David Flynn

Corporate communications director. Likely to mention Everton, the media and Peckham at various stages...

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

This perfectly describes most finals now

[Rilwan @Real1_balogun]

In May 2007, former Real Madrid coach Jorge Valdano described a Chelsea vs Liverpool game in the UCL semifinal as “shit hanging from a stick”.

He started with having a go at Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool and Anfield.

“Put a shit hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who will tell you it's a work of art. It's not: it's a shit hanging from a stick,” he wrote.

“Chelsea and Liverpool are the clearest, most exaggerated example of the way football is going: very intense, very collective, very tactical, very physical, and very direct," he added.

"But, a short pass? Noooo. A feint? Noooo. A change of pace? Noooo. A one-two? A nutmeg? A backheel? Don't be ridiculous. None of that. The extreme control and seriousness with which both teams played the semi-final neutralised any creative licence, any moments of exquisite skill.

He continued with writing about Chelsea and Mourinho and used his handling of Didier Drogba and Joe Cole as an example.

“Didier Drogba was the best player in the first match it was purely because he was the one who ran the fastest, jumped the highest and crashed into people the hardest. Such extreme intensity wipes away talent, even leaving a player of Joe Cole's class disoriented. If football is going the way Chelsea and Liverpool are taking it, we had better be ready to wave goodbye to any expression of the cleverness and talent we have enjoyed for a century."

Valdano concluded it with blaming their obsession with controlled systems on their failed pursuit of a football career.

"Both of those things stem from one key factor: neither Mourinho nor Benítez made it as a player. That has made them channel all their vanity into coaching. Those who did not have the talent to make it as players do not believe in the talent of players, they do not believe in the ability to improvise in order to win football matches. In short, Benítez and Mourinho are exactly the kind of coaches that Benítez and Mourinho would have needed to have made it as players."

When Benitez and Mourinho were both in the Premier League at the same time, they faced each other at least 15 times. Nine of those games ended in a one-goal or no-goal outcome.

Do you know what’s interesting?

Benitez and Mourinho succeeded as managers but Valdano didn’t.

Those opinions still exist about the Premier League and coaches like Arteta this season.

What it says is that football opinions have always been and puritanical views will always be on both sides.

My name is Rilwan, I love and write about football systems, memories and the depths behind the game. Follow me and repost if you want more of this.

[Lyndon Lloyd @EFCLyndon]

It’s not so much the results in recent weeks that are concerning (altho they still are given the season prior to that), it’s the personnel decisions Moyes has made, the lack of any identifiable playing style and the complete lack of imagination that make me dread him staying

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@MattJFootball And at the end we finished 8 points above Spurs.

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@EFCLyndon We finished 8 points above Spurs. Says it all.

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@grandoldteam @Everton Expected

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@Paddy_Boyland I just don't understand why Moyes is sticking with a clearly knackered side. Today is a free hit, do something new

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

I didn’t have much hope going into the match, so the last thing I expecting was to feel more angry at the end than I was after Liverpool or WH.

No game management at all in injury time. And the boost it would have given us into the final three fixtures….

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@Jon4Lakers @lttstore Stubble and Co make awesome bags, perfect for what you’re looking for

[Abi @ALC1878]

Everton football club with Jack Grealish

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@Everton March 1987: 3-0 v Southampton and we won the league that year!

April 2025: 1-1 v Arsenal.

[All The Right Movies @ATRightMovies]

When Indy meets Jürgen Klopp (and various other football managers).

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@Paddy_Boyland Flew back from Switzerland to make the arsenal match. Travel plans weren't that mad, although they did involve trains, planes and automobiles. The price I pad for the tickets though.....! 😂

[Brian Viner @vinerbrian]

Excellent no-nonsense piece by my former colleague (and fellow Blue) Andy Hunter in today’s Guardian https://t.co/JcEz4q89mE

[Grand Old Team @grandoldteam]

A GOAL FROM OPEN PLAY

HUG ME

[Farrukh @implausibleblog]

Alex Thomson, "What matters with the Elon Musk intervention? Is it the comments on Twitter, or the money?"

Sir John Curtice, "The only reason Musk's comments are getting the airtime that they do is because Musk is deemed to be newsworthy, that's a judgment journalists make"

"It's not clear that Musk is particularly influential so far as public opinion is concerned"

[Daniel Finkelstein @Dannythefink]

I absolutely love this story.
https://t.co/ceDbKZZQr9

[Luke Tryl @LukeTryl]

🧵There's a line of thought that Trump's victory means progressive causes are doomed in the court of public opinion. I don't think that's true, but I do think it shows more thought needs to be given to what ought to be a tautology but infact often isn't - inclusive progressivism

[archivetvmusings @archivetvmus71]

The Two Ronnies (1st November 1980). Mastermind sketch by David Renwick.

[David Flynn @flynnd77]

@EFCLyndon This manager has forgotten how to win

[All The Right Movies @ATRightMovies]

Take 5 minutes to read maybe the greatest celebrity story ever. Told by Marc Haynes.