The Weekly Take, Issue 242: Falling Short of Expectations

At the beginning of this season, AS Roma's future appeared bright. Despite having finished just sixth in Serie A in 2021-22, Roma's outlook seemed relatively positive due to several factors: the signings of Paulo Dybala, Andrea Belotti, and Nemanja Matić; the opportunity to build on their UEFA Europa Conference League victory; and potentially even the prospect of English striker Tammy Abraham further improving from his breakout season. The Giallorossi were not only expected to contend for a top-four spot; some even went so far as to claim that they may have had an outside chance at a first league title in 22 years.

This has certainly not been the case. The chasm between Roma's pre-season expectations and actual performance was clearly displayed in their match against Napoli this past matchday. The latest edition of the Derby del Sole ended in a 2-1 Napoli victory. Victor Osimhen opened the scoring for the Serie A champions-to-be, allowing Napoli to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. A half-hour after play resumed, Stephan El Sharaawy equalized for Roma only for Giovanni Simeone to seal Napoli's victory with the winning goal in the 86th minute.

Roma's loss leaves them in sixth place in the league, 16 points behind Napoli. The only silver lining for Roma lies in the fact that every other presumed title contender apart from Napoli has struggled this season; this has allowed Roma to remain in contention for the top four and a spot in next season's Champions League. However, just about everything that could have gone wrong for them this season has.

Abraham has not even come close to replicating his form from last season. The Londoner has found the back of the net just five times in his 20 league appearances thus far this season - a far cry from his 17 in 37 a season ago. Though his exclusion from England's World Cup squad did initially raise some eyebrows, that decision appears to make much more sense now in light of his recent struggles.

With the exception of Dybala, Roma's off-season signings have not even approached the level of impact expected of them. Matić, Belotti, and Zeki Çelik have not been significant contributors this season, while loan acquisition Georginio Wijnaldum has barely even entered the field at all. Roma's reluctance to open up their wallets last summer has come back to haunt them in a big way. Even as the January transfer window comes to a close, Roma only made one signing during it - Ola Solbakken on a free transfer from Bodø/Glimt. While it may be true that Roma aren't exactly the wealthiest of clubs, they surely could have invested in a player who could have made a major difference to their campaign so far.

Additionally, rumours surrounding head coach José Mourinho may have destabilized the team. Mourinho has reportedly become dissatisfied at the Stadio Olimpico and has been linked with positions at Premier League clubs Chelsea and Newcastle United as well as the national teams of the United States and his home country of Portugal. It should not go unmentioned that Mourinho received the lion's share of the credit for Roma's success last season after several difficult years (both for Roma and Mourinho himself). This might also partially explain Abraham's steep decline this season: Mourinho was able to tap into Abraham's potential in a way that no other coach ever had, leading to his highly successful season in 2021-22. The prospect of Mourinho's departure may have thus contributed to his diminished output this season. It may also have caused the rest of the team to mentally "check out" to some extent.

While AS Roma have not necessarily taken a step back when compared to where they were last season, most would have expected them to be doing far better than they are right now. That said, for all their struggles, they still have a realistic shot at a Champions League spot next season and have a Europa League round of 32 fixture against Red Bull Salzburg which they should easily win. There's still plenty of time for Roma to turn their season around; however, something must change soon if what once seemed like such a promising season is to avoid coming to nothing.

The Weekly Take, Issue 241: The Momentum Grinds to a Halt

After returning from the World Cup, Manchester United entered by far their best stretch of form this season. Many of their players turned in impressive showings when representing their respective countries in Qatar; they proceeded to take this form back with them to Old Trafford. The Red Devils would then register victory after victory, climbing the Premier League table at a rapid pace - so much so that they came from far behind to enter a tussle for second place with cross-town rivals Manchester City as well as this season's surprise package Newcastle United.

However, United's excellent run of form was derailed with a 3-2 loss against runaway league leaders Arsenal in the most recent league matchday. Marcus Rashford's opener for United was matched by Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah seven minutes later. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead after the break, but United soon equalized through a Lisandro Martínez goal. In the last minute of regulation time, Nketiah scored his second of the match to clinch all three points for the North London club who have all but sealed their first league title in 19 years.

Although United have shown clear improvements as the season has progressed, this match clearly showed that any thoughts of winning the league for the first time since 2013 are clearly nothing but wishful thinking. United, who are now 11 points behind Arsenal despite having played an additional match, were outplayed for large portions of the match and were somewhat fortunate to have been hanging on until the closing stages.

A case could be made that United lost the match before it even began. In United's prior league match against Crystal Palace, defensive midfielder Casemiro received a yellow card. It was the Brazilian's fifth booking of the season; he was thus suspended for the match against Arsenal. Although his replacement Scott McTominay did not make any crucial errors or cost his team any major goalscoring opportunities, it was obvious that his level of play was not even close to what Casemiro would have likely provided.

Up front, United's new loan signing Wout Weghorst was extremely disappointing. The Dutch centre-forward who is spending the rest of the season on loan from Burnley struggled from opening kick-off to the final whistle. Many United fans were highly skeptical of the club's acquisition of Weghorst; unfortunately for them, their trepidation has so far been justified. While United have lacked a high-quality centre-forward for quite some time now, even just these two matches have clearly proven that Weghorst is not the solution. There is little to no chance that United will make Weghorst a full-time player at the end of the season.

For the second match in a row, United dropped points after conceding a late goal. In their match against Crystal Palace, United let a win turn into a draw after conceding a stoppage-time goal. If United are to overhaul Newcastle or potentially even City, they absolutely cannot afford any more of the like. United's recent poor play in the dying moments of matches shows a lack of focus and organization - something which will undoubtedly have to be addressed if United are to make a serious push back up the table.

There is still just over a week left in the January transfer window. Perhaps the time might now be right for United to make a key signing. Having likely already bungled their centre-forward spot, landing a new starting full-back should now be United's priority. Outside of Diogo Dalot, United do not have any full-backs who are up to the standard of a starter on a team challenging for a Premier League title. It's evident that none among Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Tyrell Malacia are good enough to be the long-term solution at full-back.

For all the hype that Manchester United had deservedly generated in the weeks leading up to the match against Arsenal, the fact remains that this team is still a work in progress. However, if things do not change soon, United could be stuck in that limbo of "being one piece away" while never actually landing that piece for who knows how long. Though there were several positives to be taken away from this match, there were also as many, if not more, questions left unanswered.

The Weekly Take, Issue 240: Exposed as Fraudulent

Heading into their Serie A match against Napoli, Juventus had seemed to have turned the corner after a dismal start to their 2022-23 season. Eight consecutive Serie A victories saw the Bianconeri climb from eighth place in the league to second. On paper, this match against a rival club and the current league leaders appeared to be finely balanced - it seemed as though either club could have left Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with all three points.

However, Juve were immediately handed a reality check. The Turin-based club collapsed to a 5-1 loss; on top of that, such was Napoli's dominance that the final score could easily have been more one-sided. Victor Osimhen scored a brace to extend his lead at the top of Serie A's goalscoring leaderboard. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Amir Rrahmani, and Elif Elmas also scored for Luciano Spalletti's team. The result left Juve 10 points behind Napoli and with their chances of reclaiming the league title they last won three years ago all but gone.

Juve's lengthy winning streak fooled many a casual observer. Their only true high-quality victory against upper-tier opposition during that winning streak was their 3-0 win over Lazio. Even Juve's 2-0 win over Inter Milan was not particularly impressive; that victory was more of a case of "being less bad than the opponent" rather than outright outplaying them. It should also be noted that during the same period of that winning streak, Juve were knocked out of the Champions League and only made it into the Europa League over Maccabi Haifa on goal difference.

Massimiliano Allegri's team have been invariably underwhelming all season long. At first glance, this Juve squad appears to be replete with talent and not only a contender for the league title, but also a team that might threaten to make a deep Champions League run. Neither of those will happen now, in no small part due to the underperformance of players such as Weston McKennie, Moise Kean, Alex Sandro, and Fabio Miretti. While it may be true that McKennie, Kean, and Miretti are all still young, McKennie has clearly regressed from last season while it appears that Kean will never reach the level of a legitimate starter-level player at a club like Juve. When the next off-season comes around, it may be time for Juve to move on from both players as well as Alex Sandro. Miretti, meanwhile, does have intriguing potential; however, his already extensive playing time this season has shown that it may be "too much too soon". Spending next season on loan at a weaker club will be likely to do the hometown youngster a world of good.

Questions also have to be asked about Allegri himself. Could it be that he has overstayed his welcome in the Juve dugout? It definitely can't be questioned that his second stint in charge of Juve has not even come close to the level of his first between 2014 and 2019. Many Juve fans have already called for Allegri's dismissal; these calls peaked following their 2-0 loss to Maccabi in October. The club's recent winning streak somewhat quelled these sentiments, but they are likely to be renewed following this most recent crushing defeat. Was this, in fact, the final straw? It remains to be seen - but it would not be surprising if it were.

The off-field uncertainty surrounding Juve cannot be ignored. Less than two months ago, the club's entire board including then-president Andrea Agnelli resigned in the wake of issues surrounding Juve's financial statements. This may have in turn had a spillover effect onto the field, though its effects may not have been felt until now; it must be kept in mind that the incident took place during the World Cup break.

Juventus are now an embattled club in so many ways. As such, the fact that this is shaping up to be a "lost season" should not come as much of a surprise. That being said, it's one thing for a team to come up short despite giving their all in the face of adversity. It's quite another for Juve to capitulate in the manner that they did. Their prospects as of right now do not look good at all.

The Weekly Take, Issue 239: The End of an Era Approaching?

Atlético Madrid's ascension to become one of world football's elite clubs over the past decade-plus has been one of the most remarkable stories in the sport. Without funding from an oil magnate, foreign oligarch, or billionaire of any other sort, Atlético transformed from the inside out. In just a few years, what was once regarded as Madrid's second club went from being an absolute basket case on and off the pitch to perhaps the best-run club in the world.

Their results since establishing themselves as a top club speak for themselves. Over the past ten seasons, Atlético have won two La Liga titles and finished in the top three every season. They have also won a Copa del Rey and a Europa League. Most impressively of all, they reached the Champions League final twice; both times, they were beaten by cross-town arch-rivals Real Madrid.

However, this season it appears as though the good times might finally be coming to an end. Their 1-0 home loss to league leaders Barcelona left them in fifth place in the league, 14 points adrift of the Catalan club. Ousmane Dembélé scored the only goal of the match to deal a blow to Atlético's chances of qualifying for the Champions League for an 11th consecutive season.

Atlético are mired in the midst of a severe slump. Over their last five league matches, they have collected just four points. This comes after somehow finishing in last place in what should have been a relatively easy Champions League group containing Porto, Club Brugge, and Bayer Leverkusen and thus even missing out on the Europa League. Atlético are currently on pace to finish the season with just 64 points in the league; this figure would be their lowest tally since their 2011-12 campaign - the last time they missed out on a Champions League qualification spot.

One key reason behind Atlético's struggles this season has to do with their off-season transfer window. Atlético had always been known to be extremely shrewd in the transfer window; however, such was clearly not the case during the previous off-season. Their signings of Axel Witsel and Nahuel Molina have clearly not worked, while Sergio Reguilon has barely played at all after arriving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Although an opportunity to right these wrongs exists in the form of the ongoing January transfer window, Atlético have thus far shown little inclination to make an important signing that would give them a leg up in the chase for a top-four spot.

It also doesn't help that many of Atlético's players have been underperforming this season. Players such as Witsel, Molina, Saúl Ñíguez, Koke, Rodrigo de Paul, and Jan Oblak have been thoroughly underwhelming thus far. To make matters worse, the fatigue that Molina incurred after being a key piece in Argentina's run to the World Cup title has further negatively impacted his play. In the match against Barça, the full-back was clearly off the pace and still hadn't readjusted to the rigours of league play, especially against a top team like Barça. When de Paul returns, Atlético are likely to see the same from him as well, given the fact that he played in all seven of the Albiceleste's World Cup matches.

What makes it even more crucial for Atlético to regain their form is the fact that Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao are creeping up on them. If their slump continues for longer than expected, they might even find it difficult to qualify for next season's Europa League - an utterly unthinkable scenario when this season began.

This is a club which is no stranger to adversity - indeed, it can be said that Atlético Madrid have historically thrived in the face of it. That being said, the second half of this season is likely to be the toughest challenge they have faced in a very long time. Atlético has earned a reputation as a team full of grit and resolve - one with an enormous collective chip on their shoulders. Perhaps it will take a key new signing, a tactical overhaul, or maybe even a reshuffling of the regular starting 11 to set them back on the right path.

Could the end of Atlético's greatest era be coming, or is this just a blip? Only time will tell.

The Weekly Take, Issue 238: Hail to the King

Any plans I may have previously had for this post have now been thrown out the window by the news that brought the world of football to a standstill.

Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known to the planet as Pelé, died of colon cancer yesterday at the age of 82. Arguably the greatest footballer in history, tributes naturally came pouring in from all corners of the world and from fields well beyond that of sports alone.

In addition to hundreds of footballers and other sports luminaries, the likes of incoming Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, US President Joe Biden, and former US President Bill Clinton took to social media to pay tribute to "O Rei". Current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro declared three days of national mourning just hours after the news of Pelé's death came to light. Additionally, the world-famous Cristo Redentor statue in Rio de Janeiro was lit up in the colours of the Brazilian flag to honour Pelé.

It is almost impossible to pick somewhere to begin, but this statement should just about suffice: for at least two decades, there was absolutely no debate whatsoever about who the greatest footballer ever was. It was Pelé and it wasn't even close.

Pelé's emergence on the world stage will almost certainly never again be matched. At the age of 17, Pelé burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion during the knockout stages of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. When he scored the only goal of the match in Brazil's quarterfinal victory over Wales, it proved to be merely a teaser of what was to come.

A stunning second-half hattrick against France in the semifinal sent Brazil into the final for the second time in three World Cups. Pelé then capped off the tournament with two goals as the Seleção beat Sweden 5-2 in the final. Pelé's success in that World Cup, however, was but a glimpse into the player he would someday become.

Pelé's three World Cup victories will almost certainly never be equalled, while his tally of 767 goals in official matches stood for more than half a century. His Brazil team's utter domination of the 1970 World Cup remains the gold standard for a single-tournament performance by a team in international football.

So far ahead was Pelé of any other player of the era that in 2016, France Football published a retrospective re-evaluation of Ballon d'Or winners before 1995. Prior to that year, only players from European countries had been eligible to win the most prestigious individual honour in football. Pelé would have received the award on seven occasions; four consecutively from 1958 to 1961 as well as in 1963, 1964, and 1970. That tally would have put him equal with current record-holder Lionel Messi. In addition, the timespan of 12 years between Pelé's first would-be triumph and his last would also have equalled Messi's.

One criticism often levelled against Pelé lies in the fact that he never made the move to Europe, where he could play for a top European club and showcase his brilliance by leading a team to the European Cup. However, those who make such a claim have ignored the fact that in World Cup after World Cup, Pelé routinely took apart players from the other side of the Atlantic - players who had won Europe's most prestigious club title on one or more occasions. It should thus be obvious that had he made the move to Europe, Pelé would have been just as incredible as he was during his 18-year stint at Santos.

Pelé almost single-handedly changed the course of Brazil's iconic international football team. Prior to the 1958 World Cup, Brazil were still feeling the shock of the "Maracanazo" - the upset loss to Uruguay in 1950 which cost Brazil a first-ever World Cup title. Needless to say, Pelé banished the effects of that loss once and for all.

The debate about who is the greatest of all time will rage on for as long as this incomparable sport is played. However, no one who even claims to know even the slightest bit about football would omit Pelé from that debate.

RIP to "O Rei" - one who truly lived up to the nickname bestowed upon him.

The Weekly Take, Issue 237: An Obvious World Cup Hangover

Anyone who had been paying close attention during the World Cup will have noticed that many Tottenham players did not exactly have tournaments to remember. Coming off an injury, Son Heung-min was outplayed by his South Korean teammate Cho Gue-sung. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg's Denmark team were utterly dismal as they slumped to a shocking group-stage exit. After a hot start, Richarlison failed to deliver in the quarterfinal match against Croatia, while despite being part of a title-winning Argentina team, Cristian Romero made many errors and had to be bailed out time and again. Of course, the standout failure was that of Harry Kane, who missed the penalty that ended up causing England's elimination in the quarterfinals.

Thus, it should have come as little surprise when the North London club returned from the World Cup break rather out of sorts. What should have been a routine victory against Brentford ended up being a 2-2 draw. Even more alarmingly for Tottenham, they had to claw their way back from 2-0 behind. Vitaly Janelt and Ivan Toney gave Brentford the lead before Kane and Højbjerg made sure that Tottenham would leave the Gtech Community Stadium with a share of the points.

With this result, Tottenham's grip on fourth place becomes ever more tenuous. They have now played more matches than have both Manchester United and Liverpool, the two clubs right behind them. Adding to this, many United players had excellent World Cup runs, thus showing that they are in good form at the moment.

At the resumption of domestic league play, concerns over the lingering after-effects of a gruelling World Cup campaign were certainly present. Most of these concerns regarded players who had performed well during the tournament and whether their efforts for their countries would adversely affect their play upon their return to their respective clubs. However, most people failed to consider the other side of the coin: the fact that teams with players who struggled in Qatar would return to domestic actions in the lowest of spirits.

This was clearly evidenced in Tottenham's match against Brentford. For the majority of the match, Tottenham were outplayed in just about every facet. They could easily have been three goals behind had they not been spared by an offside call. Their second goal even came by way of a defensive error; Eric Dier's errant clearance went out of bounds for a corner kick from which Toney put Brentford 2-0 ahead. Though Tottenham did end up pulling themselves together towards the end, it was obvious that they were mentally burdened by their collective World Cup struggles - and this was reflected in their play.

Considering how tight the race for a top-four Premier League spot and a corresponding spot in next season's Champions League is right now, Tottenham cannot afford to enter a World Cup-driven slump. However, from the evidence on display in this match, that scenario is looking like a distinct possibility.

There was, however, one important bright spot for Tottenham. Harry Kane scored on his return to Premier League play and thus overcame much heckling related to his World Cup penalty miss. Somewhat surprisingly, he seemed to be one of the few Tottenham players who was largely unfazed by how his World Cup went. It should go without saying that Tottenham will need this from him in just about every single match if they are to make the top four.

With the mid-season transfer window approaching, Tottenham will almost certainly have to make some moves if they are to clinch back-to-back Champions League qualifications for the first time in four years. Among the notable players who have been linked to a move to Tottenham include Adrien Rabiot, Alexis Mac Allister, Harry Maguire, and Sofyan Amrabat. Notably, all four had very successful World Cup campaigns; once the post-tournament fatigue if any wears off, signing one or more might be what Tottenham need to "cure" their World Cup hangover.

Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League campaign is at a crossroads. In one month's time, it might have completely fallen apart if things do not change soon. Of course, the next few weeks will be critical to their season. In any case, time is certainly running out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The World Cup Take 2022, Issue 8: The Dust Finally Settles

For this concluding issue, the usual format will be a little different. The match analyses will come first and discussions of my predictions will come later.

Now, without further ado:

Croatia 2-1 Morocco

The third-place playoff was full of action right from the opening kick-off. Within the first 10 minutes, Joško Gvardiol had opened the scoring for Croatia and Achraf Dari equalized almost immediately after. As the first half drew to a close, Mislav Oršić scored a spectacular goal which ensured that Croatia would finish in the top three for a second consecutive World Cup and the third time overall.

Argentina 3-3 France (Argentina win 4-2 on penalties)

Where do we even begin?

For the third time in this same tournament, Argentina either blew or almost blew a 2-0 lead late in regulation time. A Lionel Messi penalty and another goal scored by Ángel Di María before halftime seemed to all but seal it for the Albiceleste. Then, starting from the 80th minute, Kylian Mbappé entered a 40-minute stretch of near-superhuman play. Mbappé pulled one back from the penalty spot, then immediately after scored a spectacular volley to send it to extra time.

In the additional 30 minutes, Messi once again appeared to have clinched it for Argentina with his seventh goal of the tournament but for another penalty in favour of Les Bleus in the 118th minute. Having earned the penalty, Mbappé converted it to send it to a shootout. In the shootout, misses by Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni set up an opportunity for Gonzalo Montiel to win the title for Argentina. The Sevilla full-back duly dispatched it to bring the World Cup title to Argentina for the first time since 1986.

Let's now take one last look at my bracket.

The most important point, of course, is the fact that I was dead on the money with my title pick. Interestingly enough, my primary reason for picking Argentina did not match the actual cause of their success. I had expected Lautaro Martínez to seize the reins of this Albiceleste team from Messi and thoroughly dominate as Argentina won the title over England, one of their fiercest rivals. Though Lautaro had an extremely disappointing tournament, everything worked out in the end.

Looking at the rest of my bracket, the usual pitfalls which befell many a bracket-maker hamstrung mine as well. I had neither Croatia nor Morocco even advancing from their respective groups. I also picked Belgium to reach the semifinals; that being said, very few people would've picked them to slump to a group-stage exit prior to the tournament.

As for my individual award predictions, my Golden Ball (Kevin De Bruyne/Lautaro/Kieran Trippier) and Golden Boot (Romelu Lukaku/Aleksandar Mitrović/Lautaro) predictions were way off. However, I nailed my Golden Glove prediction of Emiliano Martínez, while I do consider myself somewhat unlucky with my Best Young Player pick of Bukayo Saka. Had England beaten France in the quarterfinals (not an unrealistic outcome by any means), Saka would've stood an excellent chance to bag the honour.

Now, what are the main takeaways from this World Cup?

The importance of high-level goalkeeping

More so in this World Cup than any other before it, many matches came down to the performances of the men between the posts. Croatia's Dominik Livaković, Morocco's Yassine "Bono" Bounou, and especially Argentina's Golden Glove winner Emiliano Martínez truly stood out during this tournament, taking their teams to victories which would otherwise have seemed unlikely.

Playing the long game with substitutions

Twice during this tournament (Brazil vs Croatia, Argentina vs France), a match which went to a penalty shootout was arguably decided before it; in both instances, many of the losing team's best penalty takers had already been substituted prior to the shootout. This has proven to be a grievous error. In a knockout tournament, assuming that a match will not go to a penalty shootout is extremely dangerous. Brazil and France found this out the hard way.

Mid-season World Cups - here to stay?

The 2022 World Cup saw a markedly higher level of play than those of many prior editions. This is likely due to the fact that the players were in mid-season form with no rust to shake off. This allowed them to get right into the swing of the tournament without any major adjustment period. FIFA might just take this into account when scheduling dates for future World Cups.

A successful World Cup defense will probably never happen again

Despite having to overcome many difficulties before and during the tournament, France pushed through and made it to the final - only to fall short at the final hurdle. Having not been accomplished since 1962, successfully defending the World Cup remains the most difficult achievement in sports. With the tournament's upcoming expansion to 48 teams, back-to-back World Cup victories by any team are unlikely to ever occur again.