Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now!Sigh. Look, we know Anthony Barry doesn’t like us calling it the international break – and as Watson to Thomas Tuchel’s scrupulous, problem-solving Sherlock, we’re not about to argue with him. But actual football is thin on the ground, beyond Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers getting bounced out of the MLS Cup playoffs by San Diego. “It wasn’t about a system or tactic, it was the mentality,” crowed Neville after his team’s high line was pillaged in a 4-0 defeat. Beyond that, there are some lads in the park adjacent to Football Daily Towers doing keepy-uppies, but that’s about it. So instead, it’s time to speculate. With several managerial seats empty heading into the international break (sorry, Anthony), it’s time to fire up the Football Daily Analytics Machine and try to predict the future.Regarding the Jaws analogy in yesterday’s Football Daily, notwithstanding that there were a couple of dubious sequels, please remind me again, what happened to said shark at the end of the film?” – David Parsons.Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola, Ruben Amorim and now Arne Slot have had their heads called for after a few losses in a row in the past year. A month ago Amorim was toast in the eyes of many. Last week he picked up the Premier League manager of the month award. Meanwhile, the local Teflon man, Eddie Howe, manager of the wealthiest club on the planet, winless away in over six months, lying just above the relegation zone, floats miraculously above the flak” – John Weldon.Kieffer Moore has many talents (yesterday’s Quote of the Day) not least his passing from midfield. His best, certainly, was the peach, to Sunderland’s Tommy Watson to score the last-minute winner in the recent playoff final. His best as viewed from this half of Sheffield, at least” – Al Williams.I was one of the hardy souls to attend the Canadian Premier League final on Sunday in a very snowy Ottawa (yesterday’s Ice, Ice, Baby section, full email edition). It was probably the most remarkable match I have been to. Although the football on show was of dubious quality (mainly, but not only, due to the weather) there were some incredible Canadian scenes on display, including the home keeper helping clear the mounting snow with his own shovel (while probably apologising to the ground staff that his 18-yard box was so untidy). But I particularly enjoyed watching the home supporters in front of me making and stockpiling snowballs during play, and then unleashing their arsenal on to the away team gathered around the manager during breaks of play. This league has often struggled for its own identity in a crowded football landscape, but I think they’ve now finally found it. Shame the Geopolitics World Cup will be played during the summer months” – Ian Potter. Continue reading...