CITY SLIPPERS
For evidence that the Premier League truly is the best league in the world, look no further than the state of play in mid-table. Make no mistake, the battle to finish seventh is well and truly alive. Wolves moved to the top of the pack with a thumping victory over contract negotiation experts West Ham, but it’s bound to remain impossibly exciting until the end of the season, given that only five points separate Nuno’s team and 12th-placed Bournemouth. So many teams are dreaming at the moment. Magic Marco’s Everton are up to eighth place after seeing off Martin from Wakefield’s Huddersfield Town, Whispering Claude still hasn’t been sacked by Leicester City, and Watford can leapfrog Wolves by beating Tottenham later. No doubt about it, people: the race is on! To finish seventh! And maybe earn a place in the Big Vase qualifiers in July! Oh yeah! Best league in the world!
You’ll have to forgive The Fiver’s cynicism. It’s just that, for the fifth season in a row (or is it the sixth – we’re losing count now), we’re staring at the prospect of yet another non-event of a title race now that Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are turning into Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City. Barely a month has passed since the Goalline Technology Truthers were crying conspiracy after City breathed fresh life into their challenge with a hard-fought win over Liverpool, but it seems the heroic effort of putting all those goals past Burton Albion in the Milk Cup has taken a lot out of the champions, whose hopes are hanging by a thread after Tuesday night’s disaster against Newcastle.
Fair play to Rafa Benítez, who may yet have a hand in a Liverpool title win, 10 years on from his facts rant/measured lecture about the Ferguson Association. But let’s face it, a big win for Newcastle’s manager is still a loss for neutrals who were hoping to see something resembling a title race this year. Sure, Liverpool could yet … ahem … slip up. But Jürgen Klopp’s side can go seven points clear if they beat Leicester at Anfield later and, as Guardiola observed after his team’s fourth defeat of the season, seven points is a lot of points. “We have to win a lot of games now,” City’s manager added.
Whether his players are prepared to hunt Liverpool down remains to be seen, though Guardiola insists he remains so, so happy with them. “I love these players, they are an incredible group of guys, they gave me all the prestige I have in England,” he trilled. All his prestige in England? Hmm. That sounds a bit like someone we know. Give it a few weeks: at this rate it won’t be long before Pep’s shouting about respect, complaining about not signing a midfielder last summer and moaning about the days when City were in Division Two and had Lee Bradbury up front.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
28 July 2018: “New players bring new ideas and fresh thinking. They invest in new areas and look at different ways in which premium sports is produced, packaged and distributed” – Eleven Sports chief suit, Marc Watson, on a bright future ahead.
30 January 2019: “Regrettably, some content including Serie A and Eredivisie, will no longer be available to our subscribers in the UK and Ireland from February” – Eleven Sports’ latest new ideas and fresh thinking include ditching coverage of two of its flagship leagues.
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FIVER LETTERS
“Per Ferg Slade’s request for club names faux pas (yesterday’s Fiver letters), I’ve always found it annoying when supporters refer to either Rovers or City as ‘Bristol’” – Tim Jones.
“Chester FC still gets regularly called Chester City, despite the fact the name changed nine years ago. That’s when the fans bought the club. And the reason it was changed is because the previous owner was the first person in the country to be ruled unfit to own a football club. So fans didn’t want the association” – Phil Welch.
“In England, we hear about ‘Inter Milan’ almost every time there’s a discussion of Italian football. It’s like saying ‘Everton Liverpool’. Not sure who’s most insulted, there. Sorry” – Steve Bennett.
“Prizes following a clear-out by Weird Uncle Fiver? It’s enough to put people off writing, in case they accidentally win” – Ed Taylor.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And you can always tweet The Fiver via @guardian_sport. Today’s winner of our letter o’the day is … Ed Taylor, who wins a copy of Matchdays: the Hidden Story of the Bundesliga. Plenty more prizes to come.
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Two seat cushions have been found that are likely to have come from the plane carrying the missing Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala, the Air Accidents Investigation Branch has said.
An employee of Sunderland has been arrested on suspicion of the sexual grooming of a boy but released under investigation pending further inquiries.
Hibernian boss Neil Lennon is no longer Hibernian boss Neil Lennon. “Neil Lennon and [assistant] Garry Parker have left the club by mutual consent,” parped Hibs. “They have not been dismissed and have not resigned.”
Neymar’s knack is likely to rule him out for 10 weeks, meaning he is set to miss both legs of PSG’s Big Cup match against Manchester United.
Pablo Zabaleta says Marko Arnautovic’s transfer saga totally harshed West Ham’s vibe. “So many situations off the field have been creating a little bit of a bad atmosphere,” he peace-signed.
“Callum is 18 and has to respect the club, the academy, everything. If you are one of the best young players in Europe, maybe the academy helped you. So you have to respect this” – Maurizio Sarri, R-E-S-P-E-C-T-E-R of the Chelsea academy, has his latest say on Callum Hudson-Odoi.
News that the Pope’s Newc O’Rangers have signed Polster on a two-and-half-year deal had The Fiver excited that everyone’s favourite mulletted Austrian had unearthed his boots once more. But in fact it’s USA! USA!! USA!!! international Matt instead.
And Asian Football Confederation suits are investigating the throwing of objects, including a barrage of footwear, at Qatar players during their 4-0 Asian Cup semi-final win over hosts UAE.
STILL WANT MORE?
Which county has earned the most league points? The Knowledge (with the help of a couple of superbrains) has the answer.
Mauricio Pochettino has his reasons for not targeting cups, but he might need to start putting a dent in Tottenham’s Brasso mountain soon, reckons Paul Wilson.
Bristol City manager Lee Johnson invites Big Website’s Ben Fisher out for a party. Sort of.
How spending time with Pep Guardiola and, erm, Bobby M has helped Scottish egg-chasing coach Gregor Townsend.
Oh, and if it’s your thing … you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. And INSTACHAT, TOO!
