Welcome back, Reds and Blues! January flew by, and our absence has done the same with February. We have a lot to catch up on, so let’s dive in!

The ongoing inconsistency of Manchester United continued this weekend as they fell to Spurs away. United entered February on a 3-game winning streak. But an incredibly limp performance against Palace brought them back to earth. That was followed by another unconvincing win against struggling Leicester in the FA Cup, before this weekend’s turgid affair with Spurs. It was hoped that finishing in the top portion of the Europa table – and the 2 weeks off from mid-week games – would provide some breathing room to advance Amorim’s vision. But injuries, loans, and just the general malaise have all conspired against them. United face a resurgent Everton away this weekend before resuming mid-week competition against Ipswich. Amorim and his squad need to build some sort of momentum as they head into the spring run-in. Languishing in the bottom half of the table may take more than a cup run to save them all from further criticism.

Chelsea’s only positives at the moment are that they aren’t Manchester United, and their first half of the season form has placed them in good stead in the table. But 2 losses in a row to the same team – the most recent of which was a 3-0 mauling – have put a dent in their confidence. Injuries and loans are proving problematic for Chelsea as well, with no true striker healthy at the moment. A trip to Villa Park is probably not what they would be hoping for right now either. Maresca’s concerns are growing.

The biggest transfer news for each club was United sending Rashford on loan to Villa and Chelsea shipping Felix to Milan on loan as well. Both clubs brought in young and as-yet-untested talent. Dorgu has been tossed into the deep end of the pool due to mounting injuries, and he has shown glimpses of young talent. It remains to be seen if he’s a long-term answer.

The USMNT took care of business against Costa Rica, 3-0. 6 goals and a clean sheet over 2 games will have Poch feeling positive. Meanwhile his overseas players continue to impress. The CONCACAF Nations League beckons them in March against Panama. And our US women are preparing for the SheBelieves Cup, with Colombia their first opponent on Feb 20.

We’ll be hoping to avoid serious injuries, so join us live from Chatham Tap Fishers at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, follow along on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

⚽🍺⚽🍺⚽🍺⚽🍺

#TheRedandBlueSoccerChat

#ChathamTapFishers

#ChelseaFC

#manchesterunited

#USMNT

#USWNT

https://linktr.ee/theredandbluesoccerchat

https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-red-and-blue-soccer/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIH_XXtwLOX74un6Jr367HA

instagram.com/theredandbluesoccerchat

https://open.spotify.com/show/7gC93OQZpUrk1ZKkHG7bya

https://www.facebook.com/TheEvanAndAaronShow

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------