Pay cuts, furlough or deferrals: what are the Premier League clubs doing?
7 DAYS AGO - From Arsenal to Wolves, we look at what the clubs are doing regarding pay for players, non-playing Expand
7 DAYS AGO - From Arsenal to Wolves, we look at what the clubs are doing regarding pay for players, non-playing staff and casual staffArsenal continue to monitor the situation regarding player and staff wages and are playing an active role in the Premier League’s discussions. But there has been no decision taken and the focus has been on ensuring casual employees are looked after. All will be paid as normal until 30 April with the situation reviewed thereafter. Full-time employees were paid for the month on 27 March, as expected. For now there is little appetite to make redundancies. Nick Ames Related: Premier League clubs fail the smell test by furloughing their staff | Paul MacInnes Continue reading... Collapse
From the archive: Martin Amis on tour with Elton John and Watford FC
15/03/2020 - For reasons unknown, the revitalised football club and their glamorous chairman travel to Expand
15/03/2020 - For reasons unknown, the revitalised football club and their glamorous chairman travel to ChinaMartin Amis had rather low expectations for his visit to China with Watford FC and Elton John, their chairman, for the Observer Magazine of 10 July 1983 (‘The Long March from Vicarage Road’). ‘I expected the team’s only cultural concession to their historic tour,’ he said, ‘would be the odd racist taunt, the occasional self-destructive experiment with rice wine and one or two requests for a Chinese takeaway.’Today we’re used to clubs exporting their ‘brand’ overseas, but the reason for this visit is never really explained. Amis, however, was clearly having fun grubbing around in his familiar novelistic milieu: ‘Wearing a Billy Bunter suit, a banded boater, purple sunglasses and a diamond earring, Chairman John gazed down fondly at his protégés.’ Continue reading... Collapse
Nigel Pearson criticises 'lack of leadership' from Boris Johnson on coronavirus – video
13/03/2020 - Watford manager Nigel Pearson criticised a 'lack of leadership' from prime minister Boris Johnson Expand
13/03/2020 - Watford manager Nigel Pearson criticised a 'lack of leadership' from prime minister Boris Johnson over his handling of the government's coronavirus response. 'I don't think we had any great leadership last night, listening to the prime minister,' Pearson said. 'I was totally underwhelmed by the lack of leadership.' He added: 'I wouldn't want our fans to be going into a situation where they are fearful of contracting something that could possibly affect either themselves or a member of their family.' Continue reading... Collapse
Crystal Palace v Watford: match preview
06/03/2020 - The relative safety of 12th place with 10 games to go after back-to-back wins has helped Roy Expand
06/03/2020 - The relative safety of 12th place with 10 games to go after back-to-back wins has helped Roy Hodgson land a deal for another season at Crystal Palace, whom he joined in September 2017 when they had no points after seven games under the guidance of Frank de Boer. The rest is history as the former England manager helped extend their longest ever spell in the top flight to seven seasons. Last season’s best-ever points total of 49 is a realistic target too, if they can capitalise in front of goal. Palace have 11 goals from 14 home games, the worst in the division, while Watford, 11 away goals in 14, finally moved out of the bottom three with last week’s shock defeat of Liverpool but will have to get a result without the services of the livewire Gerard Deulofeu, who ruptured an ACL ligament in that game. Mark TallentireSaturday 3pm Continue reading... Collapse
Jürgen Klopp hits 'restart' button and insists defeat could help Liverpool
01/03/2020 - ‘Sometimes a little knock is important,’ manager saysTroy Deeney claims Watford were inspired by Expand
01/03/2020 - ‘Sometimes a little knock is important,’ manager saysTroy Deeney claims Watford were inspired by Tyson FuryLiverpool’s defeat at Watford can be used as a moment to “restart”, according to Jürgen Klopp, who expects the experience to provide a jolt that helps them to recapture the dazzling form they have shown this season.Klopp said their first Premier League defeat of the campaign, which followed a run of relatively sluggish performances, may have come at a good time to hone their focus for the next three months. The centre-back Dejan Lovren thought similarly and suggested Liverpool have lacked their usual aggression since the winter break. Related: Liverpool in danger of going 'easy-osey' with title in their grasp Continue reading... Collapse
We didn't perform like we should have': Klopp after 3-0 Liverpool defeat – video
29/02/2020 - Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp expressed his disappointment after his team's chance of an unbeaten Expand
29/02/2020 - Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp expressed his disappointment after his team's chance of an unbeaten Premier League season was crushed by Watford's stunning 3-0 win over the leaders. 'We didn't perform like we should have and Watford performed exactly like they wanted,' he said. Ismaïla Sarr scored twice and Troy Deeney the third, ending Liverpool's long unbeaten run Watford’s Sarr blitzes Liverpool to end dream of matching Invincibles Continue reading... Collapse
Football players and their relationship with Love Island
28/02/2020 - The winner and runner-up on the latest series were both footballers. Why is sport such a natural Expand
28/02/2020 - The winner and runner-up on the latest series were both footballers. Why is sport such a natural fit for reality TV?By Gavin Willacy for Playing in the ShadowsWhat is it about young footballers and romance-based reality shows? Both the male winner and runner-up in the series of Love Island that concluded on Sunday were footballers. Runner-up Luke Trotman did his apprenticeship at Luton Town, while winner Finn Tapp was at neighbouring MK Dons. And they are not the only footballers who have played out their romantic liaisons in front of three million viewers on ITV2.I have worked with young Football League players for the last decade, helping them develop their academic skills during their apprenticeships. I was responsible for Trotman and Tapp, both of whom were local lads at their clubs. They were both relatively mature when they went full-time at their clubs at the age of 16 and they both did well in college. Related: The running club giving asylum seekers friendship and sense of Collapse
Bruno Fernandes vows to get United into Champions League
23/02/2020 - £46m signing scored a penalty in 3-0 winOle Gunnar Solskjær: ‘He is a mix of Scholes and Expand
23/02/2020 - £46m signing scored a penalty in 3-0 winOle Gunnar Solskjær: ‘He is a mix of Scholes and Veron’Bruno Fernandes vowed to help Manchester United “conquer” the race for a Champions League place following his impressive display in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Watford at Old Trafford.The midfielder scored his first goal for the club – a 42nd-minute penalty – and also created second-half strikes for Anthony Martial, whose finish particularly impressed, and Mason Greenwood as United moved to within three points of Chelsea in fourth. Related: Bruno Fernandes opens Manchester United account in win over Watford Continue reading... Collapse
Manchester United v Watford: match preview
22/02/2020 - Odion Ighalo could make his full Manchester United debut against his former club and expect David Expand
22/02/2020 - Odion Ighalo could make his full Manchester United debut against his former club and expect David De Gea, Bruno Fernandes and Fred to be restored to Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s starting lineup following Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Club Brugge. Nigel Pearson’s Watford will fancy a win at Old Trafford as they were victorous in December’s reverse fixture, an indication of United’s struggles against the lower-ranked sides. Jamie JacksonSunday 2pm Continue reading... Collapse
|
Watford offer NHS use of their stadium in fight against coronavirus
25/03/2020 - ‘We’re keen to do whatever we possibly can,’ Watford saySpace to be used for training, meetings Expand
25/03/2020 - ‘We’re keen to do whatever we possibly can,’ Watford saySpace to be used for training, meetings and as warehouseCoronavirus – latest updates | See all our coronavirus coverageWatford have offered the use of their Vicarage Road stadium to help the National Health Service combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Premier League ground is adjacent to Watford general hospital and the club chairman, Scott Duxbury, said they would do “whatever it takes” to support the NHS during a challenging period. The stadium set to be opened up for a multitude of purposes, including training, inductions, childcare facilities and warehouse space. Related: Brighton promise 1,000 match tickets to NHS workers and ask clubs to follow suit Continue reading... Collapse
Nigel Pearson: ‘For Liverpool it'd be a tragedy not to finish the season but we need perspective
14/03/2020 - The Watford manager, who recently lost his mother, says protecting people’s health during the Expand
14/03/2020 - The Watford manager, who recently lost his mother, says protecting people’s health during the coronavirus crisis is more important than his side’s relegation fight“Sometimes I just need solitude, which is really rather nice,” Nigel Pearson says in a deserted lounge at Vicarage Road on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. The coronavirus pandemic surrounds us but Pearson has spent an hour discussing a dizzying range of subjects, including his mental health during a relegation dogfight as well as the remarkable turnaround he has engineered since taking over as Watford’s manager in early December. Watford, having snapped Liverpool’s long unbeaten record with a 3-0 thrashing two weeks ago, are just above the relegation zone. Pearson knows their position remains precarious but he underlines far more serious concerns about coronavirus. Related: Nigel Pearson condemns Boris Johnson over 'lack of leadership' on coronavirus It’s the right decision to suspend the Premier League and it’s relatively Collapse
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
09/03/2020 - Phil Foden gets a reality check, Chelsea’s veterans show their worth and West Ham’s board have a Expand
09/03/2020 - Phil Foden gets a reality check, Chelsea’s veterans show their worth and West Ham’s board have a decision to makeThe rehabilitation of Luke Shaw has been a success of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s reign. A player given harsh treatment by José Mourinho may never turn into the first-choice England left-back he looked set to be as a teenager at Southampton but his recent repurposing as a left-sided centre-back has revealed extra dimensions to his game. It is a highly specialised position, one only really suited to those games where Solskjær sets his team up to soak up pressure, but since Shaw was deployed there at Liverpool in January, 3-5-2 has been the default formation for United’s more testing fixtures. Shaw’s presence also gave Brandon Williams licence to overlap, though both were put through plenty of defensive work by Manchester City. At 24, Shaw has become a senior figure guiding young blood through matches, something inconceivable under Mourinho. John Brewin Related: Manchester United Collapse
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
06/03/2020 - A chance for Bournemouth at Anfield, Burnley and Spurs battle for European slots and Fernandes can Expand
06/03/2020 - A chance for Bournemouth at Anfield, Burnley and Spurs battle for European slots and Fernandes can seize big derby stageGiven their 22-point lead at the top of the table, no one at Liverpool is likely to be concerned by three recent defeats in four games across three different competitions. Of course, while a win against Bournemouth would help steady the ship and halt the onset of anything approaching mild jitters, Eddie Howe’s men will head to Anfield to face hosts recently derobed of what had previously resembled a cloak of invincibility. With Fabinho in poor form and Jordan Henderson still sidelined with injury, Liverpool look uncharacteristically vulnerable in midfield and are crying out for on-field leadership. While it ought to come in the form of James Milner, who returned from injury during their midweek FA Cup defeat at the hands of Chelsea, Bournemouth will still fancy their chances. There is never a good time for a relegation-threatened team to venture into the belly of Collapse
Liverpool in danger of going 'easy-osey' with title in their grasp
01/03/2020 - Jürgen Klopp’s side show signs of slackening in their defeat at Watford and it could cost them Expand
01/03/2020 - Jürgen Klopp’s side show signs of slackening in their defeat at Watford and it could cost them their European crownThere’s a phrase Joe Fagan was fond of, one he used repeatedly in his diary detailing the 1983-84 season as Liverpool completed a hat-trick of league titles: “easy-osey”. It could happen in victory and it could happen in defeat, but it meant the sense he had that the team weren’t quite at it, that confidence was in danger of tipping into complacency, that the edge and the intensity that were so characteristic of that Liverpool side weren’t quite there. Defeats rarely have a single origin, but there’s little doubt what Fagan would have been saying about Liverpool after they lost at Watford on Saturday.Of course there were other factors. Watford were excellent, for one, well-organised and rejuvenated by the return of Kiko Femenia and Ismaïla Sarr. It’s no coincidence that their recent downturn in form has coincided with the absence of their right flank. And Sarr, with his Collapse
Watford 3-0 Liverpool: Premier League – as it happened
29/02/2020 - Ismaila Sarr scored twice and made the third for Troy Deeney as Watford produced a superb Expand
29/02/2020 - Ismaila Sarr scored twice and made the third for Troy Deeney as Watford produced a superb performance to end Liverpool’s long unbeaten run 7.29pm GMT Sachin Nakrani’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company - goodnight. Related: Watford’s Sarr blitzes Liverpool to end dream of matching Invincibles 7.29pm GMT Jurgen Klopp shakes hands with all the Watford players before leaving the field. You’d have to be desperately one-eyed to begrudge Watford that victory. They were the better team throughout and got their rewards in the second half. Ismaila Sarr scored two quickfire goals, the second a beauty, and set up the third for Troy Deeney. 7.26pm GMT Liverpool’s winning run ends at a record-equalling 18 games, and their unbeaten run at 44. They are still going to win the league at a canter, and that’s all that really matters. The real significance of this result is at the bottom, where Watford jump out of the relegation places. They were simply Collapse
Watford v Liverpool: match preview
28/02/2020 - Watford are in trouble and have the horrible task of facing all-conquering Liverpool so hell for Expand
28/02/2020 - Watford are in trouble and have the horrible task of facing all-conquering Liverpool so hell for leather is the only option for Nigel Pearson’s side. There feels little point in thinking what might have been when the divide is so large between the two sides. Ismaila Sarr may start for Watford and, if so, be given the task of captitalising on any complacency as a first Premier League title comes ever closer for Liverpool Graham SearlesSaturday 5.30pm Sky Sports Premier League Continue reading... Collapse
Manchester United 3-0 Watford, Wolves 3-0 Norwich: Premier League clockwatch – as it happened
23/02/2020 - Mason Greenwood completed the scoring as Manchester United moved fifth in the Premier League, Expand
23/02/2020 - Mason Greenwood completed the scoring as Manchester United moved fifth in the Premier League, while Wolves coasted past Norwich• Fernandes opens United account in win over Watford• Jota double does damage for Wolves against Norwich 4.19pm GMT Thanks for your company. Now, here’s Arsenal v Everton: Related: Arsenal v Everton: Premier League – live! 4.15pm GMT Read Jamie Jackson’s report from Old Trafford: Related: Bruno Fernandes opens Manchester United account in win over Watford 4.13pm GMT Read Paul MacInnes’s report from Molineux: Related: Diogo Jota double seals easy win for Wolves over Norwich 4.03pm GMT Do hoover up the team news from the Emirates: Related: Arsenal v Everton: Premier League – live! 3.54pm GMT Diogo Jota scored twice before Raúl Jiménez rounded off a comfortable victory over bottom club Norwich. Neves also rattled the crossbar. Wolves move up to eighth, two points off Manchester United and five off fourth-placed Chelsea. Next up for Wolves? A trip to Collapse
Why Premier League clubs are turning to an Australian bank in big numbers
11/02/2020 - Teams in England’s top two divisions are taking sizeable loans from Macquarie, at times mortgaged Expand
11/02/2020 - Teams in England’s top two divisions are taking sizeable loans from Macquarie, at times mortgaged against future TV earningsIt was once dubbed the “vampire kangaroo” and accused of “feasting on Britain’s creaking infrastructure” after investing in companies such as Thames Water and avoiding tax through a legal but controversial web of subsidiaries in Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands. But Macquarie Group Limited is a growing influence on English football, underlined on one day in January by Leicester and Wolves extending sizeable loans with the Australian investment bank that are mortgaged against future TV earnings.Now with a portfolio that also includes Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Southampton, Swansea City, Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, a company estimated to manage almost £288bn worth of assets has emerged as the second-biggest lender behind Barclays Bank in an industry where owners continue to chase the dream. Since Collapse
|
English football should prepare for a new financial reality after coronavirus
20/03/2020 - The pandemic will have a huge financial impact on footballers, with many already fearful of losing Expand
20/03/2020 - The pandemic will have a huge financial impact on footballers, with many already fearful of losing their livelihoodsBy Gavin Willacy for Playing in the ShadowsThe decision of Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous to lay off all non-playing staff at the club may look drastic, but he is unlikely to be the last owner to voluntarily lower his club’s status. English football is going to have to press the reset button in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The same concerns are everywhere.Even where TV money is the major income, revenue is going to collapse. Almost every club in the country pays players more than it should, in most cases, more than the club can really afford. Players will have to take a reality check and reduced pay cheques. The £5,000-a-week League One star has to accept his next contract could be half that, unless he can secure a move to the Championship. Instead of being offered £40,000 a year, players in League Two may have to take the national layman’s £25,000. The Collapse
Nigel Pearson condemns Boris Johnson over 'lack of leadership' on coronavirus
13/03/2020 - Watford manager ‘totally underwhelmed’ by PM’s handlingPearson wary of fan fears of attending Expand
13/03/2020 - Watford manager ‘totally underwhelmed’ by PM’s handlingPearson wary of fan fears of attending football amid outbreakNigel Pearson has hit out at Boris Johnson over a “lack of leadership” in the prime minister’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, that has seen sport around the world postponed, cancelled or retreating behind closed doors.The Watford manager referenced Johnson’s press conference on Thursday in saying: “I don’t think we had any great leadership last night, listening to the prime minister. I was totally underwhelmed by the lack of leadership and clear message. Related: Premier League and English football shuts down until 3 April due to coronavirus – live Continue reading... Collapse
Jordan Ayew’s quality strike earns Crystal Palace win over Watford
07/03/2020 - When two of the league’s lowest scorers come together with an awful lot at stake (for one team at Expand
07/03/2020 - When two of the league’s lowest scorers come together with an awful lot at stake (for one team at least), a goal fest is unlikely to ensue. When Jordan Ayew created the space to fire a first-half strike past Ben Foster it felt like the decisive moment of the match, and so it proved.With 52 goals scored at the start of play, Crystal Palace and Watford had fewer goals between them than Leicester City by themselves. This was less of a concern for the hosts who are mid-table by dint of being conservative and had won their previous two matches 1-0. For Watford however it was a concern and remains so, with the Hornets remaining outside the relegation zone by only a single goal come Saturday’s end. Related: Liverpool edge past Bournemouth thanks to Sadio Mané and James Milner Related: Alexandre Lacazette breaks West Ham’s resistance for fortunate Arsenal Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League, Carabao Cup and clásico: the weekend's talking points
02/03/2020 - Underrated Pearson has transformed Watford, Wolves’ unsung hero comes to fore and Messi and Expand
02/03/2020 - Underrated Pearson has transformed Watford, Wolves’ unsung hero comes to fore and Messi and Griezmann just don’t clickThe sound of a top-flight stadium reverberating to “We’ve got super Nigel Pearson, he knows exactly what we need” (tune: Bad Moon Rising) can be filed among the things few envisaged in August. But Watford’s win against Liverpool was a measure of the uplift one of the season’s less likely appointments has contrived. “He is always about feet on the floor, he [has] never overreacted and you have to stay focused,” said Abdoulaye Doucouré. “He showed us videos and said we can do it. Nigel is a great, great manager, a great lad, and now he will keep everyone on the floor to make sure we keep our goal to stay up.” Pearson’s tactical acumen can be underrated – as he showed with his setup against the leaders, stretching Liverpool yet managing to stay compact – but his man-management is getting crucial extra percentages out of his players. Nick Ames Related: Aston Villa take Collapse
Jürgen Klopp regards Watford loss as ‘rather positive’ for Liverpool
29/02/2020 - • No records to chase allows team to play ‘free’, says manager• Nigel Pearson says Watford must Expand
29/02/2020 - • No records to chase allows team to play ‘free’, says manager• Nigel Pearson says Watford must emulate win in last 10 gamesJürgen Klopp insisted Liverpool will “go again” after suffering their first Premier League defeat of the season at the hands of Watford, and went on to insist that it could actually prove a positive for his players as it frees them of the burden of attempting to win the title with an unbeaten record. Related: Watford’s Sarr blitzes Liverpool to end dream of matching Invincibles Related: Marcos Alonso double snatches Chelsea point from Bournemouth Continue reading... Collapse
Watford’s Sarr blitzes Liverpool to end dream of matching Invincibles
29/02/2020 - Liverpool remain near-certainties to win the title but they will not do it unbeaten. Some 423 days Expand
29/02/2020 - Liverpool remain near-certainties to win the title but they will not do it unbeaten. Some 423 days after their last Premier League defeat they suffered another and, if that in itself is difficult to comprehend given the relentlessness of Jürgen Klopp’s men this season, then the manner of their downfall on a cold evening at Vicarage Road only adds to the sense of shock and awe.For they were well beaten by a Watford side that came into this game in the bottom three and having failed to win any of their last six games. But a performance of great togetherness and potency saw Nigel Person’s men record a victory that will be talked about in these parts for years to come. Key to it was a sensational performance by Ismaila Sarr, who scored twice, setup the other for Troy Deeney and generally ran Liverpool ragged. Related: Watford v Liverpool: Premier League – live! Related: Dwight Gayle fails audition as Newcastle draw blank again against Burnley Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League and Carabao Cup: 10 things to look out for this weekend
28/02/2020 - Villa try to break Manchester City’s League Cup stranglehold, Vardy needs a goal and Moyes must Expand
28/02/2020 - Villa try to break Manchester City’s League Cup stranglehold, Vardy needs a goal and Moyes must rouse HammersSince he scored 14 goals in 12 league games between late September and 21 December, in which he failed to find the net in only two matches (one of them against Norwich), someone has turned off Jamie Vardy’s scoring tap. In that free-scoring period there seemed to be no stopping him: he may not have been on the scoresheet against the Canaries, for example, but he played excellently and threatened constantly, and it was his (off-target) header from James Maddison’s corner that Tim Krul flapped into his own net for the equaliser in a 1-1 draw. But since Christmas he has not scored at all, and in six league games this calendar year he has had only eight shots – 50% of them against Manchester City last weekend – and only four on target, the most recent against Chelsea on 1 February, 235 pitch minutes ago. Brendan Rodgers’ priority must be to turn that tap back on. SB Related: Moyes Collapse
Bruno Fernandes opens Manchester United account in win over Watford
23/02/2020 - After a dour start this became the Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes show. Each have the quality Expand
23/02/2020 - After a dour start this became the Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes show. Each have the quality Manchester United require if a challenge for a Champions League berth is to be mounted, this win lifting them two places up to fifth in this quest.Both scored while showing their team-mates how to turn a contest United’s way. In the closing stages Mason Greenwood caught on, starting and finishing a move for an 11th of the 18-year-old’s breakthrough season, the final pass to him coming – inevitably – from Fernandes. Related: Manchester United v Watford, Wolves v Norwich: clockwatch – live! Related: Solskjær backs Martial to get 20 goals for Manchester United for first time Continue reading... Collapse
|
