Klopp and Pep are totally fine, promise! – The Warm-Up

MONDAY’S BIG STORIES

Klopp and Pep are fine

They’re fine! They’re like, totally cool with it. Seriously, water under the bridge, agree to disagree, it’s nothing. Honestly. Can we just move on now?

Look, even in his own words Klopp has said it’s “fine… whatever… absolutely fine”.

Just see for yourself!

See! Fine.

“One week ago, nobody even…everyone in this country supports Liverpool, the media and everyone,” he said, although that wasn’t quite the question.

“Of course, because Liverpool has an incredible history in Europe, not in [the] Premier League, because they’ve only won one in 30 years, but it’s not a problem at all. The situation is what it is.”

No problem at all, says Pep, so that settles that.

Maybe that magic 40-point mark won’t be quite the case? Let’s see…

Kerr blimey!

Eight months ago Arsenal Women lay down the gauntlet, beating Chelsea 3-2 on the opening day of the WSL season and then winning their next five games by an aggregate of 20 goals to nil.

It meant Chelsea had some catching up to do, and a shock loss to Reading in December then had them trailing by four points in the 22-game season.

They did it the hard way, too, overcoming a 2-1 half-time deficit to Manchester United before sealing a 4-2 win. They largely have Sam Kerr to thank, with the FWA Footballer of the Year somehow trumping her equalising goal…

… with an even more stunning second…

“Hallelujah!” Hayes proclaimed, as Golden Boot winner Kerr cut a delirious figure during the title celebrations.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are left picking up the pieces of a near-miss, while their next fortnight – and trophy prospects next season – will be dominated by the choice of Vivianne Miedema, who is yet to decide her future amid reports linking her with Barcelona.

“I really want to win titles,” Miedema told BBC Two yesterday. “This year I haven’t won anything. If I feel like the club is moving in that direction then maybe I [will] stay another year or two years.

“I’m speaking with the club and Jonas [Eidevall]. I will have a couple of weeks holiday and will then make a decision.”

That would be a massive loss, and a sign that the WSL still has some way to go to keep its best players – particularly if the all-conquering Barca come knocking.

IN OTHER NEWS

Hate for Hodgson

Is there a relegation etiquette? Well, there are certainly some expectations, and Roy Hodgson certainly did not meet them on Saturday, opting to applaud the Crystal Palace supporters but skipping the walk over to the Watford fans as “they were a bit too far away” at Selhurst Park.

That, plus the smiles with Wilfried Zaha and some of his other former players, did not entirely go down well with Watford’s supporters… who found it a little distasteful given the little fight their side showed in going down.

To be fair, though. Hodgson was Watford’s third manager of the season and was appointed in January, so despite being paid to care that’s as far as it stretches, really, and given he’s off in the summer he just couldn’t bother caring anyway.

Oh, and pretty funny this chap predicted it all last week!

IN THE CHANNELS

What in the-

RETRO CORNER

Whatever comes of the Todd Boehly era, we’ll just have to wait and find out. In the meantime, it’s 12 years to the day since Chelsea wrapped up their third Premier League title with an emphatic 8-0 win over Wigan.

COMING UP

A relatively quiet night of football but there’s a taste League One play-off second leg as Sunderland take their 1-0 lead to Sheffield Wednesday. There’s also Fiorentina v Roma in Serie A if you fancy.