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WICKED GAME?
“Winning the transfer window” is common parlance these days, despite its entire premise lacking anything like common sense. Some players come good/go bad quicker/slower than others. But such is the binary nature of football’s unrelenting push towards being a mercantile, rather than sporting pursuit, that Football Daily is all too happy to throw itself into such nonsense. It’s what we’re here for, in all honesty.
In a world of “here we go”, “preparing a bid” and “agreements reached”, this summer’s final boss is Alexander Isak. He’s the striker everyone wants, Newcastle most of all, during what must now be termed “a troubled pre-season”. To use more common parlance, the 25-year-old Swedish hitman, the best player on Tyneside since Alan Shearer was king creosote, is now a “wantaway striker”, to use even more common parlance. “Eddie Howe has to use all his persuasive powers to do what he can and try to make him stay at least one more year,” wailed Wor Alan himself. About those persuasive powers: Newcastle have chased down Bryan Mbeumo, João Pedro, Matheus Cunha, Dean Huijsen, Liam Delap, James Trafford and Hugo Ekitike … and none of them were welcomed by a soft-focus social media disgrace video featuring Sam Fender breathily singing the lyrics of Alan Hull. All headed elsewhere. Thus far, only Anthony Elanga for a pricey-looking £55m has arrived.
Isak cost not far short of £65m when Newcastle bought him and, as Shearer sighed, if they can get “north of” £150m for him, then that’s good business. Well, perhaps if Howe and a recruitment team including his nephew can do what King Kevin Keegan once did and tell players London is actually closer than they thought. A certain element of dissatisfaction begins to simmer on Tyneside. Wasn’t the end of the hated Mike Ashley regime supposed to be the end of Newcastle as a selling club? Surely the involvement of the Saudi Public Investment Fund meant the club was rich beyond any wildest dreams during Ashley’s reign of torpor? This wasn’t what the drone show promised.
In the wings await Liverpool and Arsenal, who in Toon Army lore are members of the hated Red Cartel who pushed profit and sustainability rules on the Premier League to mean all that Saudi loot couldn’t be splurged on Kylian Mbappé. Now that Isak’s desire to “explore his options”, to use the euphemism, is clear, they appear the most likely destinations. If Liverpool clear out seven players – Darwin Núñez, Harvey Elliott, Luis Díaz, Federico Chiesa, Kostas Tsimikas, Tyler Morton and Ben Doak – then the cash may well be available. “Headroom”, to return to using common transfer business parlance. Meanwhile, in actual football news, Howe’s team kicked off pre-season with Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Celtic, who in turn lost 5-1 to Ajax on Thursday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I realised how quickly things can change, from playing to not having a football job. I think that helped me think about future plans … you know one day you have to retire. I think that scares a lot of people” – Yana Daniëls missed out on Belgium’s Euros squad but has made a place for herself in the tournament – by handcrafting wooden trophy cases on the Wirral.
Yana Daniëls working from home. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
I don’t know about Ashley Young running legendary north London boozer the Faltering Fullback (yesterday’s Football Daily). But he could probably get a game. The Fullback will be making its debut in a London vets league this season and players need to be 40 years old/young. Enquire within, Ashley. Training’s in Finsbury Park
mostsome weeks” – Dan Ashley.
I hate to be that person, but I want to avoid the erasure of Grimsby Town’s link with footballing history. Tony Ford didn’t spend the majority of his career in Lancashire (yesterday’s Football Daily), he spent the majority on the banks of the River Humber where the salty air from the mudflats no doubt prolonged his career, allowing him to finish it at Rochdale. Some 444 games in total with two spells at the Mariners, with time spent in Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands in between” – Mark Gill.
Is everyone still arguing about the north and south of England (Football Daily letters passim)? Thankfully I live in New Zealand, where the north and south are conveniently divided into different islands. If you followed the example of New Zealand, the Solent would be the dividing line, and residents of the Isle of Wight would refer to it as the mainland” – Tim Scanlan.
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’ the day is … Tim Scanlan. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
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