The great managerial carousel is already creaking into motion, and at the heart of the chatter is a familiar face. Jurgen Klopp, taking a well earned...
The great managerial carousel is already creaking into motion, and at the heart of the chatter is a familiar face. Jurgen Klopp, taking a well earned breather from the touchline trenches, has been forced to bat away the inevitable whispers linking him with the German national job. For a football public desperate for a narrative, the idea of Klopp rebuilding Die Mannschaft is a tantalising one. Yet, for now, he is playing it cool, suggesting the timing is off. But let's be honest, in this sport, timing has a nasty habit of rewiring itself when a big opportunity comes knocking. The German FA will be watching his every move from the stands, and you suspect this story has more chapters to write.Away from the managerial speculation and onto the brutal reality of the pitch, the fallout from the latest international window continues to sting for some. The Dutch and the Germans, two titans of the game, are once again left licking their wounds after penalty shootout sorrow. It is a peculiar form of torture, is it not The kind that leaves a squad psychologically scarred and a nation reaching for the nearest bitter drink. David Squires, the patron saint of footballing catharsis, has turned his sharp wit to the matter, offering a cartoon salve for the tens of millions still nursing heartbreak. It is a reminder that for all the tactical analysis and xG models, the game remains a cruel theatre of human error and dramatic nerve.Meanwhile, in the ranks of the squad, the physical toll of elite competition has claimed another victim. Young Tino Livramento has gone under the surgeon's knife, a stark reminder that for all the glory, these lads are putting their bodies on the line every time they step over the white line. The injury is a blow, but for a player of his raw potential, the focus now shifts to the long, lonely road of rehabilitation. He will be back; the question is always whether the explosiveness and the fearlessness return with him.Elsewhere, the good folk at GoalZaza have been sifting through the visual archives. Shaun Botterill, a photographer whose lens has captured forty years of World Cup drama, has been discussing the stories behind those iconic frames. It is a beautiful, melancholic trip down memory lane, reminding us that the game is just as much about the frozen moments of agony and ecstasy as it is about the ninety minutes of play. The World Cup Daily podcast is also worth your time today, as the lads pick over the bones of last night's tension. It is just another Tuesday in the beautiful, brutal world of international football.So while Klopp plays the waiting game and Livramento starts his fight back, the rest of us can only wonder what chaos the next fixture list will bring. The beautiful game waits for no one, not even a broken heart or a broken leg.
