I will leave you with a recap of some of today’s football pieces. Thanks for reading and commenting, and good luck this weekend. Bye!
“The Monday column was his showcase. He would attend the match of his choice on Saturday, watch Match of the Day, and next morning pull together his thoughts on the weekend and the state of the game crisply and analytically, slipping in discursive similes, metaphors and cultural references without ever troubling Pseuds Corner.”
Matthew Engel writes David Lacey’s obituary:
Some reader letters here about the great David Lacey, including this one from Graham Russell:
“Thank you for your double-page spread celebrating some of the wonderful journalism of David Lacey (Report, 17 November). One day in the late 1960s, while at university in London, I was reading the Daily Telegraph sports section in the university refectory. A fellow student put the Guardian down in front of me, open at one of David’s match reports. He told me to read it and assured me that, having read it, I would only buy the Guardian in future. Fifty-four years later, I’m still buying the Guardian every day.”
Plans are being developed within football for the creation of a permanent workers’ centre in Qatar that would support the rights of migrant labourers, as the game seeks to leave a positive legacy after the 2022 World Cup.
Louise Taylor previews Newcastle v Brentford. Can Eddie Howe unlock Joelinton’s talent?
Fancy a Watford v Manchester United match preview? Here you go, then:
The Everton manager Rafael Benítez is looking for improvements in the way injuries are managed after the departure of the club’s director of medical services Dan Donachie. The Spaniard’s first few months in charge have been hampered by the absence of last season’s leading scorer, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with a thigh injury since the end of August.
In addition Yerry Mina has not played for over a month due to a hamstring injury, Andre Gomes (calf) has made just five appearances and Fabian Delph has just returned after 10 weeks out with a shoulder problem.
“We try to manage the players in another way. I wish Dan all the best,” said Benítez, who last month brought in Cristian Fernández as first-team rehabilitation fitness coach, having worked with him at Newcastle.
“We want to improve every department and the way we want to do things is maybe a little bit different. From the beginning I was impressed with the attitude of the staff [but] different managers have different visions and we are trying to do that. The main thing is communication and we are talking with everyone in every department and I am happy with the things I am seeing at the moment.”
Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure could return within the next fortnight after a broken metatarsal but Calvert-Lewin faces “at least” two to three weeks more on the sidelines. Mina, Gomes and Tom Davies (knee) have no date set for their return to action. (PA)
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It’s only the sports quiz of the week – get stuck in:
A below-the-line comment from this morning, from lancaster43: “Although I probably missed the relevant article I’d like to express my sadness at the death of Gerald Sinstadt. As a football mad kid growing up in Granadaland in the 70s, his voice and presence on the box were a welcome part of my childhood.”
And a reply from Chorleycake113: “I was also saddened by the death of Gerald Sinstadt, being from your neck of the woods too. But the news of the death of David Lacey hit me even harder and I would like to say that his writings were something that became an important part of my weekly life. First thing I’d do after the weekend would turn to his report in the paper. I feel that I’ve lost a dear friend. RIP David and thank you.”
Read Richard Williams’ excellent tribute to David Lacey here:
Meanwhile, Sunday’s WSL fixtures are as follows:
Manchester United v Arsenal (12.15pm)
Chelsea v Birmingham City (2pm)
Leicester City v Everton (2pm)
Reading v Brighton & Hove Albion (2pm)
West Ham v Tottenham (3pm)
There is one Women’s Super League match taking place tomorrow: Manchester City meet Aston Villa Women, kicking off at 11.30am.
The City manager insists he and his players can turn around their poor form: “I’m working tremendously hard trying to shut myself away from that negative talk,” he told Sky Sports. “I try to deal with it in a manner that protects the players and I will continue to do so ... I have real belief in myself and the group we have here, and I believe we will turn things around.”
On the latest team news, Taylor told the official City site: “Alanna Kennedy is progressing quite well, after the initial blow of losing her between Chelsea and United.
“Outside of that I think everyone has come back well over the last couple of days so we are similar to where we were. Lauren [Hemp] was carrying a shin injury from the clash she had in the Chelsea game. We have had to manage that accordingly. She has come through that so she is in contention.
“[For Janine Beckie] It’s just a period of trying to help her get back to full fitness. She could have gone away but she has had an ongoing problem for some time that needs looking at. I think there will be some treatment administered and that gives her some recovery time.”
On Esme Morgan and Ellie Roebuck, he said: “Esme is going to be the new year and quite a way into the new year.”
The Wolves manager Bruno Lage has called for Adama Traoré to be more consistent. The 25-year-old winger made a promising start to the season but his form has dipped since, and he has been on the bench in recent weeks.
“I would like to see from Adama what he did in the first three games, and what I saw in the last two weeks,” said Lage. “That’s the Adama I want to see in the pitch. I want Adama to be more consistent, not just game by game, but also in the game.
“He’s the kind of player who, when you have the ball, can do something special. But I want more Adama during the game, not just when you have the ball. He needs to be there more time in the game. When he works from outside, he’s very dangerous. He’s working very hard to understand the inside game, he’s doing well, the last two weeks it was very good, and if you remember, the first three games, what he did was very good.
“I was very happy with the way he pressed, the way he created chances, the way he linked with the players. What I want is that and Adama knows he needs to fight with [Hee Chan] Hwang, Daniel [Podence] and [Francisco] Trinçao, because the four guys are in a good way, and that’s good for me.”
Traoré will be pushing for a return to the team when Wolves resume their Premier League campaign against West Ham at Molineux on Saturday.
The full-back Fernando Marçal is in contention to feature for the first time since October 16 after recovering from a calf injury, although Rayan Aït-Nouri is set to keep his place. Lage said that he will “take the best decision” on Raul Jiménez’s availability after the striker returned from international duty with Mexico on Thursday. (PA)
The Atlético Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann’s two-match European ban has been reduced to one following a successful appeal, governing body Uefa said in a statement on Friday. Griezmann, 30, was sent off in Atlético’s 3-2 defeat at home by Liverpool in the Champions League last month and was given a one-match ban that was later extended.
The France international missed the reverse fixture against Liverpool, a 2-0 defeat, meaning he has already served his suspension and will be available for the group stage meeting with AC Milan on Wednesday. The Spanish side are third in Group B with four points from as many games, eight points behind leaders Liverpool. Porto are second on five points. (Reuters)
Newcastle managing director Charnley departs
The Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley has left the club as the new owners look to appoint a chief executive officer in his place. Charnley, who has been at St James’ Park for 22 years, stayed on during a handover period following October’s takeover.
A club statement said: “Newcastle United can confirm that its managing director, Lee Charnley, has left the club following a handover period with the new ownership group. Lee has been with the club for 22 years, the last seven of which were as the Magpies’ managing director.
“Newcastle United was acquired by an investment group led by PIF, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports and Media in October. The club’s new board will continue to oversee all operations. The club has also begun a formal recruitment process to appoint a CEO and will make an announcement in due course.” (PA)
It’s Friday – it’s past 4pm – it must be time for The Fiver!
Gregg Bakowski has been beavering away on a sideways glance at Newcastle and Eddie Howe, including the new manager’s insistence that Joelinton is an ‘incredible technician’, among other things:
The titans of Crystal Palace meet the giants of Burnley tomorrow, to see who wins that. Graham Searles has the match preview right here:
The new Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, has issued a rallying cry to the club’s fans, asking them to get behind the team during his first match in charge against Espanyol in La Liga on Saturday.
Barça are ninth on 17 points, 10 points behind Real Madrid and 11 adrift of leaders Real Sociedad and Xavi - who took charge this month after Ronald Koeman’s sacking - said his team needed their fans now more than ever.
“Here I stand asking our people to be on our side,” Xavi said. “There won’t be a lack of attitude. You can be sure we’ll give it our all. We ask you to come help us. We’re Barça, we need to stick together. If you give your all like you did the day I was presented, it’s good for me.”
“There will be a lot of tension and we need to control our nerves ... I told the boys they need to stay calm on the pitch because they’ll face rivals who are well prepared,” Xavi added. “I’m less nervous now as a coach than I used to be when I was a player. I’m happy to be home and I’m looking forward to the game.” (Reuters)
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QPR meet Luton this evening to kick off the weekend’s Championship action. Rangers are sixth, and could overtake Stoke and move fifth with a win. Luton are 11th, but just two points behind tonight’s opponents, so a victory for them would vault them up to sixth. All to play for. Some pre-match thoughts here courtesy of the official QPR website:
QPR manager Mark Warburton: “Luton are a very good team, but we just have to focus on ourselves and be ready for each game. This league is unique but hopefully, if we can reach the levels we know we’re capable of, we’ll be in a good place.”
Nathan Jones, Luton Town Manager: “QPR are a fantastic club with history, we know it’s a difficult game. They have a great squad and I expect them to be very strong and pose a huge threat to us and be a very good test.”
What do you mean, you haven’t read ‘10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend’??
Remedy that immediately by clicking this link:
It’s being reported that Manchester City have suspended their partnership with the cryptocurrency start-up, 3Key, pending further investigations. More on that as we get it – here’s our story from yesterday in the meantime:
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The West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury, manager David Moyes confirmed on Friday. Ogbonna was injured in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool two weeks ago and requires surgery.
“We think surgery will take place over the next couple of days and that is really sad, he has done a great job for us, he is a great boy, a great team player,” Moyes said before Saturday’s meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“He is someone we love having around and more importantly his performances have been excellent for us so it is a real sad moment for him and us. Most people who know about injuries and cruciate ligament injuries know they tend to take somewhere around about nine months.
“You look at (Virgil) Van Dijk and people of that ilk and how long it takes for recovery. There is not a quick return from cruciates, there is a period which has to be taken for recovery time. So I would probably say yes it will be hard for Angelo to play again this season.”
Moyes also believes there is more to come from his side. “If the season finished now I would be ecstatic, drinking champagne because of how good the team has done but we have another 20 or more games to go so we just have to continue how we have been playing and keep the players pushing on,” he said. “But I think we can play better, there is more to come and players who can step up again.” (Reuters)
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On this day in 2001: A 4-4 Premier League draw between Charlton and West Ham, featuring a couple of bits of Paolo Di Canio magic:
An exquisite Paulo Di Canio assist 😍
— Premier League (@premierleague) November 19, 2021
Long range rockets 🚀
An equalising overhead kick 😮
A 4-4 draw between @CAFCofficial and @WestHam #OnThisDay in 2001 had it all 🔥 pic.twitter.com/64rgIyW388
Any MLS fans in today? Here, from a little earlier, are our playoff predictions ...
Shortly before 4am on Thursday morning, a private chartered plane touched down on a freezing London runway. On board were 130 exhausted, nervous but extremely relieved female footballers and their families, whose dramatic journey to the UK from Afghanistan started more than four months ago, before Kabul fell to the Taliban and triggered an exodus.
Random football memory alert: I saw France, under Lemerre, play a ‘friendly’ against Australia at the MCG in 2001. It was a 1-1 draw, and largely unmemorable, aside from Kevin Muscat going in studs up on Christophe Dugarry.
“Football isn’t a game of skittles,” Lemerre observed of Muscat’s challenge. “What happened to Dugarry is something I regret bitterly … brutality is something I cannot accept.”
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I thought the story about alleged fake vaccination certificates in Germany was from left-field, but this is also oddly eye-catching in its own way:
Roger Lemerre, who managed France to the European Championship in 2000, has returned to coaching at the age of 80 at Etoile Sahel, the Tunisian club confirmed on Friday. The club have only four points from four games this season and have a place in the group stage of the African Champions League, starting in February.
It will be Lemerre’s third stint at the club and a return to a country where he is revered after guiding Tunisia to their only African Cup of Nations title in 2004. The former France international took over as coach of his country’s national team after they won the 1998 World Cup and led them to Euro 2000 success but quit after their group-stage flop at the 2002 World Cup. He then won the Cup of Nations with Tunisia for a unique double of continental titles. (Reuters)
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The Blackpool head coach Neil Critchley has signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal to keep him at the club until June 2026. Critchley joined the Seasiders in March 2020 from Liverpool, and steered the side to promotion from League One into the Championship in his first full season in charge.
On signing his new deal, Critchley told the club website: “I am absolutely delighted. It has been an immensely happy time for me at Blackpool. I’ve enjoyed every second of being here. I’m thankful to Simon [Sadler] and the club for showing their commitment towards me. I get to work with a great group of staff and a fantastic group of players who are hungry to improve.
“We have already shared some success, however we are ambitious and I feel that we still have further development to come. With the support of our incredible fans, I’m hopeful that we can share some more happy times together in the future.”
Blackpool are 10th in the Championship before Saturday’s clash with Swansea.
The Chelsea Supporter’s Trust has issued a statement criticising the club for proposed ticket price increases from the 2022/23 season. According to the statement, some season tickets will increase ‘to over the triple the existing price’:
A statement on behalf of the CST pic.twitter.com/WCPoMag0VE
— Chelsea Supporters’ Trust⭐️⭐️ (@ChelseaSTrust) November 19, 2021
Can Dean Smith kick off his Norwich tenure with a win against Southampton? Graham Searles investigates in our latest match preview:
Much obliged David, thanks. To kick off the afternoon session, how about a smattering of Serie A news from Italy, via Reuters:
Massimiliano Allegri has urged Juventus to do their talking on the pitch when they travel to face Lazio on Saturday in a key clash in the Serie A top-four race. The Turin club ended a three-match winless league run by beating Fiorentina before the international break. But a sluggish start to the season left them eighth after 12 matches, three points behind Lazio in fifth and 14 points adrift of joint-leaders Napoli and AC Milan.
“In this moment we must act, not think. We are lagging behind in the table, four points from fourth place, and gossiping about it is no use to anyone,” Allegri said on Friday. “We need to just think about looking to slowly but surely improve in the attacking and defensive phases, as well as our league position.”
Allegri confirmed that striker Paulo Dybala is doubtful due to a calf injury, while Aaron Ramsey has also sustained a knock.
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And after my brief co-pilot stint, I’ll hand you back to today’s main plane driver, Captain Luke McLaughlin.
Claudio Ranieri has looked to the skies again in his latest press conference. This time he’s compared football management to, erm, skydiving.
From the man who once said, “I say my team is like the RAF, it’s fantastic - whoosh whoosh!”, comes this:
“A manager is like a parachutist – you don’t know if the parachute will open or not. And sometimes, people don’t even give you the parachute!
“When you take a decision, you are alone. But of course when you think about it, you think ‘I am alone for the decision’, but of course there’s a club behind you, there’s players who can express your idea.
“That’s it, there is satisfaction also. But of course the manager is a man alone.”
So there. Appropriately, Watford host the Red Devils on Saturday.
A few more details on Kevin De Bruyne’s positive Covid-19 test here.
Everton manager Rafael Benitez says key men Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure are still a little while away from being fit.
Calvert-Lewin has not played since the end of August due to a thigh problem, while Doucoure has been out for a month after breaking his metatarsal.
In addition, Everton are without Yerry Mina (hamstring), Andre Gomes (calf) and Tom Davies (knee) for the trip to Manchester City on Sunday (2pm).
“All are progressing well but none are ready yet,” said Benitez.
“Doucoure is a metatarsal, so the bone has to heal. One week, two weeks maximum he will be fine. Dominic, two to three weeks.”
Manchester United travel to Watford on Saturday (3pm) and it’s fair to say their form is a mixed bag. United’s last nine results in all competitions show a noticeable lack of consecutive letters.
LWDLWLWDL
Here’s Ole: “We know the poor run of form puts ourselves under pressure but that pressure should be a joy, it should be something that makes us a better team and makes every player perform at their best level.”
Elsewhere in Manchester, Ole Solskjær is fielding questions about his future and how safe he feels. Despite the international break offering some brief respite, it hasn’t been forgotten how City totally outplayed United in one of the most comprehensive 2-0 wins in Premier League history last time.
“The players, the staff, myself and the club, we are all working towards one goal and that’s for this team to improve and get better results,” said the Norwegian.
“The fans are still supporting the team and the club. They’ve been through this period and backed this team through the rebuild.
“You know when you lose a game you’re always disappointed and under pressure. We’ve communicated well and openly and honestly. There’s one game now that matters but also there’s what goes on after that. We’re all refreshed, this week has been really good in training and we’re ready for tomorrow.”
More from Pep. Here he is with some plus and minus points of the international break.
“As a club manager it is a dream because I got a one week holiday to look at my tan - much better than the United game.
“But I am concerned because we are unlucky, we always have problems when players come back from international break. This is not an exception.”
Kevin De Bruyne tests positive for Covid-19
Kevin De Bruyne will miss Manchester City’s trip to Everton on Sunday after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Belgium became infected during the international break and Pep Guardiola explained in his press conference: “Kevin got positive from Covid. He will be 10 days isolated.”
Pep could be short of playmaker options, with Jack Grealish a major doubt and Phil Foden not certain to feature.
Grealish picked up a knock that forced him to pull out of the England squad for Monday’s World Cup qualifier in San Marino while Foden has a leg issue.
Guardiola said: “Jack is getting better, Phil Foden came back with a problem in his leg. Jack I don’t think (will be available), Phil maybe.”
Some Tottenham v Leeds team news for you. This one is Sunday’s 4.30pm kick-off.
Tottenham will be forced to make changes for the visit of Leeds with Cristian Romero and Oliver Skipp unavailable for Sunday’s Premier League fixture.
Romero sustained an unspecified injury while away with Argentina and Skipp has a one-match suspension to serve after he received a fifth booking of the season at Everton two weeks ago.
Giovani Lo Celso is another who has to be assessed following a knock picked up on international duty. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is expected to be fit and Antonio Conte has also been boosted by Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil being able to return to training after recent hamstring issues.
Leeds will be without Patrick Bamford again, with the striker set to miss his ninth game in all competitions due to an ankle injury.
Teenage striker Joe Gelhardt is not likely to feature after withdrawing from the England Under-20 squad through injury.
Defenders Luke Ayling, Robin Koch (both knee) and Junior Firpo (muscle strain) are still unavailable and Jamie Shackleton remains doubtful. (PA)
Thanks very much Luke. I’ve just been reading Max Rushden’s well explained and yet still baffling piece on cryptocurrency.
If I bought a piece of football/art history, I reckon I’d go for Clodoaldo’s stepover and dribble against Italy in the 1970 World Cup final. For some reason I’m obsessed by this piece of jinkery and, with most bidders going for the end product - Carlos Alberto’s (ball gets lucky bounce) thumping drive to make it 4-1 - maybe I’d pick it up on the cheap.
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Now, the time has come for me to grab a spot of lunch, and I will hand you over to Friday football countdown legend David Tindall to guide you through the next hour.
Eddie Howe has indicated he intends to rebuild Newcastle United around Jonjo Shelvey. The midfielder, undeniably gifted and blessed with a stellar passing range, has spent significant periods of his St James’ Park career on the sidelines after being dropped at times by Rafael Benítez and, more recently, Steve Bruce.
Following on from Thomas Tuchel’s earlier press conference, Ed Aarons reports on his praise for Conor Gallagher, Chelsea’s on-loan midfielder at Crystal Palace:
A story from earlier this week on the EFL, looking ahead to next season and the World Cup in Qatar: To accommodate the bizarrely-positioned tournament, the domestic season will begin on 30 July, one week before the Premier League.
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The Wolves legend, George Berry, turns 64 today. Happy Birthday to you sir.
🎈 Wishing a happy 64th birthday to George Berry!
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 19, 2021
🐺🎂 pic.twitter.com/jxxeLIXNqq
The Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is bracing himself for a St Johnstone struggle at Hampden Park on Saturday. The sides meet in the semi-final of the Premier Sports Cup for the chance to play Rangers or Hibernian, who meet at the national stadium on Sunday, in the December final.
The former Australia manager said of the Perth side: “They had a fantastic season last year, they won two trophies and they showed that in the big games they are up to the task and they are not going to fear anyone.
“From our perspective, we are expecting a tough challenge but to be fair whoever you play in the semi-final of a tournament, you know it is not going to be an easy game. It is going to be a struggle, an arm-wrestle, it is going to be competitive, there is going to be some nervousness in both sides because you know the consequences of success and failure, everything is decided on the day.
“It is going to be a typical cup game where both sides will put their best foot forward and from our perspective it is about making sure we play our football as we have been, we have been in good form, home, away, in all competitions.”
The Werder Bremen coach, Markus Anfang, has denied using a fake Covid-19 vaccination certificate after an investigation was launched by German authorities, the club said. Werder, playing in Germany’s second division, said an investigation was under way but the coach denied allegations he used a fake certificate following a meeting with club bosses late on Thursday evening.
“On Thursday evening the management of SV Werder Bremen was informed of an ongoing investigation into an alleged use of a forged vaccination certificate by Markus Anfang,” a club statement said. “In a personal discussion with the management Markus Anfang vehemently rejected the accusations and assured them he was fully vaccinated and had not made use of a fake vaccination certificate.”
The coach said he had been vaccinated twice at an official vaccination centre. “Just like any other double-jabbed citizen I got my two vaccination shots at an official vaccination centre and received the stickers to put on my yellow vaccination passport,” Anfang said in a club statement. “I then digitised it at a pharmacy and obviously assumed that all was in order. I very much hope this issue is cleared up quickly.”
The vaccination of players and team staff has been an issue for months in German football. Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich is the most high-profile player to refuse inoculation, citing concerns over the long-term effects of the vaccine. (Reuters)
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The Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has given an upbeat bulletin on Eberechi Eze, who is nearing a return to first-team action after a long injury layoff:
“He’s doing really well ... He played two games, 90 minutes, and has been training with the team,” Vieira said. “He will be part of the group who will travel to Burnley. Obviously he’s a talented player, but he is still a long way to go from his best. We have to remind ourselves he will need time to get back to where he was ... but he will get there ... he is improving, but I think we have to give him time to where he was before his injuries.”
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And if you missed it, here’s Ben Fisher interviewing the Swansea head coach, Russell Martin:
Here’s an hour-long film from Eli Mengem and Copa90 on Scotland at Euro 2020 entitled “It’s Shite Being Scottish”. Enjoy:
Former Rangers players and coaches were among those to attend a public memorial service for Walter Smith on Friday. Ex-Rangers players Derek McInnes, Andy Goram and Charlie Miller were among the first to arrive at Glasgow Cathedral. Kris Boyd was also in attendance. Jim Stewart and Kenny McDowall, who were on Smith’s coaching staff during his second spell in charge of Rangers, also arrived ahead of the service. Smith died aged 73 last month and a private family funeral was held earlier this month. (PA)
Fitness-wise, at the start of the press conference, the Liverpool manager Klopp said that Jordan Henderson and Andy Robertson haven’t trained since coming back from international duty, and are not certain to be in shape to start against Arsenal tomorrow evening.
On the plus side he said Sadio Mané is ‘good’ and Fabinho is hopeful of training later today.
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What messages did Klopp send to Steven Gerrard after his appointment at Aston Villa? “What we wrote ... it’s completely fine if that stays private.”
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Klopp on Arsenal’s improvement: “I’m not surprised ... with the quality of Arsenal, there was never a chance they would stay where they were at the start of the season ... they are good ... they know they were lucky in one or two games, where it could have been different, for instance Crystal Palace played an incredible game against them and they equalised very late ... but these kind of things you need. They won a lot of games, and that’s where they are ... we are not surprised that Arsenal are a really good football team, but we are a really good football team as well.”
Klopp: 'I hate international breaks'
Klopp’s having words now before the match against Arsenal: “Title race? It’s a bit early for that. To stay up there [in the table] ... you need results, and we didn’t have enough good results in the last few weeks ... we lost at West Ham, but even if we had drawn there, the situation would not be massively different. We know we have to perform, we have to fight ... Arsenal is a really good football team, but we are at Anfield, and we need to show that ... I’m looking forward to it, can’t wait to start.”
Was it a good time for the international break, Klopp is asked? “No. I hate international breaks. And it didn’t help from an injury point of view ... it was not helpful, I would have loved to play the weekend after.”
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A touch more Tuchel here, from PA:
Thomas Tuchel expects “good news” on a potential contract extension for Chelsea’s Denmark defender Andreas Christensen. “For Andreas, from my point of view, everybody wants the same thing, the coach wants the same thing, the club wants the same thing and the player wants the same thing,” said Tuchel. “So, hopefully and obviously I expect some good news in the next days, but every case is different. And you can end up in situations like this, but the situations are handled from all sides very carefully, very professionally and in a very mature manner. And so during the process we can produce performances that we need to fulfil our goals and that’s the most important thing. Things are very mature, very respectful and very clear.”
Jürgen Klopp is also going to have a chat soon, so that’s nice. I’ll write up some quotes from his press conference ASAP.
The Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl wants more protection from referees for his attacking full-back Tino Livramento. The former Chelsea player Livramento is one of the most fouled players in the Premier League, and pulled out of England Under-21 duty following a bruising encounter with Aston Villa a fortnight ago.
The 19-year-old has emerged as one of the Premier League’s brightest talents, and Hasenhüttl said: “That means that he doesn’t stop going one-on-one when he has the chance to do it. He is super-quick when he has the ball and when he is passing the players, the only chance they have is to sometimes make a foul because otherwise he’s gone.
“This is a big strength of ours this season, and we have to use him as often as possible. It’s always a good sign that he’s lively and hard to stop. As long as he’s not injured after this, it’s OK. We must take care of him and the referees should also take care of him when there is a situation like the last game when his opponent should have been sent off after 30 minutes.
“They must have open eyes for these situations. But, for him, I’m not scared because he likes to do this and he has all the ability to do this. It’s what I want to see.”
Hasenhuttl confirmed Livramento will be fit to face Norwich on Saturday despite pulling out of England duty. James Ward-Prowse had to withdraw from the senior England squad through illness but he is also available. (PA)
Patrick Vieira is speaking now-ish, but it appears to be premium content on the Crystal Palace site, so sadly I can’t watch live. Quotes to follow soon, though.
The previews are dropping thick and fast. Here’s Leicester v Chelsea:
It’s match preview time! Graham Searles takes a look at Villa v Brighton:
PadraigOHooligan comments BTL: “Tuchel on Conor Gallagher: “he finishes maybe in the shower, that’s the earliest moment when he finishes running and stealing balls”.
“He does WHAT in the shower? Sounds hazardous and incredibly painful. No wonder they’ve sent him out on loan.”
I was waiting for that. Tuchel was riffing on that joke about the defender who keeps marking the opposition striker in the bar after the match. The showers/balls things was bound to raise eyebrows. Now, back to our regular programming.
Yesterday marked a year until the World Cup begins in Qatar. Sean Ingle took a look at what fans travelling to the tournament can expect –
The Arsenal head coach, Mikel Arteta, says his players are aware of the challenge of playing at Liverpool with the London club looking to end a nine-year winless streak at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday. Arsenal were bottom of the table in August after losing their first three league games but Arteta’s side have jumped to fifth with an unbeaten run of eight.
They have not won a league game at Anfield since 2012, however, when Arteta was still playing for them. “It is a test,” Arteta said on Friday. “Anfield is a fascinating stadium to play football. You have to be at your best and raise your level to the maximum standards emotionally, physically, technically and tactically because if you don’t you will get exposed. To go to Anfield is always a test. But again if you are able to do that as well, there are not that many grounds as good to feel that you are a proper footballer.”
Arteta said his in-form side are keen to maintain their momentum by playing at the “highest level” against Liverpool, who are a spot above them in the table on 22 points.
“Jürgen [Klopp] and his staff have managed to bring the club to the best moments in their history and sustained it which is the hardest thing to do,” Arteta said. “They have transformed the energy around the place, what they have created in the stadium is something special and they have been extremely successful.”
Arteta said that Thomas Partey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be assessed before the match due to injury issues, while Sead Kolasinac (left ankle) and Granit Xhaka (right knee) are still recovering. (Reuters)
Matthew Hall reports on reports of abuse in women’s football in Canada. Sandi Leroux, Sydney Leroux’s mother, says the allegations of bullying and abuse around the Vancouver Whitecaps and Canada’s youth teams were well known – and not dealt with:
A few more lines from Antonio Conte’s press conference here, including a Twitter video. The Italian says he likes what he’s seen at the club so far, behind the scenes:
“I have a positive sensation ... all the people that work here are totally involved ... this must be very important, because, also, what happens around the pitch can bring points, can add points on the table ... in my managerial career, to involve all the people, to give them the right importance, is the right way ... every single person that works at Tottenham has to feel that they are an important person. The sense of belonging is this ... you must be involved with your heart, with your passion.”
Can you feel the love?
🎙 "You must be involved with your heart, with your passion. I think this is the right way to improve."
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 19, 2021
Antonio Conte just gets it. 💙
“Eddie Howe has been hugely impressive since his arrival and it tells you so much about the previous lot that his arrival at the training ground before dawn brought an outpouring of love from the fans,” comments Newcastle fan faddy1966 below the line.
“Having said that, when the new owners decided to wash the windows at St James’ Park it evoked a similar response, and they say we demand too much on Tyneside.”
Antonio Conte has warned Tottenham’s record signing Tanguy Ndombele to adapt quickly to his demands and learn to play “for the best of the team”.
The France midfielder has shown only flashes of his ability since joining from Lyon in 2019 for £55m, starting 45 Premier League matches, and is under his fifth Spurs manager, including the caretaker Ryan Mason. Ndombele has been used in a variety of midfield roles and Conte believes that harnessing the 24-year-old’s talent could be crucial to reviving Tottenham’s fortunes.
Full story:
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Howe appointment 'terrible timing' for Brentford, says Frank
The Brentford head coach Thomas Frank says Newcastle’s change of manager is “terrible timing” for his side. The Bees, on a run of four successive Premier League defeats, travel to St James’ Park for Eddie Howe’s first match in charge.
With a sell-out crowd ready to roar on the new regime and players keen to impress their new manager Frank is wary of what might lie in store for his side with little useful analysis to fall back on.
“It’s impossible to predict. It’s terrible timing for us because normally when you are going to all the other games you played - maybe except for the first one against Arsenal - we can analyse their last games,” Frank said. “Now there is a new manager coming in with a new style of play so we actually haven’t looked that much at Newcastle, more what Eddie did at Bournemouth.
“I think he is an extremely talented manager. He is one of the most interesting, young English managers and I’m very surprised he’s not had a job for 16 months. He stands for progressive football, front-foot pressing and wants to dominate on the ball and did a top job at Bournemouth, a job I admired a lot. I can’t be 100 per cent sure on (Newcastle’s) shape but I expect them to come flying out pressing us.” (PA)
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The cryptocurrency world is targeting football fans in a major way and, while it may enrich some, it comes with major risks, writes Max Rushden:
The Paris Saint-Germain manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has said coaching the Ligue 1 side with “the best players in the world” is not easy because he has to manage their emotions as well as their entourages. PSG have an embarrassment of riches in attack with Lionel Messi joining forces with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé while Ángel Di María, Mauro Icardi and Julian Draxler are also options, leaving Pochettino with selection problems every week.
“We manage people with emotions, everyone’s behaviour is not a flat line. It’s a succession of ups and downs - one is happy, another is hurt, one is performing well, another not,” Pochettino told L’Equipe. “I think the most important thing for the staff is to try to balance the moods. We must not forget that we have in our hands the best players in the world, but also their families, their media entourages, their followers. It’s not easy.”
PSG, who are 10 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 and play Nantes at home on Saturday, failed to defend the league title last season and fell at the semi-final stage in the Champions League. “PSG wants to win,” Pochettino added. “To win the Champions League, the Championship, the Cup - all the matches. They didn’t come looking for us to build a project, asking us what we needed to develop our ideas, or what we like,” he said. (Reuters)
And here’s Nick Ames again, with some analysis on Gerrard’s task at Villa Park:
Steven Gerrard, the new Aston Villa manager, spoke to the media yesterday and insisted his new job is not merely a stepping stone to managing Liverpool.
Nick Ames reports:
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Tuchel is also asked about Conor Gallagher, who is impressing on loan at Crystal Palace, and if he thinks his future is at Chelsea: “It’s too early to talk about it, and it’s way too early to talk about it in public, before we talk about it, and what his goals are. This will happen in summer ... as a teammate I would loved to have play with him, because he is a helper, and he starts on minute one, and he finishes maybe in the shower, that’s the earliest moment when he finishes running and stealing balls ... it’s up to him to keep on going, keep the feet on the ground, and the rest we will discuss not in a rush ... He deserves the very best because he’s such a nice guy and a top player.”
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Tuchel is asked about preparing the squad after the international break – specifically when players have had different experiences and disappointments, such as Jorginho missing a penalty for Italy: “If there is a guy who has enough personality to handle disappointment, it’s Jorgi,” Tuchel says. “The most important thing is when he arrives here in Cobham, he feels safe, that everybody will support him no matter what happened outside this building ... he’s not the first one to miss an important penalty and he will not be the last one. He has enough difficulties in his career, if you know the story from Jorgi ... this is a bump in the road and not more ... he can continue to play at the highest level.
“In general, it’s a demanding one to prepare 12.30 matches, we are not used to it ... it’s such an early time to eat, to prepare, and have a calm preparation ... I don’t think you will find a lot of coaches who like it – to have the full squad on Friday and to play 12.30 Saturday – but it’s a challenge, there are no excuses, and we will not start opening the dicussion about excuses ... it’s on us to show how strong we are tomorrow.”
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Kovacic and Lukaku remain sidelined for Chelsea
Before tomorrow’s meeting with Leicester, the Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is asked for an injury update on Mateo Kovacic, Romelu Lukaku and others:
“I can tell you that Mateo and Romelu are still out for the game in Leicester. Romelu is very close to team training, so he will join the squad on Sunday, let’s see how this works out ... he’s trying hard to come back as soon as possible ... Mateo will take some more days ... Timo is in team training since yesterday so let’s see, we have another training in two hours, then we will decide if it makes sense if he’s even in the squad or on the bench ... Christian Pulisic feels fine ... Thiago Silva will be in the training, he did not play [on international duty] but he has some travel in his body, so let’s see how this works out ... Mason [Mount] is back in training and looking hungry and fresh and in a good spirit. But we need to evaluate, he did this week training sessions, looks good, but we need to see if he could start or play 90 minutes.”
“Newport Pagnell Town v Leighton Town in the FA Vase for me tomorrow,” comments hennessy below the line. “Localish derby, watching the game with pint in hand and only a 10 minute drive home.”
The waiting is nearly over. Sounds like fun – enjoy.
In fitness news for Norwich and Southampton, who play tomorrow at 3pm, Dean Smith has no fresh injury concerns. Mathias Normann and Teemu Pukki missed training on Thursday having returned from international duty but are available to play. Sam Byram is set to make a major step forward in putting his injury nightmare behind him by playing for the under-23s on Friday but the full-back, who has not played first-team football for 20 months, is still some way off a return. Christoph Zimmermann remains out following ankle surgery last month, while fellow defender Grant Hanley has recently been struggling with a groin problem.
James Ward-Prowse is fit for Southampton despite pulling out of England duty through illness. Defender Tino Livramento and forward Armando Broja are also available, having missed their stints on international duty as well. Defender Jack Stephens is the only absentee with a knee injury.
Let’s take a look at La Liga, where Xavi begins his reign as Barcelona head coach against Espanyol tomorrow night. Can he turn the club around? Philipp Lahm writes that it’s going to be difficult, however impressive his CV as a player:
Dean Smith says Norwich have quality to survive
Norwich and Dean Smith have gone nice and early with today’s press conference, too: in fact he was speaking to bleary-eyed journalists at 9am. He believes Norwich have the quality in the squad to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
“I must say I’ve been really pleased, myself and (assistant) Craig Shakespeare with the quality, the facilities, the people at the training ground but then the players as well,” Smith said. “The attitude in training yesterday was excellent and the quality hasn’t disappointed for sure.
“The reason I’m in this seat obviously is because somebody lost their job because results weren’t happening and the performances weren’t getting results,” Smith added, referring to Daniel Farke. “We all know this is a tough league to get points in but from what we’ve seen early doors on the training ground, there is enough quality to get enough points. Players just need to have that belief. I’m fortunate in that not many managers get to walk into a football club on the back of a win but this is what we’ve done. We beat Brentford in Daniel’s last game and now we need to build on that.”
The new Newcastle manager Howe added that he does not expect to lose any sleep as he prepares for his first game in charge. Asked how he was feeling ahead of the Premier League fixture, Howe said: “Do you know, I don’t tend to struggle to sleep. I’ll have to let you know tomorrow whether my sleep is affected tonight.
“As long as training is done as I want it to, as long as I feel I’ve given my best, that’s all I can do and I think I will sleep well in the knowledge that I’ve given everything I can for the team and for the club. Then, as always with football, you have to let the game roll. Obviously you can influence the game through subs and everything else, but you just hope that your work is good enough.”
Eddie Howe – Saturday is a 'massive' day for Newcastle
Newcastle’s social media team have kindly published some quotes from the new manager Eddie Howe on Twitter, before the meeting with Brentford at St James’ Park tomorrow:
“I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m under no illusions about our current situation and what we need to do,” Howe said. “Tomorrow is a massive day for the football club and the atmosphere will be a brilliant thing for us all to experience.
“I’d like to think you’ll see a team playing in the way I want them to and in a way befitting of what the supporters want to see. I like to think you’ll see a team playing for the supporters, the badge & doing the city proud.
“The players have responded really well to what we’ve asked them to do. It’s been intense but I don’t think we’ve over-worked the players. We’ve tried to implement our philosophy in a steady way and shape the team in the way we want to going forward.
“We need the players to play in a natural way but in a way that we want them to. I think that’s a very delicate balance to get into and that’s where your training becomes so important because everything should be done in a way that it becomes the norm for the players.
“We’ve tried to implement what we feel the players can grasp quickly and leave a few things for the future. It has to be a gradual process so the players aren’t taking to the pitch overloaded with information.”
The American broadcaster NBC has renewed its television deal with the Premier League in a new six-year agreement worth £2bn. That is almost double what the company, the home of Premier League coverage in the United States since 2013, paid for their current contract in 2016.
Chelsea Women were made to work hard for victory in Champions League Group A last night: Sam Kerr scored the only goal in the second half against Servette, a side they’d hammered 7-0 last week. Here’s Suzanne Wrack’s report:
Preamble
Good morning and welcome. With the inconvenience of international football out of the way for the next few months, and after the latest round of managerial musical chairs, there will be plenty to get our teeth into over the next eight hours or so.
Eddie Howe at Newcastle, Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa and Dean Smith at Norwich are all preparing to lead their new teams into battle for the first time so there will be no shortage of attention on those pre-match press conferences – and of course there’s a full programme lined up across the Premier League, Championship, WSL, Football League, in the Scottish Leagues and across Europe.
We’ll bring you all the big news, along with some of the medium-sized and small news from across the leagues as the day unfolds. But what better to place to start than 10 things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend:
