Jose Mourinho grew irritated by Manchester United’s second-half display against FC Basel on Tuesday. Despite having long-ball magnet Marouane Fellaini on the pitch from 19 minutes in, the United ranks wanted to entertain with intricate artistry, much to the displeasure of their Portuguese manager (despite a straightforward 3-0 win).
“We stopped playing seriously, we stopped making the right decisions on the pitch. We could have put ourselves in trouble,” Mourinho said post-match.
“Fantasy football, PlayStation football, tricks … I don’t like it. You gamble a little bit. Probably the players thought the game was under control at 2-0, but football is football. You have to respect the opponent.”
Mourinho’s version of respecting the opponent is risk aversion; football of such pragmatism that, when the Fellaini-fronted Plan B is wheeled out, can resemble Stan Cullis’ long-ball tactics at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the mid-20th century. Manchester City, meanwhile, revels in an approach akin to controller-hogging, frantic-button-bashing brilliance.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
It felt like those in blue had an option each time they found themselves in a tight spot during Wednesday’s 4-0 evisceration of Feyenoord. Guardiola’s obsessive division of the pitch into zones means there’s always at least one player available for a pass because he knows where to be. Kevin De Bruyne continues to be invited to gamble, whipping in crosses and stabbing perfectly weighted through balls into the paths of the frontmen. Bernardo Silva, the player most resembling a creation in the FIFA game franchise, twists and turns like a pesky housefly.
There is a ruthlessness to City but, unlike with United, there is also a clear desire to look pretty while crushing the opponent. Producing a display like the one against Feyenoord – a team that beat Europa League finalist Ajax to the Eredivisie title in 2016-17, and defeated Manchester United 1-0 at the same venue a year earlier – is highly impressive.
4 – Feyenoord’s 0-4 v Manchester City is their heaviest home defeat in all European competitions. Powerless.
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) September 13, 2017
For those fans who toured the wilting third-tier grounds in the late 1990s, if the club can keep up outings like this – one of City’s most convincing performances since the Abu Dhabi United Group swelled the bank balance in 2008 – this European excursion could yield a success that would’ve seemed too whimsical even for virtual reality back then.
What’s really made things click for Guardiola is the addition of Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker. The fluid attack is already hard to decipher while Sergio Aguero drops and Gabriel Jesus drifts, but when the full-backs charge up the park – kicking up chalk with a width that makes the pitch bigger for their teammates – it’s difficult to remember what life was like in the 2016-17 term, when fan favourite Pablo Zabaleta and his elderly comrades roused their aching limbs into a flank foray.
The common criticism of this team is that it’s very much a computerised entity. Some of City’s play may resemble stuff that was only conceivable in video games, but Guardiola’s wallet in the transfer windows has granted spends that were only possible when cheating in Football Manager.
?We produced a very good performance. A start like this is so important Completamos una gran actuación. Es importante empezar así#feyvcity pic.twitter.com/EjbSSTVfI2
— PepTeam (@PepTeam) September 13, 2017
Unfortunately for the romanticists, however, City is becoming machine-like. When one player pushes, another one pulls. Guardiola’s system is bearing fruit.
The Spaniard will hit the reset button when City travels to Watford in Saturday’s Premier League fixtures, and returns to continental action with a visit from Shakhtar Donetsk on Sept. 26.
METAIRIE, La. — Drew Brees and Tom Brady have combined for more than 140,000 passing yards and 1,000 touchdown passes, including the playoffs, during a combined 35 NFL seasons.
They’ve faced each other four times (advantage Brees, 3-1). They’ve won six Super Bowl rings (advantage Brady, 5-1). They’ve caught up with each other during multiple joint practice sessions, preseason games and Pro Bowls.
Yet when asked for some of his most lasting impressions of Brady over the past two decades, Brees still went back to their first meeting. In college.
“I’m gonna go way back,” said Brees, whose New Orleans Saints will host Brady’s New England Patriots on Sunday in the first-ever matchup of two quarterbacks with at least 400 career touchdown passes and the first meeting between two quarterbacks with at least 10 Pro Bowl selections, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.
“We played against each other in college in 1999, at Michigan,” said Brees, who played at Purdue and remains the all-time passing yardage and touchdown leader in Big Ten history. “And that was at a point where the coaching staff there was having [Brady] share time with Drew Henson. Drew Henson was the highly touted freshman who I think had already been drafted in the first round by the Yankees. …
Drew Brees and Tom Brady will make history on Sunday in the first matchup of two quarterbacks with at least 400 career touchdown passes. Jim Rogash/Getty Images
“For me, standing on the sideline across from him, to me it was obviously Brady’s team. And yet he had to share time with this freshman. And yet, man, his approach and his discipline during that time … he played at such a high level, but he just worried about what he controlled.
“But I think that that probably shaped and molded a lot about him. A little bit of a chip on his shoulder, which has obviously served him well. And just a mental discipline and a mental toughness that’s unmatched.”
Brady’s Wolverines trounced Brees’ Boilermakers, 38-12, on a rainy afternoon that was also a slopfest for Purdue’s offense. There were so many dropped passes that Purdue coach Joe Tiller cracked, “I’d sue for lack of support.”
Brees got his revenge years later, when he threw for a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in New Orleans’ rout of the Patriots in their last meeting inside the Superdome in 2009, en route to a 13-0 start and a Super Bowl win.
Brady then returned the favor in 2013, with a game-winning TD pass in the final five seconds in New England that spoiled New Orleans’ 5-0 start.
But Brady still couldn’t help but rib Brees about the college meeting last year when they practiced together in similar rainy conditions in New England.
“We played ’em, maybe my senior year in the Big House, and we beat ’em,” Brady said again proudly this week when asked about their long history together. “He was really in a fun offense to watch. Joe Tiller was a great [coach]. My roommate [when I first got to the Patriots] actually played with Drew — Dave Nugent — and he had so many great things to say about him. And I just loved watching Drew play even back then. And what he’s done in the NFL and how prolific he’s been and how incredible their offenses have been, it’s really incredible.
“I have so much respect for him and everything he’s accomplished, everything that he brings to the table at the quarterback position.”
“If I can use ‘we’ in the sense of me and him, I’d say we probably both have the mindset that we want to change the norm for what is possible in regards to how long a guy can play and the level that they can play at.”
“I remember the evaluation of both players very well. … And look, if any one of us had a crystal ball, you’d be taking them in the first three picks of any draft,” said Payton, who was asked what he thought of Brady before he infamously fell to the sixth round. “He was tough. Lloyd Carr, who was coach [at Michigan], if I recall, told me he’s the toughest player he ever coached. So you saw a little of that grit and toughness. He was a good leader. He had a strong arm. Those were some of the things.
“Listen, [former Giants general manager] Ernie Accorsi would have my evaluation. It’s in New York somewhere.”
When asked what he admires about the 38-year-old Brees as a fellow quarterback who probably appreciates the subtle tricks of the trade more than most, the 40-year-old Brady said, “Well, everything.”
“I mean, he has ultimate control of the game,” Brady said. “He’s so savvy. I think he uses all the tools that he has at his disposal. He does a great job with the snap count, formations, motions, play-action. They do a great job of moving the pocket and moving him around. He can make all the throws. He knows how to look guys off. He knows how to throw guys open. He’s got everything it takes. I think that’s why he’s thrown for 5,000 yards five times.
“That offense has been one of the top offenses in the league since he got there. He pulls the trigger and his teammates have got a lot of confidence in him, and when they get it going, they’re tough to slow down. They’ve got a great rhythm to their offense and especially at home.”
Brees will never catch Brady when it comes to championships.
And Brady will probably never catch Brees on the all-time passing yardage or TD lists.
Brees is already ahead of Brady on both lists, despite being 19 months younger. Brees (66,402 yards and 466 TD passes) is 5,538 yards and 73 touchdowns behind Peyton Manning for first place all time. Brett Favre ranks second in both categories. Brees ranks third in both categories. And Brady (61,849, 456) is fourth in both categories.
Brady and Brees have one other thing in common. They both seem determined to keep playing well into their 40s — and possibly break the NFL record for the oldest starting quarterback at age 45.
Steve DeBerg, Vinny Testaverde and Warren Moon all started games at age 44.
“If I can use ‘we’ in the sense of me and him, I’d say we probably both have the mindset that we want to change the norm for what is possible in regards to how long a guy can play and the level that they can play at,” Brees said. “Listen, there’s a lot that goes into that. You gotta take great care of yourself. You have to have some good things happen around you in order for that to happen. But I know for me, and I’m sure he can tell you the same for himself, you build a team around you of people that continue to help you be in the best position to succeed in regards to what you do for your diet and your rest habits and your recovery, your training and everything else. …
“It doesn’t look like he’s stopping anytime soon. I don’t know if there is a guy more diligent or disciplined in his regards to his recovery and his preparation and his mindset. One of the greatest of all time, if not the greatest. Certainly the championships will tell you the greatest. I’ve got a ton of respect for him. I’ve been playing against him since college and have a lot of respect and admiration for him.”
When Brady was asked if he figures that no matter how long he plays, Brees will just play one day longer, he said, “It’s possible.”
“I mean, I know how much he loves the game and how committed he is,” Brady said. “So, I mean, if anybody can do it, he can.”
ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss contributed to this report.
The Champions League group stage openers are in the books, and after Tuesday’s slate of lopsided contests was short on surprises, Wednesday’s eight tilts offered more for fervent supporters and neutral onlookers alike.
One consistent element between the two days were goals, and after 28 tallies were amassed Tuesday, 26 were bagged as Groups E through G locked horns on hump day.
With prowess in attack as a theme, here’s a look at 11 standout performances from a goal-heavy midweek. Keep in mind that this collection fancies offensive-minded football, and as a result, may resemble Qarabag at Stamford Bridge when tracking back:
Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain): Maligned for being a goal-poacher who requires a high frequency of opportunities to be useful, Edinson Cavani was stellar against Celtic, scoring twice on three shots whilst combining with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on four of PSG’s five goals. That’s now nine goals in the Uruguayan’s last six outings in all comps.
Harry Kane (Tottenham): The anti-Cavani, Tottenham star Harry Kane, is a shoe-in after an utterly dazzling performance Wednesday against Borussia Dortmund. Two goals and an assist highlight Kane’s efforts in snapping the Wembley curse, giving the 24-year-old braces in his last Champions League match, Premier League outing, and international fixture with England.
Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain): For his career, Neymar has been involved in a Champions League goal every 92.1 minutes. As astounding as that number is, the world’s most expensive player looks set to lower it after a goal and assist against Celtic led the way for the capital club. The lad even donated his kit to King Kenny and Marina Dalglish’s beast cancer charity. Class.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona): The aforementioned Neymar may be gone, but Lionel Messi didn’t appear to skip a beat, registering a maiden goal against Gianluigi Buffon in a 3-0 drubbing of Juventus. The Barcelona star was unplayable, making Alex Sandro look human on his way to notching a match-changing double to give him seven goals in his last 180 minutes of football.
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City): A member of Manchester City’s attack had to make this team after the 4-0 beatdown of Feyenoord, and Kevin De Bruyne gets the nod. The Belgian completed 91 percent of 105 passes, 100 percent of his take-ons, and even won two tackles while assisting on John Stones’ second on the evening.
Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich): Is there a more underrated player on the continent than Thiago Alcantara? When fit, the Spaniard is a tireless worker who controls matches in a central role, and the 26-year-old did exactly that in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Anderlecht. No player on the pitch saw more of the ball than Alcantara, who scored the Bavarians’ second goal on the way to 137 touches.
Willian (Chelsea): While a Tuesday night home fixture against Azerbaijani minnow Qarabag may not be the barometre for a player’s virtues, Chelsea’s Willian was unplayable as part of a front-three alongside Michy Batshuayi and Pedro. The Brazilian played the pivotal ball for Pedro’s fifth-minute opener and bossed the fixture with seven successful dribbles, joint-highest with Neymar in Champions League play.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea): Like Willian, versatile defender Cesar Azpilicueta is a Chelsea star who lets his game do the talking. In this instance, the Spaniard narrowly edges Blues debutant Davide Zappacosta for a spot in this collection of elites, completing 86 percent of his passes while winning two aerial duels and three tackles. He does it all.
John Stones (Manchester City): Bit unfair that Manchester City can have one of Europe’s most stacked attacks and still get a two-goal performance from one of its centre-halves. Such are Pep Guardiola’s luxuries as John Stones set the tone with a second-minute opener before doubling that total 18 minutes after the interval. He also completed 131 of 134 passes. Even if the majority of those are ineffectual, that’s an obscene number.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich): Philipp Lahm’s successor, Joshua Kimmich, is wasting little time filling the boots of his Die Mannschaft brethren, and against Anderlecht, the 22-year-old was stellar at right-back, assisting on Alcantara’s goal before scoring one of his own on the 90-minute mark. Kimmich also completed 92 percent of his passes whilst combining on the right with Arjen Robben.
Alisson (Roma): Roma managed to hold Atletico Madrid to a scoreless draw at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, and considering Los Colchoneros’ defensive-minded ethos, Diego Simeone’s lot sure was in an attacking mood. That’s where Alisson comes in, and with nine saves, the Brazilian was the midweek’s most influential shot-stopper.
CINCINNATI — After Tom Savage’s agent blasted the Houston Texans for benching his client for rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 1, Savage said he addressed his teammates about the critical comments.
“I spoke to everybody on this team about it,” said Savage, who was the Texans’ backup quarterback in the team’s 13-9 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday. “I spoke to all the leaders, I spoke to coach, I spoke to Deshaun, [assistant coach] Pat [O’Hara], all those guys.
“I mean, it just is what it is. [Neil Schwartz] defended me. And the most important thing is I have this team’s back. I will go to war with Bill [O’Brien] and this organization any day of the week.”
Texans star J.J. Watt said he wasn’t worried about his injured finger from Week 1 because as long as it was attached, “that’s all that matters.” Watt reinjured the finger during Thursday’s win over the Bengals, noting it was “pretty messed up.”
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On an NBCSports podcast, Schwartz said he had spoken to Savage about his appearance on the show and said the quarterback was comfortable with his message.
“They told me they were going to defend me, and I said OK,” Savage said. “I didn’t really go through what they were going to say or anything like that. It was just one of those deals.
“I felt the need to talk to the team about it, because by any means, I do not want to be a distraction to this team. That’s not my goal. I will be here, I will support this team.”
Watson, who made his first NFL start, scored the lone touchdown on a 49-yard run and finished with 67 yards on five carries. He completed 15-of-24 passes without a touchdown or interception.
“Listen, we just won,” Savage said. “The headline should be about [Watson], not about this bullcrap.”
