DANNY KELLY (1956-2026)
The journalist and broadcaster Danny Kelly, who helped define coverage of music and football in the UK for a generation, has died aged 69. Kelly edited the NME and Q Magazine and launched the Football 365 website before going on to be a presenter and pundit on the BBC and TalkSport. He had been receiving treatment for oesophageal cancer. Tributes were led by Kelly’s longstanding broadcast partner Danny Baker. “My great friend, supreme broadcaster and funniest man I ever knew, Danny Kelly, died yesterday afternoon,” Baker wrote on social media. “I cannot believe I will never hear his voice again.”
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE?
In many ways the role as the new fall guy for Big Sir Jim/the Tampa Bay Glazers (delete as per owner-shambles preference) will suit Mauricio Pochettino if he is given the Manchester United job. He has a reputation as an underdog. A man who has taken on the challenges of managing upstart PSG, tough-times-make-tough-people Chelsea and most recently the soccer team of the most powerful nation on earth, is used to working with his hands tied behind his back (albeit presumably resting on the significant wedge in a nearby pocket).
There are at least some transferable skills Pochettino can bring with him from the USA USA USA: extracting performances from creaking defenders; managing the expectations of a fanbase with outsized ambitions given the quality of talent available for selection; and working in an environment where an egotistical billionaire is known for making unhelpful noises about immigration. Should Pochettino soon be packing up his desk at the Arthur M Blank US Soccer National Training Center (1x tie, lightly stained; 1x white shirt, still in packaging; 1x jacket, no matching trousers; 1x maté cup, unwashed; 1x framed photo of Sansa the dog, regularly dusted; 1x Spurs-branded stress ball, heavily used) it would come at a very awkward time.
Pochettino did not invent sacking the Manchester United manager during the November international break, but he did say within the last few months that he wanted to “have a lasting impact” in the US. Then there is the small matter of his name on a four-year contract extension signed in August. It seems his lasting impact will be a jilted feeling. USA USA USA play Haiti on Saturday, but by then Pochettino could be settling in at the Lowry hotel and turning his mind to whether or not he removes ketchup from the training-ground canteen. In addition to the last-minute rate United will be paying at one of Manchester’s plushest hotels, axing Michael Carrick and getting Pochettino out of his US Soccer deal will cost in the region of £10m.
It is unclear at this stage if there are any more “efficiencies” to make at Carrington, but perhaps if the club’s top brass would stop shooting themselves in the foot they could save a few pennies by not having to repair the damage to the floor. Pochettino was once the perfect candidate to return United to glory. That was seven years and six managers ago. His time at Chelsea was not happy, but he did an admirable job and he is probably the first United candidate since José Mourinho to evidently have what it takes to manage “at this level”. But the big question is: what will Pochettino wear on the touchline for his next big adventure? There’s a partially real but very enticing prospect of him giving soon-to-be jungle inhabitant Wayne Rooney a job in his backroom staff so they can wear matching outfits. What a thought.
RECOMMENDED VOTING
The FSA Awards are fast approaching folks and, though Football Daily has been cruelly overlooked yet again, Big Website has been nominated for a gong as well as Football Weekly, Women’s Football Weekly and Suzanne Wrack. If you want to show your support by casting a vote, you can here.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“When my grandfather died many years ago he said the only thing he wanted was to be buried next to Barça’s pitch so that he could hear the goals go in during the afterlife. Many fans dream of the same thing” – María Elena Fort, a Barcelona vice-president, reveals they are living up to their Més que un club motto by providing 26,000 niches where fans can deposit their loved ones’ ashes after the final, final whistle. A lovely gesture – with prices starting at only €2,490 for a 10-year lease. Hmm, what happens when the time’s up?
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
Re: managers and technical areas (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). I do not want to hear about or see Mikel Arteta’s logs; I suggest that, rather than have a technical area, a post is placed on the sideline. Each manager would be attached by a bungee to this so they could not go on to the pitch. Each post would be placed so that opposing managers would, at full extent, be kept an arm’s length from each other. An extension of this could include replacing a yellow card for managers with a shortening of their bungee. A second red would result in no bungee, just being shackled to the post” – Ron Buzzacott.
Can I recommend the flamin’ A-League? Managers from Perth to Brisbane are routinely forced to perform an awkward high-step/half-jump if they want to get over the bumpers that stand between them and the pitch. Don’t worry, they haven’t forgotten to slather these containment devices with adverts” – Patrick Connolly.
John Holtom’s missive (Monday’s letters) about the pitch drop experiment must be the most Noble Francis letter not actually written by Noble Francis. I read the first two sentences and immediately scrolled down to be surprised with a new name. Is Noble Francis becoming a Guardiola-like figure in Football Daily letter-writing? Influencing generations to come?” – Kristian Karamfiles.
I enjoyed Ramon Vega’s Fifa push (yesterday’s Quote of the Day). Stirring stuff. However, am I alone in wondering whether maybe given recent history, a non-Swiss might be a wiser choice for the next Fifa head-honcho?” – Andrew Parker.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Ron Buzzacott. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
SAVAGE VIEWS
Football Daily can’t go far in this world without hearing the sound of Robbie Savage’s voice. He’s everywhere, from the BBC’s 606 to co-commentary duty on TNT, via the Mirror and some betting platform or another. And he has views on everything, from the latest tactical fad to Chris Sutton’s choice of dinner. This overload has led to some Peterborough fans questioning whether he is committed enough to the day job of managing their relegation-threatened League One club. “It’s all about winning games of football,” honked Savage, who has won only two matches in eight since taking over (one against Ipswich Under-21s). “The narrative can be spun in any way but I’m a football man. It’s my life. It’s what I love doing and I love watching football. I’m not somebody who goes home and sits in front of the TV, or goes to the pub or has any hobbies outside of football. I’m not a golfer. I just love football. I’ll go and watch every game that I can. I’m very fortunate that when I go and do games for TNT or 606, I’m getting knowledge all the time … It hurts the fans the most when we lose, it hurts me a lot. But it’s a narrative that gets created if we’re not winning games.” To which many Posh fans would say: so win some then!
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
File this under “not ideal preparation”. Scott McTominay has revealed he was having a “shock on my heart” in hospital only 48 hours before Scotland began their Geopolitics World Cup campaign against Haiti.
Jarrell Quansah reckons facing England teammate Harry Kane is frightening. “He’s a scary player to play against. No one wants to play against him. He’s almost certain to get a goal every week,” yelped the Leverkusen defender. “[In Germany] everyone knows his quality. I think he’s had a few nice receptions from different crowds as well, which is always nice.”
With Bunny Shaw given a rest, Aoba Fujino has bagged two goals for Manchester City in their convincing 4-1 beating of Inter in Women’s Bigger Cup.
League One clubs want to introduce new spending restrictions and reduce losses by limiting investment from owners and potentially bringing in a “luxury tax”.
Liverpool should have been awarded a penalty for the shirt-tug on Alexander Isak in their 1-0 defeat by Arsenal earlier this month, the Hindsight Key Match Incidents Panel has said.
Crystal Palace could avoid paying Pierre Sage ££££££ in compensation if he is reappointed by his former club, Lens, with the manager’s departure from Selhurst Park still yet to be confirmed.
Dirk Kuyt has left Fenerbahce with applause ringing in his ears after an interim stint that involved a 3-2 win over Liverpool that secured a first Big/Bigger Cup victory in more than 18 years. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” cheered a Fenerbahce statement. “Today we say goodbye to you but your place in this big family will never change.”
And, as mentioned earlier, Wayne Rooney is heading into the jungle where he will hope to have more success than he had in the dugout at Home Park, St Andrew’s or Pride Park.
STILL WANT MORE?
How did Harry Kane win the Ballon d’Or? He cut out Haribo. David Hytner on the England captain’s ongoing pursuit of greatness.
Rio Ngumoha is keeping his feet on the ground, by speaking to Jacob Steinberg about wanting to win the aforementioned Ballon d’Or.
With Michael Carrick still yet to exit via the Manchester United door marked Do One, Leander Schaerlaeckens writes that moving on from a manager still seems to come down to vibes rather than logic.
Andrew Beasley dives into the data on the theme of shirt numbers, who scores more goals: No 7s or No 11s? Find out here.
And which club has had most international captains in the same team? The Knowledge knows.
MEMORY LANE
7 June 2002: With Mauricio Pochettino being thrust into the spotlight, let’s look back at a snapshot of his playing career. Yes, he was combative, as Ashley Cole discovered here after being sent flying into the air during England’s 1-0 group-stage victory against Argentina at the 2002 World Cup.
