Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2017 i Australian FourFourTwo

The off-season gave Australia another taste of the EPL on its doorstep with visits from Liverpool and Arsenal giving football-starved fans a chance to see their heroes in the flesh and compare the world’s elite with our own local stars. And what expensive and finely-chiselled flesh it is too. Our A-League stars are no pub teams and in great physical shape... but their EPL counterparts were just on another level. Compared to the upper-body strength of Olivier Giroud for example, or the muscle-bound Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - Ox by name, ox by physique – our lads looked liked skinny kids. Side by side, it was like men and boys. I don’t know what the strength and conditioning boys are doing in the EPL training grounds – or if it’s just in…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 5thFA CUP WinnersLEAGUE CUP Fifth RoundCHAMPIONS LEAGUE Last 16TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Alexis Sanchez (30) When a microphone was thrust under the noses of Arsenal’s players last term, they were quick to defend Arsene Wenger. “Don’t blame the manager – blame us,” they’d cry. It was a heartwarming gesture. But some of their performances suggested that the players wouldn’t run through a light drizzle for the Gunners’ manager, let alone a brick wall. Wenger and the board didn’t help the situation. They dawdled over his contract extension, causing unrest in the stands and uncertainty on the pitch. Arsenal ended up finishing fifth in the Premier League and missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in 20 years. Meanwhile, their assault on Europe’s top…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 16th FA CUP Fifth Round LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Sam Vokes (12) It was an inevitability of any TV interview that involved Burnley last season: at some point, someone was going to say the ‘A’ word. No, not aardvark: there’s really not much insight that Sean Dyche can offer into the doings of the long-snouted ant-gobbler, particularly straight after a tense fixture at West Bromwich Albion, so reporters usually didn’t bother. What they were far more interested in was the Clarets’ away form. Even when Burnley had won at Turf Moor again, talk always returned to the same question: “But why haven’t you won away?” At which point Dyche would usually let out an inward sigh and trot out the same gruff…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 7thFA CUP Third RoundLEAGUE CUP Third RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Romelu Lukaku (26) Even after months of speculation, it was still something of a surprise when Everton announced that Wayne Rooney was returning to Merseyside after 13 trophy-laden years at Manchester United. Firstly, their transfers up to then had implied a policy of recruiting players with potential: Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez – a whole new spine, in effect – are all yet to turn 25. Secondly, Rooney has hardly been Mr Popular at Goodison Park since his departure. The relationship between Rooney and Everton’s fans soured after his $50 million move to Old Trafford in 2004, not helped by the forward kissing the Manchester United badge in front of Goodison’s away…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 4thFA CUP Fourth RoundLEAGUE CUP Semi-finalTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Philippe Coutinho (14) It didn’t take long for Jurgen Klopp to have his first bad experience with a congested Premier League fixture list after taking the Liverpool job in October 2015. “I cancelled two skiing holidays,” he said of his planned breaks. “I love skiing.” Now beginning his second full season in charge at Anfield, Klopp has come to terms with not being on the piste mid-campaign, yet the background chatter regarding the Reds’ fitness levels continues. It is the favourite pastime of performance coach Raymond Verheijen to bemoan Klopp’s hard-running training drills, but the German’s injury record, and Liverpool’s propensity for struggling at the turn of the year, does indicate an element of truth to the…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP WinnersFA CUP Fourth RoundLEAGUE CUP Fifth RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Dwight Gayle (23) Mission One accomplished: Newcastle United are back in the Premier League, and the achievement shouldn’t be dismissed. In the previous six seasons, only Burnley had been promoted as champions in the season following relegation from the top flight. It’s an impressive feat for Rafael Benitez, although it does look a little out of place on a CV that also includes two Spanish titles, an FA Cup, Italian Cup, UEFA Cup, Europa League and Champions League. And the Toon Army love him for it. They love him for sticking with the club after relegation, barely six months after he was managing Real Madrid, and love him for masterminding their team’s charge back into the big…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 15th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Fernando Llorente (right, 15) Club identities are a curious thing. Rival supporters will scoff, but fans know what they’re getting at when they mention the Liverpool, Tottenham or West Ham ‘way’, even if decades have passed since the club actually did play that way. Manchester United’s identity crisis will end only with a manager who can produce trophies and exciting football. Swansea haven’t always been known as sexy football stylists – years of lower-league strife at The Vetch saw to that – but for an unbroken decade after the appointment of Roberto Martinez in 2007, they’ve been easy on the eye and pinged the ball about in a way…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 10th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Salomon Rondon (8) “May you live in interesting times” is an ancient curse, and given the current state of the planet, some general tedium wouldn’t go amiss. There’s a lot to be said for mid-table mediocrity in the Premier League, too: the telly zillions are still rolling in and steering clear of coronary-inducing relegation battles is to be welcomed. But for West Bromwich Albion, who spent much of the first decade of this century yo-yo-ing thrillingly between divisions, a bit of fun now and then would be nice. There is no shame in playing defensive football. However, it is hard for fans to be enthused about an upcoming campaign when you combine that…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 13th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Jonathan Kodjia (above, 19) Hope returned to Villa when Steve Bruce took them from 19th to 10th following Roberto Di Matteo’s doomed tenure. However, a horrific start to 2017 brought two points from 27, leaving a gap that couldn’t be bridged even by a rally of seven wins in eight matches. That pair of hot streaks, though, will give supporters confidence that this season will see the Villans restored to the top tier. Promotion is the sole aim; it has to be, after they splashed $120m on transfer fees during 2016-17 with a similarly eye-watering wage bill in tow – only increased by John Terry’s arrival. Two things need fixing. Poor away displays generated only 14…

LAST SEASON LEAGUE ONE 2nd FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORERS Josh Vela & Gary Madine (10) Promotion notwithstanding, cutting costs is the order of the day. A lingering transfer embargo forced the Trotters to sign free agents and release 11 players, among them midfielder Mark Davies, a club stalwart of eight years’ standing – or, more commonly, limping. Still, full-time contracts for loanees Andrew Taylor and Adam le Fondre may not set pulses racing but thrills aren’t a priority as Phil Parkinson tries to avoid the drop. Bolton conceded the fewest goals in the Football League as Parkinson built his team around a solid defence of Mark Beevers and David Wheater, who also scored a remarkable 16 goals between them. Set-pieces will again be an…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 20th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER Jackson Irvine (10) When 6,746 fans attend an August fixture against Derby and set a club record, it’s a sign that avoiding the drop to the third tier is the main aim. Luckily the Brewers finished 20th, one place above Nottingham Forest, three months after manager Nigel Clough had turned down an offer to follow in his father’s famous footsteps at the City Ground. In preparing for another relegation battle, Clough has made two decent signings in Matty Lund and Liam Boyce, both Northern Ireland internationals. The latter is the second Ross County player in two seasons to break Burton’s transfer record, after Jackson Irvine, yet cost only $800,000 having top-scored in the Scottish Premiership –…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 6th FA CUP Fifth Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER Tom Cairney (13) It takes confidence to turn down $32m for a player when you’re in the second tier, but confidence is a preference for Slavisa Jokanovic. Last summer he declared an intention to take Fulham – who finished 20th after a half-season under his stewardship – into the top six, then surprised everyone by immediately doing it with some style. Refusing to sell Tom Cairney to promoted Newcastle is an indication of Fulham’s ambition as well as the value of the one-cap Scot to Jokanovic’s plans. This season, top six is the minimum requirement. Oddly, they have been freed by Ross McCormack’s departure. In 2015-16, he scored or assisted 30 of Fulham’s 66 goals. In…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 7th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP Fifth Round TOP SCORER Chris Wood (30) With the Massimo Cellino years now officially all over, Leeds fans looked forward to something approaching stability this summer. But two days after new owner Andrea Radrizzani took full control of the club, manager Garry Monk departed, despite having previously implied that a new contract was close to being signed. Monk had guided Leeds to what looked a certain play-off spot in March, but a late collapse in form meant they ultimately finished five points shy of the top six. So it’s a little tricky to assess Leeds’ chances in 2017-18. The good news is that loanee cult hero Pontus Jansson is now at Elland Road for good, and Chris Wood is a…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 8th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Fourth Round TOP SCORER Cameron Jerome (16) The Canaries were among the primary favourites to win promotion last season yet slumped rather limply to mid-table, with a succession of horrendous results before Christmas taking them out of contention before the club dispensed with Alex Neil in early March. It was a shame, because in Alex Pritchard, ever-tricky Wes Hoolahan and young winger Jacob Murphy, they could boast potentially one of the division’s most entertaining midfields. Plenty has changed since then, as sporting director Stuart Webber arrived from Huddersfield with the apparent aim of implementing the exact same plan that worked in Yorkshire – which is to say, appoint a manager from the Borussia Dortmund coaching system. For David Wagner, read…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 18th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER Idrissa Sylla (10) Is it worth even trying to make sense of Queens Park Rangers? Only they would respond to a run of form that saw them flirt with the Championship’s drop zone by appointing one Ian Holloway, the ultimate sentimental choice, to replace Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. The final few months of the season brought a series of emphatic mood swings: they lost six in a row following Holloway’s arrival, then a respectable run hinted at some form of stability, before they lost six of their final seven league matches. In short, it’s virtually impossible to predict what the season ahead may hold, especially with the squad’s youthful renewal continuing apace after the decadent Premier League…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 4th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Fernando Forestieri (12) When they reached the play-off final in 2015-16, Sheffield Wednesday could justifiably regard themselves as being surprise contenders – upstarts led by a charismatic and inventive manager. Having improved their league position but fallen at the semi-final stage last season, they well and truly dispensed with their underdog status and are now among the Championship’s elite sides. Plenty is expected of them, particularly after large amounts were splashed in January on Sam Winnall and Jordan Rhodes (initially on loan), adding to an already expensive Owls squad. The question now is whether they can take a big step forward, and after two finishes in the top six, that step can only be promotion. In…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 9thFA CUP Third RoundLEAGUE CUP Third RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Josh King (far right, 16) It almost seems churlish to question anything to do with Bournemouth’s management right now. Eddie Howe’s men just finished ninth for the club’s highest league placing in their 118-year history – and even more impressive was the way they did it. Plenty of smaller sides have clawed their way to mid-table with a disciplined style that frustrates the Premier League’s big fish and scrapes them past the rest. But Howe’s buccaneers made the top half via that dream of many a cautious club’s fan: by ‘having a go’. Their positive brand of football was exhilarating at times. Consider the Cherries’ 6-1 vivisection of Hull, or the ding-dong madness that was their…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE WinnersFA CUP Runners-upLEAGUE CUP Fourth RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Diego Costa (22) The worst thing a Premier League manager can do if they want job security is win the bloody thing. Neither Claudio Ranieri nor Jose Mourinho reached the following spring after their recent triumphs, and Alex Ferguson retired on the spot in 2013. Roberto Mancini did make it through a complete Manchester City season as reigning champion, but then he was sacked two days after losing the FA Cup final to Wigan. His successor, Manuel Pellegrini, is the one recent title-winning boss to survive longer, only to eventually be dumped for Pep Guardiola. Mourinho actually sowed the seeds for his own destruction in the press conference immediately after the 2014-15 title win, by calling out…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 5thFA CUP Fifth RoundLEAGUE CUP First RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Elias Kachunga (13) David Wagner was the best man at Jurgen Klopp’s wedding, but the Liverpool manager once moved his compatriot with an influential speech of his own. After Wagner’s playing career ended, the USA international and future Huddersfield Town boss studied biology and sports science at university, with no aim of going into football management. It was Klopp who told his close friend that he had to return to football; that his knowledge and skills would be wasted if he didn’t have a go at coaching. That’s how Wagner became coach of Borussia Dortmund’s reserve side in 2011, before being hired by Huddersfield chairman Dean Hoyle at the end of 2015. The comparison may be predictable,…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 3rdFA CUP Semi-finalLEAGUE CUP Fourth RoundCHAMPIONS LEAGUE Last 16TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Sergio Aguero (right, 33) It’s a question with no few answers... but if the final two games of last season are anything to go by, one would have to lean towards saying ‘yes’. Clearly frustrated by Manchester City’s inability to take their chances, Pep Guardiola sent his side out for their final games at home (against West Bromwich Albion) and away (to Watford) with an attacking trident of Gabriel Jesus, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sané sandwiched between ‘lone’ striker Sergio Aguero and a midfield two of Yaya Toure and David Silva. It was the sort of madly attacking setup that normally pays off only in a) Championship Manager; b) a game when a…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 8thFA CUP Fourth RoundLEAGUE CUP Runners-upEUROPA LEAGUE Group StageTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Charlie Austin (9) When Claude Puel’s Southampton limped across the line for an eighth-place finish in 2016-17, they ended a six-year spell of constant improvement. After ‘bottoming out’ by coming seventh in the third tier in 2010, Southampton, rejuvenated by the passion and investment of the late Markus Liebherr, steadily climbed to the upper rungs of the league ladder. They won back-to-back promotions from League One and the Championship, having finished second in both, then sealed their status as Premier League mainstays by finishing 14th, 8th, 7th and 6th in their first four seasons back in the big time. Adam Lallana and Mauricio Pochettino, among many others, saw their careers develop elsewhere, but even…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 2nd FA CUP Semi-final LEAGUE CUP Fourth Round CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Group EUROPA LEAGUE Last 32 TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Harry Kane (right, 35) When Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa and the rest all sang of trembly knees ahead of a big Spurs game at Wembley, they didn’t know quite how prescient their off-key warbling would one day prove to be. Tottenham’s record at the original home of football was far better in the early ’90s than it has been in the expensively revamped version over the past decade. A triumph over Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup Final – their first visit – has been the north London club’s only notable success there since the Arch replaced the Twin Towers. The 10 matches that have followed have…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 11th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Fifth Round EUROPA LEAGUE Play-off TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Michail Antonio (9) Slaven Bilic’s poor pet cat had quite the year. A few months into the season, Tiddles learned to scarper whenever he heard the sound of the West Ham manager’s key sliding into the door: he could either hide or spend a brief period airborne once more. For the affable Croatian, the 2016-17 campaign was the very definition of pushing custard uphill. There was a new stadium that was fraught with teething problems, which were amplified by angry fans and a gleeful mainstream media grabbing their popcorn and pulling up a chair, as well as the club’s best player being a wantaway star, consecutive transfer windows to forget…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 14th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Sam Winnall (11) The Tykes adapted well on their return, before being relieved of the stars – Alfie Mawson was long gone when Conor Hourihane and Sam Winnall were stolen away in January. One win in the final 14 games took them into the bottom half. Then Paul Heckingbottom was hit with another double blow: Josh Scowen and Marley Watkins turning down new deals and joining divisional rivals. Watkins, Winnall, Hourihane and loanee Adam Armstrong scored more than half of Barnsley’s goals in 2016-17 and all have left, so Tom Bradshaw (above) must step up. Most painfully of all, captain Marc Roberts has departed for Birmingham. Heckingbottom is putting his faith in youth. The summer’s first…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 10th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Lasse Vibe (16) The Bees are nothing if not frustrating. Their 2016-17 campaign saw intelligent attacking play, impressive discipline and excellent performances from new boys Rico Henry, Daniel Bentley and John Egan as well as unheralded players such as Harlee Dean and Lasse Vibe – yet, for all that, Dean Smith’s men never truly threatened the top six. There were big wins over Reading and Derby, but four defeats to the three teams who wound up relegated. Brentford averaged a high shot count, but at both ends. One step forward, two steps back – reflected in year-on-year finishes of 5th, 9th, 10th. Nonetheless, they punch above their weight with astute transfers: Danish international Henrik Dalsgaard has…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 12th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Kenneth Zohore (12) The idea was foolproof. Poaching Paul Trollope from Wales would give Cardiff a long-term plan and national identity, with Declan John and Jazz Richards flanking midfielder Emyr Huws. Then Trollope lost seven of his first 11 games and was jettisoned with the club 23rd. Neil Warnock was hired for temporary stability, the equivalent of putting some folded paper under a wobbly table leg, but he exceeded expectations. Lifting spirits and revitalising Kenneth Zohore made up for his shortcuts in recruiting former charges. It wasn’t always pretty – only Zohore had more shots on target than centre-back Sean Morrison (above) and even at home Cardiff averaged just 44 per cent possession – but it…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 18th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP Semi-final TOP SCORER Robert Snodgrass (8) While relegation nearly always leads to a whirlwind of changes, it’s anybody’s guess how Hull will line up on August 5 against Aston Villa and a familiar face. Barely a dozen of Hull’s current squad were present when Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce was in charge of the Tigers just 13 months ago. Three more gaffers have been appointed since then – Mike Phelan, Marco Silva and Leonid Slutsky (above) – with each one a novice to English management. Slutsky’s first task is to replace the six loanees who impressed under Silva and recruit new centre-backs following the departures of Curtis Davies and Harry Maguire. An outsider managing an overhauled squad won’t ease…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 19th FA CUP Quarter-final LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER Alvaro Negredo (10) The Middlesbrough post is quite often described as the best in the country, because of the backing and patience provided to whoever is in the dugout by chairman Steve Gibson. But it’s that patience which sees them start this season in the Championship – partly, at least. Gibson kept faith with Aitor Karanka, and when he eventually swung the axe, he replaced the Spaniard with assistant Steve Agnew. A grim relegation became inevitable. Fortunately, the Teessiders are in good shape to make a swift return. Garry Monk (above) was tempted away from Leeds in the sort of managerial move that might have saved Boro six months ago. Their squad may require a little…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 21st FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER Britt Assombalonga (14) It’s a new era for Forest: after five years of the club slowly rotting and finishing in a worse league position each season, Fawaz al-Hasawi is no longer in charge. Whether his replacement, Olympiacos owner Angelos Marinakis, will be any better remains to be seen, but right now the general feeling on Trentside is that almost anyone would be. The new regime are making all of the right early noises, too, with fan-friendly schemes such as discounted season tickets, as well as quick appointments to roles that stayed unfilled under Al-Hasawi. Much will depend on the fitness of key men such as Chris Cohen, David Vaughan and Britt Assombalonga, and keeping hold of…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 3rd FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Fourth Round TOP SCORER Yann Kermorgant (19) When a team strings together such a surprising campaign, as Reading did in 2016-17, one must ponder whether it’s repeatable. Logic would state that it isn’t: this is a side with few star players, which ended last season with a goal difference of just +4, allowed their opponents more shots than all but two other teams and took fewer shots than all but three. A team can’t fluke finishing third, and the stats can lead conclusions astray, but it doesn’t sound like an especially sustainable formula. Then again, this team came within a couple of penalties of going up. They have a manager who can build on the surprise success of last term.…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 20th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Fourth Round TOP SCORER Jermain Defoe (15) It probably would have been better for Sunderland to have gone down earlier, rather than continue their increasingly miraculous escapes over three or four seasons. As it is, the Black Cats have been allowed to slowly decay, to the point that when the inevitable finally did happen, the challenge for them now is not to bounce straight back, but to prevent a second successive drop. It’s not out of the question, either. Wolves did it a few years ago, Wigan lasted two seasons before dropping to the third tier, and the real worry must be in replicating Sheffield United, who have only just returned after six years in League One. This is…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 2nd FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Glenn Murray (23) The pilgrimage from bottom to top has become a path well-trodden in recent seasons, and like Swansea, Burnley and Bournemouth before them, Brighton have battled back from the brink. In 1997’s do-or-die decider at Hereford, Kerry Mayo had come within half an hour of being known as the guy whose own goal sent Albion out of the Football League, until a swing of Robbie Reinelt’s left boot let him off the hook and kept the Seagulls in flight. Twenty years on from that day, the south-coast side are unrecognisable from the one which became homeless following the sale of the Goldstone Ground and were forced to play at Gillingham for two…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 14thFA CUP Fourth RoundLEAGUE CUP Third RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Christian Benteke (17) Frank de Boer arrives at Crystal Palace with the club suffering from an identity crisis. The Eagles were functional under Tony Pulis and Neil Warnock, before Alan Pardew reinvented them into a side of attacking intent. However, a return to practicality was required last term as Sam Allardyce ensured they did just enough to stay up. Big Sam’s shock decision to walk away in May presented chairman Steve Parish with a dilemma: pursue the path of pragmatism that sealed survival, or gamble on an easy-on-the-eye style? In the end, De Boer’s vision of a purist Palace swayed Parish, who rolled the dice and handed him a three-year deal. De Boer is not the…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 12thFA CUP Fifth RoundLEAGUE CUP Third RoundCHAMPIONS LEAGUE QFTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Jamie Vardy (15) Rewind a couple of seasons, and imagine Craig Shakespeare being only the third Englishman ever to have managed in a Champions League quarter-final. With hindsight, we know not to be surprised by anything as regards to Leicester, but even this was a particularly surreal turn of events. In the end, the Foxes didn’t advance to the last four of Europe’s top club competition, despite a valiant effort against the previous year’s finalists, Atletico Madrid. But Shakespeare’s status had been enhanced regardless, after he’d taken control as caretaker in late February when Claudio Ranieri’s fairytale reign ended. At that point, Leicester were reeling from a run of five consecutive league defeats without…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 6thFA CUP Quarter-finalLEAGUE CUP WinnersEUROPA LEAGUE WinnersTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) It seems absurd now to think that anyone ever questioned whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic could cut it in England. Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United became hugely reliant on the 35-year-old, who played virtually every minute and scored 27 goals. An anterior cruciate ligament injury cut short his time spearheading United’s attack, and although that has naturally been met with disappointment, some may see it as a blessing in disguise. Given his age, the Swede was always a short-term fix, and the Red Devils already had a couple of highly-regarded young forwards on their books. It is perhaps telling that for arguably the team’s best performance of the season, Ibrahimovic was on the bench, with Marcus…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 13thFA CUP Third RoundLEAGUE CUP Third RoundTOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Peter Crouch (right, 10) Mark Hughes has never exuded Jurgen Klopp-style bonhomie pitchside – crossed arms, tight lips and a simmering rage are his style – but he appeared thoroughly fed up as 2016-17 drew to a close. At the start of the campaign, many people had fancied the Potters to be on the verge of something special: with Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic firing, the team added some tantalising flair, and a big leap forward from three consecutive seasons in ninth place towards potentially menacing the European positions seemed to be on the cards. Instead, it was all deeply underwhelming. Stoke just couldn’t get out of the blocks and experienced issues at both ends of…

LAST SEASON PREMIER LEAGUE 17th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Troy Deeney (10) She had red hair and a look of dismay on her face. This middle-aged Watford fan had spent the week preparing her banner and she was determined to display it. “Goodbye, Mazzarri,” the banner began. “Goodbye, we don’t want you. Out out out now.” The withering final words were underlined for effect. They read simply: “He was rubbish.” Mazzarri was Watford’s seventh gaffer during the five-year tenure of owner Gino Pozzo, a tenure that has seen the club average more than 20 signings per season. Some of the club’s managerial changes have paid off: the Hornets got through four different bosses in their 2014-15 promotion season and the fourth, Slavisa…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 19th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Lukas Jutkiewicz (12) Life comes at you fast. In October 2016, Trillion Trophy Asia completed their takeover with Birmingham sixth and Gary Rowett celebrating an end to “five years of turmoil”. Two months on, with City seventh, TTA sacked Rowett and six hours later hired Gianfranco Zola – fired by Qatar’s Al-Arabi – for his “pedigree”. A few months after that, Birmingham went into the final day led by Harry Redknapp (above) and needing a win to guarantee safety. It was an object lesson in making a right mess of things. Anything would have represented an improvement on Zola’s 13 points in 22 games, but there’s some optimism that Redknapp can revive the Blues. He lifts…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 17th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP Fourth Round TOP SCORER Tammy Abraham (26) While 17th looks comfortable on paper, Bristol City needed a late surge to secure safety. The Robins had gone south over the winter, when a record run of defeats saw them plummet from sixth to 20th. Hence some concern regarding Lee Johnson’s grip on matters. His team created chances – only Fulham had more shots inside the box – but relied too heavily on loanee Tammy Abraham to convert them. He won’t be around to net 40 per cent of City’s goals again, and no one else bagged more than six. The Robins have searched their wallet for the solution, spending a club record fee on Angers striker Famara Diedhiou, two years after…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 9th FA CUP Fourth Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER Tom Ince (15) “They’ll surely go up this time. Surely.” That was FFT’s conclusion last year, but Nigel Pearson’s inglorious exit and Steve McClaren’s disastrous return took Derby to ninth, well adrift of even the play-offs. While a bill of more than $65m spent on transfer fees alone over the past two years has led to some belt-tightening (though selling Jeff Hendrick in 2016 and Will Hughes this summer did raise nearly half that sum), Derby still target Premier League quality, swooping for Curtis Davies and Andre Wisdom. The question is whether this is a team or a collection of talented individuals. It is up to Gary Rowett to create an on-pitch identity. There’s plenty of…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 16th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Tom Lawrence (11) Where next? Ipswich have been in the second tier since it was called the First Division, and last season brought the lowest finish in their 16-year stretch here. After eight top-10 placings and three play-off appearances, they are now looking down instead of up. The question is if Mick McCarthy can arrest that slide. Nobody expects him to repeat 2014-15’s top-six finish – not when a third of the league’s other teams receive parachute payments – but Portman Road attendances are the lowest they’ve been this century. Ambition is lacking on the pitch, too: Town created the fewest chances and took the fewest shots of any team last season. The Tractor Boys will…

LAST SEASON LEAGUE ONE 6th FA CUP Quarter-final LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER Steve Morison (19) Last season could have been a calamity for Millwall. Plans which involved some property developers as well as the local council threatened to leave the Lions homeless, and while that still rumbles on in the background, it didn’t prevent a successful League One campaign. After being blown away by Barnsley in the play-off final last year, Millwall made it back to Wembley to take on Bradford, and edged a tricky encounter to return to the Championship following a two-year absence. There’s something comfortingly old-fashioned about the Londoners, from the community work the club does, to being managed by a club hero in Neil Harris, right down to a staunch commitment to 4-4-2. Their…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 11th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Fourth Round TOP SCORER Jordan Hugill (13) It’s very easy to fall back on the old line about unfashionable northern clubs not receiving the credit they’re due, but even with a top-half finish, Preston flew under the radar for most of 2016-17. It was a curious campaign. North End lost six of their first eight matches and five of their final six, but garnered 54 points from the 32 fixtures in between. That ratio spread over a full campaign would have put them on 78 points, only a couple shy of the play-off positions. Alas, despite hovering on the edge of the top six for so long, they dropped to 11th – the same spot as in 2015-16. Ultimately, it…

LAST SEASON LEAGUE ONE Winners FA CUP Second Round LEAGUE CUP First Round TOP SCORER Billy Sharp (30) Like someone strolling into a room and immediately solving the Rubik’s Cube you’ve been grappling with for several days, Chris Wilder joined an outfit last summer who had spent six years in League One, and casually got them promoted with four matches to spare. The way that they did it was perhaps most impressive, notching 100 points and scoring 92 goals – 12 more than anyone else. With Billy Sharp back home and scoring freely, plus a string of shrewd signings, the Bramall Lane outfit were, dollar-for-dollar, arguably the best football team in the country. Perhaps their most important bit of business this summer has been signing centre-back Richard Stearman. The 29-year-old…

LAST SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 15th FA CUP Fifth Round LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER Helder Costa (12) When it was initially revealed that Jorge Mendes would be a part of the Wolves ownership last year, their fans must have been giddy at the prospect of some glamorous signings and lavish spending. The latter certainly took place, but it didn’t do the team a huge amount of good, as the dismissal of leftfield appointment Walter Zenga in November only did so much to fix the club’s problems. Paul Lambert came in and ultimately guided them to safety but little more, and was sacked in May. After finishing the 2015-16 season with 58 points, it was almost impressive that Wolves spent nearly $50 million and changed manager twice, only to finish on…

1 Theo Walcott @theowalcott “I don’t include specific core work in the training programmes I create for athletes,” says Grantham, “but they are popular with players for image reasons!” 2 Rolando Aarons @rizz_16 “Ab roll-outs are also a core-specific exercise. The further you roll out, the harder it is. You can use a barbell, too.” 3 Marcus Rashford @marcusrashford “The single-leg Romanian deadlift is great to build single-leg strength. Lots of movements in football require it.” 4 Troy Deeney @t_deeney “The best way to boost strength fast is through compound exercises that use both of your legs. You rotate between double- and single-limb routines here.” 5 Harrison Reed @matchfit_conditioning “The barbell step-up will allow you to target the glutes, quadriceps and core. I advise 4-5 sets of 3-5 repetitions.” 6…