fabrizio Romano, but we will have to wait and see how this story progresses.


Next up is Paulo Dybala, who is yet to sign a contract extension with Juventus. The Argentine is set to leave as a free agent, after demanding unreasonable wages. The market for Dybala seems to be rather small, with only light links to Inter Milan appearing at this stage. While he was once expected to be one of the top players in the world, he never quite hit the dizzy-heights that were expected of him in his youth. As the summer toils on, I assume that he and his agent will lower their expectations in terms of wages, so I reckon this could be an interesting move. Even if he were to end up at Inter Milan, it is highly unlikely that they pay what he is asking, so all signs point to him accepting a smaller wage package. These are only a few of the moves circulating, so it looks like we are lining up for a fascinating summer window.

 

That is all I have for today. As always, feel free to reach out with your thoughts or feedback, and make sure to look out for the next article. Thank you for reading, and have a fantastic day.


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