THE 93:20 NEWSLETTER:- ISSUE 92

Author

Howard Hockin
April 03, 2026

Hello, and welcome to Issue 92 of the 93:20 Newsletter, the episode that never wants to experience another fortnight that dull. Thankfully, proper football is back, so rejoice ye all.

Remember, you can help me sustain this newsletter by making a donation, if that’s agreeable to you. And if it is not, read on – but every donation, however small, helps me keep going.

AND – THIS IS IMPORTANT – THE 93:20 APP IS OUT ON ANDROID!

It’s beautiful, of course, so check it out. I do not want to tempt fate, but am hopeful the Apple version will be out by the end of the weekend. For non-subscribers, you will be able to get your free 10-minute samples and the Weekend Show in there, no need for any other app. Though it begs the question – why are you not subscribed?! <:O)

Check it out in the Play Store, and you can log in with your username or email address. Passwords can be reset via the website, in the Members section.

What’s more, all my Newsletters will be in there, for easy access. Though I would suggest they read better in an email!

On with the football. It’s Easter, so I’ll keep it brief. We’ve all got chocolate to eat.

Thankfully domestic football is back. There were World Cup slots to be won for some, but for the rest, what a bore. After all, what did Thomas Tuchel learn over that international break? Virtually nothing. Fitness permitting, I imagine he knows his first XI anyway. He's had six months to think about it, and surely competitive league and cup club matches tell him more about a player than two friendlies. It felt like the two games was the manager and players going through the motions, though a fair few players, Phil Foden included, did little to change the manager's mind, and it was their last chance to do so.

Or maybe Tuchel does not know that first XI, as he has issues to deal with in that midfield. History shows the best players are not always the answer, it’s the best blend of skillsets that he is looking for, and there may be some big decisions to be made. Henry Winter’s head will explode of Jude Bellingham is not a starter.

Still, the draw and defeat was manna for heaven for the group of old Englanders in the media that are still bristling from the appointment of another non-English manager. Oliver Brown, fresh from his rehabilitation piece on Richard Keys and taking a week off from transphobia was one such person. They really don’t want Tuchel to succeed, patriots as they are, so a thousand spotlights are shone on every stumble along the way. England are not the favourites for the World Cup, but are one of a number of teams that could potentially win it, as always. They probably won’t, but whatever happens, these two friendlies didn’t really give us many hints towards providing an answer.

There is one more topic even more tedious to discuss however….

Right, I'm going to make this the shortest paragraph possible, as it's about VAR, and I know you're bored of talking about it and are considering leaving this page right now. I will try and be concise, I swear - so just the 2000 words then.

This week, we learned that 75% of 7,946 fans polled by the Football Supporters’ Association “didn’t support the use of VAR”. 92% of fans surveyed “agreed” that “VAR has removed the spontaneous joy of goal celebrations” (82% of them “strongly agreed”). 85% of match-going fans “strongly disagreed” with the notion that “VAR makes watching football more enjoyable”. And 83% of those watching on TV. 85% of match-going fans “strongly disagreed” that “VAR decisions are generally resolved in a reasonable amount of time”. Echoed by 83% of those watching on TV. Only 18% agreed that “VAR has improved the overall accuracy of refereeing decisions”. 72% are “concerned about the expansion of VAR beyond its current remit”. 79% “strongly disagreed” with the suggestion “that the match-going experience is better with VAR”. 67% “strongly agreed” that they preferred “watching games that are played without VAR to games with VAR”.

Those figures aren’t surprising, and my answers would be similar. And yet I would argue at the same time that ending the VAR experiment is not the answer either - we have crossed the Rubicon, there is no going back. We can’t forget what VAR could offer, and pretend that without it, everything would be fine once more – it would not. It would in one obvious respect - the opportunity to celebrate a goal without any concerns or caution, and there’s a fair argument that for that reason alone, it is worth it.

But.

How will we as fans deal with the errors that will inevitably follow? Ultimately, referees will make plenty of incorrect decisions, because they're human, and we'll all wonder why we took a backwards step. It's easy to say that we'll accept the mistakes, as we largely used to, but as we have now had VAR, which for all its many faults has reduced the number of mistakes, I'm not sure we are in a position to go back, even if we insist we are.

The solution is surely simpler. Pare back VAR. Offsides given that can be seen with the naked eye (so add 10cm to the tolerance), no forensic analysis, and a 2-minute deadline for decisions. I guarantee that would placate most fans. 

That's enough of that (for now).

Are Arsenal fans enjoying the season?

As someone well-known for being a nervous spectator, one who cannot relax when City are three goals up in the 80th minute (or 85th , for that matter), I often think about how much I actually enjoy football, at least on a match day. Ultimately, it is the destination and stop-offs along the way that I cherish, and the memories that creates, rather than the entire journey. After the Carabao Cup final, which created a new level of angst for Arsenal fans, I also wondered how much they have enjoyed this season, one that could still be their most successful ever.

Why? Well the desperation to succeed has ramped the pressure up so much, that it does appear there’s little enjoyment being taken from the situation they find themselves in. They HAVE to win the league now, there will never be a better chance, and it’s coming off a 22-year wait. The pressure is extreme. I would wager many Arsenal fans would happily time travel to the end of the season and enjoy a title win, rather than have to endure the rest of the season. Or maybe I am simply projecting my own insecurities. I thought that I would be a different person once a few trophies were won – zen, calm, the pressure off, the monkeys off our backs. No such luck – every league season, there was a compelling new reason why City HAD to win the league that season. The thought of being beaten by Liverpool, or Arsenal, or the chance to make history, and a thousand other reasons. It’s only now that City have stopped winning that I have found some moments of zen.

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THIS WEEK

I have to say, have had the pleasure to be on some of the best shows we have done for a while this week (imho).

THE MARKET:- EPISODE 51

Lloyd and Ahsan deliver hot transfer gossip fresh from the pages of Marca and beyond. Incomings and outgoings comprehensively covered!

HOT POTATOES:- EPISODE 7

Howard and Ahsan tackle some hot topics, from a dull Premier League, to Donnarumma hate and Mo Salah's legacy.

THE 1990s

In the usual brief break from football during an international break, Ste is joined by Chris and Howard to discuss whether the 1990s was the best decade, and pick their cultural highlights.

OPPOSITION FAN:- LIVERPOOL

Ahsan is joined by Mo Stewart to chat all things Liverpool from their record breaking summer 2025 transfer window to Arne Slot’s future. And of course they chat about the FA Cup tie this weekend.

THE WEEKEND SHOW:- OLD RIVALRIES

Howard, Ahsan and George talk dreary international breaks, player of the season, preview another huge cup match, and a whole lot more.

COMING NEXT WEEK:

The usual content, and a pre-recorded announcement pod too that will interest every blue. More details to follow…

If you are not a subscriber 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!