Sheiking all over
NO, IT’S not a spelling mistake because the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, and even in the long run the European giants will be (and already are) “sheiking” in their boots as a result of the Saudibacked takeover of Newcastle United. Who would have thought it? Newcastle, without a domestic pot since 1955, are now effectively the richest club in world football having been bought out by some desert dwellers with access to 11 times the amount of filthy lucre that Manchester City’s owners have.
As soon as the news broke, the Guardianistas and just about everyone else were beseeching the Toon Army to rip up their season tickets in protest at Saudi Arabia’s abhorrent human rights record, not to mention their treatment of same sex couples and many other outrages including bombing Yemen back into the dark ages. (Did they ever leave?)
Well, good luck with that because no Geordie of my acquaintance cares about anything other than his beloved Magpies and it’s not their job to enforce sanctions on nasty countries — that’s what governments are there for.
Patience is a virtue
Understandably re Newcastle, the fans were giddy with expectation at the thought of the glory days ahead, but they should temper that hope with the realisation that the likes of Haaland, Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi are not going to be knocking on St James’ door anytime soon.
It took four years for Abu Dhabi FC, aka Manchester City, to win their first Premier League, and I would expect a similar timeframe for Newcastle to become truly competitive at the top.
They will probably start the process with a £200 million spend in January, which should bring them in some decent players of the calibre of Jesse Lingard, Harry Winks, and perhaps even Raheem Sterling?.
I hate International breaks but I did enjoy. . .
All the Nations League games plus Scotland vs Israel; the rest, mediocre in comparison. Given the choice last Saturday of watching Andorra take on England or the Scots vs Israel in a game that really mattered, I quite rightly chose the latter, and what a game it was.
Excellent goals, comedy goals, scruffy injury time winner – this game had it all. But what really made it for me was the Hampden crowd. Understandably given the dross they’ve been served up with for the past 20 odd years, the Scots hadn’t had a Hampden sellout since like forever. But last Saturday the place was rocking, and it was brilliant to both see and hear. The 3-2 win means that they’ve just about guaranteed themselves a place in the World Cup playoffs. It’s just a pity for the Tartan Army that the finals are in Qatar, rather than a nice accommodating European country.
This week’s games
Premier League today 2:30; Watford vs Liverpool. 5pm; Aston Villa vs Wolves, Leicester vs United, Citeh vs Burnley, Norwich vs Brighton, Southampton vs Leeds. 7:30; Brentford vs Chelsea. Tomorrow 2pm; Everton vs West Ham. 4:30; Newcastle vs Spurs. Monday 10pm; Arsenal vs Palace. Friday 10pm; Arsenal vs Villa. Selected Championship today 2:30; Fulham vs QPR. 5pm; Blackburn vs Coventry, Bristol City vs Bournemouth, Middlesbrough vs Peterborough. Tomorrow 2pm; Swansea vs Cardiff. Wednesday 9:45; Swansea vs West Brom. Selected Scotland today 5pm; Hibs vs Dundee United, Motherwell vs Celtic, Rangers vs Hearts. Champions League Tuesday 7:45; Bruges vs Citeh. 10pm; Atletico vs Liverpool. Wednesday 10pm United vs Atalanta, Chelsea vs Malmo. Europa League Tuesday 5:30; Celtic vs Ferencvaros. Wednesday 5:30; Spartak Moscow vs Leicester. Thursday 10pm; Randers vs Brondby, West Ham vs Genk. European Conference Thursday 7:45; Vitesse vs Spurs. Games to watch; Brentford vs Chelsea, Newcastle vs Spurs.
Dashing new boys against the European Champions, what’s not to like? This will be a real test for the Bees as well as a possible statement win for Chelsea over the side that beat Arsenal and West Ham while earning a marvellous draw with Liverpool.
Newcastle vs Spurs; it had to happen didn’t it? The Toons’ first game since the Saudi takeover and Spurs are the visitors; that’s the Spurs helmed by Daniel Levy, who is one of the most vehemently and vociferously anti-takeover chairmen in the league.
One thing you can guarantee is that the Geordie faithful will be at their raucous best for this first game of their new (hoped for) trophy-laden era, and that the atmosphere will be white hot in a game where Spurs have had the upper hand in recent years. Definitely not a fixture for the faint of heart but it should be fun.
F1
Well that was a bit of a screwup by Mercedes in İstanbul last week, wasn’t it? You have the most accomplished driver on the grid, who is acknowledged to be the best in the business at tyre management, six laps away from a commendable third place and his team order him in for fresh tyres?
To say that Lewis Hamilton wasn’t a happy bunny afterwards is putting it mildly, as that decision not only cost him two places as he finished fifth, but also gave Max Verstappen an extra five-point cushion for the title with just six races left.
Mercedes really must get their risk-averse Teutonic act together or the title really will be heading Red Bull’s way.
And finally
Last week’s question: what is the highest speed ever during a F1 Grand Prix? The answer is 231.523 mph by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2005 at Monza in his McLaren Mercedes. This week: Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano were famously capped by two countries, but which player played in the World Cup finals for three different countries?
Did you know that the former Chilean President and good friend of Maggie Thatcher was named General Augusto Pinocchio? Neither did I or a few others who were in the local last week until Mrs Walker read out a quiz question from this publication.
Also, according to a certain Mr Crowfoot, Amy Johnson sailed around the world in less than a 100 days in 2005, which was certainly news to those of us who thought it was Dame Ellen Macarthur who had done so, while Amy Johnson was of course the pioneering woman pilot who set many long distance records in the 1930s before disappearing over the Thames estuary in 1941.
Fun fact: Amy Johnson was from Hull and to my knowledge has never met Liz Hobbs, who also allegedly comes from there.