Key events
Eddie Howe might be in the dark about Alexander Isak but it seems Newcastle are finally making some incoming moves in the summer market.
Malick Thiaw from AC Milan seems like a deal they’ll get done; he’s a promising young defender and the fee looks to be around £30m.
They’re also reportedly considering Samu Aghehowa from FC Porto, another prodigious talent.
After missing out on Sesko, Mbeumo and pretty much everyone else they’ve gone for this summer, is there some light at the end of the Toon tunnel?
Right, I believe the comments section is now open. Enjoy – but be nice! Let’s have a chat about the Community Shield, Sheffield Wednesday or any other footballing topics you fancy.
Chris Powell departed Sheffield Wednesday this summer after being an assistant to former head coach Danny Röhl. And the man often dubbed the nicest guy in football has now let his true feelings be known about the club and its owner Dejphon Chansiri.
When this kind of stuff is going on at a club, what hope do they have of competing on the pitch? Today’s game at Leicester will likely feature protests from the away fans… who knows what the football will be like from the Owls.
“I’ve said it to many people, that it’s the most functional dysfunctional football club I’ve ever been at,” Powell told The Sports Agents podcast. “Particularly the last few months from maybe from about March, when that was the first time players and staff hadn’t been paid, that you just felt a little bit uneasy with what the future might entail. But we carried on.
“We bought in a consultant for head of recruitment, a really, really good guy who helped out Danny and the coaching staff really well. But there’s no board of directors. So the club is run by the owner, Chansiri, and there’s a consultant who’s sort of his link and a club secretary. That’s it.
“There’s no one to ring. There’s no one to speak to. Now, it all falls on the shoulders of maybe the club secretary, and that’s very difficult for her. I mean, basically, people will get an email saying: ‘We know times are hard. It’s very difficult. We’re trying to resolve the situation.’ But that’s it.”
Here’s the full set of today’s (main) fixtures. Hardly jam-packed and full of thrill-rides galore yet but it’s only 10 August:
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Liverpool v Crystal Palace, 3pm
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Leicester v Sheffield Weds, 4.30pm
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Aberdeen v Celtic, 12.30pm
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Dundee United v Hearts, 3pm
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Hibernian v Kilmarnock, 3pm
All times BST.
Here you go. Enjoy over a Sunday morning coffee.
Liverpool v Crystal Palace, then. A Community Shield which represents a battle between the summer haves versus the have-nots?
Because while runaway Premier League winners Liverpool have been chasing Alexander Isak, as well as snapping up Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike this summer, the Eagles haven’t been doing very much at all. That’s unless you count the signings of backup keeper Walter Benítez and left-back Borna Sosa as something.
The job Oliver Glasner did to inspire Palace to FA Cup glory last season shouldn’t be underestimated. But after a tough summer disrupted by the uncertainty over which European competition they’ll play in this season, it seems unlikely that they’ll replicate that triumph this term. Just holding on to Eberechi Eze looks to be a struggle and Palace are huge underdogs today, that’s for sure.
I’ll run you through the Guardian’s Community Shield preview reading offerings in my next post.
Away from yesterday’s action, Eddie Howe has admitted Alexander Isak’s future at Newcastle is out of his hands amid ongoing interest from Liverpool.
Arne Slot’s side will take to the field at Wembley today with the shadow of the Isak saga still lurking, despite the fact a raft of new summer signings will be on show against Crystal Palace.
On Isak, Howe said: “That’s a decision that I won’t make, that will be for other people to make.”
Newcastle have rejected a Liverpool £110m offer for Isak, who has three years remaining on his contract, but his situation remains shrouded in uncertainty as the Magpies’ Premier League opener at Aston Villa approaches.
Let’s start with that Rangers reaction …
Russell Martin has told frustrated Grs fans there is “no quick fix” after his side dropped another two points with a 1-1 home draw against Dundee – which was secured via a James Tavernier penalty in added time.
Martin said: “Every club I have been at, it’s a bit of pain and when you get through that pain, it’s so worth it. I don’t think I expected anything less coming here, it’s not going to be a quick fix. This club has not had success for a long, long time. I’ve been asked about the supporters’ reaction and I just don’t have a problem because I understand it.”
Read more via the link below.
Preamble
I guess we’re now officially back? The Championship season is under way, we’ve already had a couple of weeks of the EFL and today’s Community Shield between Liverpool and Crystal Palace will confirm that we are, indeed, so back.
Bristol City’s drubbing of Sheffield United and Southampton’s late surge to stun Wrexham were the highlights of the second tier stuff yesterday, with attention now turning the other (far more) beleaguered Steel City club. Sheffield Wednesday travel to recently-relegated Leicester later, just glad they have a fixture to play and a team to play it.
There’s also Scottish Premiership action today and we’ll have some reaction to Rangers’ second successive league draw under new boss Russell Martin. Celtic go to Aberdeen in the Sunday lunchtime kickoff.
As always on these Matchday Live blogs, we encourage you to get in touch with your thoughts, previews and predictions plus we’ll have some insight from our team of intrepid reporters bringing you the latest from Football Land, now that we’ve landed once more.
