Jack Collins

This is an unpopular opinion, but the Europa League was better when the Champions League teams dropped down.

This is an unpopular opinion, but the Europa League was better when the Champions League teams dropped down.

I have zero interest in watching half-arsed ‘big’ sides who think they’re better than the competition they’re in playing B Teams in a tournament that means so much to so many, and then shrugging when they lose. Give me teams that care going hammer and tongs.

Eli Junior Kroupi is a problem. Absolutely ruthless in front of goal, wonderful movement, constantly probing, drops in nicely to the pockets, and his shot selection is excellent. 11 PL goals in his first season, sharing the strike. He’s 19 years old. Superstar in waiting.

It finishes level.

I don’t think enough people realize Manuel Pellegrini is such a genius of a coach. Many coaches don’t get the flowers they deserve, Pellegrini has never finished outside a European spot in La Liga before. He’s been winning trophies as a Coach as far back as 1995. He also has a more serious CV than most managers people hype today LDU Quito, River Plate, Villarreal, Real Madrid, Málaga, Manchester City, West Ham United, Real Betis, even Hebei in China. He has 14 full seasons in La Liga and has never missed a European spot. Fourteen out of fourteen. That level of consistency at the top level in one Europe top 5 league is absurd. Real Betis, Málaga, Villarreal, Real Madrid. Five different teams, different expectations, different budgets, same outcome: competitive football and European qualification. People also forget he took Villarreal to a Champions League semi-final and turned them into one of the best footballing sides in Spain. Then he dragged Málaga to the Champions League quarter-final and was literally moments away from knocking out Borussia Dortmund to reach another semi-final. At Real Madrid, he got 96 points in the league and still lost the title because Pep’s Barcelona were operating at an insane level. Most managers would have won La Liga comfortably with that tally. Mourinho had to do 100 points to take the league from Barca. But leave that aside. Then came to England, in his first season, he delivered a Premier League title for Manchester City playing free-flowing attacking football, not just robotic possession for the sake of it. Even at West Ham, he stabilised the club and left foundations that helped them improve afterwards. What makes Pellegrini special is that everywhere he goes, his teams have identity. Calm build-up, technical football, attacking intent, stability over chaos. No unnecessary drama, no media gimmicks, just elite coaching year after year. When football history looks back properly, Pellegrini will be recognised as one of the most consistent and underrated managers of his generation.