My dear friend Jon has written a book that will no doubt be superb. Can I recommend a pre-order?

Consumed one podcast and a handful of written mock drafts today in preparation for tonight. That’s quite enough thank you. How you lot spend 3 whole months talking about it all I’ll never know.

I'll have a bit to say on this Rosenior mess in Friday's newsletter for sure. Get subbed to receive it (free) using the link. There's a couple of samples you can see there 👍

64 touches in opposition box 😂 (58 of them Cherki probably)

It’s a good job Chelsea locked Liam Rosenior down until *checks notes* 2032, isn’t it? ??????????

It's NFL draft week (fun) so I put together an alternate universe Premier League version (also fun) for @espn.com Wolves pick first, anyone 23 or under is on the board, who goes where and why?

Reports suggesting Liam Rosenior is on the brink at Chelsea. Spoke to Jesse Marsch in January about hiring from "within." The whole point of doing this is that you're supposed to know how a manager reacts to adversity! www.espn.co.uk/football/sto...

Credit to Brighton - brilliant - eventually made it the 3-0 it threatened to be from the first whistle

Chelsea looked gassed from minute one

Happy birthday to these two donuts 🐈🎊

Hardly the first person to say this, but it is so frustrating to always be looking at figures one year out of date

No idea how Gabriel got away with that, jeez

Highest concentration of desperate wrestling for the ball in the corner I’ve ever seen

And on the subject of waving a red flag at a bull, Mukiele defended Rogers so well for 40 minutes it enraged him to the point where he produced some of the best footwork Villa Park has seen in years, leading to a goal

Thomas Tuchel did Aston Villa a huge, huge favour in March

Such a good performance from Kobbie Mainoo. Great to watch

Would love to know what’s going through Caicedo’s head there for the goal, as he completely ignores the ball (and only focuses on Šeško)

If you didn’t immediately know Spurs were cursed when Simons celebrated a 77th minute goal like a 95th minute winner, you simply have not seen enough football

I’m so sorry Spurs fans, but that entire game was absolute cinema

That’s the first time a passage of 5 minutes of football has gone right for Spurs for about 5 months

This week's newsletter. Enjoy!

Was doing some reading on NEC ahead of their cup final against AZ tomorrow and really enjoyed this from @stighefootball.bsky.social:

Latest newsletter will drop in a min. Couple of clicks to sign up here if you're interested (it's free and fun, which is no doubt the best combo)

Come for @stighefootball.bsky.social’s report on what makes NEC Nimegen Europe’s most wildly attacking team. Stay for the introduction to the club’s eccentric billionaire owner, Marcel Boekhoorn. www.espn.com/soccer/story...

Who could possibly have seen this coming huh

The wonderful world of N.E.C. Nijmegen, who are on the brink of history

Villa 4-0 Bologna A bit of a stroll. The 3-1 first-leg win gives you the chance to play reactively and Emery seized it.

The most attacking, aggressive team in soccer right now is this one, in the Netherlands. Let @stighefootball.bsky.social explain: www.espn.com/soccer/story...

The wonderful world of N.E.C. Nijmegen, who are on the brink of history

Mad half, what the hell was that

Neuer 10/10 last week Currently 1/10 this week

Feature filed to @espn.com on this wonderful trip and sensational story. Out tomorrow! I'm very proud of it, keep an eye out!

Liverpool absolutely not allowed both Ekitiké and Isak fit at the same time. Because life is cruel

A 97th-minute equaliser for NEC sends the place ballistic. Last 20 minutes were an onslaught; all-out attack with the CBs subbed off for strikers. They basically willed the ball into the net.

Something VERY different today. I’m in Nijmegen for NEC vs Feyenoord. A stadium that hosts 12,500 people, buried deep in a forest, is hosting a game with Champions League implications. A situation almost as mad as the football they play. Excited to see it!

Triple sub before the 55th minute?

Wolves losing the ball over and over again in their own half. Most of them in roughly the same spot to the same player (Summerville). Bizarre to watch.

Ahhhh. Must put a real dampener on his World Cup squad chances too. Had just been capped for first time in March

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Rowe was brilliant tonight. More than deserved this goal

Very, very good second half performances from many Villa players, most pleasing of which has got to be Watkins. It’s probably the 5th time he’s shown signs of a “return” this season and this time it really needs to stick - especially given Rogers is flailing

Bologna facing these new fangled, cutting edge inventions called “corners”

Santiago Castro

Something on each of the four #UCL games this week, for @espn.com

The Premier League have launched an archive with highlights from every game since its inception in 1992. I picked a handful of games from the 09-10 season to remind myself of the style / quality / speed of play and...

Madrid abysmal for ~80 minutes of that and yet Neuer still had to be *brilliant* to ensure Bayern came away with a win. A hint of Algeria 2014 about him tonight 👏

Mircea Lucescu, who coached Romania in last month’s World Cup playoffs, has died at the age of 80. More from @colinmillar.bsky.social 🔗 nyti.ms/4cw1u0k

Helluva new manager bounce

And this is why I love it 😂 It’s a small thing — except, well, it’s not