Football

If it’s true that we’re in the running for Milinković-Savić than we’ll have some midfield this season.

Nice Sid Lowe piece on the return of Santi Cazorla (who I worked with once briefly, and can safely say is a lovely man)
Good to see him back on a football pitch, and fingers crossed he gets to play some meaningful games again before his career's over

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/26/santi-cazorla-arsenal-villarreal-injury

Yeah - brought a tear to my eye. So good to see him back playing football.

Rafa Benitez expected to work miracles again - currently positive £14m and net -4 players down

Meh, they've spent plenty more than Burnley and a fair few other clubs in the past few years. Their wage bill was outrageous, upwards of £110m in the championship. Plucky Newcastle is bollocks

Under Benitez? Not sure that’s right, though could be wrong.

Wasn’t comparing them to Burnley as they’re a much bigger club and he’s a much bigger manager - so more just a comment based on that.

Yeah, fuck Newcastle.

Daft geordies don't know their fucking born

Just because I didn't post a year ago that I thought Maguire would be a success for England at the WC (even though I thought it, honest...), I'm now going on record that James Maddison will do the same at the Euros. It's only pre-season, but he has everything that England lacked behind Kane. He's what Grealish thinks he is, but isn't, minus the shitty attitude. And his set pieces are something else.

£112m https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/44171269 (not sure why it says rugby union in the link) Higher than everyone bar the Premier League top 6 that season.

Can't imagine it has dropped much now they are in the Premier League. Most clubs tend to finish roughly where they would in a league table of wages (with Burnley being an obvious exception last year). Newcastle are under-performing but seem to have managed to convince people they're up against it.

Everton selling Klaassen for £12m loss after a year. Cracking bit of business...

He was on >£100k a week. Possibly the right decision to make if you’re not going to play him.

Golovin to Monaco for £27m. Will he be worth £75m in twelve months time?

Newcastle has an artificially high wage bill because of the premium they have to pay to get players to live in Newcastle. It’s a reverse London weighting thing.

Arsenal 5-1 PSG

Ah, the highlight of Arsenal's season, the Emirates Cup.

jose mourihno, footballs equivalent of donald trump

I, four one, loved Shaqiri's overhead kick.

not a bad account opener

Cunty has started early this season
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44995530

the difference in class between klopp and jose trump in the last week
so glad we've got the jovial huggy german

Head like a traction engine.

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interesting shortish article from Tim Vickery on the glut of you tricky winger/strikers heading to europe from Brazil, and why Brazil isn't producing any decent midfielders...

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/club/brazil/205/blog/post/3579193/richarlisonvinicius-juniormalcom-highlight-brazil-problem-positions

Also, still haven't signed anyone, less than two weeks to go until the transfer window closes. Not quite sure how I feel about it. Especially as we have a load of midfielders injured (both senior and u23's) and need reinforcements if Dembele does make a move.
Suppose I've just got to be excited by the improvement of Lucas Moura, and N'koudou, with a full Pochettino pre season under their belts.

on another note @villa-ru, @Markyboy was on a spurs blog where they were discussing the relative merits of Grealish and Maddison, and they rightly or wrongly were coming down in favour of Grealish being the better player now and long term. Where do you stand? Similar players or not, comparable skills/potential? Or are they completely different?

I ask the question even though we haven't put in a bid worthy of the name for Grealish.

@Markyboy

Solid start for our loanee; 2 goals and 1 assist on Saturday in the Regis Shield.

football and music collide

https://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2018/jul/30/bands-fc-where-music-and-football-badges-collide

Repost... And it's from the fucking GUARDIAN!!!