Key events
One of my favourite pieces of the week. The Championship round-up.
West Brom and Burnley kick-off in just under half-an-hour if you’re looking for some midday entertainment. In other news includes that West Ham suffered defeat at the hands of Charlton. But the main story is QPR 0-0 Bolton. A clean sheet for the R’s in front of a full house. What a world.
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Get your emails and comments in on how you’d go about replacing Rodri if you had the pursestrings of power and cash at your disposal?
We’re also playing a game of build your perfect political cabinet consisting only of football managers. And playingitbythebook has very much not played it by the book in the comments, he’s appointed Duncan Ferguson as Foreign Secretary. Big Dunc vs Donald Trump here we go. A battle for the ages.
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How would you replace Rodri?
New City manager Maresca has a big job on his hands. And arguably first on his to do list is to work out how to replace the irreplaceable Rodri?
City fans – and even non-City fans – how would you go about it?
Rodri could be making his Barcelona debut later. Photograph: Bruna Casas/ReutersShare
Updated at 06.18 EDT
Aston Villa get going today away to Brighton.
Have a read of Jonathan Wilson’s preview of Villa’s upcoming season. It’s all change, but risk can often equal reward.
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Email from Dave Estherby:
“Not sure how much of a hand he actually had in this but £200m for Isak and Gordon is nailing Eddie Howe for Chancellor.”
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Let’s turn our attentions to the day of football ahead…
The headline fixture, without doubt, is Newcastle vs Liverpool at 4.30pm. A fixture that signals a return for one certain player….
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See this is good stuff from Kaushal Oza:
“The Country is in safe hands. Prime Minister – Arsene Wenger. Chancellor of the Exchequer – Unai Emery. Foreign Secretary – Pep Guardiola. Home Secretary – Carlo Ancelloti. Defence Secretary – Mikel Arteta
“And the Special One as the Leader of Opposition. Parliament will be fun.”
Email in your football manager cabinet nominations here.
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Anyone for a feel good read?
Aaron Bower was up at Lincoln to witness their return to the second-tier for the first time since 1961. The result didn’t go their way but spirits are high.
Lincoln City fans arrive for the match against Pompey. Photograph: Harriet Massey/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 05.37 EDT
And I promise, last one on Spurs defeat yesterday and then we will move on, but Billy Munday’s analysis from yesterday is well worth a read.
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I’m sorry to do this Spurs fans, but the messages coming in are all trending in the same direction.
This in from Alastair Hagger:
“Good morning. Spurs = Utter shambles. There is no spine to the team. No centre forward, no strength in midfield, centrebacks who don’t want to head the ball, a raw and inexperienced goalkeeper. We are in trouble already.
“De Zerbi said in the post-match that ‘we weren’t ready for the start of the season’. I mean it’s just beyond comical now. Brentford seemed perfectly ready to me.”
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Build your dream cabinet:
“King Kenny for PM. I will hear no counter-argument.”
Oligarchic calling in the big guns here. Keep letting us know who’d be in your dream cabinet, consisting only of football managers past or present. Who’d be a good chancellor for that matter?
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Comment from fallentower:
“If we’re getting into xG talk, yesterday’s 3.96 xG was the second highest Spurs have had against them since the stat came into use 14 years ago. Only the 3-6 fiasco against Liverpool in 2024 topped it. So you can make a case that this was not just “more of the same” but a good deal worse, defensively speaking. Clearly there is massive work to do at the back.”
The comments and emails are really spoiling us today. Get in touch below or email in here.
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Will a post-Pep Premier League lead to a shift in style? And if so, what might that look like?
It’s all hypothetical. But I like hypothetical. We are all nothing, if not professional speculators.
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R.I.P. possession football?
Really like this from Phil Grey who’s emailed in.
“Fascinating to see that in the post-Pep Premier League all 5 teams that won yesterday had less of the ball than their opponents.”
Now don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure that there’s a stat that QPR (my team) won 16 matches last season. And had less than 50% of the ball in all 16. Aka…as long as we don’t have the ball we’re alright.
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Email from Matt H:
One for the United and Spurs fans to get into here…and also the xG army.
“No eggs in either basket, but on xG Man U ‘won’ their game 1.8 to 1.3, i.e they were unlucky, whereas Tottenham lost theirs 4.0 to 0.5. I think Tottenham have got a lot more to do really.”
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TODAY’S TASK
We’ve had a few in touch already. The task is to build your dream cabinet, consisting only of football managers.
A comment from stooze can get us underway:
“Jurgen Klopp as PM, with Kevin Keegan prominent too….That’d be a start most people might get on board with.”
Email in here with your thoughts or drop a comment below…
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And last but not least, Leeds snatched a one-nil win away to Forest.
Another match with late drama to kick-off opening weekend. This time the excellently named Anton Stach doing the snatching/statching.
Anton Stach and Leeds get their celebrations on. Photograph: David Klein/ReutersShare
Updated at 04.31 EDT
Also enjoyed this snippet from Sam Cunningham’s report from Portman Road.
double quotation mark
It would be fascinating to know which algorithms or eagle-eyed staff in Ipswich’s recruitment department spotted the potential in Emersonn to score the goals to keep them in the Premier League.
Thirteen games, no goals and a serious knee injury at the Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense; two league goals in 17 games at Turkish side Goztepe; then six in 28 at French side Toulouse. A modest return and not one that screams he would be ready to break down doors in the English top flight.
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And more good news for the promoted teams as Ipswich got off to a winning start against Sunderland.
A 90th minute winner for the Tractor Boys on their return to the big leagues. How could it get any better?
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Updated at 03.55 EDT
That could be one of our #themesoftheday actually. Build your dream cabinet consisting only of football managers. Can be past or present. I’m having Neil Warnock as my Prime Minister, with Clint Hill as his chancellor. I also reserve the right to a second go.
Get in touch here!
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Andy Burnham was in town to watch his beloved Everton beat Crystal Palace two-nil.
And here’s a fun fact. Burnham is seven years younger than David Moyes. Which is actually quite a bit less than I’d have anticipated. On the other hand, it would be a cabinet meeting I’d be interested in watching however. A true meeting of minds.
Andy Burnham in the stands with his wife Marie-France van Heel and former Everton player Peter Reid. Photograph: Ian Hodgson/ReutersShare
Updated at 04.31 EDT
Brentford good; Tottenham bad. Check out Jacob Steinberg’s report from the Gtech yesterday where despite it being a new season, it was the same old story for Spurs.
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Hull City provided the shock of the weekend, as they cruised past Manchester United two-nil upon their return to the Premier League.
After the result, United gaffer Michael Carrick has told everyone to stay calm! Which I’d argue is one of those things you don’t want to have to hear your manager saying on week one.
Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic as the scoreboard is seen in the background. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 03.40 EDT
That’s what we’ve got coming up, but first things first let’s run through the five fixtures we had yesterday…
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Today’s Premier League fixtures
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Brighton v Aston Villa (2pm)
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Manchester City v Bournemouth (2pm)
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Newcastle v Liverpool (4.30pm)
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Preamble
Well, well, well. We’re back again. New season, same fun. Firstly, Spurs fans, I’m very sorry. And secondly, how is this happening again? And Man United fans don’t you look anywhere. I’m talking to you guys well. It’s better to get these things all out in the open so let me know your thoughts by emailing in or posting a comment below.
As well as having all the reaction from yesterday, we’ll also be building up to today. A feast that includes three Premier League matches: Brighton v Aston Villa (2pm), Manchester City v Bournemouth (2pm) and Alexander Isak’s return to Tyneside, as Newcastle host Liverpool at 4.30pm. Barcelona and PSG are in action as the European leagues click into gear too. Let’s get into it.
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