Ancelotti has Everton aiming high, Manchester United need more than Cavani and flying full-backs impressedHéctor Bellerín has had his doubters over the past year. There have been suggestions a touch of his old pace has gone after long-term injury, and when PSG bid for him last month there was an argument it could be a good time for Arsenal to cash in. But Bellerín set up both goals against Sheffield United, the first after a typically barnstorming burst to the line, and is looking a touch nearer to his old self. “After such a long time at the club he doubted what ambitions he had here, how he could evolve here,” Mikel Arteta said after Arsenal’s narrow win. “But he...
The club are in crisis mode before a ball has been kicked as they continue to pay the price for poor transfer decisionsGuardian writers’ predicted position: 14th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 16th Related: Men's transfer window summer 2020 – all deals from Europe's top five leagues Don’t tell Sam Allardyce that West Ham play on the floor. Allardyce despised all the Academy of Football talk when he was in charge. Yet it is part of the club’s identity. Supporters crave attractive football, even though West Ham often lack substance to go with the style and haven’t won anything other than the Intertoto Cup since lifting the FA...
The Hammers may survive this season but the prospects for the next one do not look good – just ask fans of the Wearside club now in League OnePerhaps this time the Ferryman will not accept the fare. Wednesday’s unlikely victory over Chelsea, allied to the abjection of Norwich and Bournemouth and the struggles of Aston Villa and Watford, means West Ham may survive this season, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t major questions for the club to answer, foremost among them who should be their manager.Wednesday’s Premier League game turned out to be a clash of two managerial flaws, the inability of Frank Lampard sides to defend set‑pieces or counterattacks winning out over the tendency of David Moyes sides...
West Ham’s win was all the more memorable because their talented group of youngsters were soon to be broken upThey moved the ball quickly and gracefully, the three kids at the heart of West Ham’s midfield. There was no hint of any fear, no sign of Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard shrinking.They took the ball in difficult areas and it was impossible not to admire how they determined they were to seize the moment against Manchester United, who would exit the FA Cup after Fabien Barthez’s foolhardy decision to impersonate a man hailing a cab allowed Paolo Di Canio to steal a famous win. Related: Di Canio - Barthez didn't confuse my brain Continue reading...
The imminent financial turmoil is likely to exploited by those who already have most of the power and moneyYou may have heard about the 13‑year‑old schoolboy from Leeds called Oliver Cooper who, it has been reported, was sent home from school after selling precious squirts of hand sanitiser for 50p each. Cooper’s scheme was rumbled when he recklessly tried to sell a squirt to one of his teachers, although not before he had made £9: a windfall that, according to his mother, is being invested in “a multipack of Doritos” and “a kebab”.All good clean fun and on reflection almost certainly one of those stories that has been trumped up for the benefit of the gullible internet. But a reminder,...