Now Guardiola goes all Big Sam.

Here’s a quote that will blow your mind.
‘Maybe we can learn to win these type of games, to bring the balls quicker to the box. These are not tactics, strategies, it’s just put the ball in there for the chaos and you score. Pep Lijnders is now with me (as my assistant) and how many times did Liverpool [where Lijnders came from] win these games?

No. Not Big Sam. Nor Tony Pulis. Not even Sean Dyche, but Pep Guardiola. Amazing eh?

Something is changing at City and for the first time in his coaching career Guardiola is being led by football evolution. Thank goodness.

I wondered when I saw the quote if he was being facetious, but then I remembered how City kicked-off v Leeds. Did you see it? The ball was rolled back to Donnarumma, who planted it into opposition territory - just like every other team is doing now. Perhaps we really are through the ‘tippy tappy’ (yes, I did give Big Sam the name of his Podcast) years?

I don’t think City are entirely comfortable with getting the ball from back to front more quickly just yet, which is why Guardiola had Donnarumma feign injury in the second-half so he could get his team together on the side-lines for instructions.

Daniel Farke was right to call Guardiola out on that little bit of gamesmanship. It’s wrong. Agreed - it’s allowed and very difficult to stop, but this from a man who’s spent more time complaining about time-wasting by other teams than anything else since coming to the PL.

Why did Antony Taylor need VAR for to send Caicedo off? That was a shocking challenge. Everybody in the stadium saw it - except one of our supposed top refs, who was 5 metres away. Is it a lack of confidence with these guys now? They don’t make big calls because the tech is there to save them? If that’s the case it’s another erosion.

What on earth was Paqueta doing at West Ham? Surely he’s been through enough not invite more suspicion about his behaviour on a football pitch? Madness utter madness. And he’ll have to live with the consequences and questions that are bound to follow.

You’ve got to hand it to Sunderland and their fans. Both were fantastic again at the weekend. They had a real problem when Bournemouth swept into a 2-goal lead, but they didn’t panic, they drew breath and set about their job with real gusto. It was a terrific game to watch.

I was desperately sad to read about the problems at Exeter in The Times today. They’re the club owned by fans and run by volunteers.

Older readers will remember them going out of business in 2003, but reforming under a Supporters Trust. I won’t go into all the details, but the once ‘utopic model’ (as The Times refers to them as) has stalled. Badly stalled. And they’re on the brink again. If you can find a copy of The Times have a read. I’d post a link but they operate behind a paywall.

According to Martin Zeigler in the same paper (Saturday) the BBC aren’t sending commentators or co-comms to the early stages of the WC. They’ll be based in Salford doing the games ‘off-tube’ - off a tv set.

I don’t know why the fuss. Most CL games are done the that way. I don’t know why they send studio teams to cover the games on-site either I’ve never understood that. There really is no need. They’ve spent fortunes on studios so why not use those - generating backgrounds?

What about that stadium B’ham have got plans for? Think again guys - it’s awful.

On the subject of the WC I can’t wait to see who wins FIFA’s inaugural ‘Peace Award’ at the draw this week. I wonder who it’ll be? Well - we all know who it will be. This is an another pathetic stunt by Infantino.

Mike Ashley to Sheffield Weds? I’d be delighted if I were a Weds fan.

And finally - a word on Billy Bonds. What a legend. A proper player and lovely, lovely man. As honest as the day is long. He was one of the first real enforcers on the pitch and you couldn’t help but admire his approach to the game. He was West Ham to the core.

Sadly his time as manager at the club was brought to an abrupt end and he never spoke of why. He didn’t have to. We all knew. I’ll bet his family don’t invite ‘Arry to the funeral. RIP Bill.