Premier League
IT’S 15 YEARS SINCE THE GLAZERS’ £790M BUY-OUT OF MANCHESTER UNITED: RUNNING OR RUINING THE CLUB?
The Glazer family has never been ones for the details of running Manchester United.
When he first arrived at Old Trafford with his two brothers 15 years ago, behind the tinted glass of a Volkswagen people carrier, Joel Glazer grabbed the first products he could lay his hands on in the club store — a £27 blue away shirt plus a few ‘I love Man United‘ T-shirts — and rushed off for his next engagement.
His brother, Avie, went for an £18 plastic United rucksack.
It was something Joel said the following day in the Old Trafford International Lounge after gathering 550 staff — from the tea ladies to chief executive David Gill — for a 15-minute briefing which proved prophetic in light of all that has followed.
‘Our view is that this club has such a rich history and tradition that we’re not looking to change,’ declared Joel who, like Avie, their brother Bryan and late father Malcolm, has refused any media interviews about United from that day until this.
Concerns that the Glazers would bleed the club dry of transfer market investment after their £790million leveraged buy-out have proved spectacularly unfounded. Gill’s successor Ed Woodward has presided over a bigger outlay than Paris Saint-Germain in the past five years.
It is the Glazers’ absentee status and neglect — an indifference to any suggestion that the club might need to change — which has proved so devastating when fellow Americans Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have delivered such impressive strategic oversight down the M62 at Liverpool.
There were certainly grounds to leave things alone when Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson navigated the ship in the first eight years of Glazer command.
Consider, for example, the legendary quiz nights at the team hotel which always took place on the eve of European away matches.
Set by the club photographer John Peters, they were monumentally competitive, with Nicky Butt and Roy Keane incandescent with rage if they felt they had been wrongly denied points.
They reflected the extraordinarily tight nature of a club in which everyone understood the question-master’s sometimes obscure references to British life and culture.
It was around 2008, when the team become more multi-national and some
players did not understand the questions, that the quizzes were faded out.
The decision-making processes were supremely tight back then, too. At 8am every Friday, Gill would meet Ferguson at the Carrington training ground for the weekly meeting at which gaps in the squad and ongoing conversations about targets would be discussed. Football success is about judgment and they all trusted each other.
Jim Lawlor, the chief scout, ambled into Ferguson’s office one day to say it had struck him that Henrik Larsson’s season at Helsingborg was about to finish and he might be a stop-gap solution to the temporary problem of an injury to Louis Saha. ‘We’ll do it,’ said Ferguson. He and Gill always acted decisively.
The Glazers’ decision to allow Ferguson and Gill — the brains trust of Manchester United — to leave in the same summer said everything about what happens when owners are semi-detached.
If Woodward had operated with Ferguson for a few years, the outcome may have been very different. He and Gill had mapped things in such a way that the club only liked to make one or two changes each year.
But the managerial revolving door since Ferguson left has brought coaches with no time for many of the players they have inherited — particularly Jose Mourinho — and left Woodward constantly shipping them in and out in big numbers while lacking the football knowledge to cope.
There are occasional chinks of light. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s last summer transfer window was arguably United’s best since Ferguson stepped down. But the emergency stop-gap striker Odion Ighalo, who has spent the past three years in China, on £165,000-a-week wages — was a far cry from Larsson.
The deal asked questions about what on earth United’s player acquisition system has come to. Woodward, a physicist, is a great believer in data. He likes to throw resources at decisions and be presented with empirical evidence — numbers — as to why a player should be signed.
Part of the expanded United scouting system is the creation of a battery of reports on virtually every player. There can be too much information, say some who know United well.
Gill, an economist, tended to apply science to the real world, as individuals in that profession often do. There would be an element of human judgment.
For Woodward’s Radamel Falcao, read Gill and Ferguson’s calamitous Bebe, the unknown signed in 2010. Both players are thought to have been hired after deadline-day phone calls from Jorge Mendes. Falcao was only marginally the better.
Yet the Glazers appear utterly oblivious to the fact the club is listing and lacks direction, while FSG have inserted Bostonian Mike Gordon — a significant figure at Anfield — and British-American Peter Moore.
United are torn between wanting to send a message to the market that they will not overpay and a need to spend.
They waited an entire window to buy Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon and ended up getting him for the same price they would have paid in the first place.
The same fearful decision-making applied to the signing of Harry Maguire.
When Liverpool were thwarted in their attempt to buy Virgil van Dijk from Southampton, they simply went back later and upped the offer by £15m — and got their man. They know what their priorities are and act accordingly.
To owners with a modicum of curiosity, Woodward’s track record would now be coming under scrutiny. He did sharpen up the commercial operation when he took charge. But, contrary to popular belief, it is group managing director Richard Arnold, not Woodward, who has been bringing in noodle sponsors and myriad other deals which have made United a fortune.
A broader, more strategic perspective would also tell the ruling dynasty that Woodward has presided over Old Trafford becoming an aged, careworn place, in desperate need of upgrade and renewal at a time when Arsenal’s and Tottenham’s arenas place them miles ahead.
The technically challenging expansion of Anfield is something FSG have applied themselves to and the stadium is hugely enhanced.
Now is the point of greatest opportunity to install a director of football. There will not be the kind of opposition from Solskjaer that a signature managerial appointee like Mauricio Pochettino would present in a quest for power and authority.
Delegating responsibility to a board director who knows the game would also give Woodward greater justification for retaining the services of Solskjaer, who has struggled.
These are decisions for the invisible men who took the club over, but no one is expecting a revolution.
After that souvenir hunt in 2005, the brothers beat a hasty retreat through the Old Trafford North Stand door, squealing off up Sir Matt Busby Way minutes later in the people carrier.
At that point, Sir Bobby Charlton ambled out into the sunshine, where he was accosted by fans deeply concerned about what the future might hold with the Glazers. ‘I don’t expect we’ll see much of them,’ he said.
-Daily Mail
Arsenal edged a step closer to the Premier League title with Leandro Trossard’s late goal and a slice of fortune in stoppage time, securing a precious 1-0 victory at relegation-threatened West Ham United to put them five points clear on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side looked like dropping points to keep the door ajar for chasing Manchester City, but Trossard’s 83rd-minute goal means that victories over Burnley and Crystal Palace will guarantee their first English crown since 2004.
An off-key Arsenal were living on their nerves and survived a huge scare in stoppage time as West Ham’s Callum Wilson fired home in a goalmouth scramble, but his effort was ruled out for a foul on Arsenal keeper David Raya after a lengthy VAR check.
It completed a stunning week for Arsenal, who reached the Champions League final for the first time since 2006 by beating Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Victory left them on 79 points from 36 games with City, who have a game in hand against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, on 74 from 35. West Ham stay third from bottom on 36 points from 36 games and will be desperately hoping that Leeds United can take points off 17th-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
“It has been a hell of a week, a rollercoaster of a week, with everything we have had to play for and all of the emotions in those games,” Arteta said.
West Ham’s bitter defeat means Leeds and Nottingham Forest are safe from relegation. Forest drew 1-1 at home against Newcastle United with a late equaliser by Elliot Anderson, taking them to 43 points.
Aston Villa suffered a European hangover in a 2-2 draw with already-relegated Burnley that stalled their hopes of sealing a place in the Champions League.
Three days after reaching the Europa League final, Villa found themselves trailing to an early goal by Jaidon Anthony, but Ross Barkley levelled before halftime, and Ollie Watkins fired Villa ahead after the break.
Burnley’s Zian Flemming equalised, though, to leave Villa in fifth place with 59 points, behind Liverpool on goal difference. Villa play Liverpool next week.
RELIEF FOR ARSENAL
Rarely has a capital derby had more riding on it than the clash between West Ham and Arsenal at the London Stadium.
Both sides were desperate for a victory for contrasting reasons, and Arsenal were breathing a huge sigh of relief after a dramatic conclusion to the contest.
With Manchester City beating Brentford 3-0 on Saturday to close the gap to two points, the pressure was on Arsenal in what always looked like a treacherous fixture.
Apart from a dominant opening 25 minutes, they struggled against a battling West Ham side and needed two great saves from Raya to keep the hosts at bay.
When Trossard fired home after being picked out by Martin Odegaard in the 83rd minute, it sparked delirium behind the goal where the Arsenal fans were massed.
But deep in stoppage time, Wilson drove a shot through a forest of legs to seemingly earn West Ham a priceless point in their battle to extend their 14-season stay in the top flight.
Silence descended around the stadium as VAR checked for a foul on Raya by West Ham’s Pablo, and there was a stomach-churning wait as referee Chris Kavanagh watched replay after replay on the monitor before deciding to disallow the goal.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville described it as the “biggest VAR call in the history of the Premier League,” and it certainly had huge ramifications at the top and bottom of the table.
“It was a massive call, but it was clearly the right call,” a relieved Arteta said. “Today I have realised how difficult and how big the referee’s job is.”
Everton’s dreams of qualifying for Europe suffered a setback as substitute Jean‑Philippe Mateta rescued Crystal Palace with a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
Palace, fresh from booking their place in the Conference League final on Thursday, twice came from behind.
James Tarkowski put Everton ahead early before Ismaila Sarr levelled in the 34th minute. Beto restored Everton’s lead with a brilliant solo effort, but Mateta struck in the 76th minute.
Everton are 10th on 49 points, six points back of a top-six finish and a place in Europe. Palace are 14th on 44 points.
At The City Ground, Anderson struck an 88th-minute equaliser against his former club as Forest earned a vital draw with Newcastle, a result that means they are safe.
Harvey Barnes had put Newcastle ahead.
-Reuters
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Manchester City kept the Premier League title race bubbling with a 3-0 win over Brentford on Saturday, thanks to second-half goals by Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush as they cut the gap with leaders Arsenal to two points with three games left.
City have 74 points from 35 games, but their draw at Everton on Monday means they need Arsenal — who visit relegation-threatened West Ham United on Sunday — to squander points in one of their remaining games to have a chance at the title.
“If you play for Manchester City, you think of titles every single day,” Haaland said of his team’s title hopes.
City dominated much of the game at The Etihad, but Brentford held strong before Doku, City’s best player on the night, produced a moment of brilliance on the hour, cutting inside from the left and curling a right-foot shot into the top corner.
Haaland gave City a two-goal cushion when he bundled the ball into the net after 75 minutes.
In what was far from the prettiest of goals, Antoine Semenyo cut the ball back for Haaland, whose shot was blocked. The big Norwegian was, though, able to back-heel the ball into the net past Caoimhin Kelleher for his 26th league goal of the season.
Marmoush struck deep in injury time when he latched onto a pass from Haaland, took a touch and then struck the ball across the keeper and into the far corner to wrap up the win.
City remain unbeaten in the league since January in a relentless run that has turned the final weeks of the season into a breathless title chase.
“We’ll see. (The title race) is not in our hands,” Guardiola said. “We will do our job. We didn’t do perfectly at Everton. It was tough. On Wednesday, we host Crystal Palace, another team set to play a European final. We just do our job and wait.”
Palace face Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final later this month before City’s title rivals Arsenal take on Paris St Germain in the Champions League final.
BRENTFORD’S EUROPEAN HOPES DENTED
Brentford’s loss was a blow to their hopes of a place in Europe next term. They sit eighth, four points off the top six.
“We were playing against a team fighting for the title. You could see that from their urgency,” Brentford boss Keith Andrews said. “I liked a lot of what we did today. I liked the bravery and courage of our approach.”
City had 25 shots to Brentford’s four and 10 shots on target to the visitors’ two.
Phil Foden had a couple of City’s best chances, including one that forced a magnificent save from Kelleher, who managed to just flick his shot over the bar.
Brentford appealed twice for red cards to no avail.
Tempers flared in the first half when City captain Bernardo Silva and Nathan Collins battled for the ball, and Silva punched Collins in the back of the leg as he fell.
Then Kevin Schade went down in the box late on under pressure from Matheus Nunes, but after a VAR check, it was decided there was not enough contact for a penalty.
“I will be the first to tell what a difficult job they have to do on a day-to-day basis,” Andrews said.
“It’s difficult with all the contentious issues and at times the playacting. I thought the Kevin Schade incident was a penalty. So that was really disappointing.”
-Reuters
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Manchester City sent out a defiant message to Premier League title favourites Arsenal as Pep Guardiola’s side scored three second-half goals to beat visiting Brentford 3-0 on Saturday.
Anything other than a win would have left City’s hopes of reclaiming the crown hanging by a slender thread, and it looked unlikely in a subdued first half.
But a superb strike into the top corner by Jeremy Doku and further goals by Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush earned City the win that cut Arsenal’s lead to two points.
Liverpool failed to wrap up Champions League qualification as they drew 1-1 at home to Chelsea, while Bournemouth moved into sixth place with a 1-0 win at Fulham in which both sides ended with 10 men.
Brighton & Hove Albion also boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe with a 3-0 win over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Manchester United, who are already assured of a top-five finish, drew 0-0 at Sunderland.
HAMMER BLOW
City’s chaotic 3-3 draw at Everton in midweek was a hammer blow to Pep Guardiola’s side and left Arsenal in prime position to win the title for the first time since 2004.
It left City five points adrift with a game in hand, but on Saturday, they showed they are not ready to throw in the towel.
Liverpool failed to wrap up Champions League qualification as they drew 1-1 at home to Chelsea, while Bournemouth moved into sixth place with a 1-0 win at Fulham in which both sides ended with 10 men.
Brighton & Hove Albion also boosted their hopes of qualifying for Europe with a 3-0 win over bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers. Manchester United, who are already assured of a top-five finish, drew 0-0 at Sunderland.
HAMMER BLOW
City’s chaotic 3-3 draw at Everton in midweek was a hammer blow to Pep Guardiola’s side and left Arsenal in prime position to win the title for the first time since 2004.
It left City five points adrift with a game in hand, but on Saturday they showed they are not ready to throw in the towel.
They now have 74 points behind Arsenal on 76 after 35 games but the Gunners have a goal difference advantage of one. Arsenal face a tricky derby at relegation-threatened West Ham United on Sunday.
Win that, and with a home game against relegated Burnley next, Arsenal would be breathing easier, but any slip at the London Stadium would leave the door ajar for City.
City’s next game is at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
“We knew we had to win after the draw (at Everton),” Belgian Doku, who scored a last-gasp equaliser at Everton, said. “When you arrive at this point you always find some energy to push through and we will continue in the next games.”
Brentford were proving a tough nut to crack until Doku cut in from the right in the 60th minute and curled an unstoppable right-foot shot high into the far corner.
They now have 74 points behind Arsenal on 76 after 35 games but the Gunners have a goal difference advantage of one. Arsenal face a tricky derby at relegation-threatened West Ham United on Sunday.
Win that, and with a home game against relegated Burnley next, Arsenal would be breathing easier, but any slip at the London Stadium would leave the door ajar for City.
City’s next game is at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
“We knew we had to win after the draw (at Everton),” Belgian Doku, who scored a last-gasp equaliser at Everton, said. “When you arrive at this point you always find some energy to push through and we will continue in the next games.”
Brentford were proving a tough nut to crack until Doku cut in from the right in the 60th minute and curled an unstoppable right-foot shot high into the far corner.
Haaland then bundled his way through to a 26th league goal of the season and Marmoush slotted a silky third late on.
CHELSEA END LOSING RUN
Enzo Fernandez’s free kick secured a point for Chelsea to end their six-game losing run in the Premier League and earn caretaker manager Calum MacFarlane a first point in charge.
Liverpool had taken an early lead with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box by Ryan Gravenberch.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool remain fourth in the table with 59 points from 36 games although they could drop to fifth if Aston Villa, who have 58 points, win at Burnley on Sunday.
Liverpool’s fans vented their frustration at Anfield with derision greeting Slot’s decision to substitute teenager Rio Ngumoha while there were boos at the final whistle.
“There were a lot that didn’t agree with the change, which is completely understandable,” Slot said. “He was having problems with his muscles and, when I asked him, he said he was not sure he could continue.
“I knew this would be the reaction because he is such a good player. So often in football people don’t know everything. I am the manager and I need to make decisions.”
With sixth place potentially coming with a Champions League berth, should Villa win the Europa League final and finish fifth in the table, Bournemouth are still in the hunt for a dream debut in Europe’s elite club competition.
RAYAN STRIKES FOR BOURNEMOUTH
Brazilian teenager Rayan struck home a low shot early in the second half for Bournemouth after being teed up by Adam Smith.
Bournemouth were reduced to 10 men when Ryan Christie’s yellow card for a lunging tackle on Timothy Castagne in the 39th minute was upgraded to a red following a VAR check.
However, he was soon followed by Fulham’s Joachim Andersen for a foul on Adrien Truffert, also after a VAR check.
Brighton struck twice in the opening five minutes against Wolves with Jack Hinshelwood heading the club’s fastest-ever Premier League goal after 35 seconds.
Captain Lewis Dunk made it 2-0 with another header. Relegated Wolves improved after the break but Yankuba Minteh struck a third goal for Brighton late on.
Manchester United were fortunate to emerge with a point at Sunderland as their goalkeeper Senne Lammens made several fine saves to keep the hosts at bay at The Stadium of Light.
United did not have a single effort on target until Matheus Cunha’s stoppage-time effort was saved by Robin Roefs.
“Today is a positive result in terms of the point,” United’s caretaker coach Michael Carrick, whose side have 65 points from 36 games, said. “Was it going to be a perfect game? We weren’t expecting a perfect game. It is what it is.”
-Reuters
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