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Discover the history of the Nike ball and its 18-year association with the Premier League, from the Nike Geo Merlin in 2000/01 to the Nike Ordem V in 2017/18.
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Another day, another draw, another Jose Mourinho tirade. Not for the first time this season, Burnley left one of the Premier League’s leading lights sporting a bloody nose after another successful away day but, by the end of a chaotic afternoon, it was Mourinho landing the heaviest blows.
No target was spared – his players for conceding “another ‘S’ [s---] goal”, the United board for not spending enough as the club’s rivals, not least Premier League leaders Manchester City, whom he as good as accused of buying their way to the title.
United, Mourinho said, were a big club in name but not currently “a big football team”. Then, in a blunt message to Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, and the Glazer family, the club’s owners, ahead of the January transfer window, the United manager insisted the near-£300 million outlay over the past 18 months was not enough to get the club back to where they want to be.
If only his team had gone on the attack in the same way. United were ultimately indebted to the brilliance of substitute Jesse Lingard for scoring twice in the second half to inspire a fightback after Burnley had taken a 2-0 lead into the interval courtesy of Ashley Barnes’s early opener and a superlative free-kick from Steven Defour. United have now dropped seven points from the last 15 available.
This result came just three days after a 2-2 draw at Leicester City, when Mourinho accused his players of “childish” errors and a “lack of maturity”, and City will open up an eye-watering 15-point lead at the top of the table should they beat Newcastle United tonight. Suffice to say, Mourinho is not happy. “When you say a big club like Manchester United, do you think Milan is not as big as us?” Mourinho said, referring to other big, historic clubs experiencing their own difficulties.
Ask Jurgen Klopp about his irreplaceable Brazilian and the Liverpool manager might ask: “Which one?”
While Philippe Coutinho’s value swells in a season of personal excellence, Roberto Firmino may be the most underrated player beyond Merseyside. Liverpool’s attack often dances to Firmino’s Samba beat, his application enabling others to shine. He is the facilitator.
Firmino took his tally for this season to 16 as Liverpool exposed and humiliated manager-less, insipid and increasingly doomed Swansea to close the gap to Manchester United in the race for the also-ran title. When he was substituted alongside Mo Salah with over 20 minutes remaining - denied the chance to chase his first hat-trick for the club to rest him for the fixtures to come - it was another sign of the esteem with which he is held by Klopp.
Liverpool may eventually be forced to imagine a post-Coutinho era. If so, Firmino’s ability to get the most from those around him may make it more tolerable.
“I appreciate Roberto’s effort and performances always,” said Klopp.
“I could not say how many he has scored because he is always involved dangerous situations. You could see he wasn’t the happiest in the stadium when I took him off.
“But I have to stay serious and reasonable because there are a lot of games to come.”
