I type with fingers braced for FA Cup Final wonder o’ wonders. This is a strange weekend. It kicks off early doors with the ecstasy of a Scottish title decider between Celtic and Hearts. It ends Monday afternoon with Arsenal facing the Gunners’ demons with Burnley watching. There is an FA Cup Final Spectacle sandwiched in between. Bring it on. Football, I have never needed your respite more.

ii. We have had a magnificent cheesesteak tinged week in Philadelphia. That live show was such a mood. I was honestly shattered before I took the stage, but the energy of the guests—the human inspiration that is Jordan Mailata, the soulfulness of Mt. Joy (who are proper Arsenal), and the pure Philly pride of Gov. Josh Shapiro—as well as the joy of the crowd, left me buzzing. I love that city. Its gritty swagger and sense of self. I cannot wait to be back in the city during the World Cup on June 27. You can watch the show here.

iii. Jeremy Doku joined me yesterday. The man of City’s late season surge. We talked about what has propelled his hot hand, his evolving relationship with Erling Haaland, and how his faith helps him find the corner of the net. Also—whether he feels the season has been a success. A one word answer that was fascinating. You can watch him here.

iv. DALLAS NEXT WEEK WE ARE COMING TO YOU: I'm delighted to share more D-Town legends who will be joining us for our May 20 show at the Longhorn Ballroom. I can’t describe how excited I am to take the stage with the iconic Emmitt Smith, and the Cowboys' all-time sack leader, DeMarcus Ware. Also—an old friend and superstar Brandon Aubrey. The soccer player turned super-human kicker who has redefined special teams. Come be with us and make World Cup memories together. Get your tickets here. 

v. This is a really, really lovely piece about what we are building at Men In Blazers. Am really moved by it. 

vi. France released their World Cup squad with a magnifique homage to 90s American sitcoms that is as bizarre as it is beautiful. A penny for Eduardo Camavinga’s thoughts, who’s been thrown out of the squad Jazzy Jeff-style.

Also: Join me and the fast-growing MiB DISCORD Community to watch the games together in a joyous matchgame chat. Football For the People. Sign up here… It’s free!

Courage,
ROG

P.S. - Devastated to see Karou Mitoma injured and left out of Japan's World Cup squad. An agony for the player and nation. His hamstring injury last week against Wolves is a cautionary tale for so many players with tournament aspirations playing in meaningless games.

2026 FA Cup Final: Manchester City vs. Chelsea 🏆 (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Consistent winners versus kings of chaos. This game has the vibes of Wemby putting Gobert in a Spin Cycle. Pep Guardiola visits Wembley for a truly startling 24th time in a game which could… could… be his third last in charge at City. Chelsea are an unstable chemical compound under the leadership of Calum McFarlane—their second caretaker of a self-eviscerating season. City will be propelled by that peerless Scrappy Doo, Bernardo Silva, who in Rodri’s absence, has dropped deeper, to experience his swansong almost like a point guard bringing the ball upfield. This could be his third FA Cup victory to go with a Champions League title and six Premier League medals… and the idea of a seventh still lingering.

For Chelsea, Xabi Alonso’s shadow lingers over the club, with talks said to be “poised to accelerate” post game.

Rog-Stradamus 🔮: City are cohesive and focused. The Blues are a team of individuals shorn of confidence. When did we last believe they were in a final that would be so one-sided? Oh yes—against PSG in the Club World Cup. Pep will not make the same mistake. City will atomize their opponent with Nico O’OReilly amongst the goals; 3-1. 

Arsenal vs. Burnley (Monday, 3 p.m. ET, USA)

Gooners must wait until Monday before going once more unto the breach, my friends, once more… Arsenal’s final home game of the season. After last week’s VAR drama, every Arsenal fan I know is dreading this. Yes, a game against already relegated Burnley. From an objective place, I view the Gunners’ march to Premier League glory after years of failure as epic on a level known only to Homer. The London club’s fans are experiencing it more as an unlubricated agony. A perfect distillation of our mindbending world in which so much feels surreally dark. Even title winning journeys feel like grim work pulling yourself out of Hades. 

More: Five fouls in one move. A referee analyzes the Hanging Chads of “After a Review, Number 19…”

Rog-Stradamus 🔮: With sad news that Ben White will miss the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury, Mikel Arteta must decide whether to have Cristhian Mosquera play right-back or pull Declan Rice out of midfield again. It won’t matter. Worry no more Arsenal fans. 3-0 romp. 

Newcastle vs. West Ham (Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET, USA)

The Callum Wilson memorial derby. Gent spent five seasons north of the wall at Newcastle before washing up at West Ham last summer so he can torture Everton Football Club some more. The Irons need to win at least one of their last two as their goal difference at -20 is 11 behind Spurs. If they drop points and Spurs beat Chelsea, they could be relegated before they next play. 

Rog-Stradamus 🔮: Newcastle are vulnerable and on the cusp of a vast transition with that waspish ginge Antony Gordon seemingly having played his last game there, before defecting, possibly to Bayern Munich. Incredible to think, a year ago, Magpies’ fans were reveling in their historic Carabao win. A reminder to savor what you can, while you can, and take nothing for granted. West Ham win 1-0.

‘Enjoy’ Your Weekend Off Spurs Fans! Chelsea vs. Tottenham (Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. ET, Peacock)

A weekend free of pain! Tottenham fans will spend the weekend clad in black and white randomly shouting "howay the lads” urging Newcastle to thrash West Ham. Their own teetering team do not play until Tuesday night against FA Cup finalists Chelsea, so an agonized fan base will spend the weekend fretting about how their squad’s appetite for self destruction continues unabated. The Kevin Danso failed clearance that led to Brighton’s exciting 95th minute equalizer. The Mathys Tel risk-filled decision to overhead kick a clearance in his own box at Leeds was mind bending. What a self-harming waste that five-league game folly under Igor Tudor seems now. Pending the Irons result, they may be back in the relegation zone by then. Worry not. Everton in the last game of the season. Richarlison knows. We got you. 

Everton vs. Sunderland (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Seamus Coleman is the heart and soul of Everton Football Club. After signing his first contract in 2009 for sixty grand from Sligo Rovers, 17 seasons and 433 matches later, he has defined himself as one of the rare footballers who—for real—loves his club as much as the fans love the club. Taking the field with instant impact—a man-of-the-match game-changing performance on his debut in December 2009 against Spurs at Goodison—and proceeding to become one of the coolest constants. The calm center of a club often teetering amidst chaos, and then into the modern period of hopeful transformation. Inside the locker room he was the purveyor of the club values. Spend any time amidst that team and it is remarkable to watch two things: how much time Seamus spends with the young players, both welcoming and setting the standards for them, and how the veterans look to his leadership with total respect. He has seen fire. He has seen rain. He has seen a lot of David Moyes, but his competitive fire has always burned with the heat of a thousand suns. He leaves as one of the rare footballers who embodies the club they play for, like Prince embodied Minneapolis, Springsteen, New Jersey, and Spike Lee, New York City. Farewell and godspeed to our forever Captain.

Rog-Stradamus 🔮: A fine first season at the new stadium ends in a flat note—Everton have not won in our last five. That flatlining with Europe in our grasp should not mask the true achievement which is stabilization. One step at a time. This one ends 0-0.

Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, Peacock)

The surreal reality of a game that sounds massive—fifth place welcomes fourth with Champions League places to be sealed—but all eyes will be on one man. Liverpool’s discombobulated defending title winner Arne Slot who yesterday, briefed the press, "I have every reason to believe I will be the Liverpool manager next season." It has been humanly hard to watch

Slot lose his sense of stoic control and turn into the bastard offspring of Ten Hag and Gregg Berhalter. A marooned coach, aura long gone, holding on grimly, having lost the faith of so many supporters. The arc from title winners to agony, from glory-filled days to final whistle booing has been sudden and complex. The optics of Xabi Alonso doing well at Chelsea while Slot continues to flounder feels dark, and the specter of Manchester United’s 13 years as a Grey Gardens haunts everyone. 

Rog-Stradamus 🔮: Unai Emery must decide if he tries to lock down fifth place and Champions League football, or rests his team with the specter of Wednesday night’s Europa League final against 7th place Bundesliga dreamers Freiburg so deliciously close. Mohamed Salah will be available "for a few minutes" but Villa have enough to win 2-1. 

More: Should Liverpool hold onto Slot? So many of these pieces right now. Could be a one-word answer right? 

Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest (Sunday, 7:30 a.m. ET, USA)

Michael Carrick is set to be announced as permanent United manager on a two-year deal as his club need just a point to lock down third-place finish. Reports suggest Carrick will be confirmed this weekend. He deserves it. Ten wins in 15 is peerless form. It would be supreme self-sabotage to eviscerate a winning culture which the club currently have, after craving it for years. Even with the traumatic doubts surrounding Ole’s failure which was not his.

More: Carrick has earned the right to the United job.

Rog-Stradamus 🔮: Forest are unbeaten in eight, but now safe from relegation, I expect that to end. This game will be about individual performances with World Cup squad places on the line for the likes of United’s Luke Shaw and Forest’s Igor Jesus. United win 1-0 and Carrick is serenaded by the Stretford End. 

🗓️ Full Premier League schedule here.

The fallout from ‘Spygate’ continues as an Independent Disciplinary Commission prepares to hear evidence that a Southampton employee broke EFL rules by “observing” (i.e. standing half behind a tree and taking video) one of Middlesbrough's training sessions. While Boro continue to train in the event Southampton’s semifinal victory is chalked off, Hull and Saints fans planning on traveling to Wembley’s Playoff final on May 23 should double check the terms of their tickets. The EFL claims they have a "number of contingency plans" including rescheduling the final pending the outcome of Tuesday’s hearing and any further appeals.

This week’s phrase is:

“If Kylian Mbappé leaves Real Madrid he should join ______ because ______”

Email us your submissions to be in contention to win a coveted MiB patch.

There were a lot of brilliant submissions this week—so many made me laugh—but there can only be one winner: Take a bow, Dina Ricciardi.

“Chelsea declining to appoint Luis Enrique in 2023 is what The Shark Tank are to saying “no” to Ring Cameras in 2013.”

Genius, Dina. Patch is on its way.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Celtic vs. Hearts (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, CBS Sports)

Forget “Braveheart” or “Trainspotting,” Scotland’s greatest ever legend could be cemented this Saturday, if Hearts can break the Old Firm’s 40-year vise-grip on the SPL in a winner-takes-all duel with Celtic. Get your Battle Fever on… 

More: So then, who’s going to win the Scottish Premier League?

🇮🇹 Genoa vs. AC Milan (Sunday, 6:30 a.m. ET, Paramount+)

Despite sitting comfortably in second for most of the season, a spiraling AC Milan are in danger of being dragged out of the UCL places by Roma and Como, so now would be a great time for Christian Pulisic to end his career-high goalless streak of 17 league matches.

🇩🇪 St. Pauli vs. Wolfsburg (Saturday, 9:30 a.m., ESPN+)

With two relegation spots for Heidenheim, Wolfsburg or St. Pauli, who are all level on 26 points, this cruel and compulsive match is the closest thing European football has to “Squid Game”. We are sat.

🇪🇸 Sevilla vs. Real Madrid (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

As 1,000,000 Valverdes fight 1,000,000 Tchouaménis while monolithic president Florentino Pérez conducts unhinged press conferences, it feels like the last days of Madrid, who will trauma bond with a Sevilla side fighting in a relegation royal rumble. What’s the opposite of a fiesta? 

More: A Sergio Ramos-led consortium has reached a $520 million agreement in principle to buy his boyhood club, Sevilla. Let’s hope they don’t get relegated…😬

P.S. Mo Salah should buy Real Betis… 

Charles Hekman wrote to me before Monday night’s game: “Rog, I've been listening and watching your content for well over 10 years now. In that time my Spurs have contended with Leicester for the title, come within reach of Champions League glory, and held their very own big boy trophy in Sonny's beautiful hands. Meanwhile your Everton have wallowed in relegation battle after relegation battle. I always empathized but never truly understood the depths of the emotional crisis. I'm sorry. I know now. You just don't really know what someone else is going through until you're in the exact same situation. My only solace at the moment is the indomitable relegation hero that is Richarlison. I don't normally practice faith in anything, but I just know in my gut that he'll drag us out of this mess the same way he did for Everton. Thanks for the courage Rog. We need it.”

He then wrote again on Tuesday morning: “That did not age well”

Charles. Worry not. I know how the script ends. Get Richy a blue flare, carry some dogs around the stadium before the match. Take a toaster to the game and wave it around surreally. Just channel your inner Everton. Or else play Everton in your final game… I swear, we got you…

Keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected]. WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

To Better Days Ahead for All.

Let’s not take a moment watching football together for granted and make great memories,

Big Love,

Courage.
ROG 

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