Mediawatch: Ozil wants Real Madrid move. Ish.
Date published: Wednesday 30th November 2016 7:10
Return of the hero
‘Real Madrid transfer news: Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria stun Arsenal and PSG as it emerges pair want sensational reunion at Bernabeu,’ reads The Sun’s headline on Wednesday morning. Slow news day, is it?
Firstly, by ‘it emerges’, The Sun actually mean ‘we read in Marca’. Also, Mediawatch can think of a couple of reasons why Madrid-based Marca might suggest leading players from other clubs want to join Madrid-based Real Madrid.
Finally, and most importantly, that Marca story is a great deal less certain than The Sun would have you believe:
‘Both players have mentioned how much they enjoyed playing for Los Blancos in the past and are looking into several different career options at present. Ozil is still negotiating with Arsenal over a contract extension since he is only tied to the Gunners until 2018, so there is the chance he’ll return to the Spanish capital.’
From ‘there is the chance he’ll return to the Spanish capital’ to ‘stuns Arsenal as it emerges he wants sensational reunion to Bernabeu’ simply by cramming it through their transfer filter. And you wonder why faith in transfer rumour reporting has never been lower.
Hype hype hooray
After Ben Woodburn became Liverpool’s youngest ever scorer on Tuesday evening, Jurgen Klopp tried to rein in the hype:
“He still has a lot of things to do and especially to keep the public away for as long as possible – but that is a difficult thing to do. The only problem is I’m afraid about all you in the media. That’s why I’m so quiet. We know how to handle the situation.”
Did everyone get the memo? Erm, no, not really.
‘It will be a game which will forever be known as one of those “I was there” footballing days in history,’ writes Phil Thomas in The Sun.
‘When the moment came, time seemed to stand still. It always does for the natural goalscorers,’ writes Ian Ladyman in the Daily Mail.
Keep those feet on the ground, young man.
One rule for one?
On October 3, Danny Mills went on the excellent Monday Night Club on BBC 5Live to discuss Ryan Giggs, Swansea City and Bob Bradley.
“A lot of people say, ‘Well, Giggs, he’s got no experience, he doesn’t understand’,” said Mills, and he was right: A lot of people did say that.
“Where is Giggs going to start?” Mills continued. “If he drops down into League Two, League One, the Championship, he’s got no experience of that either. He knows the Premier League more than anything else. So actually, the Premier League might be his best start.”
So, Giggs didn’t know League One and therefore shouldn’t coach there, but he does know the Premier League so definitely should coach there. Which all makes Mills’ comments on 5Live on Steven Gerrard on Tuesday night bizarre:
“Gerrard needs to start lower down the food chain, as it would be a big gamble to start at a big club, for him and for the club that employed him.”
So doesn’t Gerrard know the Premier League? Or does that only become a factor when American Bradley was getting a job over Giggs?
When you come at us you better not miss
On Sunday, Gary Neville tweeted that ‘Print journalism is becoming sh*t’ in response to a Mirror Football news story that was based entirely on one Neville tweet.
Neville was guilty of making sweeping statements about an industry that (like any industry) contains excellence, dross and plenty in between, but the rise of the news story based on tweet is tiresome. Mediawatch couldn’t help wondering if the Mirror might not let the dig pass without response.
By Tuesday, we had our answer. ‘PICTURED: Neville slammed for using mobile phone while driving £100,000 BMW’ read the Mirror Football headline.
Is it just coincidence that these pictures were published on Tuesday, despite being taken the previous Wednesday? And is it just coincidence that, more than 24 hours after the story was published, it remains prominent on the Mirror Football homepage as their sixth biggest football story? Couldn’t possibly say…
A load of Red Bull
Mediawatch was intrigued by Phil Cadden’s The Sun exclusive about RB Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuttl being on Arsenal’s short list to replace Arsene Wenger, but two things stick in the throat.
The first was the following line: ‘Hasenhuttl has been compared to Jurgen Klopp and is dubbed the Alpine Mourinho for his animated and passionate touchline behaviour.’ Given that a Google search for that nickname returns only The Sun’s original claim, we’re dubious.
However it’s the insert in the story advising readers to use Sun Bets to place their money on Hasenhuttl as Arsenal’s next manager at odds of 5/1. Not only are they the only bookmakers to have Hasenhuttl at such a low price, they’re the only bookmakers to have him at any price whatsoever in the ‘next Arsenal manager’ market.
Tell your readers about some inside information, before persuading them to use that inside information to place bets with the same company. Conflict of interest, much?
And the award for glorious optimism goes to…
‘Manchester United eye Neymar in stunning move that would smash transfer fee record’ – Duncan Castles, Daily Record.
‘Though Neymar last month signed a contract extension initially announced by Barcelona in July, well-informed sources describe the deal as “a sticking plaster” over a long standing conflict between the player and his club,’ Castles writes. ‘Significantly, the new contract involved a minimal increase in the value of Neymar’s release clause during its first year, leaving the maximum transfer-fee cost of a summer switch essentially unchanged.’
That release clause fee currently stands at €200m. Mediawatch is left unsure whether this constitutes the ‘surgical approach’ we were assured Jose Mourinho favours?
A sad day
As reported by Charlie Sale in the Daily Mail, Sky Sports’ chief football reporter Nick Collins has lost his job.
Which reminded Mediawatch (and the wonderful Adam Hurrey) of this:
Disgusted that Chief Football Reporter Nick Collins (his full name) is being let go by Sky. Deserved a job for life after this: pic.twitter.com/O5qExYph5E
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) November 30, 2016
It’s a tragedy.
A new high for ‘the next [insert player name]’ culture
‘Are Sunderland set to raid Sweden again for next Joel Asoro?’ – Sunderland Echo.
That’s 17-year-old Jose Asoro of nine Premier League minutes fame. Wonderful.
Headline of the day
‘Red Bull gives you Wengs’ – The Sun linking Ralph Hasenhuttl with the Arsenal job. Pleasing.
Recommended reading of the day
Chris Evans with Matt Smith.
Jack Lang on Chapocoense.
Michael Yokhin on Alexander Isak.
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