The 93:20 Newsletter:- Issue 23

Hello, and welcome to Issue 23 of the 93:20 podcast Newsletter. I am ecstatic to say that there are now over 500 subscribers, so thank you for all of your support. But if you are not also subscribing to the 93:20 player, then shame on you! Well not really, but during a hectic period, when there is rarely a dull day at City, I implore you to give it a go, you will not regret it, with around 25 shows a month. Go on…..

Apologies once more, the thriller script is delayed another week, as I got sidetracked, as you will see below, and Arsenal keep providing so much content for it, I can’t keep up. It will appear at some point, I promise. Right, let’s crack on, with the usual array of random thoughts, and TWO WORLD EXCLUSIVES. I really do spoil you. After Wednesday night’s latest debacle, it’s a good thing that this newsletter avoids the actual football most the time, so relax.

As Manchester United continue to provide belly laughs on a near-daily basis, which I can mention having “sung the blues” at the weekend, my thoughts turned to the club’s alumni, the never-ending list of Alex Ferguson offcuts who gain employment by association.

Two names currently stand out, namely Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney. Have there ever been better examples of managers who gain employment because they were once good at football, and even better is they were good for Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, as if this automatically means his skill set, which would be ruthlessly exposed in the modern game anyway, would be passed onto them? Van Nistelrooy will soon be sacked, but he and Rooney will quickly be offered new roles, as many who run football clubs never learn. A reminder too that Steve Cooper was sacked to accommodate Van Nistelrooy at a time when Leicester City were not in the relegation zone. It is also a sign of how low City sunk in recent months that Van Nistelrooy’s side caused City so many problems, despite losing. But the list of those who played under Ferguson and went on to manage, badly, is longer than Peter Crouch’s arm. The delusion persists with certain club owners that a good player must make a good manager, and that status and popularity are important factors for a manager and to raise a club’s profile. And that’s the thing – many of these appointments are little more than PR exercises, to get clubs attention. Maybe owners should think more about appointments of those that take things like tactics and player development seriously. Just an idea. For all I know, Van Nistelrooy may have given one of the most brilliant interviews in the history of sport to Leicester City’s owners, but truth is he had no right to walk into a Premier League job. Like many areas of life, it’s not what you know…..

MARGINAL BRAINS

Let’s stick with United, I could write a book mocking them right now. I see United have lost again, and it can only be a matter of time before the grey hairs begin to appear for Amorim. I am reminded of that Andy Mitten comment I commented on the other week, exclaiming Liverpool and United remain the biggest clubs, by a country mile.

As they currently sit in 13^th in the Premier League, what more proof do you need that the old adage is true – size really doesn’t matter.

Speaking of which…

TRUE STORY

MADE UP BY ME (BUT PLAUSIBLE?)

With the above in mind, it is probably a good time for my first exclusive.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE – PART 1

That’s right, a world exclusive, just for newsletter subscribers – for I am excited to reveal I have managed to obtain a top-secret copy of further plans by Jim Ratcliffe to cut costs at Manchester United. I cannot revel its full contents due to an NDA, but can summarise some of the ideas he has floated to fellow Board members.

Tea bags to be shared. Mugs to be hired out on an hourly basis. 

All hand washing to be done using recycled rain water.

£3 entry to the Megastore. 

Office staff will busk outside the ground on match days to help raise funds. 

Match day raffle prizes to be downgraded:
1st prize - Egg cress sandwich
2nd prize - One day tram ticket (Zones 2 & 3 only) 
3rd prize – Book: The Red Apprentice: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: The Making of Manchester United's Great Hope by Jamie Jackson 

Omar Berrada to deputise as Fred the Red mascot on matchdays. 

Shirt swapping by players banned. 

Offices to be lit by staff rowing at their desks.

Night matches to be lit by candles.

£8 fee to leave matches early.

£30 "dry tax" for season ticket holders who do not experience the roof leaking on them. 

Lighting up only part of club sign in order to save on energy costs.

M A N C H E S T E R U N I [REST OF POST REMOVED FOR LEGAL REASONS]

 And speaking of which…..

Knowing Jim Ratcliffe, that will be coming straight out of his wages. Ruben, if you’re reading this (I will assume so), you can get a good standard 42” TV from AO for under £300. Just don’t give it to Onana to put up. 

Elsewhere, I saw that Juventus are undefeated so far in 21 Serie A matches. THEY HAVE THIRTEEN DRAWS. They are 5^th in the table, 13 points behind leaders Napoli. And that is all you need to know, in the argument of which was the greatest achievement – The Invincibles or the Centurions.

Thanks to Amos Murphy for a timely history reminder on Lord Voldermort’s social media platform. The reminder comes in the week that City snapped up a couple of young talents, with Vitor Reis commenting on how he has always followed City, which got the usual reaction from the usual people. This would in the “old days” be ripe for mocking, the idea that footballers saw City as a dream, having had posters of Ged Brannan on their bedroom walls as a nipper. But life moves fast, as United fans especially are finding out to their cost. The comments of footballers signing for City now are factual, something that United fans are really struggling with, as it will soon be 13 years since Sergio Aguero scored THAT goal. A 19-year-old talent will have been 6, or 7 at a push, when that goal went in. United would have one more year of success, and have never finished above City since, meaning that for any young footballer, they have only known for almost all their life City being the dominant force in Manchester, and to a lesser extent, England. Pine all you want about DNA and History, but the world’s best footballers don’t care about that - they actually want to win things. Hard for you to accept, understandably, but still a fact nevertheless. 

WORLD EXCLUSIVE PART 2

I can exclusively reveal that Rui Pinto has sent me a leaked WhatsApp Group chat with some of English football’s biggest executives. Read it and weep.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE THIS WEEK

THE 93:20 REVIEW:- WEAKEST LINKS

Ahsan and Lloyd discuss the very comfortable win over Ipswich, and what it may signify.

THE MARKET:- EPISODE 32

Ahsan is joined by Lloyd to discuss Douglas Luiz, Cambiaso, plus loads more.

THE HUB:- EPISODE 24

Bailey is joined by Alex (a.k.a. Euro Expert) to look back at the first six months for Vinny at Bayern Munich, his coaching influence on the team, where the holes are, and the future he could have at Manchester City.

THE 93:20 PODCAST:- PSG PREVIEW

Howard and Ste look back at the Ipswich win, have a good laugh at united, and preview what is a big Champions League game. Or is it?

COMING UP

The PSG Review will either sit as its own show, or will be part of the Weekend Show, which will be as packed as ever, with Omar Marmoush finally arriving, and Kyle Walker gone - and another huge game on the horizon. Hopefully there will be an Opposition Fan show too, plus all the usual stuff!

If you do not subscribe to our player shows, then enjoy some free samples of what we are about. Every show we do will have a 15 minutes sample on Soundcloud, along with a full, free weekly Friday show, jam- packed with content. Give it a try!

https://soundcloud.com/9320pod/tracks