1 year ago
109
Key events
Keep your Erling Haaland, Everton will always have Dixie Dean. (And Middlesbrough will always have George Camsell.)
Another nine where this came from.
“How shit must you be, it’s only 2-0,” sang the travelling Tottenham support at Anfield last Sunday. Perhaps Liverpool were slighted because they quickly made it 3-0 in the 15th minute, seemingly ending the contest. Spurs fought back, equalising in stoppage-time before throwing it away at the end, but their dreadful start confirmed the re-emergence of a theme of their season. Previously, they had trailed 2-0 and 5-0 at half-time to Manchester United and Newcastle United respectively and, although they salvaged a point against the former, they have regularly played with fire by running on auto-pilot in the first half of matches, sometimes crashing. In their last 33 games in all competitions, Spurs have scored 12 first-half goals, which have been good for an interval lead on five occasions. Thirteen times during the sequence, they have been behind at the break. David Hytner
Finally – finally – Napoli were able to celebrate winning Serie A.
The club that once featured an A Ferguson as a player – amateurs were named in the fashion – may be headed to the top division in Scotland.
Wikpedia also tells us this: “Some of the Spiders’ support call themselves the “Irn Bru Firm” and the Spangle Army.”
Good to see Owen Coyle back and doing well, a man who got the “Barclays Premier League” text and ran with it.
Sam Allardyce has Haaland plan, hails Pep - and himself
Straight back into the swing of things and Sam Allardyce has been sounding off on life. the universe and Manchester City, Leeds’ opponents on Saturday. The big man is not for holding back.
On Pep: “I think he’s brilliant. He has done a huge amount for the Premier League since he’s been here, when you see what he has achieved. Of course, he has had great backing. The recruitment they have done has been spot on, but also his management style over the years has been fabulous.”
Being Big Sam: ““I have tried to make everybody feel better. I have had conversations with lads who have come into the office and wanted a chat. I have had lots of conversations on the training ground, nothing to do with football or coaching, just life in general. Just to see and find out the personality and try to have more lighthearted conversations, which gives you a better understanding of everybody.”
On Haaland: “It’s also supply. Stop the supply, stop the big man getting as many chances as he gets. But keep an eye on him at all times, particularly in the final third.”
Preamble
Luke Shaw just made sure this all got a bit more interesting. The race for fourth is on, probably. But before that, the King’s Coronation places a slight delay in the schedule, with no Friday or Saturday lunchtime matches. Instead, at at 3pm, Manchester City v Leeds will break the TV blackout, while at the same time, Spurs v Crystal Palace offers potential for come Tottenham comedy, Wolves v Aston Villa is a Midlands special, with Julen Lopetegui’s team not quite safe. Liverpool v Brentford could see the Jürgen Klopp’s tricky reds close on Manchester United.
Sunday sees some wacky timing as the day kicks off in the Premier League doesn’t start until 4.30 when it’s Newcastle v Arsenal, followed by that ever friendly 7pm kick off for West Ham v Man Utd.
All that and a huge weekend in the Women’s Super League, plus titles to be chased in Germany, France and Spain now that Napoli have won the Scudetto.
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