Liverpool’s defensive frailties, Wayne Rooney’s nous in both boxes, an unwanted headache for Paul Clement and Manchester United’s unsung heroesSo, why was it that Chelsea decided they could afford to let Nemanja Matic join Manchester United and willingly pass over one of the more brilliantly effective midfield players of the modern game to a major rival? When that question was posed to José Mourinho after Manchester United’s biggest league win since he took over as manager he made it sound as if he was slightly bewildered, too. “It depends on what is happening, or what was happening, behind doors and we don’t know,” he said. “The only thing I know is that, with Chelsea’s money, I brought him to Stamford...
There is a quiet optimism about what Eddie Howe and his squad – including new signings Asmir Begovic, Jermain Defoe and Nathan Aké – can achieve this seasonGuardian writers’ predicted position: 11th (NB: this is not necessarily Ben Fisher’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 9th Related: Back for pre-season but no real break: how footballers’ summers changed | Stuart James Continue reading...
After 25 Premier League years an English coach is still to lift the title and the supply of qualified foreign coaches suggests the wait may continue awhileThe Premier League has been going for 25 years and it is still no closer to being won by a team with an English manager.Actually that might not be completely true. Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth finished ninth last season and in the arid landscape of English achievement since Howard Wilkinson took Leeds United to the final old First Division title in 1992 that possibly counts as progress. There have certainly been seasons, 2015-16 being the most recent, when the top 10 positions were the exclusive province of foreign coaches. Related: Do English managers deserve more...
Players now start pre-season in better shape than they ended it 15 years ago. At Bournemouth one squad member even went on holiday with the fitness coachThe majority of Premier League clubs reported back for pre-season training on Monday, although for many of the players it will feel as if they have never been away. That is partly because the six weeks since the final league game of last season have passed in the blink of an eye but more to do with the fact that so few players have a proper break these days. Indeed, some are so determined to stay in shape that they take the fitness coach on holiday with them.“Steve Cook wanted to really push on...
The 2016-17 season still had its drama – moments of brilliance and booming narrative arcs to be resolved – but it was less title race than well-ordered title jogFarewell, then, to the year that almost was. This was a Premier League season that sparked with a controlled excitement, never quite caught fire but still dished up another digestible slice of high-end product.Things kept on almost happening. Leicester City almost completed the most dramatic title-plus-relegation act of all time. But then it was all sort of OK. Marco Silva almost pulled off a minor managerial miracle – but somehow not quite. To great fanfare Tottenham Hotspur pulled to within one victory of being quite close to creeping up on Chelsea’s shoulder at...