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migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney
@migueldelaney.bsky.social
36K followers 1.2K following 4.9K posts
Chief football writer at the Independent. Author of 'States of Play'
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · Aug 7
‘States of Play’ is out today in paperback, featuring new material and a brand new chapter on football in the age of autocracy and billionaires, with focus on Gianni Infantino’s relationship with Donald Trump and the new Manchester United.

geni.us/StatesOfPlay
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 6h
The Ed Gein series is the first of the 'Monster' anthologies I've watched and, even though it's brilliantly acted and superbly stylised, it is dismal. I'm also not really sure of the message behind this, and any justification for these massive deviations from factual history.
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migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 16h
Sort of incredible the hullaballoo about the ECA's rebrand to EFC. It's just a club lobbying group*

*except, at this point, it's evolving into a third major body and potentially a future competition organiser.
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 19h
As people in PL brace themselves for the City verdict “this month” (something we’ve heard before) there’s a belief any regulatory impact will be greatly lessened by last month’s APT settlement

A core part of financial rules have now been locked in place

www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
The falling dominoes that could finally deliver a verdict on Man City’s 100+ charges
A decision is finally expected soon on the infamous Manchester City case, with the recent settlement in the APT case possibly foreshadowing the end of the saga
www.independent.co.uk
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 1d
On the latest @liberopodcast.bsky.social me, @tariqpanja.bsky.social and @rorysmith.bsky.social discuss what’s been going wrong at Liverpool - and the expectation from all those big signings

pod.fo/e/33890a
Libero: Libero 059: What’s Wrong With Liverpool?
Saturday brought Liverpool’s third defeat in a week, following reverses at Crystal Palace and the cauldron of RAMS Park, home to Galatasaray. If you were a football doctor and were looking to dia...
pod.fo
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 2d
Only in modern football can you announce you’re against something by allowing it

www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
Uefa’s ‘reluctant’ agreement to games abroad blows the future of football wide open
The governing body has agreed to two ‘exceptional’ requests and warned they will not set a precedent - but ripping up the rulebook opens the door to every disruptor to come
www.independent.co.uk
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 2d
UEFA can talk around the houses as much as they like here about opposition, but they’ve now just created a legal precedent
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migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 2d
In my FREE Monday newsletter:

- how Haaland has gone to another level
- the inversion of stars
- after 15 years of 'the system' going above all else, is it flipping back?
- does this explain Liverpool?
- the Arsenal outlier

Sign up here:

www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
Join the Miguel Delaney: Inside Football newsletter
Packed with snippets of behind-the-scenes gossip and updates from Miguel Delaney's reporting trips, subscribers will have a backstage pass as he covers the 2025/2026 season, the 2026 World Cup and mor...
www.independent.co.uk
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 3d
Gusto was definitely a masterstroke
migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 3d
Video piece

Maresca pulled some masterstrokes yesterday

youtu.be/wkJjo-vHOx0?...
What is Liverpool’s best formation? | Miguel Delaney's 'Inside Football'
YouTube video by Independent Sport
youtu.be
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migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 3d
Video piece

It’s currently hard to see what a workable best formation for Liverpool is

It’s very fixable, of course, but there are current issues

youtu.be/wkJjo-vHOx0?...
What is Liverpool’s best formation? | Miguel Delaney's 'Inside Football'
YouTube video by Independent Sport
youtu.be
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migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Chelsea’s recruitment may have a random element, but Maresca was clear in what he did to win this game

Liverpool made signings to a greater vision, but the formation currently doesn’t make sense

www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
This Liverpool team doesn’t make sense and latest defeat points to something bigger
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: Estevao’s stunning winner added to the champions’ complicated start - suddenly, Arne Slot’s side look short of ideas
www.independent.co.uk
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Slot:

"There was a period of the game where I thought we were going to win it, and it became very close.

In the last 10 minutes, both teams could have won it. Chelsea did."
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Maresca really changed the whole game with his subs in last 20.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for a launch moment from one of Liverpool's stars before that, but we may have just seen it from Estevao.

He had almost supplied Enzo with the winner, too
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Madonna here. Chelsea director Barbara Charone an early champion of her career.

Unfortunately, most of her song titles do not lend themselves to football intros or headlines.
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Was that a Berbatov touch from Isak or did he not actually mean it?
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
As Konate came off there, he was pointing to his leg, suggesting it's an injury.
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
oh yes, knew I was forgetting one
migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Can't remember the last time I've seen Liverpool with so many players as individually sloppy as this.

Just duff passes so far from Isak, Salah, Gakpo, Gravenberch, Kerkez...
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
The way it almost appeared to pick up speed as it shot into the top corner. That nevertheless in quite a contrast to the way about three Liverpool players just opened up some space for Caicedo.
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
What a goal by Caicedo.
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
It is so windy at Stamford Bridge that this weird intro smoke effect isn't going as intended.
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Reposted by Miguel Delaney
migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
Why Manchester United are still in this doom cycle, constantly chasing their own decisions... and if Amorim or an Amorim decision can actually break it

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgA_...
The real problem with Man Utd | Miguel Delaney's Inside Football
YouTube video by Independent Sport
www.youtube.com
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
that's fair, but I think that's a compromise rather than actual coaching
migueldelaney.bsky.social
Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
thank you! I think it definitely helps bring much better buy-in all-round
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 4d
this is it! It's unusual! I think a manager should have to earn such centralisation after a few years (eg Klopp)
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