www.silverguide.site –

HE SHALL GO TO THE BALL

Neymar is Brazil’s record goalscorer but hasn’t played for the national team for three years. He was part of the greatest attack of all time – MSN – but never won a Ballon d’Or. A generational talent who arguably butchered his career with money-fuelled moves to PSG and Saudi Arabia. After too many off-pitch controversies to count – only this month, he slapped a Santos teammate, Robinho Jr, in training – Neymar will be remembered as much for knack (including the injury that kept him out of that 7-1 defeat by Germany – as he will for the nutmegs, the rainbow flicks, the Remontada heroics, his Pausa, Bigger Cup triumphs, and Puskas Award goal. The overarching feeling for many is “yes, what a player”, but also, “what a waste”.

That is, at least, the view from Europe, and when it comes to the Geopolitics World Cup that view matters not one jot. Simply put, the European mind (save for Carlo Ancelotti, of course) cannot comprehend how different the standpoint is in Brazil, where Neymar remains a sort of demi-deity – seemingly the last bastion of jogo bonito and the essence of the Selecao; both a symbol of its glorious past and its recent struggle. No Brazil team has ever gone longer than the current 24-year World Cup drought. After decades of collective suffering – Neymar and Brazil are in desperate need of redemption and glory. In a deeply Catholic country, those themes are overwhelmingly seductive.

One only needs to watch the videos of people reacting to Neymar’s inclusion in Ancelotti’s Brazil squad to get a sense of it. Grown men were reduced to hot salty tears of joy (and fits of destruction), there were parties in the streets and schoolchildren – so young that they were not even born when Neymar was in his Barcelona pomp – chanted wildly in celebration, apparently hard-wired in their devotion. “Neymar will be an important player for us at the World Cup,” soothed Ancelotti. “We realised that in this last period he had continuity and was in good physical condition.” Not to mention 11 goals and four assists in his last 18 matches for a relegation-threatened Santos.

Neymar’s domestic form and a complete lack of it for João Pedro in a Brazil shirt – no goals or assists in eight appearances to date – is probably lost on many commentators and Social Media Disgrace influencers complaining on Tuesday at Ancelotti’s omission of the Chelsea forward. And while that was a surprise, it’s probably best not to question Ancelotti, one of the greatest managers of all time with five Bigger Cups to his name. You’re better off with Ancelotti than without him and if you don’t believe that, just have a look at how Real Madrid are doing at the moment.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE

Join Rob Smyth at 8pm (BST) for red-hot updates on Bournemouth 1-3 Manchester City, while Simon Burnton will be on hand at the same time for Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham.  

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I have no idea [about] that. They don’t have to do anything, honestly. The important thing in our lives is when you look back and say, ‘wow, you can look with a big smile and that is good’. And Bernardo [Silva] can feel that and John [Stones] can feel that. We spoke about that in last days and about [what] we lived. So when you are an old grandfather and you look back and you can laugh for the memories” – Pep Guardiola reckons he doesn’t need the new North Stand naming after him when he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season because memories of the good times – and he’s had a few – are more than enough.

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

If Tottenham Hotspur get relegated (which is every Arsenal fan’s fantasy), when do we achieve next season’s St Totteringham’s Day? Do we mark it on the final day of this season or do we carry over the occasion to the opening day of the next one?” – Ronald Kondowe.

Given that Burnley have bounced between the bottom of the Premier League and the top of the Championship a couple of times in recent memory, is it time to replace their parachute payment with a yo-yo payment?” – Peter Oh.

Surely we have to doff our collective caps to the once ‘Special One’, then ‘Happy One’, then ‘Desperate for a Job One’ and, somewhat inevitably, the ‘Lucky that Real Madrid are Even More Desperate Than He is One’. His Benfica have just gone through the whole league season unbeaten. That surely puts them up there with Arsenal’s so-called ‘Invincibles’, who also went through the season unbeaten (if you ignore them losing once in the FA Cup, twice to Middlesbrough in the Milk Cup and three times in the Big Cup that is). That’s the way this works, right? Hold on a minute. Benfica finished where?” – Noble Francis.

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Noble Francis. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here. 

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Women’s Football Weekly is heading for your ears, right here, with a look back at the WSL season that was.

RECOMMENDED LOOKING

It’s our man  David Squires on … Celtic crushing Hearts’ hopes of a Scottish fairytale.

STYLES COUNCIL

The Eredivisie regular season may be done and dusted but the playoff fight for European qualification is still very much on – and it has taken a very weird turn. With Ajax assuming they wouldn’t be quite as rubbish as they have been this season, the Johan Cruyff Arena was given over to Harry Styles for a series of 10 gigs in May and June. Ajax finished fifth and now have a home Tin Pot qualification semi-final to play against Groningen on Thursday. The problem is Styles, who it says here has successfully made “the journey from manufactured boyband member to respected solo artist”, is already well into his residency. And Amsterdam city council, who manage the ground, are not going to kick him out for the sake of Tin Pot. All this means that Ajax now have to play Groningen 20 miles away at the 6,984 capacity Kras Stadion. To make things weirder, no away fans will be allowed to attend, owing to violence at the weekend involving fans of Volendam, who play their home games there. This hasn’t gone down well with Groningen, who may even boycott the match. “All scenarios remain on the table,” roared general manager Frank van Mosseveld. “It should never happen that local authorities decide away fans are not allowed.” Oh Harry, what have you done?

NEWS, BITS AND BOBS

Mikel Arteta says he will be the “biggest ever” Bournemouth fan when he watches Manchester City in the hope they fail to win and thus hand Arsenal their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Roberto De Zerbi reckons the idea that “everyone wants Tottenham relegated” ought to put a rocket up his Spurs players as they look to get a result at Chelsea that will secure survival and relegate West Ham. And on the subject of the Irons, there are 100 million reasons to believe it is looking bleak if they do go down.

Forget Neymar, Southampton striker Ross Stewart has is back in the Scotland squad for the GWC after a four-year absence. View the full 26 players in pictorial form here.

Aston Villa fans have flooded into Istanbul before the Bigger Vase final against Freiburg on Wednesday, when Unai Emery will aim to win the competition for a ludicorous fifth time. “Emotionally and tactically, this [final] is a new challenge for us,” blathered Emery.

Uefa will not be following Fifa’s lead and introducing automatic reds for players who cover their mouths when confronting an opponent or leave the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision that irks them.

Véron Mosengo-Omba, the sole candidate to become the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo football federation, has been accused of bullying and intimidating Caf committee members.

Sarina Wiegman reckons Beth Mead’s next transfer will be a “very important” factor in the England forward’s chances of going to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, as the outgoing Arsenal forward seeks more playing time.

And Frank Skinner, who has penned a new poem in support of Euro 2028, has told cultured Big Website types that Gareth Southgate was too much of a “nice bloke” to take England to glory but reckons “fiery” Thomas Tuchel could be the man to end however many years of hurt it is now.

STILL WANT MORE?

With the WSL season over, it’s time for the best and worst of it. Our writers have their say.

Tom Garry reports on a donation drive led by Bristol City midfielder Malaika Meena for children in Tanzania.

The best way out of a corner? A corner. Barney Ronay reflects on Arsenal’s gruelling win against Burnley.

And Bournemouth’s James Hill gets his chat on with Ben Fisher.

MEMORY LANE

25 April 2004: Yes, it’s probably now time to remind ourselves what Arsenal’s last Premier League-winning team looked like. Here they are celebrating at Tottenham after a 2-2 draw in the North London derby was enough to clinch the title.

FROM LATE FRONTS TO STRICTLY