johnnyrocket - MyTwoCents
Daily sports briefs | Three takeaways from Thursday night's English Premier League action, things ate getting 'Messi' at Barcelona and Beauden Barrett's Japan move.
3 TAKEAWAYS FROM THURSDAY NIGHT'S EPL ACTION
1. VAR is ruining the game and needs a complete Kim Kardashian makeover ... especially the hand ball rule. Spurs' equaliser, ruled out for an accidental and unavoidable handball in the build-up, was a prime example of what is wrong with VAR. To get a penalty for handball these days you literally would need to start an informal game of volleyball in the box yet a goal can be disallowed for the most insignificant and accidental brushes of the ball with the hand. Why two completely different rules for the same infraction?? Man City's would-have-been 5th goal against Liverpool was chalked off for a similar reason ... and cost me valuable fantasy league points!
2. Spurs have an expensive problem - Usually astute chairperson Daniel Levy must have been sweating in his pyjamas last night after realising that he made the bogey of the decade by firing Mauricio Pochettino in favour of Jose Mourinho. Mourinho will make relegation fodder out of Spurs next season if he stays in charge. As one of the highest-paid managers in the world at £15 million per season until the end of 2022/23, Mourinho couldn't even prevent his fully fit squad from taking a 3-1 beating at the hands of Sheffield United's B team. Can't say we didn't warn you!
3. Don't be fooled by the Man City v Liverpool scoreline - Liverpool looked the better team by far in the first 25 minutes and the result could easily have gone the other way if Mo Salah's first-half strike had gone in instead of hitting the upright. Man City's first two goals were completely against the run of play and thereafter Liverpool more or less opened up at the back in order to chase goals. No disrespect to Man City who absorbed Liverpool's early pressure very well ... we just wouldn't read too much into the result. Next season will make for a very interesting battle for the title between these two quality teams.
BARCA SITUATION GETTING MESSI
If reports out of Spain are to be believed, Lionel Messi is becoming disillusioned with the mess at boardroom and managerial level at Barcelona and is now stalling on signing a new contract extension. There is talk that he could leave at the end of next season and despite repeatedly stating his intention to stay at Barca for life, has recently backtracked on that plan.
MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: While Messi is certainly getting frustrated with the situation at Barcelona, we think these reports are probably a bit sensationalist. Messi may be sending a message that there needs to be some urgent change behind the scenes at the Catalan club. He is powerful enough to enforce that change by threatening to leave. Either way, something will change at the club but we don't think it will be Messi being the one who leaves.
BEAUDEN BARRETT TEMPORARILY DITCHES ALL BLACKS FOR JAPAN
The Daily Mail reports that All Black star Beauden Barrett has signed a lucrative one-year deal with Japan's Suntory Sungoliath. As per New Zealand Rugby's policy regarding players contracted abroad, this would make him ineligible to play for the All Blacks for a year.
MYTWOCENTS VERDICT: Barrett hopes to return to New Zealand for the two-year build up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, so it is unlikely to be the end of his All Black career.