- Route One Newsletter
- Posts
- ✌️Hodgson out
GM Football Fans. Roy Hodgson, 76, steps down as Crystal Palace manager over health issues.
Former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, 49, will become the new manager. He enjoyed some success at Frankfurt, having beat Rangers in the 2022 Europa League final before finishing runners-up in the German Cup the following season.
In today’s email:
Do referees have a place at the club level? 🤔
Roy Hodgson steps down as Crystal Palace manager 👋
Fixtures and results for Matchweek 25 📊
Brazilian footballers have a wild history 🇧🇷
James Tarkowski drops 4-4-2 game 👩❤️👨
THE BIG IDEA
Do referees have a place at club level?
Some people sip cocktails on the beach when they retire. Others become the head referee of the revamped 80s show Gladiators.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg fits in the second camp.
And Gladiators isn’t the only unexpected place he’s popping up as he’s about to reappear in the English top flight and may make a mark on how clubs deal with refereeing decisions.
His new role
Nottingham Forest has appointed Clattenburg as their referees’ analyst to improve the club’s understanding and relationship with referees, per The Telegraph.
This comes after the club’s frustrations over several decisions by officials and VAR, with Forest submitting three official complaints this season.
While it’s unclear how much of a role Clattenburg will play, this could be an interesting move for the Premier League.
Why?
Managers are getting booked more this season than players were 30 years ago, per The Times. This is hardly new or surprising, but it shows that communication between managers and referees is becoming more hostile.
So, despite the criticism of Clattenburg’s new role, it could lead to a few scenarios (all of which are positive for the game)...
Managers accept decisions - if an expert on their touchline tells them the decision was fine, then managers are more likely to accept without the usual tantrum.
Refs will up their game - while refs face a lot of pressure - let’s face it - the officiating hasn’t been up to scratch this season. Does an expert on the club’s side force referees to up their game?
Referee analysts will be the new 12th man - if Clattenburg’s appointment goes well, we could see retired referees becoming the latest big summer signings.
But of course…
… it runs the risk of making managers and players even more bullish on what they deem as bad decisions if an expert agrees with their side of the story.
It’s a matter of time before we know the true extent of this role, but we wouldn’t be so quick to shut down the idea.
Enjoying Route One? Don’t keep us a secret, Router
Share us via WhatsApp or via our referral programme
BRAZILIAN SCANDAL
The wild stories of Brazilian footballers
Brazil produces more top footballers than any other country. You don’t have to take our word for it, just look at the stats:
It produces more than double the number of professional footballers than any other country (2,375 per year), per FIFA.
The Brazil national team has won the most World Cup trophies (5).
Since 1994, one in every six Ballon d'Or is awarded to a Brazilian.
They aren’t just successful footballers, they’re iconic.
But…
… some of the most successful Brazilian players have something in common: they’re wild.
Ronaldinho lived with two girlfriends before facing bankruptcy.
Adriano spent £13,000 on 18 prostitutes then ran away from his wife, 24 days after marrying her.
Ronaldo Nazario had buses full of ladies driven to his parties whilst he played at Real Madrid.
Alexandre Pato was known to love drug-fuelled parties.
The list goes on.
An unfair label?
Not all Brazilian footballers are wild. Professional football would cease to function if they were all scandalous.
But we have some theories on why we hear about their discrepancies so much in the press.
Maybe… they produce so many iconic footballers, which means they make a lot of money. You know what they say… mo’ money mo’ problems. Simple maths.
Maybe… Brazilian players stand out more on the pitch with their flair and style which attracts media attention. Guilty as charged.
Or maybe… they approach life with the same free spirit that they do on the pitch. We’re going with this one.
Who knows, but does anyone have Ronaldinho’s number? For research purposes only of course.
TRENDING
👋 Eeek: Michael Beale leaves Sunderland after just nine weeks in Charge. Sunderland are 10th in the Championship, having claimed just four victories from 12 games. The former Rangers boss struggled to win over the club’s fans.
EXTRA TIME
Eden Hazard was featured on John Obi Mikel’s podcast yesterday. He gave his opinion on who might win the league title this season (Spurs fans, look away!)
Blink and you’ll miss it. Brighton’s Lewis Dunk performed what we can only say was a rainbow flick and a back hell volley. It’s not quite Neymar-esque but it’s still amazing.
If you’ve ever wondered how to deal with haters, here’s a perfect example of how. Amateur Luke Moore handles the angry opposition perfectly and even wins some on his side.
OK, prepare to cringe. Everton defender James Tarkowski shows off his flirting skills in a new TV show Married To The Game.
MEME
Source: @Saka_is_GOAT