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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay
@oliverkay.bsky.social
31K followers 160 following 280 posts
Senior Football Writer @TheAthletic @TheAthleticFC Author of Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football's Lost Genius 📖
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · Aug 14
Interview with James Milner ahead of his 24th (!) PL season:
* playing in PL at 16... & 39
* concerns for today's youngsters: too much money/exposure too soon, "ridiculous" schedules that risk burn-out
* TV cameras in dressing room ("an absolute no-go")
* Diogo Jota 💔
www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...
James Milner interview: ‘There’s no hiding place now. Cameras in the dressing room? That can’t happen’
The 39-year-old Brighton midfielder discusses longevity, retirement, what comes next and the loss of his close friend Diogo Jota
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 6h
"This boy will go to Real Madrid if we don't get in quick..."

Loved doing this with Dave Worthington, going through his old scouting reports from Bolton, Chelsea, Hull, Sunderland, West Ham, Leicester, Everton — recommending Benzema to #CFC, young Rodri to #EFC etc

www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...
Reading a football scout’s notebooks: Spotting Rodri and Benzema, and why data needs context
Dave Worthington's carefully-compiled notes were an invaluable resource for several Premier League clubs
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 20h
Today’s @theathleticfc.bsky.social Football Podcast with @aakinwo.bsky.social @markcarey93.bsky.social and throw-in king Thomas Gronnemark, discussing the return of the long throw and whether, beyond its occasional usefulness, it signals a regression

podfollow.com/athletic-fc-...
The Athletic FC Podcast: Why the Premier League has gone back to basics?
So far, this season we’ve had… long throws, rugby-style kickoffs and big lads up front.So why has the Premier League gone old school? Host: Ayo AkinwolereWith: Mark Carey, Oli Kay and Thomas G...
podfollow.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 4d
Absolutely. I think it's partly a product of having so many young players. (Would say the same of Chelsea.) I think it's down to that, rather than the coach — although in both cases, a young coach too, so everyone is learning on the job ....
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 4d
Week seven of @theathleticfc.bsky.social Premier League predictions challenge, in which I take on an algorithm, a guest subscriber and a six-year-old.
After six rounds, the algorithm is leading 🫤 and Brighton's inconsistencies are driving me to distraction #BHAFC www.nytimes.com/athletic/667...
Premier League Predictions: Chelsea vs Liverpool, Arsenal vs West Ham and the rest of Matchday 7
Who's leading after MD6? And what does our writer, the algorithm, a child and this week's subscriber expect to see on Matchday 7?
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 8d
[email protected] Football Podcast discussing all of the above with @aakinwo.bsky.social and @adamcrafton.bsky.social Not much faith in the Ineos/Amorim project in this discussion #MUFC

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...
How much more misery can Man United take?
Podcast Episode · The Athletic FC Podcast · 29/09/2025 · 35m
podcasts.apple.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 10d
I agree. And while there's usually a bit of a swings-and-roundabouts scenario with that (e.g. I'd say they deserved at least a draw and possibly a win against Arsenal last month), their performances on the whole have been every bit as bad as the dreadful results suggest — and arguably even worse
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 10d
Totally agree. They look no closer than the previous regime to finding answers, which is saying something. Think their best decision (not particularly inspired, but perfectly sensible) was hiring Dan Ashworth. They binned him within months after he dared to question the wisdom of appointing Amorim
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 10d
Thank you very much. Yes I did! It was amazing
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 10d
There *has* been improvement in performance this season (not y'day). But it's SO meagre. They actually look worse than this time last year in grim final weeks under Ten Hag. Then, as now, people were trying to convince themselves a resurgence was happening. It wasn't
www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
How much more misery can Manchester United take?
What if things don’t improve, and what if Ruben Amorim's expensively-constructed team continue to lose more games than they win?
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 10d
#MUFC in PL under Amorim
Nov 24: W0 D1 L0
Dec 24: W2 D0 L5
Jan 25: W2 D1 L1
Feb 25: W1 D1 L2
Mar 25: W1 D1 L0
Apr 25: W0 D2 L3
May 25: W1 D0 L3
Aug 25: W1 D1 L1
Sep 25: W1 D0 L2
P33 W9 D7 L17. TERRIBLE
And how many of the nine wins have been genuinely encouraging?
www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
How much more misery can Manchester United take?
What if things don’t improve, and what if Ruben Amorim's expensively-constructed team continue to lose more games than they win?
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 10d
So much pre-match talk about whether #MUFC could finally win two Premier League games in a row under Amorim. But they've only won nine PL games out of 33. It's been bottom-six form almost from the moment he arrived. They can't even win two PL games in a month these days.
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 11d
Another grim day for #MUFC: appalling first 20 minutes, listless final hour after pulling a goal back. Brentford worthy 3-1 winners — more energetic, more organised, more imaginative. Full-time analysis with @conor-oneill.bsky.social for @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/666...
Brentford 3 Manchester United 1 – What next for Amorim? Should Fernandes be on penalties? Why the dire defending?
Manchester United woes continued with a calamitous defeat away to Brentford - The Athletic analyses the action
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 11d
On the way to Brentford v Manchester United. I’ve dared to predict an away win in @theathleticfc.bsky.social Premier League predictions challenge, in which I’m currently trailing an algorithm 🫠

Algorithm also predicting a #mufc win actually 🤖 #bremnu #premierleague

www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...
Premier League Predictions: Newcastle vs Arsenal, Crystal Palace vs Liverpool and the rest of Matchday 6
Who's leading after MD5? And what does our writer, the algorithm, a child and this week's subscriber expect to see on Matchday 6?
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 17d
In his first spell as #EFC manager, David Moyes used to talk about #LFC "shopping at Harrods" while he worked on a supermarket budget. It wasn't always true back then, but it's certainly true now. Yesterday's derby underlined the difference in budget and firepower
www.nytimes.com/athletic/664...
Defeat to Liverpool shows Everton don’t yet have capacity for striking gold
Even with a new stadium, David Moyes' side are shopping in a different market to their Merseyside rivals
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 18d
Yes, agree with that. Interesting that he adapted more successfully than Wenger did when — certainly by mid-2000s — Wenger appeared far more "modern" than Ferguson. It wasn't quite a like-for-like situation because Arsenal were constrained financially. But so were United relative to Chelsea/City
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
Totally agree. They can be said to have deserved to win that tournament in isolation, but that is having qualified on the basis of winning the Champions League four years earlier with a totally — TOTALLY — different team, which was also nowhere near the best in Europe at the time 🤷‍♂️
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
Agree. Though whether he would have coped as well if he had been up against Guardiola's Man City and Klopp's Liverpool, I'm not sure. He was brilliant at adapting, but I'm not sure even he would have relished the stylistic challenges (and increased man-management challenges) of the past decade
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
Yep. But even more curious that Chelsea won the Champions League when they were a mess in 2012 and when they were ... not exactly brilliantly in 2021, but didn't win it at the various points when they were the best team in England under Mourinho, Ancelotti and Conte. It can be a strange tournament!
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
Definitely. Even at Burnley on Sunday, there were tweaks with every substitution. It ended up pretty much a 2-3-5
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
I prefer the Pokemon one, to be honest 😄
oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
I like and rate Postecoglou — and "his" football — more than most people in England seem to. But I think winning his Europa League win at Spurs a lot owed a lot more to pragmatism than to his previously unquestioned "philosophy" ...
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 19d
I'm not his biggest fan. Well, I greatly admired his early work, but there's been far less to admire as time has passed — which, as I said in article, raises question about HIS ability to adapt.

But come on. he's Chelsea's greatest manager, even if Di Matteo and Tuchel were the ones who won the CL!
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 20d
Wonder if it's too late for me to ask to insert that line ...
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 20d
Now with more inviting thumbnail 👇https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6637374/
Mourinho, Amorim and the wisdom of coaches willing to ‘die’ for an idea
Jose Mourinho says coaches willing to die for an idea are "stupid". Is he right? And do pragmatic coaches do any better?
www.nytimes.com
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oliverkay.bsky.social
Oliver Kay @oliverkay.bsky.social · 20d
Absolutely. I made that point in the piece. He's good at adapting in a micro sense — formation tweaks etc — but he has not adapted in a broader sense to changing times over the last decade and more. One trophy (Conference League) in the past eight years
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