© Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images Hello, everyone!
I ask again, because the José Mourinho era seems to bring us all relatively close to a breaking point with an uncomfortable amount of frequency: Do you want a playlist to express your frustrations?
Ramble of the Day
I must admit, and maybe I've admitted it before, but writing up the Hoddle the day after a stinging result is difficult. Finding a worthy distraction for everyone is a task I don't really try to complete, because it's more or less impossible. A match like that has a pretty impressive ability to provide a lot of talking points. There's not a thing I can do to get in the way of that.
I also can't get in the way of my own urge to actually fill this space with something. Distraction is a straightforward route, but only on a small scale. I was able to put the game aside by watching a couple of movies afterward; doing so has become a habit, and a nice palate cleanser. It's not always the type of palate cleanser that makes for Hoddle topics, which is totally fine because it doesn't have to be. It doesn't solve my issue, though.
I do, though, have a topic for a rainy day - low effort for you and me. It may do the work of cleansing the palate a little bit, but at the very least, it won't bother anyone on the way down to the comments. It's time for another round of beautiful stadium backdrops.
© Photo by Shyam Sharma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images This is Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, India. Both related and unrelated, For me, you can't beat mountains in the backdround.
© Photo by Alfredo Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images This is Estádio BBVA in Mexico, currently home to Monterrey and a guy many of us developed a soft spot for, Vincent Janssen. There's a pathway that connects the stadium to the New Ecological Park, which sounds quite nice.
© Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images I'll cap things off with Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium in Gspon, Switzerland, home of amateur side FC Gspon. It's the highest stadium in Europe, and per the BBC is inaccessible by road. Looking at this picture of a stadium in the Swiss Alps makes me miss traveling - not that I have a habit of searching for hard to access football grounds. I just miss seeing things.
tl;dr: A little bit of transparent rambling, and some stadiums situated in gorgeous locations so you can at least enjoy your scroll to the comments section to dissect a horrible match.
Stay informed, read this: Kathleen McNamee on the sportswear gap that exists for female athletes as they wear gear designed for men, and the issues that arise as a result for ESPN
Links of the Day
The FA Cup final will be a test event for the return of spectators to sporting events in the UK.
Merseyside police is investigating a suspected arson attack at Walton Hall Park, home of Everton women.
Sheffield United parted ways with Chris Wilder, ending his almost five year spell as manager.
The Premier League, the FA, and the UK government's Football Foundation teamed up to commit £16m for the return of the grassroots game.
A longer read: Greg Wood on Football Index, a "football stock market" site and QPR sponsor that headed into administration last week for The Guardian