And that’s about it for today. Just under three hours until this thing gets real. Thanks for joining us. Bye!
It’s Heavy metal v Rock‘n’roll as Liverpool kick off the Premier League season against Norwich this evening. Paul Doyle explains in the latest edition of The Fiver.
Brendan Rodgers revealed in his press conference that Leicester were priced out of the market as they attempted to replace £80m departure Harry Maguire. The numbers are crazy but relative. Rodgers was quoted £75m for Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake and expected to be able to buy two James Tarkowskis and still have change in his pocket but not when Burnley wanted well in excess of £40m.
It was always going to be a difficult market if we were interested in one or two other players but the club started to prepare for that a year ago. They brought in two outstanding centre-backs in Caglar (Soyuncu) and Filip (Benkovic) and if we weren’t to bring anyone else in we know we had them - along with Jonny Evans and Wes Morgan. We looked but the market proved too difficult. But we were comfortable with what we had.
For the first time since 2010, Tottenham will start a league season with a home match. But here’s a warning: Aston Villa have won their last three Premier League openers - and all were away from home. Here’s a preview:
This might make a good infographic (on a slow day) - Gareth Southgate’s hectic weekend schedule. Here it is in full detail as the England manager prefers to see the action for himself thankyou very much rather that watch it on Match Of The Day:
- Friday: Liverpool v Norwich
- Saturday: West Ham v Manchester City
- Saturday: Tottenham v Aston Villa
- Sunday: Manchester United v Chelsea
England have Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo next month so time to cast a beady eye.
That second-half hat-trick against Ajax was always going to be money in the bank. Yes, Spurs have signed up Lucas Moura until 2024 as they reveal (in soft focus) here. Lovely intro music too from what is presumably a Brazilian Tony Hatch.
🇧🇷 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣ ✍️#THFC ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/Z8Aubpdxem
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 9, 2019
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David Luiz to Arsenal caused furrowed brows and, to be honest, outright laughter from many quarters. But Barney Ronay argues that English football has it all wrong. The Brazilian is, in fact, a smart signing.
We mock David Luiz because his failures are so often spectacularly cinematic. Against Spurs at Wembley last year he didn’t just fail to tackle Son Heung-min, he dematerialised completely and winked back into existence doing something different on the other side of the pitch, breakdancing, cooking an omelette, rewiring a plug.
We mock David Luiz because when he makes these mistakes he looks so sad and noble in the TV close-up reaction shots, like a plucky orphan child in a Disney adventure whose best friend is a streetwise duck. Meanwhile beyond all this the real David Luiz has made two errors leading directly to a goal in his entire Premier League career. Last season 93 defenders were dispossessed more often than the league’s top-ranked goofball. Only two made more passes.
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Time for another match preview. This time we’ll take you to Turf Moor for one of Saturday’s four 3pm kick-offs.
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Poor planning, if we’re being honest ...
#Everton will wear last season’s 3rd strip tomorrow @CPFC due to concerns over a kit clash between the Toffee’s new away shirt and #CrystalPalace’s home colours#CRYEVE pic.twitter.com/aa3tAaxlJx
— David Stowell (@dstowellcomms) August 9, 2019
A surprising move in Europe where Shinji Kagawa has joined Real Zaragoza, who play in the second tier of Spanish football. Japan international Kagawa, who scored 41 times in 148 Bundesliga games during two spells at the club, spent time on loan at Besiktas last season.
Rangers have signed Droylsden’s finest Brandon Barker from Manchester City.
The Tameside-born winger told told RangersTV: “It’s a massive club. The name speaks for itself. The people working here obviously had a massive influence on that. I’m here to develop myself and there’s no place to get better than at Rangers Football Club.”
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Eddie Howe will reserve judgment on his new summer signings until they have played for him in the Premier League.
Howe said about new recruits: Lloyd Kelly, Jack Stacey, Philip Billing, Arnaut Danjuma and Harry Wilson
As we sit here now, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s going to be proved in the games we have to come throughout the season. We hope the players we have signed do really well for us and we wish the players we have let go all the best in their future careers. But let’s wait and see. As a manager, I don’t think you ever totally get what you want. I think there are always things that maybe escaped us or got away from us. But, in the main, we were well backed and well supported.
Simon has departed, so here is someone else to run you through the rest of the day’s football stuff.
Here is a match preview to get you going.
What links Micky Quinn with Didier Drogba? One was an excellent, destructive striker of enormous technical qualities while the other was a Bob Carolgees impersonator in a football kit, but both were members of a very select club. Here’s Richard Foster with more:
Hang on, what happened to “Mr Happy Plus”, aka Mauricio Pochettino? He’s turned grumpy again, having this to say on the Premier League’s early transfer shutdown, fearing that European clubs could still wade into White Hart Lane waving a massive chequebook and “make a mess” of his carefully-hatched plans:
That is another point to argue that we are at a disadvantage with European clubs because they have 20 days more, because I think it is a big mistake for the Premier League to allow that. In this situation we open the door for clubs in Europe to try and create confusion in the club. The Premier League cannot give this advantage to European clubs because we are going to compete with them. If you are not going to compete with these clubs in the Champions League then OK, but competing with European clubs, it’s a big advantage to them. They can create a mess in a club like us.
Our match previews are starting to arrive. Here’s one on Sheffield United’s top-flight return:
“Can’t help but feel OGS is on a hiding to nothing with the press,” writes James Kelly. “So much was made last year of Jose’s griping with the board and general all round demeanour. Despite not being backed in the market he was seen as, and was as it turned out, the main issue by the press. Yet when Ole refuses to castigate the board, moan and whinge we have articles bemoaning the lack of moaning on his part. There would have been nothing he could say today that would appease everyone. No we’re not happy as a fan base with the transfer window. The whole country knows the board are at fault. You don’t need him to say it. So how’s about cutting him some slack until there a few results on the board?”
Seems a fair point, though slack really isn’t cut for many United managers.
Sid Lowe has profiled Rodri, Manchester City’s rather excellent new defensive midfielder. Here’s a sample quote from Albert Celades, who gave the player his debut with Spain’s Under-21s:
For someone of his size he is very quick with both feet, making him able to bring the ball out when under pressure. He does difficult things with simplicity. Like Busquets, he has that intuition that allows him to be well-positioned, to know where a move is going so he’s there to take the ball.
Much more here:
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Daniel Taylor was at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s press conference, and this is what he had to say about it:
To listen to Ole Gunnar Solskjær sitting before a larger than usual audience to preview Manchester United’s season was to witness a man who conspicuously did not want to say anything that could add to the sense – once again – that the club could have had a much more productive summer.
Solskjær wanted to make the point that the negativity swirling around Old Trafford was not shared by himself or his colleagues. Every question was seen as a potential trap. He even declared he had no problem whatsoever with Romelu Lukaku despite the striker effectively abandoning all sense of duty to train with Anderlecht before finalising his move to Internazionale. Was he disappointed with what had happened? Solskjær smiled and answered the question, choosing his words very carefully, in a way that did not really answer the question.
Much more here:
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Meanwhile at Crystal Palace, Wilfried Zaha trained as usual today and will be considered for selection this weekend. Here’s Roy Hodgson on his star forward:
[His approach is] pretty much as I expected he would be. The fact is, he’s a professional, and he’s committed to the club, to helping us do what we need to do to stay in the league. I can’t say to you that he’s jubilant. I can’t say he’s delighted with the situation, because it’s not the outcome he wanted. The outcome he wanted was to be sold, we didn’t want that and in particular my coaching staff and the players wanted him here with us. For us it’s been a very good outcome because Wilfried’s still with us and we’re looking forward to once again benefiting from the skills he brings to us.
Just in! Here’s Frank Lampard on David Luiz’s move away from Chelsea:
David’s obviously left. We’d had some conversations over the last week, honest conversations because I know David well, and I think the conclusion of that was that he moved on. It’s an area of the pitch where I have competition, and people will be needing to make that shirt their own. I don’t have ones and twos and threes, I have people competing for the position. I don’t have it set in my mind.
He’s moved on. I and everyone at the club wish him the best, because he’s been part of some really good things in our recent history, and now he moves on to play elsewhere. In terms of fallouts, no. There were honest conversations. As a player I always expected honesty from a manager, whatever the news, and I think I got that back from David, hence why he ends up moving to Arsenal. The day David didn’t train it was a decision I made because we were in the middle of this, and it was quite clear which way it was going, but it was not a strike or a punishment or being ostracised, it was just a decision for that day.
Pep Guardiola’s press conference has happened. A couple of headlines:
- Leroy Sane’s injury will keep him out for six to eight months. He should be back sometime between January and March.
- David Silva has been named captain after a vote among the players. Fernandino, Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero are his roving assistants.
- Kyle Walker remains the first-choice right-back, but with new red-hot competition.
- Riyad Mahrez is free to play having been left out of the squad for the Community Shield because of fears he might fail a doping test.
Who is the most positive person in football? It’s hard to say, I think. Sometimes everybody just seems so vexed. You feel like reaching through the screen, slapping them around the chops and shouting, “Cheer up, it’s only a game! Look, thousands of people are here supporting/jeering at you, and when the final whistle blows you’ll have a shower, get dressed and go back to your bespoke mansion. Just relax, man!”
Anyway, I digress. Here’s Mauricio Pochettino on Tottenham’s transfer business:
I am very happy, like I told you before I was happy with my squad and now to add some more players. You are always thinking that players can bring good energy and help us achieve all that we want. We will see what happens, but I am so happy with the way the squad. I was happy before, I am happy plus. I am a happy man.
So, there’s your answer.
How are Wolves going to go this year? They certainly haven’t taken a step back, keeping all the players who powered them to seventh place last season and bringing in a couple of smart additions, but there is the burden of Europa League football to cope with. Anyway, over to Paul Doyle:
Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder has talked about his club’s summer transfer activity. For what it’s worth I think they’ve recruited pretty well, making signings that could provide a basis for a long-term stay in the top flight or make them very serious promotion contenders if they fail to stay up this year:
We at a different level to every Premier League club. We can’t go and buy somebody from Everton, or even if we did then we couldn’t afford his wages. You look at players in the Premier League, a lot of them started off in the Championship - or they started somewhere else. Harry Maguire, the world’s most expensive centre-half, started off with Sheffield United in League One. He’s an England international and played for England at the World Cup. So everyone has to start somewhere. Phil Jagielka is another who started off with us and played over a decade in the Premier League at Everton. Look at Jamie Vardy [alright point made - ed]
I’m quite happy buying players from the Championship. I looked at the market that we’re in, the attitude of the players and how that fits into how we want to play. We will try to do our best with them and try to make them into better players. They understand they’re not the finished article but have they got the desire and ambition, added to the quality, to go and make a name for themselves - to become a Harry Maguire? It’s up to them now really and we will give them as much help as we possibly can.
“Of all the teams in the Premier League, Watford are the team I have the hardest time fitting into a mould,” writes Kári Tulinius. “I’d neither be surprised if they’d be at risk of relegation, nor if they challenged for Europe. Ismaïla Sarr is a player that has impressed every time I’ve seen him, and at least on paper a Sarr-Deloufeu-Welbeck attack could trouble anyone, either as an attacking trident or behind Deeney. You know a heck of a lot more about Watford than I do, how optimistic are you about their chances?
Thanks for asking! I am optimistic, though I think the clubs that Watford competed with last season, particularly Everton and Leicester, have also strengthened and some might be out of reach this year. Welbeck and Sarr should significantly improve their goal threat, Dawson should improve the defence, and they are still strong in central midfield. Gracia might have to show a bit more tactical flexibility this year, but he has the personnel to do so. Looking at the 20 teams in the division I would be surprised if Watford are in the bottom five, and with a fair wind they should be aiming for a first top-half finish since the 80s. It is a shame that it took them so long to conclude the deal for Sarr, which caused some uncertainty, though given his participation in the African Cup of Nations even if he had signed in June he would only have turned up this week.
Here’s an interesting list of the transfer records for footballers by age. Gabriel Batistuta remains the most expensive 31-year-old of all time, nearly two decades after his move from Fiorentina to Roma.
European window yet to close, but three transfer-records-by-age broken this summer, including Harry Maguire becoming the most expensive 26-year-old in history (overtaking Van Dijk). Hazard was briefly the 28-year-old record holder. pic.twitter.com/cyMsCuINOt
— Omar Chaudhuri (@OmarChaudhuri) August 9, 2019
Here’s Barney Ronay looking ahead to the new Premier League season:
Last season’s title race was, of course, something of a chimera. The top two went toe to toe, but the gap to third-placed Chelsea was a startling 25 points. Seventh-placed Wolves ended up 41 points behind the champions. A genuine title race should be evidence of shared strength, of a system able to produce equivalent champion contenders from its own resources. Last year was thrilling. But it was also a bit of a fluke, a rare coincidence of two best-of-generation teams in the same season.
It might seem odd to be alarmed by excellence. City’s champion brilliance, and Liverpool’s ability to match them stride for stride, have been marvels of the club football age. Both teams produce passages of football to match or exceed the best of recent times. But it is a challenge every team outside that elite pocket must strive to meet. The good health of the league relies on genuine competitiveness.
Amen to that. Anyway, much more here:
Marco Silva has delivered his assessment of Everton’s transfer window, after feeding a few 10p pieces into the early-excuse generator. In brief: “not the best” ... “it is what it is” ... “we always want more”.
I’ll be honest, it’s not the best scenario for me as a coach. We have our targets, not just one or two players, there are more targets which for many reasons we didn’t achieve. It’s not the best scenario to start just with three defenders but it is what it is and we have to manage the situation in the best way. But when you plan one window, our targets are always to improve the squad, to give me better solutions. At the moment our squad is deeper than the last season. We are happy, we always want more but we are happy with what we did.
Daniel Harris has written a good piece about Manchester United’s summer. In brief: unhappy.
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A press release lands in my inbox! “The Premier League will see 1,073 goals scored, 50 red cards brandished and seven managers leave their posts this season, according to betting firm Sporting Index,” it trills. So there you go. Apparently Harry Kane will win the golden boot. There’s no need to actually watch it now, which is handy as it will free up my Saturday afternoons no end.
Breaking news: Huddersfield Town have been charged with misconduct, the FA believing that the kit worn during a pre-season friendly against Rochdale was in breach of FA Regulation C.2(i). You may remember that this kit featured an absolutely massive logo of the club’s sponsor, also a bookmaker, and whipped up a storm of publicity, followed by another round when they revealed that Huddersfield’s actual match kit would not have a sponsor on it at all. I would put a photo of the kit in question here to remind you, though that was surely the sponsor’s intention when cooking up the entire ruse and I’m not minded to play ball because I’m a bit awkward. The FA are clear that “disciplinary action in accordance with the Rules may be taken against a Club, Player, Club Official or Match Official for any breach of these regulations,” but do not make clear what form any punishment would take. Anyway, here’s the relevant regulation:
The following Advertising is permitted:
(i) Playing kit
(a) On the Clothing of a Player on the field of play, the following areas shall be permitted to be used for Advertising
- One single area not exceeding 250 square centimetres on the front of the shirt (see Fig 10);
- One single area not exceeding 100 square centimetres on the back of the shirt (see Fig 13);
- One single area not exceeding 100 square centimetres on each sleeve of the shirt, between the shoulder seam and the elbow (provided Affiliated Association or Competition Rules so permit) (see Fig 12);
- One single area not exceeding 100 square centimetres on the back of the shorts (see Fig 14); and
- Once only on each sock tie-up providing it does not exceed an area of 100 square centimetres (see Fig 11).
One or more company may be advertised and, in respect of any one company, one or more of its products. The same Advertising must appear in the same form on the Clothing of all Players and Club Officials, wherever such Advertising appears, throughout the entirety of the match.
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The transfer window closed yesterday afternoon, but Southampton had to wait until this morning before announcing their last deal, after their move for Augsberg’s Kevin Danso finally received international clearance. The 20-year-old Austrian international was trained in MK Dons’ academy before moving to Augsberg five years ago. Ralph Hasenhüttl says:
He fits the profile of player that we want to bring here to Southampton. He is in the early part of his career, but he has good experience already, with a lot of existing qualities and the potential to develop even further. We have made some good additions in our attack during the transfer window, with Ché Adams and Moussa Djenepo, and, like them, Kevin is another signing that fits our model of being a talented, young player who adds quality to our first-team squad. He will improve our defensive options, so this is an excellent way for us to finish our business.
The Church of England’s gambling spokesman has piped up on Wayne Rooney’s imminent arrival at Derby, where he will wear a shirt number that handily doubles as an advert for the club’s shirt sponsor, a bookmaker:
Rooney should take the lead and stand up for his fans by refusing to wear this shirt. If young footballers see a national treasure refusing to sully his personal brand and taking a moral stand it will better protect families from gambling-related harm both now and in the future.
Yeah, but money.
Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed the reason why Adama Traore missed last night’s Europa League qualifier in Armenia, when Wolves beat Pyunik 4-0: he left his passport at home, thinking an ID card would be enough to get him on the plane. “He had a problem with his passport ... he didn’t know it’s impossible to travel with an ID card so he couldn’t travel with us.”
Steve Bruce has given his pre-match press conference, ahead of Newcastle’s game against Arsenal on Sunday, and was asked about Andy Carroll’s arrival:
It was just a conversation with Andy. He was desperate - a bit like myself, I suppose - to come back, and of course the big question mark of everybody is can we get him back quickly and can he stay fit? If he stays fit, then a fit Andy Carroll is as good as you’re going to get. We’ll do our utmost. He is determined to come and be successful again here. It’s his home-town club - it was a no-brainer, really, one of those where you’re delighted to do it.
And here’s a West Ham season preview. Only one to go!
Here are today’s freshest and hottest transfer rumours, featuring Wilfried Zaha’s medium-term future and Neymar’s big deadline:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has just given his Friday press conference. Here’s a snippet:
I think when the transfer window closes it’s a great feeling of relief. Now it’s done, we know what we’re looking forward with and I’m delighted with the players we’ve signed. That’s not the feeling inside the club, and that’s not the feeling with the fans I’ve met. They’re excited with the ones we’ve got. Of course there’ll always be fans out there wanting to sign players. The players are here now, they’ve been shown that trust and we believe in them.
Breaking news: Ilkay Gundogan signs three-year contract extension at Manchester City
Ilkay Gundogan has signed a new three-year contract extension with Manchester City, the Premier League champions have announced. The German midfielder, who had just entered the final year of his previous deal, is now committed to the club until 2023. The news ends speculation over the future of the 28-year-old, who joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2016.
Gundogan told the club’s website: “I am very happy to have signed the new contract. I have hugely enjoyed the last three years here at City and everyone at the club has helped make me feel at home from my very first day. It’s a privilege to be a part of this team, playing the style of football we do and winning trophies. It’s very difficult to do that and I’m delighted to be a part of it. I’m really excited about what we can go on to achieve in the next few seasons.”
Gundogan’s first season at City was cut short by a serious knee injury but he has been a key part of the club’s back-to-back Premier League triumphs over the past two campaigns. Their drector of football, Txiki Begiristain, said: “Ilkay’s new deal is more excellent news for our club. He has shown how important he is to the team and has played a huge part in everything that we have achieved so far. We are thrilled he has committed his long-term future to Manchester City.”
Hello world!
It’s the big kick-off! The Premier League season gets under way tonight in a kick-off even bigger than this one:
So there’ll be team news and press conference-based updates, as well as the continued fall-out from the freshly-closed domestic transfer window and whatever other wild excitement is being tossed around the world of football like so feathers in a hurricane. Welcome!
