║➽║ EXCLUSIVE Football News║

[miri-01]

Manchester United 1-1 Manchester City: City win on penalties
By Sporting Life
17:40 · SUN August 11, 2024
A horror moment for Manchester United veteran Jonny Evans gifted the Community Shield to Manchester City after a penalty shoot-out.

Evans lifted his spot-kick over the crossbar before Manuel Akanji tucked in the winning penalty as Pep Guardiola’s side secured the first silverware of the season.

Alejandro Garnacho thought he had inflicted more Wembley misery on the four-time Premier League winners when he repeated his FA Cup final goalscoring heroics from just 77 days earlier with nine minutes remaining.

But another substitute Bernardo Silva, headed a last-minute equaliser for City to make it 1-1 and take the match to spot-kicks.

Andre Onana saved from Silva early in the shoot-out but Jadon Sancho, back for United following his bust-up with Erik Ten Hag, saw his kept out by Ederson.

Evans then blazed United’s eighth penalty high over the top before Akanji secured a 7-6 win for City.

City were without their contingent of Euro 2024 finalists with England trio Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and John Stones rested as well as triumphant Spain midfielder Rodri.

But despite whatever the relative merits of this annual curtain-raiser are, Guardiola certainly seemed to be taking this one seriously when he gesticulated furiously at his coaching staff before storming down the tunnel at half-time.

Jack Grealish was a surprise absentee while Kevin De Bruyne and Silva started on the bench.

So it was left to their supporting cast to provide the early fireworks and Jeremy Doku was the first to show any attacking intent, nutmegging Diogo Dalot down the left before fizzing in a low cross just behind debutant Nico O’Reilly.

Oscar Bobb then fed James McAtee, who came closer still when he curled his shot around Onana and back off the inside of the far post.

United, with Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes the furthest forward and Marcus Rashford playing on the left wing, created their first chance just before the half-hour when Amad Diallo curled a shot across goal and wide.

And it was Ten Hag’s side who should have scored moments later when Diallo played a one-two with Casemiro and squared the ball for Mount, who was just too slow to react for what would have been a tap-in.

Rashford, who, like Grealish, was left out of England’s squad in Germany, had an early chance to impress the watching interim national boss Lee Carsley when Casemiro found him unmarked on the left, but he stabbed his shot tamely across goal and wide.

United thought they had taken the lead eight minutes into the second half when Lisandro Martinez played in Fernandes, who curled a superb effort over Ederson and into the net, but the Portugal star was flagged offside.

A raft of substitutes for both sides followed, including debuts for young United midfielder Toby Collyer and City’s £30million summer signing, the Brazilian winger Savinho.

Then came a big moment for Rashford, Garnacho squaring the ball to leave the forward clean through, 14 yards out, unmarked and with just Ederson to beat – only for a hurried, first-time effort with his left foot to clip the post.

A United goal was coming, though, and it arrived nine minutes from time when Fernandes swept the ball across goal and Garnacho expertly applied the finish.

But with just a minute to go City hit back, Bobb swinging in a cross and Bernardo Silva rising above Facundo Pellestri to nod home the equaliser and take the encounter to spot-kicks.

[miri-01]

5,500/1 acca lands punter £11k as 96th-minute Cheltenham winner lands mad 17-fold
By Sporting Life
15:21 · WED August 14, 2024
On an action-packed opening weekend of the season, there was a Saturday to remember for one punter as 96th-minute winning goal turned £2 into £11k to land the unlikeliest of 17-folds.

The Ladbrokes customer combined 17 teams from across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the monster acca looked like it was going to be let down by one team.

Cheltenham has seen plenty of dramatic winners for punters down the years, but they're not usually at Whaddon Road.

With the Robins and Newport heading into the sixth and final minute of injury time at 2-2, Cardiff loanee Joel Colwill won it for the hosts to turn the punter's £2 into a mouth-watering £10,916.96.

It wasn't the only bit of drama either, with Wimbledon coming from 2-0 down to beat Colchester 4-2, and Dagenham Redbridge needing an 82nd-minute winner against Wealdstone.

[miri-01]

Premier League outright preview, tips and best bets
By Sporting Life
15:29 · FRI August 16, 2024
With the Premier League season getting under way this weekend, our team give their verdicts and selections for a variety of markets.

They provide predictions for the winner, European qualification, relegation, top scorer and a best bet, with some interesting and differing shouts.

Sporting Life Football team profit Outrights
Who wins the title and makes into Europe?
Jake Osgathorpe

Winner: Arsenal
Top 4: Man City, Liverpool, Newcastle
Top 6: Tottenham, Aston Villa
Best bet: Newcastle to finish top four at 2/1 (General)
Joe Townsend

Winner: Arsenal
Top 4: Man City, Liverpool, Newcastle
Top 6: Tottenham, Aston Villa
Best bet: Martin Odegaard to win PFA Player of the Year at 16/1 (BetVictor)
Tom Carnduff

Winner: Man City
Top 4: Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham
Top 6: Aston Villa, West Ham
Best bet: West Ham +34 season handicap e.w. at 12/1 (Sky Bet 1/4 1,2,3,4)
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

Winner: Man City
Top 4: Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle
Top 6: Tottenham, West Ham
Best bet: Ipswich +50 season handicap e.w. at 16/1 (Boylesports 1/4 1,2,3,4)
Pep Guardiola celebrates Man City treble
MANCHESTER CITY are bidding for a fifth straight Premier League title, and are the favourites to extend their dynasty in 24/25. ARSENAL chased them home again last season, this time finishing just two points behind the eventual champions.

Expect the Gunners to go close again, and they are really the only concrete challenger this season, with major questions around the rest.

LIVERPOOL start the post-Jurgen Klopp era, TOTTENHAM have to deal with European football, CHELSEA are a mess, MANCHESTER UNITED were historically bad last season and ASTON VILLA must balance Premier League football with Champions League football.

NEWCASTLE could be at an advantage compared to their top four rivals in having no continental football, and could be a big threat to replicate what they did in 22/23. WEST HAM could be in the same boat, and having spent plenty of cash in the summer to back new manager Julen Lopetegui, the Hammers could be dangerous.

Who's going down?
Jake Osgathorpe

Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Ipswich
Joe Townsend

Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Forest
Tom Carnduff

Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Ipswich
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

Relegation: Leicester, Southampton, Forest
Steve Cooper is now in charge of Leicester
Steve Cooper is now in charge of Leicester
Last season's fight to avoid relegation was an embarrassing one. All three promoted teams went straight back to the second tier, two of them with a whimper.

Even with Everton (8 points) and Nottingham Forest (4) receiving points deductions, the bottom three finished six points behind the rest.

We could see similar this season, as the gap between the top of the Championship and bottom of the Premier League continues to widen. Leicester are set for a points deduction of their own this season, while Southampton's style and Ipswich's naivety meaning it could be a struggle for the trio.

Can anyone beat Haaland to top scorer?
Jake Osgathorpe

Top scorer: Erling Haaland
Outside shout: Alexander Isak
Joe Townsend

Top scorer: Erling Haaland
Outside shout: Cody Gakpo
Tom Carnduff

Top scorer: Erling Haaland
Outside shout: Christopher Nkunku
Jimmy 'The Punt' Cantrill

Top scorer: Erling Haaland
Outside shout: Hwang-Hee Chan
Erling Haaland with the Premier League trophy
ERLING HAALAND will take some beating in this market. The Norwegian has won the Golden Boot in both of his seasons in England, racking up a record-breaking 36 in his debut campaign and following it up with 27 last time out.

While it is hard to look past City's cyborg, there are quite a few challengers who could potentially get close, ALEXANDER ISAK being one.

Newcastle's front man finished with 21 goals last season, closing the season in red-hot form. His underlying numbers were the closest to those of Haaland, so, playing in an attacking Newcastle side with no European football this season, he could rack up the goals again.

DOMINIC SOLANKE fired 19 goals at Bournemouth last term, and will look to bag more this season after his £65m move to Tottenham, while perennial challengers and previous winners of the gong, MOHAMED SALAH and HEUNG-MIN SON will be around the top of the scoring charts once again.

[miri-01]

Raheem Sterling shows issues beyond football for Enzo Maresca at Chelsea
By Joe Townsend
00:28 · MON August 19, 2024
The paradox in which Chelsea have placed themselves was laid bare on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, far beyond just their 2-0 defeat by Manchester City.

Owners obsessed with building a long-term vanity project, while at the same time seemingly demanding instant success. A club constantly signing new players as if they were collectables, then not naming any of them in the starting XI.

There will no doubt be crumbs of comfort taken from positive statistics and some of the signs Chelsea showed against the champions, but there shouldn't be. It all pales into insignificance given the scale of issues Enzo Maresca must somehow navigate.


Following a summer that had more than a hint of imminent disaster, Raheem Sterling's camp made sure he - rather than (God forbid) the football - took prime focus in the build-up to kick-off via the unusual act of releasing a statement when their client wasn't named in the matchday squad.

"Sometimes players don't like it (being left out). That's normal," said Maresca. While he may be right, there's very little about Chelsea that anyone would describe as close to normal.

Perhaps that is why in a desperate pursuit of some blissful state of calm, he named a starting XI exclusively of players on the books last season; no mean feat considering they've made 11 signings, sold a handful of first-teamers and seemingly jettisoned Conor Gallagher, Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and, it would appear, Sterling.

Among the XI were Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, all of whom reached the final of either the Euros or Copa America little over a month ago.

No such players were included in the Manchester City team, with none who progressed beyond the quarter-finals in their XI; Cucurella's karaoke partner Rodri wasn't even on the bench.

When Chelsea's left-back went down injured and limped off after 80 minutes, it should have come as no surprise.

Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly had already agreed a £4.25bn purchase of the Blues
Appointing a fifth different manager in two years fairly reflects the short-termism of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. That attitude is bound to infect your manager, even one pure in his ideology, stubbornly focused on embedding a patient style of play over the long-term and insistent that things will take time.

When time is something you're unlikely to get, it's amazing how quickly someone's pureness dilutes.

The sight of Boehly rushing into the sanctity of the executive lounge after Mateo Kovacic made the game safe to put the seal on an afternoon that began with Sterling's public tantrum neatly encapsulates this tawdry, never-ending affair.

As does the fact only one player from Chelsea's starting XI in their Champions League final win over City three years ago started at Stamford Bridge on Sunday: the man who sent Chelsea's chairman scuttling off with six minutes to play.

And it was Boehly who sold him.

[miri-01]

How does Unai Emery ensure Aston Villa remain successful this season?
By Dharnish Iqbal
20:51 · WED August 21, 2024
In a remarkable 23/24 season, Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League and went deep into the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.

Though key signings like Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby were made, Unai Emery’s impact on improving players already at Villa - such as John McGinn and Ollie Watkins - have enhanced the squad.

His successful time in the West Midlands is largely due to his ability to better those already within the group.

Emery took charge in October 2022 after Steven Gerrard’s disastrous reign left them close to the relegation zone with 12 games played. They not only survived but thrived, guiding them to 7th that season.

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Since his arrival, the only teams to collect more points are Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The turnaround has been spectacular and is the blueprint for teams looking to break into the top-six powered by a maverick, meticulous manager.

Famous for his record in cup competitions, Emery has won the Europa League four times and emphasised the importance of wanting to go far in the Champions League: "I don't want to play in the Champions League get there and not be competitive. We will be competitive."

The former Villarreal manager also mentioned: "We’re not contenders to be in the top four. There are seven teams who are contenders more than us."

Unai Emery Villa
Unai Emery guided Aston Villa to the Champions League
Perhaps Emery was lowering expectations early into the season.

Still, he's aware of the strenuous impact the Champions League will have on Villa's schedule as they attempt to balance being in Europe’s top competition for the first time since 1982.

As the Emery revolution at Villa Park rumbles on, the question now is not about him bringing success to the club, but whether he can maintain the lofty standards he’s now set.

All in on Emery
In his last three jobs before taking charge of Aston Villa, Emery only had more than one full season at one of them: Villarreal.

Though you can certainly make a case to say this Villa side is better, in seasons where they won the Europa League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League the LaLiga form suffered, finishing 7th twice.

Unlike the jobs he’s had in recent years, Emery is being tasked with creating a club that consistently competes in the Europe's elite competitions for the long-term rather than just being brilliant in cup competitions.

Villa’s owners have moved heaven and earth to forge a footballing structure that revolves around Emery.


A new contract signed in April of last season granted the manager more autonomy, meaning he was able to bring the coaches and analysts he wanted across to Birmingham.

Damian Vidagany, who Emery has known for 16 years since his time at Valencia, has now transformed from assistant to director of football working with Monchi.

Villa believe they have an elite coach under Emery and have given him what he wants to build on the success he has brought.

Dealing with PSR
Villa reported a loss of £119 million after tax in the year ending in May 2023, when PSR rules state that clubs are only allowed a loss of £105 million.

Yet the structure of the club has shrewdly navigated the PSR danger while also strengthening the team.

Douglas Luiz
Douglas Luiz has departed for Juventus
Douglas Luiz was deemed the necessary big name that had to depart to balance the books, leaving for £42m to Juventus with Samuel Ilinj Junior and Enzo Barrenechea heading the other way.

Youth prospects Tim Iroegbunam and Omari Kellyman were both sold to Everton and Chelsea for a total of £28m, whilst Moussa Diaby heralded as a marquee signing last summer joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.

Bold decisions to lose key members of the team but decisions that were necessary in order for Villa to begin a new cycle of PSR.


The coveted signing of Amadou Onana for £50m was a statement that Villa are here to stay, while they've also acquired the services of a rejuvenated Ross Barkley for £5m from Luton.

The adaptable tactics
How Emery may manage the season is in a similar vein to the flexible tactics we saw previously to manage the workload on players and adapt to different opponents.

In the Champions League, we may see Villa revert to their six at the back when needing to stay compact away from home.

At Villa Park they’re likely to opt for their inventive high line which catches opponents out frequently, leading them to believe they have found space in behind Villa’s defence.

1a
1b
Reverting to a back-six and staying compact will allow Villa to see games out and hit teams on the break in the dog days of the season when players suffer from fatigue.

Emery already had the experience last season of managing a squad that had to deal with playing on Thursdays and at the weekend.

Similarly, in-possession Villa are multi-faceted in attack. They can threaten teams by going direct to Watkins or Bailey in behind when a team presses them up top.

1c
1d
However, they also use their midfielders, who start on paper as ‘wingers’ but confuse the opposition by dropping in from attack to combine with others in the build-up while another pushes up to create a 4v4 and stretch defences.

In the below example, Youri Tielemans is dropping while McGinn pushes up.

1e
Villa's multi-functionality will help navigate their biggest season yet against different opposition and circumstances.

The next step for them is to carry on and continue their journey to become a mainstay in the upper echelons of club football after initial success.

This is a feat few have managed, as many have a brilliant solitary season and fall apart thereafter.

Villa will be hoping that by heavily buying into Emery and catering to his needs, it will bring success for the foreseeable future.

[miri-01]

How does Unai Emery ensure Aston Villa remain successful this season?
By Dharnish Iqbal
10:49 · FRI August 23, 2024

In a remarkable 23/24 season, Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League and went deep into the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League.

Though key signings like Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby were made, Unai Emery’s impact on improving players already at Villa - such as John McGinn and Ollie Watkins - have enhanced the squad.

His successful time in the West Midlands is largely due to his ability to better those already within the group.

Emery took charge in October 2022 after Steven Gerrard’s disastrous reign left them close to the relegation zone with 12 games played. They not only survived but thrived, guiding them to 7th that season.


Since his arrival, the only teams to collect more points are Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The turnaround has been spectacular and is the blueprint for teams looking to break into the top-six powered by a maverick, meticulous manager.

Famous for his record in cup competitions, Emery has won the Europa League four times and emphasised the importance of wanting to go far in the Champions League: "I don't want to play in the Champions League get there and not be competitive. We will be competitive."

The former Villarreal manager also mentioned: "We’re not contenders to be in the top four. There are seven teams who are contenders more than us."

Unai Emery Villa
Unai Emery guided Aston Villa to the Champions League
Perhaps Emery was lowering expectations early into the season.

Still, he's aware of the strenuous impact the Champions League will have on Villa's schedule as they attempt to balance being in Europe’s top competition for the first time since 1982.

As the Emery revolution at Villa Park rumbles on, the question now is not about him bringing success to the club, but whether he can maintain the lofty standards he’s now set.

All in on Emery
In his last three jobs before taking charge of Aston Villa, Emery only had more than one full season at one of them: Villarreal.

Though you can certainly make a case to say this Villa side is better, in seasons where they won the Europa League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League the LaLiga form suffered, finishing 7th twice.

Unlike the jobs he’s had in recent years, Emery is being tasked with creating a club that consistently competes in the Europe's elite competitions for the long-term rather than just being brilliant in cup competitions.

Villa’s owners have moved heaven and earth to forge a footballing structure that revolves around Emery.


A new contract signed in April of last season granted the manager more autonomy, meaning he was able to bring the coaches and analysts he wanted across to Birmingham.

Damian Vidagany, who Emery has known for 16 years since his time at Valencia, has now transformed from assistant to director of football working with Monchi.

Villa believe they have an elite coach under Emery and have given him what he wants to build on the success he has brought.

Dealing with PSR
Villa reported a loss of £119 million after tax in the year ending in May 2023, when PSR rules state that clubs are only allowed a loss of £105 million.

Yet the structure of the club has shrewdly navigated the PSR danger while also strengthening the team.

Douglas Luiz
Douglas Luiz has departed for Juventus
Douglas Luiz was deemed the necessary big name that had to depart to balance the books, leaving for £42m to Juventus with Samuel Ilinj Junior and Enzo Barrenechea heading the other way.

Youth prospects Tim Iroegbunam and Omari Kellyman were both sold to Everton and Chelsea for a total of £28m, whilst Moussa Diaby heralded as a marquee signing last summer joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.

Bold decisions to lose key members of the team but decisions that were necessary in order for Villa to begin a new cycle of PSR.


The coveted signing of Amadou Onana for £50m was a statement that Villa are here to stay, while they've also acquired the services of a rejuvenated Ross Barkley for £5m from Luton.

The adaptable tactics
How Emery may manage the season is in a similar vein to the flexible tactics we saw previously to manage the workload on players and adapt to different opponents.

In the Champions League, we may see Villa revert to their six at the back when needing to stay compact away from home.

At Villa Park they’re likely to opt for their inventive high line which catches opponents out frequently, leading them to believe they have found space in behind Villa’s defence.

1a
1b
Reverting to a back-six and staying compact will allow Villa to see games out and hit teams on the break in the dog days of the season when players suffer from fatigue.

Emery already had the experience last season of managing a squad that had to deal with playing on Thursdays and at the weekend.

Similarly, in-possession Villa are multi-faceted in attack. They can threaten teams by going direct to Watkins or Bailey in behind when a team presses them up top.

1c
1d
However, they also use their midfielders, who start on paper as ‘wingers’ but confuse the opposition by dropping in from attack to combine with others in the build-up while another pushes up to create a 4v4 and stretch defences.

In the below example, Youri Tielemans is dropping while McGinn pushes up.

1e
Villa's multi-functionality will help navigate their biggest season yet against different opposition and circumstances.

The next step for them is to carry on and continue their journey to become a mainstay in the upper echelons of club football after initial success.

This is a feat few have managed, as many have a brilliant solitary season and fall apart thereafter.

Villa will be hoping that by heavily buying into Emery and catering to his needs, it will bring success for the foreseeable future.

[miri-01]

Tom Carnduff's Notebook: Jurriën Timber's role, Evanilson and Notts County's creativity
By Tom Carnduff
10:00 · TUE August 27, 2024
Is a week a long time in football? It certainly feels like it.

Last week's Notebook looks cursed on reflection. A number of topics covered where the opposite seemingly happened.

Burnley (who I'll touch on again in a bit) posted low underlying numbers which weren't considered a problem because of the individual talent.

Dominic Solanke enjoyed a fine debut for Tottenham and Joachim Andersen was an eye-catching feature for Crystal Palace on opening weekend.

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And what happened? Burnley decided to sell a load of players, Solanke picked up an injury which ruled him out of the Everton game and Andersen departed for Fulham.

To quote Jeremy Clarkson from a Top Gear special in Africa: "Sometimes my genius, it's almost frightening."

A new week brings new talking points at least, and here's five I hope will still be applicable come the next round of fixtures.

A tactical match-up
Aston Villa's clash with Arsenal in Saturday's late kick-off was an entertaining one - the Gunners getting the job done despite their opponents seeing good opportunities to strike.

What was particularly interesting was Villa's out of possession approach to a team trying to build up in a 3-2-5 formation.

In order to combat it, Unai Emery had his side operating with a 3-3 box of sorts - a hexagon-shaped approach - aiming to block the passing lanes into midfield and out wide while also pressing the centre-backs in a man-to-man approach.

Naturally, Mikel Arteta looked for a way to combat this and it was an interesting use of Jurriën Timber to do so.

Jurrien Timber's heat map vs Aston Villa
At times, he'd rotate into centre-back with Gabriel pushing to the left in order to try and change the press. But it's the other way which is the most useful to us.

Thomas Partey would drop into the defensive line with Timber operating in midfield. The confusion this caused allowed him to carry the ball forwards and play in advanced positions.

The above heat map demonstrates his role and makes him an interesting option to score or assist in certain games where they'll have to work against this structure.

I'm not sure what will happen if Timber isn't at left-back, with Riccardo Calafiori a right-footed player. The option could be to have Ben White operate in a similar manner.

With away games at Tottenham and Manchester City to come - Brighton may even try this next up at the Emirates - I'll be backing Timber for goal involvement if he's starting.

Bournemouth's new man
Bournemouth drew 1-1 with Newcastle on Sunday - a game which saw a debut for Evanilson.

The striker was brought in to replace Dominic Solanke and looked lively across the 72 minutes he was involved.

His three shots returned one on target with the chances equating to a significant 0.81 xG - for context, a 'big chance' is defined as something above 0.35 xG.

Evanilson
I'll be interested to see if he plays in their Carabao Cup contest with West Ham on Wednesday to continue to get him up to speed - there will certainly be some value in backing him to score against a changed back line.

If not, the Cherries' next league game takes them to struggling Everton. That will surely present some chances for him to strike.

Tied up in Notts
I had Notts County in my top seven prediction, unsure whether they'd be able to challenge for automatic promotion or find themselves settling for a play-off spot.

I am sure they'll take either given how the previous campaign tailed off. Across their four games so far - which includes the Carabao Cup defeat to Shrewsbury on penalties - they are creating more than enough.

They hit four in victory over Grimsby in Thursday's televised game and that wasn't a surprise when we factor in the performances in the weeks prior.

Notts County shot map after four games
Notts have created chances worth 8.55 expected goals (xG) across their games (including the cup) - nine goals coming and it could have easily been more.

There was some fortune in their last outing - a bizarre statement in such a convincing scoreline I know - but the first was offside, the second handball and another taking a wicked deflection (CLICHÉ) before finding the net.

Still, they were the better team on the night (SECOND CLICHÉ) and one to consider backing their goals lines in the weeks to come.

Take your chances!
And on the topic of creativity, Middlesbrough aren't matching the level with goals.

They've found the net three times across their three league games so far but their 7.49 xG is the most of any side across the 72 - the same applies to their total of 68 shots.

Middlesbrough's shot map
The seven big chances they've missed ranks them fourth, while they are down in 12th for efforts on target.

There's a case to be made for backing their goals line in the weeks to come. The midweeker against Stoke in the Carabao Cup and the early kick-off trip to Cardiff on Saturday being two good games to target.

Results may not have followed but I remain confident in Middlesbrough's potential this season under Michael Carrick's guidance.

All change...
In last week's Notebook, I spoke about Burnley's numbers not being a huge concern because of the individual talent they had at their disposal.

Just seven days later, I'm now asking myself: 'what the hell is going on at that club?'

Scott Parker's side started brilliantly, winning 4-1 at Luton before hitting five past Cardiff. Since then, four players have left in the space of four days with others rumoured to be on the way out.


Hannibal Mejbri, Jeremy Sarmiento and Jaidon Anthony are heading in but it's a significant enough turnover and a far from ideal way to be approaching the final week of the transfer window.

"I’ve said it from the outset, players that don’t want to be at the football club and don’t want to be around it, it’s clear that’s not what we’re going to try and develop here," Parker told his press conference after defeat to Sunderland on Saturday.

"I want people here who ultimately want to be part of this and this journey and there’s a couple of little bumps along the way."

It's a huge risk after such a solid start. They will certainly be a club to watch during deadline day on Friday.

[miri-01]

Howe does Eddie transform Newcastle back into a Champions League side?
By Dharnish Iqbal
09:53 · WED August 28, 2024
"Newcastle will be back because it’s one game a week. They don’t have European competition and the energy they play with, the physicality, with just one game a week. We will be trembling when we play against them."

These were the words of Pep Guardiola when asked about which teams could compete in the Premier League this season.

However, the opening two games conveyed that Newcastle have a long way to go before they're 'back' as they have been utterly unconvincing vs Southampton and Bournemouth.

Where has the intensity that made them so ferocious in 22/23 gone? Why are they losing so many duels? Can Sandro Tonali’s return reinvigorate the Magpies?

These are the important questions Eddie Howe will need to answer as the season goes on and, as the concerns increase, so will the pressure on the manager.

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Pressing matters...
Last season, their injury crisis meant Newcastle had to abandon the intense high press that helped them clinch a Champions League spot just months before.

That press has been a huge factor in Howe’s success at Newcastle, especially at home with one of the league’s loudest crowds cheering every tackle.

It’s still extremely early in the season and we may see it return. After all, they were forced to retreat and stay compact defensively vs Southampton - playing with ten men for 60 minutes.

Fabian Schar was sent off against Southampton
Fabian Schar was sent off against Southampton
Howe could be waiting for players to get minutes in their legs and back up to speed with the physicality of the season as they recover from the rust of playing in Copa America or the Euros.

Not to mention that this was an injury-prone squad last season anyway.

Spending most games pinning teams back and creating turnovers, the intensity out of possession could've contributed to the incessant issues.

It's plausible that Howe has scrapped this tactic in hopes of having a more available squad in a football climate where there are more games than ever.

The issue though is that without this, Newcastle's attacking verve suffers.

Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe had to deal with plenty of injuries in his Newcastle side last season
They aren't a team that is good at controlling games or creating a lot of chances.

Despite collecting four points from their opening two games, both performances were more gritty displays of digging in and they were fortunate to escape the Bournemouth game with a point - VAR's intervention for Bournemouth's late 'winner' the latest in a long line of discussion points about the technology.

But there is the return of Sandro Tonali, and Howe will be hoping reintegrating the midfielder will bring some much-needed dynamism to that area of the pitch.

It also takes the pressure off Bruno Guimarães as the playmaker forced to drop deep to receiver the ball. Tonali's presence allows the duo to interchange.

A quiet transfer window won't help
In Howe's own words, this has been "the most difficult transfer window I’ve ever had as a manager."

Considering he used to manage a Bournemouth team with, at times, a very limited budget, this statement is remarkable.

The only signing to start at the weekend was Lloyd Kelly, with Dan Burn and Emil Krafth at centre-back. The first-choice pairing of Fabian Schär (suspension) and Sven Botman (injured) absent.

The chase of Marc Guehi continues as they saw the latest bid of £65m rejected for the England international.

Marc Guehi
Marc Guehi has been a target for Newcastle
Newcastle are in a precarious position with Guehi now though, as Palace will be well aware of how desperately Howe needs a centre-back. Of course, that allows them to up their valuation if needed as the window enters its final days.

Even if Guehi were to trade London for Tyneside, the club's position with PSR would limit their ability to recruit without further departures.

The need for a centre-back is a pressing issue with captain Jamal Lascelles also absent through injury, but Newcastle may have spent so long on the Guehi deal it’s neglected negotiations and moves to strengthen in other key areas, such as right wing.

Miguel Almiron has been a great servant for the club and Jacob Murphy is a handy squad player but if they are to aim for the Champions League again, you feel they'll need a forward with more quality.

We may likely see a player depart if Newcastle want to strengthen in this area.

Miguel Almiron
Miguel Almiron has featured at right wing for Newcastle
Alan Shearer damningly expressed his concerns recently: "I hope I’m wrong, but I just get the feeling as if something doesn’t look right. There was a lack of energy, a lack of spark. Eddie is always about the energy, the press, I didn’t see any of that."

Crucially, there has been a lot of change in the boardroom this summer. The departure of co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi and the arrival of Paul Mitchell as sporting director have shaken things up.

After Newcastle’s fabulous Champions League win over PSG last season, Staveley thanked Howe on the pitch.

But with a new structure, things have changed and the close relationship the former Bournemouth manager had with the previous club’s hierarchy has gone.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe with chief executive Amanda Staveley and club co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi
Eddie Howe with Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi
No one can deny the stunning work Howe has done since coming to Newcastle. Taking them from the relegation zone to safety in his first season and building on that with a fourth-place finish the season after.

When he was first appointed, it was a sleeping giant of a club in desperate need of new ownership after years of meandering along under Mike Ashley.

Now, it is one with resources and a huge attraction for managers across the world - its stock has skyrocketed.

A season like the last one may see a new ownership looking elsewhere for another manager, regardless of the success of recent years.

[miri-01]

Are Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton already fighting a losing battle?
By Alex Keble
13:51 · FRI August 30, 2024
There used to be pushback against any media outlet that had the audacity to publish a league table before there were four matches on the board.

Maybe the reason nobody minds anymore reflects our expectation of content churn in the social media age. But maybe it’s because the financial disparities in the Premier League make the table intelligible within the first fortnight.

Two games into the 2024/25 season the three title favourites Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool are joint-top of the league; fifth to 13th are bunched together in a blob that will more or less stay that way; and the expected relegation candidates are scrabbling around for points at the bottom.

Save for Brighton’s 100% record and Nottingham Forest up in seventh the table already looks like a premonition of May.

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That is bad news for the newly promoted sides, who between them have accrued one point from six matches – and that was Leicester's stolen draw against a Tottenham side that could have been 3-0 up at half-time.

We could have seen this coming, and not just because it’s happening with increasing regularity. Last season all three promoted clubs – Burnley, Luton and Sheffield United – went straight back down, and although it was the first time that had happened since 1997/98 it still followed a trend.

More and more often, those who come up are at too great a financial disadvantage to compete.

It definitely looks that way this year.

Leicester are very weak in the forward line. They are already relying on 36-year-old Jamie Vardy and 19-year-old Facundo Buonanotte, which explains why only Ipswich have had fewer than their 17 shots on goal so far.

Jamie Vardy celebrates
Jamie Vardy scored Leicester's equaliser against Tottenham
When you add that to a possible points deduction coming down the line, and consider Leicester lost manager Enzo Maresca and star play Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall over the summer, Steve Cooper has an almost impossible job keeping them up without major reinforcements up front.

Southampton also seem doomed.

Russell Martin’s aesthetic possession football has only every produced par performances, be it at MK Dons, Swansea, or Southampton in the Championship, and frankly we have seen enough from two games in the top-flight to confirm it is the wrong approach for a promoted club to take.

They held 65% possession against Forest but managed just five shots with a combined xG of 0.1, prompting Martin to comment on the tension inside the stadium.

Supporters aren’t going to relax any time soon. They know how this one goes.

Ipswich's prospects appear better than the other two, although admittedly optimism about their plucky fighting spirit is predominantly because they are still an unknown entity upon which we can continue to project whatever we want.

They were valiant against both Liverpool and Manchester City but never stood a chance in either fixture.

Ryan Gravenberch in action against Ipswich
Ipswich have been beaten by both Liverpool and Manchester City
Their season begins on Saturday with a home game against Fulham, when a set of players recently in League One look to take on Emile Smith Rowe, Andreas Pereira, and Adama Traore.

The gulf feels huge in a way it never has before - and that applies to Southampton and Leicester, too.

Forest’s victory over Southampton was a telling game.

They are arguably the most likely side to get sucked into the relegation fight and yet Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were significantly better than Saints, the comparison between the sides made stark by the appearance of Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga, and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

None of the promoted clubs have a single attacker as good as any of those three.

It’s a sign of what Premier League stability brings these days.

What about the 'established' clubs?
Elsewhere Brentford, Bournemouth, Wolves and Crystal Palace all have excellent managers and star players streets ahead of those at the promoted clubs.

We don’t need to name them. It is self-evident, and therefore even those making winless starts have no real reason to worry about relegation.

The only spanner in the works is Everton, but even they appear to hold an advantage.

Sean Dyche is a very safe pair of hands and indeed he won just one point from the first five Premier League matches of last season before turning things around.

You expect a Dyche team to start grinding out wins at some point, especially with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dwight McNeil, and James Tarkowski in their ranks.

Sean Dyche
Sean Dyche is looking to keep Everton in the Premier League
Again, who among the promoted clubs has players anywhere near that standard?

Over the past couple of years the Premier League’s bottom-half clubs have really pulled themselves together.

The fire-fighter managers are gone. Up-and-coming coaches from around Europe are in vogue, and their presence has made the Premier League a more attractive destination than ever before.

Bournemouth convincing Evanilson to swap Champions League football at Porto for life on the south coast says it all.

We may well be on the verge of consecutive years of the promoted clubs going back down, and make no mistake this would be a disaster for the Premier League.

Every year that happens the other 17 grow richer and more stable, in turn making them more attractive to talented young players around Europe willing to play mid-table football in exchange for huge wages in the shop window.

A few consecutive years of this, and the Premier League risks losing relegation as a serious part of the competition.

Granted, two games into the 2024/25 season is too early for such a dramatic conclusion. But two games into the season and the league table already looks set.

[miri-01]

This Week's Acca gets off the mark for the season with 12/1 winning four-fold
By Sporting Life
21:49 · SAT August 31, 2024
Spend all of Saturday staring at a screen, hitting refresh, frustrated, worried, at times crestfallen? Know that you were not alone.

But then came confirmation, after all the anticipation, all the time worrying it would all be for nothing. Finally, you got the result you and millions of others had so desired. That decision you'd made to subscribe had paid off.

David McGoldrick had indeed scored a late winner for Notts County.

His second goal gave them a 2-1 lead heading into the closing minutes against Swindon. They held on, so did Aston Villa, so did Walsall, and for Brentford it was all so very easy.

In the end, all that matters is that This Week's Acca is off the mark for the 2024/25 season, thanks to a timely 12/1 winner.

Some might say the lads deserved it, others might not. But the masterplan, to end the year in front, now has legs.

Subscribe to This Week's Acca on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And check our football tips page every Friday for the latest boosted accumulator, in written form, for all those 40-somethings who've got other things to listen to at the moment.

Don't go away now, will you?

This Week's Acca - August 31
CLICK HERE for our This Week's Acca record
Fava beans and a nice chianti for Punt?
Podcast pundit Jimmy The Punt will be doubling down on those Saturday celebrations thanks to a brilliant afternoon for his column, too.

It began with Hannibal Mejbri earning another booking, which had been advised at 5/2 along with Blackburn in the double-chance market, another winner at even-money.

And it didn't take long for the 3pm games to deliver another major boost as 10/1 chance Donovan Pines struck for Barnsley after just 12 minutes of their game with Crawley.

Jimmy had gone through the card with Thursday's trio of selections and has selections at big prices for Sunday, too.

CLICK HERE for his thoughts on the Old Firm derby, and here for his best bets around Europe.