Unknown Unknowns : 3 April 2024

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Carlo Ancelotti and his team have a long time to think about the tie against Man City. For Carlo there’s not all that much to think about. He has probably known since halftime at the Etihad last season. The questions about personnel choices will likely be front and center albeit for 2 positions at worst and 1 position at best.

The Militao Affair

Desperate times call for desperate measures. While many will insist Militao sit out the tie against Man City, things will turn very quickly if Nacho continues the way he’s gone this season.

Oh.. would you look at that, A Rightback

I know very little of young Archie but the club should be aggressively seeking out young rightbacks the same way they’ve done with midfielders. There’s absolutely no reason to expect that things will merely work out for the best in the future. Reece James is always injured. Even if the club could sign him, he would not be available to play anyway. Trent is unlikely to leave Liverpool at all for any reason unless a new manager comes in and pushes him out. Hakimi is probably going to run down his deal but even then we will need two rightbacks.

The Yoro Affair

Lenny Yoro chase seems to have intensified. There are reasons to be skeptical given the fact that he would be a 5th CB on the roster. In the case where Alaba doesn’t get his level back, Yoro could possibly be a 3rd CB ahead of Nacho which would be a serious message to Nacho about his place in the squad.

Another One

Barcelona have apparently shown interest in the youngster despite not being able to afford Estevão Willian, who has gone out of his way to declare his desire to play for the Catalan outfit. Sad.

Real Madrid on the other hand are not taking their foot off the gas when it comes to signing youngsters and making sure they have options for the future. The market is extremely competitive and staying ahead will require the club to be aggressively scouting and signing young talent. The fee being touted is quite significant. The kid is seen to have the potential to reach the levels of Vinicius and Rodrygo etc. who were signed as teenagers. The hype around him could be great PR but Juni doesn’t miss often. If we sign the kid, we can assume he’s the real deal.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Just how common are concussions in the game. Are they taken seriously enough? We know referees are supposed to stop games when a head injury is suspected and they often do. But should clubs not be reviewing games to look for instances of possible concussions?

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