Michael Esau

@Cfc_alexandro Confidence, belief and probably the knowledge he isn’t first choice.

What happened to this version of Liam Delap we bought for £30m? 💔

WHAT IS GOING ON? How can a serial loser this season beat a man who has driven Arsenal to our first League title in 22 years? This is complete madness.

@henrywinter @hirstclass Me thinks Mr Tuchel is also looking at squad dynamics and harmony. Harry and his whole family’s reaction yesterday may have validated that decision. Very much made it about him. Others it seems who had a case have kept quiet.

Dan Burn ahead of Harry Maguire is absolutely baffling. On grounds of form, experience, leadership, penalty-taking. Baffling.

@__scottsaunders Nobody can accuse him of picking ‘names’ or ‘reputation’ - fair play.

England’s Staying At Home squad might be more talented than England’s World Cup Squad at this rate

@TheDycer @TheAthleticFC Reece James middle of the park. He is a huge player. I’m not a Chelsea fan but he is one of the best midfielders in the country. Wasted at right back.

@TheAthleticFC With Kane as ST, you need an orbiting 10 who helps supply goals in high pressure situations. Most English RBs want to invert so Hall is the best wide LB available. Gibbs-White at LW allows freedom of movement for Jude and is the most in form/consistent of the available options.

Thomas Tuchel picks his World Cup squad tomorrow, but what if you, dear reader, could choose England's starting XI for their game with Croatia on June? Well, now you can: introducing The Athletic's interactive team selector, where you can pick from hundreds of England-affiliated players to create a team you think can do the business this summer. FREE TO ACCESS 🔗 nyti.ms/3Pd7xyk

@__scottsaunders @stephenwjwebb There you go - you were spot on Scott and I was miles off. Appreciate the clarification. What happens if they win tonight and finish fourth - no extra place?? That seems bonkers. Anyhow…

@esaum @stephenwjwebb I believe Villa have to finish 5th for this to happen skysports.com/football/news/…

Very, very possible scenario could play out this week which leads to Bournemouth reaching the Champions League. - Aston Villa win the Europa League - Villa lose at Man City on Sunday - Liverpool beat Brentford at home - Bournemouth avoid defeat against Forest Crazy stuff.

@stephenwjwebb @__scottsaunders Thank you - I didn’t think there were so many dependencies. A Villa win puts them direct into CL and an extra place due to them already being in CL places in league.

@esaum @__scottsaunders You are correct

@SleepyInSA2 Always my friend!!

@esaum I admire your optimism!

I did not see this coming. But I'm glad to see such blatant cheating and unsportsmanlike behaviour receive a proper punishment, not just be swept under the carpet because it's convenient. Makes next season harder for us though....

@_01Legion That isn’t real - the club teams are wrong for a few players!!!

🚨🇩🇪 NEW: Germany announced its final squad for the 2026 World Cup. Players missing out; - Kai Havertz ❌️ - Leroy Sane ❌️ - Serge Gnabry ❌️ ( Injury )

Fair play to @Madders10 this evening. Didn’t hide, asked for the ball and passed forward. Showed up his passive team mates who passed sideways and back. Brought personality and leadership to the pitch.

@Chris_Wilson6 Welcome back to the VAR free EFL. I’m a Swansea fan and will look forward to visiting Turf Moor next season. Refs in EFL aren’t great but watching a game without VAR is wonderful.

One of these was a red card, the other was a yellow. The difference? The club badge. The Premier League is corrupt to the core and I cannot wait to get out of it #twitterclarets

@AnnieEaves Wow - it’s almost identical. By hitting his arm, the ball came under control and he got a shot off. The exact same as MU yesterday. The inconsistency is off the chart. Shocking isn’t the word.

This is huge. Please click through and watch the video. And then wonder why Webb has thrown an official under the bus this time when he was very happy to defend that on TV. It is essentially the same application of the rules.

@kathymagoo @ArchRose90 @Stan_Angel_Eyes Yet - he is a runner!!! Runs past our house regularly.

@ArchRose90 @Stan_Angel_Eyes You can tell he's not a jogger!

This is hilarious. The Daily Mail has revealed that Andy Burnham was jogging at 12.18pm, then he returned home 45 minutes in his VW Golf. His jog was just a photo op. Why pretend to jog? It just makes him look fake and untrustworthy. Something the public hate about politics.

Wow - this is awful. Pre - VAR people would moan about decisions but accept if a ref missed it. Now with VAR we have dialled it up so high - conspiracies etc. it’s not great and feel for the family.

@TheQuietKid18 I haven’t stopped singing it - love it.

This song gets stuck in yer heed for days man 😂😂😂 and this cunt is class don’t care what anybody says man. Shagger.

@adamsummerton @RBairner I think people need to realise VAR was never about Tech. Goal line technology is amazing because it’s YES or NO. VAR is all subjective and down to the perception of the person watching. It doesn’t work. It’s rerefereeing and killing the game. Hated it since day 1.

I really hope there can be a sensible discussion about whether football moves away from VAR It’s been a number of years now, these aren’t teething troubles anymore, this is an addition to the game that currently takes more away than it gives, with no prospect of that changing. Yes, there’ll be more things missed, but things like spontaneity & flow contribute hugely to what makes football so great - the trade off, arguably, hasn’t been worth it. We still get human error, and always will - it just takes a lot longer with VAR

@bikerafric @CBeesleyEcho Totally agree. The pitch side review is bullshit and pure theatre. In Rugby League (for example) - it’s video ref and final decision.

@CBeesleyEcho These problems arise coz 'no one owns the decision'. VAR should authoritatively be the final owner of any VAR reviewable case. They should command the ref to do as they deem fit, not all these shenanigans of side monitor review, enabling delays.

This audio is utterly damning and shows why VAR is no good - even with the technology in front of you. A clearcut decision that most of the world - including these officials’ boss - saw as a penalty but one seemed adamant from the start not to give it. liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football…

@Chablis_Slurper @HACKETTREF @John_B58 Said this at the beginning. Totally agree with you.

@HACKETTREF @John_B58 Keith, I don't think VAR should have referees at all. Captain/Manager has one appeal per game, the referee then communicates with a video operator who cues up the incident for the ref to review. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Salisbury is a regular offender. Get him out of the VAR role