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Two key contributions from Kari Tulinius here: “I’ve been listening to the newly remastered Let It Be. The Replacements’ 1984 album, not that other lot’s. For those unfamiliar, they were a bunch of drunken Minneapolitian misfits who also happened to be blessed with a gift of musical genius. Despite releasing a string of classic albums, they always sabotaged themselves right on the cusp of fame, and broke up just as their disciples in the American indie scene were about to upend the music business. That’s got me thinking. Who’re football’s Replacements? The game’s most lovable losers. Brilliant but never title-winners, having great seasons but never lifting a big trophy. Before last season I’d’ve had Crystal Palace as my pick, but then they went and won the FA Cup.”
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“Later today RC Lens visit the Loire valley to play Angers, and if the northerners win, they’ll go top of Ligue 1, one point ahead of PSG. Their local rivals Lille OSC go to Le Havre and if they return home three points the richer, they’ll jump into fourth. It’s not grim up Nord.”
It’s World Cup draw week, and that means we will be seeing plenty of Gianni and Donald’s buddying up on Friday.
Full disagree here. There is no better manager in the Premier League at renovating talent than Silva: look at Iwobi, Sessegnon, Jimenez, Wilson. Fulham also spent next to nothing in the summer, have one fit striker, and have now won three from four. They were the better team against much-vaunted Sunderland last week, and Tottenham were well-beaten on Saturday. Spurs made mistakes, but credit where it is due, please.
""Fulham continue to show what a good manager Marco Silva is. ""
Continued? I thought Frank was blamed for losing vs a side that hadnt won away some half year ago in may?
Fulham is 15th, 17 points with 5 wins and 6 losses. of those 5 wins 2 was against Leeds and Wolves. I actually think they dont perform that well and Silva has to be a part of that.
Last night they won fair and square though. Spurs was a mess. It could have been 4 or 5 goals for Fulham. But I'm starting to feel more is to be put on Levy's plate. The midfield is poor in defense and you cant keep on relying on Gray and Bergvall to run everything (in fact, the first goal came because Bergval missed his marker).
They dont have the worst program until january and Frank noted quite a few times they dont have big money name players.It will take some time to make these guys play better and more consistent. Sacking him wont solve anything. Believe it or not but I think they are playing a bit more coherent than the latter half of last season under Ange.
Will Magee, our colleague on the Guardian sports desk, has written this excellent deep dive on Viking, of Stavanger, who can win the Norwegian league title today, should they beat Valerenga. Bodo/Glimt are ready to pounce.
In today’s Sunday Times, there’s an interesting snapshot of how Michael Edwards, Liverpool’s chief executive of football operates. Jonathan Northcroft writes.
Edwards prefers to be one step removed, rarely attending Anfield (he watches games on a big screen in his basement at home, often while walking on a treadmill) and visiting the training ground once or twice a month. He and Slot spoke for 45 minutes last week. Patience is his guiding principle.
That’s a scene that resembles Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane in Moneyball, hanging out in the gym or driving round Oakland when the A’s are playing. Beane, of course, is an influence on the FSG group, and it has been said, a huge backer of Arne Slot. He is a shareholder in AZ, where Slot once worked.
Huge game for Liverpool at West Ham. What will Arne Slot do? There’s been some favourable comparisons with the Brendan Rodgers era.
Slot spoke with Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director, to dissect the PSV defeat on Thursday, as he does after every game, and came away reassured that the club’s hierarchy still back him. But he knows faith in football is finite and the current rate of losses is unsustainable. The conversation and the questions should not be one-way, however, when the most extravagant transfer window in Liverpool’s history has failed to improve a title-winning team after 20 games. An outlay approaching £450m, that included committing to break the British transfer record twice in one summer, has brought only disruption and imbalance so far.
Chiesa, Gomez and Endo in please.
Farke questions Donnarumma 'time out'
This has been a common sight in matches for a while; the goalie going down, and a team gathering its thoughts. I recall, while watching a women’s game, the TV co-commentator admitted this was a strategy. Pep Guardiola may or may not have used it against Leeds on Saturday. Daniel Farke was suspicious, as was the excellent Ian Dennis on the BBC commentary.
The score was still 2-1 to Manchester City when Donnarumma called for the physio, with Guardiola immediately gathering his players around him as he sought to adjust to a change of shape from the visitors.
“It is within the rules,” the German said. “It is smart. If I like it, if it is in the sense of fair play, if it should be like this, I keep it to myself and I leave it to the authorities to find solutions for it. It is within the rules. I asked the fourth official at this point if you want to do something and he said, ‘No, our hands are tied, we can’t do anything’.
“If we don’t educate our players in football, what to do in terms of fair play, sportsmanship, if you just try to bend the rules to your advantage and you can do a fake injury in order to do an additional team talk, it is nothing I personally like but if it is within the rules I can’t complain about it.”
Ten minutes were added on at the Etihad, and during that time, Phil Foden scored the winner.
Elsewhere, there’s some key games across Europe.
In La Liga, there’s the Seville derby between Sevilla and Real Betis, and, after Barcelona climbed to the top last night, Real Madrid go to Girona.
In Serie A, current leaders Roma face Napoli in the late game. Inter go to Pisa in the earlier game.
In Scotland, after Hearts drew with Motherwell, Celtic play at Hibs in the midday Sunday kick off, before Rangers play Falkirk, and then Aberdeen travel to Livingston.
Anything else grab you?
Big win at Wembley for the Lionesses on Saturday.
If it’s now safe to mention Chelsea v Arsenal, here’s some reading on the matter.
Krishna gets in touch: “Isn’t the match involving Manchester United no longer about the result but how many minutes before the first misplaced pass, when will Ruben disintegrate looking like a cook who forgot his recipe AND missing a key ingredient and which comic event will lead to the first red card?”
Ruben Amorim has been doing his usual Mr Motivator act.
We did mention three matches in London, and there’s also a game between Nottingham Forest and Brighton.
Here’s Ben Fisher’s mini preview of the game we cannot mention.
Things do not get any easier for Wolves and Rob Edwards. After being outclassed by Crystal Palace last weekend, on Sunday they face a trip to their in-form Midlands rivals Aston Villa. Then it is Nottingham Forest, Manchester United, Arsenal and Brentford before Christmas. Wolves lost to each of the promoted clubs this season and surely even the most optimistic Wolves supporter can be forgiven for wondering: where are the points coming from? A section of Wolves supporters tempered their anger at Molineux last time out but any grace period afforded to Edwards, a personable former player and coach, will soon fade. Even so he has to maintain belief. “When we take these jobs we all back ourselves – there’s a belief and ego we all have: ‘I can be the one who can stick around for a while,’” he said. “I haven’t joined this club to be gone within a few months.”
What about the build up to Villa v Wolves? Is the game in London the only one today that is off any interest to people?
What a job Keith Andrews is doing by the way.
Big result for Newcastle, big boos at Everton. There’s no place like home.
Sunderland continue to buck the trends, and staged a brilliant comeback against Bournemouth. Mr Brobbey scored another important goal.
There was talk that Saturday’s would be Daniel Farke’s last stand as Leeds manager but when his team play as well as they did in the second half at Manchester City then perhaps there’s a stay of execution.
We await news from Elland Road.
I was at Tottenham last night for a night of rage and anger, most loudly from the group of schoolboys behind my press box seat. Apathy ruled elsewhere. Spurs were horrible, Fulham continue to show what a good manager Marco Silva is. Thomas Frank is embattled, and taking on Tottenham fans is a brave stance, even if he did say it was OK to boo a result rather than individuals.
Big news from across the pond, where the MLS Cup Final will feature Messi, Becks, Mascherano, Suarez, Busquets and, er, Thomas Muller, as Inter Miami are now set to take on Vancouver Whitecaps. Messi’s Inter contract runs until 2028, if you were wondering.
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Preamble
Morning, all. Here comes more football, and it’s a big day in the capital as the top two take on each other and the fallen champions visit West Ham. Oh, and before that, Manchester United visit Crystal Palace. Keep it here for all the buildup and news.
Join me.
