Neither the Newcastle forward nor Burnley goalkeeper will want pity but their crises in confidence have made them shadows of their former selvesSeventeen minutes into Newcastle’s win over Sheffield United, Joelinton ran on to a through ball from Miguel Almirón. As he reached the box, three options were open: to use his left foot; to jab a finish with the outside of his right, probably in at the near post or through the keeper’s legs; or to open his body in the style of Thierry Henry and bend it right-footed in at the far post.In the end his attempt appeared some horrible amalgam of the latter two and he scuffed a shot that reached Dean Henderson – just – on...
All good purges require a bad guy but Joe Hart deserves better than to be remembered as a punchline to the good timesRemember the bad old days of English exceptionalism? Remember the golden generation, the way England’s footballers seemed to collapse and wither in the tournament sun, running through heavier air?Remember David Beckham, sitting behind Fabio Capello in Bloemfontein in his Victorian undertaker’s suit as England were devoured by Germany, stroking his whiskers in mute confusion and looking all the while like a very clever, very handsome cartoon water vole who lives in a mansion and wears a watch-chain and is only just this moment realising he shouldn’t actually be able to talk or stand up or drive his motor...
Hart has struggled for games and form but Gareth Southgate is still set to take his 75-cap goalkeeper to Russia despite the claims of England’s younger trio“Three days ago against Spain, I felt like crying,” said Vikash Dhorasoo. “I’m not a supporter, I’m not a spectator, I’m a football player and I’m not playing football.”Filmed before and during the 2006 World Cup, the docu-film Substitute details the existential isolation felt by the France international as he watches his team-mates reach the final in Germany. Released a year after the tournament, the film is an intriguing insight into life on the bench but it also spelled the end for Dhorasoo’s international career after the manager, Raymond Domenech, took exception. Related: World...
The failings of the exiled Joe Hart’s replacements, Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero, surely demand a rethink from Pep Guardiola for next seasonIt is probably safe to assume Pep Guardiola did not appreciate the impertinence of being asked at his latest press conference whether, six months into the season, he could understand why so many football people were questioning whether the decision to marginalise and replace Joe Hart had shown even the greatest managers can make mistakes.A similar question was asked of Sinisa Mihajlovic, the manager of Torino, earlier this season and you didn’t have to read too far between the lines to find a thinly disguised layer of scorn from the man who took Hart to Serie A. “Guardiola...
Today’s fluff is only lonely when your homey ain’t got a ride or no loot Tottenham have drawn up a shortlist of potential new goalkeepers, should Hugo Lloris turn down their contract offer and swan off elsewhere, with Manchester City outcast Joe Hart and Sunderland’s shot-stopping supremo Jordan Pickford both upon it. They are also linked this morning with Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic, as for that matter are Liverpool (again) and Arsenal, though the Gunners may be short of cash if a rumoured £20m move for Milan’s 30-year-old Colombian goal-grabber Carlos Bacca comes to fruition, with the clubs apparently already discussing terms.Long-term Arsenal target Julian Draxler appears certain to leave Wolfsburg in January, if anyone’s after a talented German 23-year-old...