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I keep thinking about Pep Guardiola’s famous rant at Nathan Redmond in 2017.
At the time, it looked almost bizarre. Why was Pep screaming at an opposition player after winning a game?
Years later, it makes much more sense. Guardiola isn't simply obsessed with winning. He is simply obsessed with excellence.
He wants the best from his players, his opponents, himself and everybody.
That same man who was screaming at Redmond because he wanted him to attack is the man now revealing how deeply he carries football, how defeats torture him, how much he questions himself and how his personal life has even collided with his work.
This the most fascinating thing about Pep. For him, football isn't just 90 minutes. It is just a way of life.
Perhaps, that is why he can demand so much from Haaland, confront Walker, tear himself apart over team selections and even get frustrated when an opponent isn't giving him everything.
He doesn't just want to beat you, but wants you to be better. That is Guardiola's beautiful obsession, and perhaps also his greatest burden.
Watch this Redmond rant again with that context. It really hits differently now.
This is what I read in my head.
“It's difficult to talk now. I'm a very emotional guy. It's a very sad decision, it’s the most difficult decision of my career, but I need the money, I missed the Premier League. I'm tired of hearing Soccer everyday..."
😢🇺🇸 Mauricio Pochettino, in tears while saying goodbye to USMNT: “It's difficult to talk now. I'm an very emotional guy. It's a very sad decision, it’s the most difficult decision of my career”.
“But we are professional and we are trying to make our dreams come true”.
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Rincol retweeted
Let us look into few of the Man United managers since Alex Ferguson left. This tweet is specifically for us that are Man United fans.
Michael Carrick has been sacked but I do not think the root cause of the problem has been addressed.
Pochettino might have a good run (new manager bounce), but as long as the root cause exists, this will remain a cycle.
Let’s point out few things. I will also make reference to Rooney and Ashley Young a lot, I listened to a podcast they both featured recently and they echoed the thoughts I’ve always had about the club for a while.
When Sir Alex left, the club began to focus more on the commercial aspect than football. Sir Alex balanced both. In fact, the captain at that time, Gary Neville told the other players this particular thing. This is where the problem started.
Ed Woodward had made lots of money for the club and he brokered the Man United deal for the Glazers don’t forget, he was on the commercial side. When David Gil (CEO) left with Sir Alex, Ed was promoted to CEO.
Ed is not a football guy, he’s a banker, hence, the focus on commercial stuff was normal for him. He was bringing in money but the football side was going bad.
Here comes David Moyes;
Sir Alex would usually assign things, for instance, to David Gil, and others, but Moyes wanted to handle everything himself, he took on so many things he should not have taken on.
Man United is a massive club and you cannot do that. I mean, United use to go to preseason with 120 members of staff, how many clubs can do that? The club was bigger than him. Sir Alex was the boss, but he was good at assigning while remaining the boss.
Rooney said something important also, he said when he was a youngster at Everton, Moyes was fierce and dealt with him even if he was 16, but he saw a different Moyes when he arrived at United. Maybe he had too much respect for the players, he’s walking into a team of premier league champions, Rooney felt he should have shown that side of himself he saw at Everton.
For Van Gaal, players complained that the meetings were too long. His style also focused on possession, players were afraid to take risks because LVG will show you in the meeting and ask why you played that pass, etc. LVG would see the players in batches and you could not leave if he hasn’t seen you. All of a sudden, the philosophies of the club were gradually changing. Imagine a Manchester United player being scared to make a pass because the manager would complain.
Rooney, who was captain, went to see LVG that players were tired, but LVG called a meeting and said he won’t change🤣
However, they had a good run at some point and Rooney spoke to LVG again, and this time he agreed to adjust, in fact, they had a good run and won the FA Cup
After the FA Cup, he was sacked, which was shocking.
First mistake was that, they appointed Moyes who was a mismatch, the club was bigger than him. Secondly, they appointed someone with a big reputation like LVG. He took time to find a balance, but eventually did, boom they sacked him.
Two bad decisions already made after Sir Alex by this new management led by a banker, Ed Woodward.
Can you now understand when we say Man United’s problem starts from the top?
Let’s talk about Mourinho, Solksjaer, Ronaldo and Alexis Sanchez’ signing.👇🏽
Rincol retweeted
That Eze goal against Newcastle was the most important part of the season for me. If Arsenal lost or drew that game, I think something would have died in them.
You need luck in a close title race. Arsenal had the fortune they’d lacked in previous seasons. They prepared themselves for the moment they’d be lucky and grabbed it when it came.
That run to the end of the season was quality. I’ve never seen Arsenal that calm when it matters. It’s the result of a lot of things.
Arsenal may win a lot more afterwards but none will be more important than 25/26. The weight of that wait was heavy, and everyone connected to Arsenal felt it.
What a season!
Ten games into the Premier League season, and the comparison between Arsenal's start to 2025/26 and 2026/27 tells an interesting story about consistency, progress and the changing competitive landscape.
Arsenal have improved from 25 points to 27, maintaining top spot while adding two points to their tally. Our goal difference has dropped from +15 to +10, but the more important measure is that we are collecting points at an even better rate.
Manchester City have also improved, moving from 19 to 21 points. The six-point gap between them and Arsenal, however, remains unchanged. City are keeping pace.
Liverpool have remained on 18 points, while Chelsea have slipped from 17 to 16. Arsenal’s advantage over them has consequently increased.
But the most striking contrast is Manchester United. At this stage last season, United had 17 points. This season, they have managed just eight. Their deficit to Arsenal has grown from 8 points to 19.
Interestingly, Ruben Amorim was still in charge at this stage last season, before Michael Carrick would eventually take over. Now, with another managerial change, perhaps Mauricio Pochettino could be the man to change their fortunes.
The bigger picture for Arsenal is that we are not merely maintaining our standards after winning the league; we are improving our points return while rivals are struggling to keep up.
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We all needed Michael Carrick to stay for the 3 points before Christmas. Liverpool and Arsenal would be gutted. Gone to soon😭
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Each time I watch Arsenal's defensive performance, I recall one famous quote by our legend, Tony Adams.
He said "Play for the badge on the front of the shirt and they'll remember the name on the back."
Arsene Wenger's own words add more credence to the identity we now possess as a team. "If you do not believe you can do it, then you have no chance at all."
Mikel Arteta is a classical example of both philosophies, having experienced the club as a former captain and now as its manager. What he has done with this team proves that the mentality and culture of a team starts from the individual and become a collective responsibility.
As Descartes one said, I think, therefore I am. For me, this has become the essence of this Arsenal team.
Rincol retweeted
I’ve always insisted and will always insist that Pochettino succeeded at Tottenham. He’s their best manager over the last 25 years maybe.
While trophies are football’s greatest currency, there’s a solid context behind every situation.
Poch went to Southampton and made them formidable. They achieved their best Premier League finish since 2003 under him.
Tottenham saw the quality of what he did and appointed him.
Tottenham were 6th the season before Pochettino joined. By every means, that was a decent level, but he took them a step higher.
In all the five years he spent at the club, he never finished below 5th.
That 2016/17 season deserves a special mention. They were second on the log and were top scorers in the league. They weren’t just top scorers, they had the best defence in the league too. They finished with 86 points, second to Conte’s Chelsea.
That point tally would have won the Premier League in four of the ten seasons from 2006/07 and 2015/16.
Tottenham failed to finish in the top 4 only once in the five seasons Pochettino spent at Spurs.
Do I need to add that he took them to a UCL final too?
A trophy may not have been won in that period but he made them a team that could punch even higher. They’ve not reached the same levels since he left seven years ago.
If Man Utd give him the keys and support him, he’ll do well. He knows the league and he has a clear system of play.
What he won’t do is not give Arteta his three points 😁
Three points yen, ba mi mu.
JJ Okocha is such a delightful story teller. I can stop laughing every time I watch him recounting his move to Bolton from PSG.
He said he hadn't researched Bolton at all. Sam Allardyce's phone call convinced him, until he visited the training facilities later. In his words, he asked; "Oh God, are you sure that this is the right decision?" 😅🤣
Rincol retweeted
I want to remind everyone that in the 9 seasons Klopp managed Liverpool, he only ever finished in the top 2, three times. In fact, only TWICE did Pep stop him from winning the league.
Arteta on the other hand, is competing for the fifth consecutive season right now.
Yes, Klopp’s Liverpool were more explosive. But fortune rewards the tenacious and consistent. Competing for the title 3 times in 9 years does not reflect the dominance we are claiming. If you competed for the league 3 times and won 1, that’s a fair return.
IF Arteta wins the league again it’s because he competed OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. He dusted off one heartbreak and competes AGAIN.
Bottles the league? He competes the next season. Loses the league by two points? He competes the next season. Finally won the league? He’s competing the next season.
Arteta may not have finished with 90+ points in one season, but he’s in his 7th full season and is competing for the 5th time, having finished top 2 FOUR TIMES.
He, more than anyone else, more than Klopp in fact, deserves to win as many league titles. Maybe if Klopp competed more than 3 times he would have won more. Please don’t disrespect Arteta like this again.
Rincol retweeted
As it’s the international break, let’s talk about Greece and their new direction in player production.
There’s a new generation of young, brilliant Greek footballers. They’re talented, mostly quick and technically gifted. I knew it’s not an accident so I dug deeper. What’s the reason behind the ‘sudden’ brilliance?
The brilliance isn’t sudden. They have good players now who were developed locally and abroad.
PAOK especially has been helpful in their player development as they’ve produced at least five players in the current national team most notably Tzimas and Tzolis.
Como’s Douvikas also came through the Greek system with Asteras Tripolis.
Kostoulas came through the Olympiacos academy.
Pavlidis was developed in Germany. Karetsas developed in Belgium.
To bridge that gap, Pavlidis also established an academy in Greece to develop footballers.
It’s gradual, deliberate and carefully curated. It’s also not as easy as it looks. The system has its current limitations too.
Greek football is old. If you watched their national team before now, you’ll get that feeling. They looked old every time I watched them. As at September 2025, the Greek Super League is the oldest in Europe with an average age of ~29.
They also have the third-lowest percentage of club-trained players in Europe. Those are limitations at a time when the world is seeking youth.
This is where it changes.
They identified that their league is not producing players at the same rate as others, and the good players who were younger were mostly born or trained in other countries. Greece went in on an aggressive mission to raise more coaches.
As part of a programme called ‘Anagennisi’ meaning ‘Rebirth’, they have started to change how they approach football development.
From having 665 UEFA-licensed coaches in 2020, that number has risen to almost 2000 just over five years later.
They’ve taken the message of football development to schools as they’re in collaboration with more than 1,000 schools where thousands of children are trained.
They’ve adopted games of 5 v 5 up until U-10 to train kids on the rudiments of football. When they become U-13, it changes to 8 v 8. That helps them to teach more elaborately before they grow into full-side games.
At U-15 level, they have two national teams. One for the best talents in the country and the second for the ones who haven’t developed as fast.
The Greek FA doesn’t control the top divisions of their league football so are hamstrung as to how much they can influence. However, from their third division where their FA are in charge, there must be at least two U-18 players in their starting XI and another two in the matchday squad. That’s 70 clubs who must play youth.
What the FA has also done is to ensure that every club playing in the Greek Football Cup features an U-21 player even if they’re a Super League club.
They’re also building a new training complex that’ll be their new home ground. Something similar to England’s St. George Park and France’s Clairefontaine.
Should all of these developmental works bear their fruit, in addition to their current young players, you can be assured that their future is secure.
I initially read, "I have lost faith in Mourinho..."😅
Endrick really trust and believes Mourinho. I really hope he comes through for him. Over the years, Mourinho has been known for having a knack for favouring players who are loyal to him. He did same for Dele Ali at Spurs.
🚨 Endrick: “I have a lot of faith in Mourinho.
He contacts me every day, not to talk about football, but to ask about my personal life.
The affection and attention Mourinho shows me, I am even more motivated to give my all.”
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"For coaches working with a number 9, those are the details worth coaching: where to stand, how to stand and when to go."
This was worth my time. Great analysis.
Rincol retweeted
Madueke has benefitted from playing regularly. And it’s high time Arsenal fans totally backed him. He’s going to be very present this season.
The whole of last season, he didn’t finish a single Premier League game but he has played every minute of four of Arsenal’s last five league matches.
Why that has happened is because he had a good break the last time and Arteta said he worked the hardest during that period. His hard work has been rewarded with game time, but that’s also been helped by the fact that Saka is injured.
Madueke has become a legitimate rival to Saka on the right wing, and it’s a rivalry both players will relish.
Unknown to many, Saka and Madueke are very close friends. They’ve been close since their childhood and their fathers are longtime friends too. It’s a friendly rivalry.
Before Arsenal signed Madueke, Saka and Rice gave recommendations for him.
Saka’s body has been through it. Before he turned 22, he’d played 139 Premier League games. Only six players have played more at the same age in the history of the Premier League.
Remember when he started 87 consecutive games for Arsenal? That’s a longstanding Arsenal record he broke. He paid for it with his body.
His body is shot.
Since October 2023, Saka has suffered 9 separate injuries. He’s not as explosive, and you can tell in how Arsenal are evolving his game.
He played a total of 49 games last season but suffered three different injuries to his hamstring, hip and Achilles.
Madueke, at the same time is beginning to offer the required directness and work rate, with the end product slightly better too. His game is also evolving in his movement and reading of space. His timing is better. He’s been Arsenal’s most improved player over the last month.
When Saka gets back, both players have to share those minutes as much as possible, to preserve the physical condition of one, and keep the other positive and in continuation of his improvement journey.
They’re both promising footballers who can become even better.
Rincol retweeted
Arsenal are six points clear on top of the Premier League, with about a third of the games played. That naturally calls for optimism.
I like what Arteta said. There are still areas to improve on. The league isn’t anywhere near concluded. One loss and an opposition win can change the direction of momentum.
Although Arsenal have looked strong, I won’t get carried away just yet.
Arteta mentioned working on offsides as one of the areas to improve.
He admitted how difficult it will be after the international break too.
He said there has to be better efficiency from the team.
“Sometimes we try to score the perfect goal against low blocks, but we need to be much more chaotic than that. If we open the scoring much earlier also, it changes the game,” he said.
There’s also a conviction in him about how players can hit the right notes. Bruno Guimaraes has impressed but he’s not at his best yet. Arteta described him as beginning to hit ‘serious’ levels now.
I like that he sees some of the team’s struggle for what it is and is not living in denial of its existence. It’s not a perfect team yet. Arsenal are a dogged, spirited, united team but not a perfect one.
What I’ve always admired about Arteta is his communication. In that press conference, he said we ‘can’ still do much better. That’s a statement of demand. He added that we ‘will’ improve. That means, I’ll see to it that we do. That’s what I want from a manager.
“We can still be much better, and we will improve in many phases, and we will get certain relationships to a different level that will be even more efficient. That's the next step, to have bigger margins and when we have them, the opportunities, put them away to make sure that we don't have to hang in there the last few minutes.”
He talks a lot about ‘relationships’. Technical relationships on the pitch. They’ll be more efficient. He sees what we see too.
Fans may be excited. He’s excited too. But he respects the Premier League. I don’t think he’s carried away.
“It's a completely different break. After Brighton it was a long one, especially it was a long break, so now that one I'm going to enjoy. We're going to work to plan what is happening in the next month because when you see the games, the quality of games that we have to play, it's quite impressive.”
“Let's make sure that we are prepared for that from our side, make sure that we are on top of the players to do the things that they have to do in the international teams. Make sure they enjoy it because it's an incredible opportunity for them as well and when we are back together, we'll go again.”
“We’ll go again.”
Nothing tickles my ears more than it.
Rincol retweeted
Saliba played with the u21s today and you can see the difference.
A professional will always be a professional. By the way, many players in premier league 2 also play for their senior teams. You can see Dowman there for instance. So these boys are pushovers, yet, you can see Saliba’s dominance.
For those who also ask why Saliba is playing here with the u21s. Think of it like an Olympics squad where a certain number of overage players are allowed to play. 3 overage players are allowed in the premier league 2. When senior players get injured and are under rehab, clubs use these kind of games to get them up to fitness.
Anyways, never disrespect a professional. Professional na Professional.