Ryan Whelan’s Post

FA Cup replays being scrapped means less income for smaller clubs: There is little that has been so loved as the plucky underdog fighting above their weight successfully. The smaller clubs who fight to secure a draw at bigger clubs in the cup is one of the most inspiring stories most fans would agree, the income from the replay has been a lifeline for smaller clubs and a joy for their fans. Except in a new development, which will disadvantage the lower leagues further, those FA cup replays are now to be ‘scrapped’ here, due to an agreement between the Premier League and The FA, were the EFL clubs consulted even? https://lnkd.in/eVBsjy4m In La Liga (Spain) they scrapped the replays but implemented that all first and second round games are played by the top tier clubs away at the smaller clubs. At least that takes into account the financial needs of lower tier clubs, this decision in England is a genuinely disappointing development: #benmcfadyean #fussball #facup

"I saw togetherness, energy and spirit" | Ruud van Nistelrooy reacts to Leicester's win "Essential Win for Leicester City: Rise from the Ashes with a Dominant Display" Last night, Leicester City kicked off their Premier League campaign with a thrilling 3-1 win over West Ham, as they extended their lead to four points over the bottom three. The post-match analysis revealed a more pressing need for improvement, despite the impressive result. The analysists are correct in noting that West Ham had 31 shots, their highest tally on record, with an expected goal (XG) of 3.35. In contrast, Leicester City's XG was 1.35, hinting that they may have relied on luck to claim the three points. However, the result is what matters, and the Foxes will be pleased to have ended a six-match winless streak. But what's crucial is the stat that counts: Leicester City has a challenging set of fixtures coming up, and a strong start will be vital. They'll face Brighton at home this weekend, before traveling to face Newcastle on December 22nd. A win at this stage could prove pivotal, given the competition from bottom three clubs. Positive Takeaways: The Foxes have extended their gap to the bottom three to four points, which could be crucial in the run-in. They've ended a six-match winless streak, which is a significant psychological boost. The win demonstrated the team's clinical finishing, with Vardy scoring on the night. Room for Improvement: The analysis highlights the need for better conversion rates, as evidenced by West Ham's 31 shots and Leicester City's 8 shots on target. The team will need to be more clinical in front of goal, to justify their XG numbers. Julen's Reaction: Post-match, Julen Lua Nova voiced his concerns about the team's performance, focusing on the need for improvement. He emphasized the importance of his team's attitude and behavior, knowing that a month of December lies ahead, with multiple matches and opportunities to gather points. What's Next for Leicester City? As they look to bounce back from a challenging period, Leicester City wi... #Sport #Analysis #BottomThree #ClinicalFinishing #ClinicalGoal #ConversionRates #DominantDisplay #EssentialWinforLeicesterCity #expectedgoals #fixtures #football #Foxes #JulenLuaNova #LeicesterCity #PerformanceImprovement #postmatch #PremierLeague #RisefromtheAshes #Vardy #WestHam #xG

💰 The financial landscape of the English Premier League for the 2022/23 season reveals that AFC Bournemouth, Brentford FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, and Manchester City FC stand out as the only four clubs to achieve profitability during this period. 🔵 Manchester City Football Club’s stellar performance on the pitch translated into remarkable financial success, highlighted by a triumphant treble win in the UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, and FA Cup. This feat contributed to their substantial profits, soaring to an impressive €92 million net result. 📈 Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club emerged as the undisputed champion in the "profitability race", boasting a post-tax profit exceeding a staggering €141 million. A well-deserved 6th-place finish in the league, coupled with a commendable run to the FA Cup semi-finals, significantly bolstered the club's financial standing. This record result was also driven by the positive player trading performance of the Club (almost €140 million net profit on players’ disposals). 📉 Conversely, several clubs, including Aston Villa FC, Chelsea FC, Everton FC, Leicester City FC, and Southampton FC, encountered losses above the €100 million mark, with Tottenham Hotspur FC narrowly escaping this threshold with a deficit of €99.8 million. 📊 The collective post-tax loss incurred by EPL clubs for the 2022/23 season amounted to nearly €820 million, marking a notable increase from the previous year's figure of €670.5 million. #premierleague #mancity #brighton #football #footballfinance

Sources: Man Utd consider De Zerbi and Southgate https://lnkd.in/gXDRCaCp Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank and Gareth Southgate are being assessed as attainable successors to Erik ten Hag at Manchester United ought to the Dutch supervisor go away his position at Outdated Trafford this summer season, sources instructed ESPN. Whereas ESPN sources have mentioned that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos group, which now controls United's soccer operations following the acquisition of a 27.7% stake within the membership final month, has not made any determination on the way forward for Ten Hag, choices are being explored to guage the way forward for Ten Hag. credentials and availability of attainable replacements. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (US) Brighton supervisor De Zerbi, Brentford supervisor Frank and England supervisor Southgate are all coaches of curiosity to Ineos, though sources have mentioned different managers and coaches are additionally being thought of. With United ready for incoming chief govt Omar Berrada to serve a interval of gardening go away earlier than beginning work at Outdated Trafford and talks ongoing with Newcastle over a deal for sporting director Dan Ashworth to maneuver to United, Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford is main the behind-the-scenes structural evaluate on the membership having spent months overseeing an audit of United's participant recruitment lately. A contingency plan is now being drawn up for the attainable departure of Ten Hag, with Ineos decided to not be caught off guard in a summer season when Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are already within the strategy of figuring out and hiring a brand new coach. Ten Hag was signed from Ajax in June 2022 on a three-year cope with United with the choice of a further 12 months, though he’s beneath strain to avoid wasting his job with Ratcliffe, the membership's new minority proprietor, saying final month that qualification for subsequent season's Champions League is “necessary for (monetary honest play)” by way of United complying with FFP and revenue and sustainability laws. Since Ratcliffe made these feedback after finishing his minority buy from the Glazer household, the membership's house owners, United have misplaced consecutive Premier League video games towards Fulham and Manchester Metropolis and now sit 11 factors behind fourth-placed Aston Villa. . If fifth place had been to develop into a Champions League berth based mostly on England's UEFA coefficient, United must shut a six-point hole on Tottenham, who’ve performed one sport much less, to climb into the highest 5. Regardless of United's disappointing season to date, ESPN sources have mentioned the membership are conscious that Ten Hag's fame stays excessive in Europe and there may be curiosity within the Dutch supervisor from Germany, the

Following a hard-fought 2:0 win over Tottenham on Tuesday, #ManchesterCity are just one home win against #WestHam away from winning a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title. No club in the English top flight has ever won four championships in a row before and the fact that it would be City's sixth title in seven years speaks volumes of the club's recent dominance. Ahead of Tuesday's clash with #Tottenham, City manager #PepGuardiola raised some eyebrows when he denied suggestions that City's success was boring or just about the money. "It's not boring," he said, "it's difficult. Before, it was the money. For that reason, #ManchesterUnited should have won all the titles, #Chelsea - all the titles, #Arsenal - all the titles." And while he was right in his claim that these clubs spent as much money in the last five years as City - in fact, all three clubs significantly outspent City in terms of net #transferspending since the 2019/20 season - he conveniently ignored the fact that the foundation of City's latest success was laid before that. Players like #KevinDeBruyne, #KyleWalker, #JohnStones, #BernardoSilva or #Ederson - all integral parts of City's squad - all joined the club more than five years ago. Just looking at the past five years is arbitrary at best and intentionally misleading at worst, when in fact no other club has spent more money to assemble its squad than City has since changing ownership in 2008. Since the #AbuDhabiUnitedInvestmentGroup acquired Manchester City in 2008, the club’s new leadership under chairman #KhaldoonAlMubarak has transformed the club from mid-table mediocracy to a global #footballing powerhouse, winning seven #PremierLeague titles since their maiden win in 2011/12. City’s success has always been eyed with suspicion though, as it wouldn’t have been possible without the financial muscle of its #Emirati owners. According to Transfermarkt. com, a German website specializing on #football #transfers, Manchester City’s net transfer spending (transfer spending minus transfer proceeds) since 2008 amounts to roughly €1.59 billion ($1.73 billion), outspending local rival Manchester United by almost €200 million and formerly Russian- and now American-owned Chelsea by more than €250 million. City also faces more than 100 Premier League charges for allegedly breaching financial regulations, further clouding its latest triumphs. That is not to belittle the club's accomplishments on the pitch. After all, "money doesn't score goals" as German coaching legend #OttoRehagel famously said in 1995. Looking across town at the other Manchester club is enough to illustrate that money alone doesn't guarantee success. Ever since #SirAlexFerguson retired in 2013, Manchester United has struggled to live up to its name, despite spending nearly as much as its local rival.

No relegation clause in Pep Guardiola's Man City contract extension | Back Pages Tonight Back Pages: Manchester City's Pep Guardiola Agrees to New Contract In a shocking turn of events, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reportedly agreed to a new contract with the club, featuring no relegation clause, according to sources close to the team. The development has sent shockwaves throughout the football world, as many had speculated that Guardiola would be given the freedom to leave the club if he chose to. Pep's New Contract: A Show of Unity and Commitment Mark Ogden, senior writer for ESPN, discussed the implications of the news, stating that it "sends a message to the players and staff at Manchester City that Pep Guardiola is committed to the long-term vision of the club." Ogden emphasized that Guardiola's lack of a relegation clause is a significant show of faith in the club and its future. The Significance of No Relegation Clause Martin Hardy, Northern Sports correspondent for The Times and Sunday Times, echoed Ogden's sentiments, stating that the clause "strengthens Pep Guardiola's desire to fight for the club" despite the ongoing Premier League investigation into the club's conduct. Hardy noted that the contract highlights Guardiola's commitment to the club and its supporters. Everton's New Owners: A Possible Turning Point for the Toffees Meanwhile, Everton's director of football, Marcel Brands, has expressed his confidence in the club's new owners, the Farhad Moshiri-led consortium. Moshiri has vowed to invest heavily in the squad and infrastructure, potentially sparking a new era of success for the Toffees. Rugby Union's Financial Woes In a concerning development for English rugby, The Daily Telegraph has reported that the Rugby Football Union is set to suffer a record loss of £40 million, with some estimates as high as £50 million. The news comes amidst concerns over the sport's financial sustainability and the struggling club sides in England's top division. Jofra Archer's U-Turn on IPL Finally, England fast bowler ... #Sport #ashes #BackPages #contract #Everton #FarhadMoshiri #FinancialWoes #football #IPL #JofraArcher #ManchesterCity #PepGuardiola #PremierLeague #RelegationClause #rugbyunion

FOOTIE BLOG: Why not being the best has made the EFL (English Football League) brilliant. Like most footie fans, I’m already excited for the start of the season tomorrow (August 10) when my team, Norwich City Football Club , head to newly-promoted Oxford United. For Oxford it will be a fresh start in a new league and for Norwich it will be a fresh start under a new, younger manager - Johannes Hoff Thorup . But this isn’t about Norwich, it’s about why the Championship - the painful name the old Second Division gives itself - is brilliant. The “best” league in England, and it would argue, the world, is the Premier League. Even its name suggests it’s the “toppermost of the poppermost”, as John Lennon said. But look one league down and you find a crazy, unpredictable, entertaining and very well supported bunch that is frankly, much more fun.  Few tourists want to watch Championship footie so whoever is there has come because they really care. And they do come. Over 12,700,000 fans came through Championship turnstiles last season, which makes it the second most-attended league in the whole of Europe (ahead of the Bundesliga’s 12.1m attendees but behind the noisy league above). And that can’t be a surprise when coming up this season we have: Leeds, a giant whose fall from the heights of the Champions League and goldfish in the boardroom to League One is Shakespearean. Sheffields United and Wednesday, whose mortal combat over the years has seen both clubs wax and currently wane.  Coventry City, who lit up the FA Cup last season. Wales’s two top clubs, Swansea and Cardiff. Northeastern giants Sunderland. Founder member of the football league Preston North End. Plus some other former Premier League clubs, including Burnley, Blackburn, Borough, Luton (!) West Brom, Norwich, QPR and the fallenest of fallen heroes, Derby County. Outside of the Premier orbit, you have Bristol City, the biggest club in a city that’s never featured in the Premier League. All that and the drama of Wayne Rooney’s return to management in the far West with Plymouth, after sending Birmingham City into a death-spiral last year. And there is no VAR, so when a goal is scored, it’s scored. I know us fans should want to be in the Premier League, to aspire to great things. But in becoming the “best” the Prem lost what makes footie special. Long live the Championship. And good luck Johannes!

Whilst they are not my team, I am pleased that Manchester United avenged last year's final defeat and today beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup. Whatever people say about priorities, for me there is still something magical about the World's oldest Soccer knock out competition. Still something stirring about saying your team are "FA Cup Winners". My reasons however, for 'supporting' Manchester United today have more to do with the way Football has gone in recent years; and Manchester City are an example of that flawed ethos. They are without question, magnificent. One of the greatest teams ever to take the field. But unlike the great Manchester United side of Alex Ferguson, the Liverpool side of Bill Shankly, the Arsenal side of Bernard Chapman and, yes, the Tottenham Hotspur side of Bill Nicholson; today's Manchester City were not built, they were bought. Backed by huge oil money they can acquire the greatest Managers, the greatest, Staff, and of course, the greatest Players. And then they win things. And then every great Player wants to wear their shirt, and so does every glory hunter in the pub, and the TV company want their games on their pay per view channel. And before long you have a dynasty whose only challenge comes from a handful of other great dynasties. Since the founding of the Premier League in 1992, only seven teams have won the tournament, (although Ferguson's Manchester United accounted for thirteen of those). In 1961, Tottenham Hotspur won the League and FA Cup 'Double'; the first time it was achieved in the 20th Century. Hailed as a great achievement at the time since there were so many good teams around that it was thought to be virtually impossible. Today, the big powers seem to win Doubles with impunity, City achieved both the Double and the European Champions League last season, and came close to repeating the feat this. They have also made history by becoming the first club to win the English top division in four successive seasons. Ultimately, it is Capitalism and good old 'supply and demand' which have created this situation. We all want to see our team win, and to watch great Players doing it. But I would like to see more clubs giving their Managers time to create something special, and more days like today, when even the mighty fall. Congratulations, Manchester United... FA Cup Winners 2024.

As England takes on the Netherlands in the 2024 Euros football tournament today (soccer for my US friends and colleagues), what does Gareth Southgate, Manager of the England team have to teach us about leadership? Here’s my takeaway: applying kindness to skill leads to results. Kindness, you say? But this is competitive sport! While I can’t argue sensibly about how much shift there should be between a back three and a back four, or whether substitutions should come on earlier when play is lacklustre given reserve bench strength, over the last six years of watching Southgate, it’s clear to me that he cares about his players.  He engages them warmly when they have done well and when they have not. In his demeanour and commentary, he makes it clear he believes in their talents and contributions to the team. He encourages them to not give up – to keep pressing forward. Despite vitriol by some pundits and armchair enthusiasts for being too soft, too reactive, and not tactical, Southgate has in fact succeeded – where a number of others have failed to knit golden generations of exceptional players into a united, winning force. The numbers say it all: the only coach to get the national team to two quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final. He's a former player who has known adversity missing a crucial penalty at the Euros in 1996 which contributed to England not advancing to the semifinals. In the final of the 2020 Euros, he did his best to shield young, star player, Bukayo Saka from abuse when he missed a penalty.  But Southgate’s message was clear: stay the course, keep practicing, do what you do in training. It paid off last Saturday when Saka and the other penalty takers each sent the ball to the back of the net in order for England to advance over Switzerland to the semi-final. No matter what happens in tonight’s game, there is much we can take back to our own teams. Faith in their ability, sustained encouragement even when things go wrong, kindness and respect. All winning ingredients for achievement. #leadership

Leeds player value could rise above £50million after this summer: According to HITC, any offer to purchase Leeds United’s Archie Gray may surpass £50 million. Leeds United may need to approve a significant sale in order to address their PSR problems as they face pressure to adhere to financial regulations. Due to their failure to get promoted to the Premier League, Leeds are facing financial issues and they made need to address that soon. After his impressive performances last season, his stock is high at the moment and it could be the perfect time for the Championship club to cash in on the player. Championship Player of the Year Crysencio Summerville is reportedly planning to move out of Elland Road this summer, but Archie Gray may now follow him out the door, as per the report.Leeds are likely to be forced to sell Archie Gray. More Stories / Latest News Leeds player value could rise above £50million after this summer Jun 29 2024, 11:13 Villa forward set to leave today after Ian Maatsen signing Jun 29 2024, 10:39 European giants plotting summer swoop for Man United star Marcus Rashford Jun 29 2024, 10:14 Even if Gray’s departure would have a significant impact, Leeds might raise their chances of promotion by improving their team overall with the help of £50 million. Leeds midfielder is attracting interest from big clubs The young defensive midfielder is being eyed for a move by German giants Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham are among the English teams who have expressed interest in signing Gray. The Whites may have to make the difficult decision soon and cash in on the player in order for the opportunity to abide by the PSR rules and reinvest in their squad. The post Leeds player value could rise above £50million after this summer appeared first on CaughtOffside. http://dlvr.it/T8xDPd | nexxtgen.pro