Football Daily | The great Carlo Ancelotti rolls on to Brazil with life lessons for u

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The greatest trick Carlo Ancelotti ever pulled was raising one eyebrow at 45 degrees. Ancelotti?s left eyebrow has become a symbol of his management style: easy-going, slightly rakish, the Jeffrey Lebowski. It?s in total contrast to the hyperactive supercoaches who dream of chalkboards and third-man runs. Even when he?s facing the sack or when his team are losing 5-1 on aggregate, Ancelotti is doubtlessly dreaming of cigars and opera. But Ol? Man Carlo must know something because he just keeps rolling on. The next stop is Brazil. Well, OK, Europe because that?s where Brazil play most of their games these days, but you get the point: DON CARLO X SELE??O!
Having read Ken Muir?s idea for Newcastle to use a QR code for a logo (yesterday?s Football Daily letters), it strikes me that this is less than an ideal plan, given that their home shirt is already a barcode. What next, using RFID chips implanted into every shirt?? ? Nick Jeffery (and 1,056 others).
At least Dave Challinor?s Stockport crew had the chance to recover from the ridiculous decision in their playoff first leg (yesterday?s News, Bits and Bobs ? full email edition). Allow me to present the FAI Cup final from 2003, as Longford Town, leading 1-0, break away following an injury-time corner for St Patrick?s Athletic (about 10 minutes into the linked video). It doesn?t look wrong, but the St Pat?s keeper had gone up for the corner, meaning that the pictured defender is the last man, putting the Longford player a good five yards offside. He went on to score and secure a 2-0 win for Longford. From memory, nobody at all reacted, suggesting that not only the players and staff, but the match officials weren?t fully up on the offside law? ? Mike Slattery.
The implication, in Football Daily and elsewhere, that Liverpool fans who booed Trent Alexander Arnold were hypocritical by virtue of the fact they also sing You?ll Never Walk Alone at every opportunity struck me as odd. As far as I recall it?s a song intended to remind someone at their lowest ebb that someone else has their back. I don?t remember the verse that claims this is still the case even if you take advantage of a situation in order to get what you want, while at the same time turning your back on those who nurtured, supported and lavishly rewarded you. Or maybe that?s in Carousel: The Director?s Cut? ? Dave Evans.
Re Trent: if you love him, let him go ???? ? Mark Gillett.
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