Bruce potentially set for his final game at Newcastle, Ranieri begins tough spell at Watford and Guardiola has Sterling decision It feels trivial discussing mere football matters when set against the ethical concerns arising from Newcastle’s Saudi takeover, but it feels as if whatever happens on the pitch against Tottenham will accelerate Steve Bruce’s departure. He is unlikely to get much credit if his side record a first league win of the season; instead it will only heighten the sense of “new broom” momentum that would require a bigger-name manager as soon as possible, while defeat would only serve to demonstrate the immediate need for change. It helps Bruce that Newcastle’s first opponents of the new era are a side...
Where Rafael Benítez has built a team greater than the sum of its parts, Ole Gunnar Solskjær lacks a coherent planLewis Dobbin and Charlie Whitaker were veterans of a combined total of one minute’s senior football for Everton. They were the attacking options on Rafa Benítez’s bench. Their Manchester United counterparts were Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and the lesser-spotted Donny van de Beek, whose £35m fee made him £35m costlier than Andros Townsend, who earned Everton a point.Dobbin was Everton’s second substitute. In a sense, that rendered him their Ronaldo, even if 790 career goals separate them. The comparisons may end there, and Whitaker remained on the bench with the 37-year-old third-choice goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, making...
The playmaker has gone to Qatar after becoming an expensive spare part at a club both right and wrong to sign himJames Rodríguez has gone to Qatar in search of work, although unlike many others who have made the trip before him he can at least keep his passport and will be allowed to leave whenever he wants. The bewitching Colombian playmaker has signed a contract with Al-Rayyan, bringing down the curtain on his Everton career, and – you suspect – much else besides.The first thing to be said is that this is probably for the best all round. Ever since the sudden departure of Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid Rodríguez had felt like an expensive spare part in a...
Romelu Lukaku returns for Chelsea, Raphaël Varane set for United bow and Burnley test Virgil van Dijk’s aerial mettleArsenal beat Chelsea twice last season, including a victory at StamfordBridge three months ago. Since then they have spent heavily on transfers including a £50m centre-back. Their fans must be super-confident as they prepare for Sunday’s Emirates clash, especially those who have blanked out last week’s fiasco at Brentford. But Thomas Tuchel is sure to bear that match in mind as he prepares his strategy for Sunday, and his pre-match pep talk is likely to begin with a good old-fashioned “get into ’em”. Ben White performed no worse than many teammates last week but the expectation on him is higher following his...
Maguire, Dalot and Fernandes also score in 4-0 friendly win Rafael Benítez takes charge of first Everton game in England Manchester United’s commercial department will disagree, but the benefits of not traipsing around the globe in pre-season are paying dividends for Ole Gunnar Solskjær. The United manager is under no illusions he must deliver this season and, on the evidence of a comfortable 4-0 friendly stroll against Everton, his squad is well-prepared for the considerable challenge of closing the gap on Manchester City.Bruno Fernandes celebrated sweeping a stunning free-kick past Jordan Pickford in a manner more befitting a decisive Premier League fixture than the final warm-up game of the summer. Juan Mata and Fred gave the midfielder a standing ovation...