Former Tottenham star Pascal Chimbonda believes it would be a huge error for the North London giants to allow Antonio Conte to leave at the end of this season, as has been widely reported. 

"It would be a big mistake if Tottenham get rid of him because he’s a good manager, a good worker, and players like to work with him. 

"Maybe it’s for lack of winning trophies. They are not close to winning any trophies, like Pochettino was when they got to a Champions League final.

"That’s maybe why they don’t want to keep going with Conte. But if you don’t stay with him, who are you going to pick?"

Though Spurs are currently fourth in the Premier League it has been a tumultuous campaign with mixed results on the pitch and Conte hardly shy in airing his grievances off it. According to Chimbonda however, the fiery Italian does have a point. 

"I don’t think Conte was very happy with the transfer window, because the players he wanted are not the players he got. That’s why he’s frustrated.

"At Chelsea and Inter he had big players there. Levy should have confidence in him and give him what he wants."

As for the erratic performances, the ex-French international insists they stem mainly from player issues rather than an overly defensive set-up that Conte has stuck with and been criticised for.

"When you play three at the back it is still attacking football, because you have your two full-backs push up and join in with the attacks.

"So it’s not the system but the players. They need to give everything and maybe sometimes it’s a lack of communication, especially in the big games.

"It’s not the quality that is a problem but the desire. You can’t question Conte on his system because he’s always played like that and has had success."

Having made over one hundred appearances for the Lilywhites, and still an ardent Tottenham fan to this day, Chimbonda is quick to highlight his team’s league position to empathise that it’s not exactly all doom and gloom in N17 right now.

While he was a cult hero, an apologist, sugar-coating their problems, he is not.

A member of the 2008 League Cup-winning side, the 44-year-old is staggered there has been no silverware since. 

"It’s been too long. They came close with the Champions League under Pochettino but after that they’ve been up and down, and maybe it’s time now for Spurs to win a trophy.

"They have a new stadium and a new training ground. They have everything going for them to perform and Spurs are meant to be a big club. It’s time to show that.

"Other clubs in the top six, like Chelsea, United and City, they win trophies every season."

One significant advantage Tottenham do have as they strive for success is possessing Harry Kane up front, a ridiculously prolific striker who last week surpassed Jimmy Greaves’ long-standing goal-scoring record for the club.

Do rival fans downplay Kane’s brilliance due to this absence of silverware? And if so, is that fair?

"It’s not fair because when you play football you want to break records, win trophies and do your best for your team and your club.

"You can’t take anything away from Harry because he’s a goal machine who would score for any team and he’s broken a big record.

"He’s a good friend to Spurs and they can’t afford to lose him. Who do you get to replace him? There is no-one on the market like Harry Kane."

If their centre-forward is unquestionably world class Tottenham, it must be said, have long struggled to replace Chimbonda with a full-back of equivalent credentials. 

Presently it is Emerson Royal who has the task but a series of disappointing displays since moving from Barcelona has seen him targeted by the boo-boys. Does he have a future in the capital? 

"Maybe it’s on him but when you play in England it’s a very different league to in Spain and it’s hard to adapt.

"In recent games Royal has started playing well and maybe this is because they bought a new right-back (Pedro Porro) and he’s good as well.

"This has given him more motivation to do well because he knows if his level drops there is someone who will step in.

"If he keeps playing well defensively, and helping with the attacking side, then he will stay in the team and get the fans back on his side."

Moving away from individuals and back to the big picture, if Chimbonda is right in suggesting that Tottenham’s problems have been somewhat exaggerated this term perhaps that’s because down the road everything has been going so swimmingly, with Arsenal currently leading the title race.

How would he feel if the Gunners went all the way, against all expectation?

"As a Spurs fan I really don’t want them to win that trophy. It would hurt. They’ve been there since the start of the season and they’ve playing some good football.

"They have good players and they play as a team but it would be a miracle if they win, because City and United are pushing. It will be tough but if they win it then fair play to them."

Pascal Chimbonda Quickfire Questions

Scoreline for Spurs v Chelsea

I will go with 2-1 to Spurs.

First goalscorer

Harry Kane.

Who will win the Premier League?

Man City.

Who will win the Champions League?

If they get past Bayern then PSG will win the Champions League.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

 

Match Information

• Newent Town 3-2 Clanfield 85

• When: Saturday 18th February 2023

• Kick-off: 3pm

• Where: Wildsmith Meadow, Malswick, Newent, Gloucestershire GL18 1HE

• Competition: Hellenic League Division One 

• Attendance: 53 (my headcount)

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The Hellenic League is one of my favourite competitions as it covers a vast area having traditionally stretched from the western fringes of London right out towards the Welsh border.

Newent Town have been members since 2017/18, progressing via Division Two West to their current status in Division One at Step 6 of the national Non-League Pyramid.

They previously competed in local Gloucestershire football. Newent itself is a market town encompassing a population of 6,800 residents based 11 miles north-west of Gloucester.

For me, this was a 300 mile round trip. I experienced unexpected delays and diversions after a section of the A40 was closed following an accident but I still arrived at the ground an hour before kick-off.

Ground Description

Wildsmith Meadow is located on an elevated perch off the main B4215 road into Newent about a mile from the town centre. A large billboard displaying matchday details is designed to catch the attention of passing motorists.

I drove up a small slope to discover plenty of space for supporters and players in the car park. Two long-serving club volunteers gave everyone a warm welcome at the wooden entry hut.

Once inside the ground, my first impression was how clean and tidy everything was. There were no weeds anywhere and no litter. In fact, one of the gatemen expressed concerns about a dead bird next to the pitch.

Floodlights were installed in 2018 thanks to a substantial Football Association grant. For spectators, an attractive and sturdy grandstand contains a total of 62 tip-up seats in the club colours of yellow.

This was built four years ago and I understand more seats will be added soon. In addition, there is a covered standing area housing some picnic benches as part of an overhang in front of the cosy clubhouse building behind one goal.

A couple of quaint cottages adjoin the ground. Meanwhile, surrounding farmland gives the whole setting a picturesque rural feel. Newent Town were formed 103 years ago and a photo of their original 1920 team takes pride of place on the clubhouse wall. 

Programme Details

It was given away free of charge with admission. I liked this idea which made sure programmes were distributed to everyone attending the fixture.

That readership is extremely beneficial for the club’s advertisers and sponsors at a time when sales of all printed items are declining due to the explosion of online content.

The Match

On a mild and breezy day, this was an entertaining affair where 17th place Newent hosted Clanfield who were sixth.

Literally seconds after the game kicked off, one of the visiting substitutes (who will remain nameless) dramatically leapt out of the dug-out shouting: “I need the toilet!” And he swiftly sprinted off towards the dressing rooms.

He returned a few minute later in a slightly more relaxed state whilst muttering: “Oh, my stomach”. As for the match, Clanfield dominated for long spells racking up a total of 22 efforts on goal plus seven corners.

Newent only had four shots but scored three of them. Clanfield led at half-time courtesy of Declan Shepperd converting on 36 minutes.

This was hotly disputed by home players en masse in light of the fact that Shepperd – who wore a short sleeved shirt - clearly used his upper arm to control the ball before scoring.

However, the referee loudly announced this wasn’t handball because it was “above the shirt line”. His assistant agreed with him. I was totally confused and I wondered to myself what the implications would be for a player in long sleeves.

Anyway, Newent roared back in the second half mustering strikes by Dan Gayner (46 minutes), Saul Thomas (66 mins) and Shay Lyons (80 mins).

Nathan Kimber netted Clanfield’s second in the 71st minute but they ended up regretting all their missed chances.

The best goal overall was scored by Newent striker Saul Thomas who hammered a glorious left footed half volley into the top corner from 20 yards.

Thomas was so pleased with himself that he ran over to local photographer Helen Warwick on the touchline and excitedly asked: “Helen, have you got it?”

Also, there was plenty of what I will call “banter” between the two sets of coaching staff during some heated moments but it was good to see everyone shaking hands in sporting fashion at full-time.

The People

I found Newent Town to be a very friendly club with everyone involved taking great pride in the facilities. Therefore I would thoroughly recommend a visit to all floating football fans.

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*Credit for photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 23rd February 2023

In due course, the manner in which Newcastle United’s fortunes have been figuratively and literally transformed via a takeover from an exorbitantly wealthy foreign entity may make them as unpopular as Manchester City.

Their success will be resented, with accusations leveled that it’s been bought, not earned. 

Regrettably, it feels inevitable that sometime soon the first Liverpool or Manchester United fan on Twitter will call a club with an immensely proud history, not to mention a loyal and long-suffering fan-base, ‘plastic’.

Right now though their reputational standing is at a sweet spot, blessed as they are with a considerable financial advantage but with few begrudging them of it.

This naturally will change when they begin seasons with short Premier League odds having signed that summer a marquee striker who is priced at evens in the Premier League top scorer odds before a ball has been kicked. 

For now though, there are many supporters of other clubs, plus neutrals – if such a phenomenon even exists – who wish them well, if only for the novelty of seeing them do well.

This benevolence will be played out in real time at the weekend when the Magpies compete in a Carabao Cup final, vying to win their first domestic honour for 67 years. 

That in itself is enough cause to want them to beat Manchester United but then we acknowledge too those loyal and long-suffering fans who have each endured a drawn-out succession of disappointments to reach this juncture. 

Twice in recent times Newcastle have been relegated and once they had Steve Bruce as their manager but joking aside, this is a fan-base known and admired throughout the game for their passion and numbers.

Dropping down into the Championship barely dented the attendance at St James Park. It certainly didn’t lower the decibels. 

It stands to reason therefore that when the time comes and the club’s highly ambitious project comes to fruition in the form of a Newcastle captain lifting aloft a trophy, there will be a lot of people happy to see that. They will mainly be happy for the supporters.

So far, so perfectly reasonable. 

Except, as with any truth, it gets stretched by some, perhaps because the truth in itself is banal, and in this instance that means it is not sufficient to say that it will be a nice event for long-suffering supporters to experience success, one that will be well received.

Some have to go further and claim that Newcastle deserve it.

Bluntly, they do not. In fact, no supporter deserves success, nor any club for that matter, not if it’s justified by the amount of heartaches and defeats that have preceded it. 

If that were relevant, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are more deserving of glories basked in, with each having never won a major trophy.

Are their fans not loyal also? Have they not put in the miles and seen their team play abysmally at a non-descript ground on a wet and cold Wednesday night?

Or what about if we go beyond the top-flight? To Rochdale or Shrewsbury. To Leyton Orient or Carlisle. In Rochdale’s trophy cabinet are three replicas of the Lancashire Senior Cup and nothing else. A can of Pledge at Spotland probably lasts a year.

It will be a welcomed novelty to see Newcastle scale the heights, and yes the supporters have earned their stripes when the good times come. 

But there are a hundred or more clubs in the professional leagues alone who deserve to experience joy. None more than others.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

 

“One hundred per cent, I want to play in the Champions League.”

With those words, stated during a press conference at the World Cup in Qatar, Declan Rice removed all doubt that he would be open to the idea of leaving West Ham this summer, admitting into the bargain that he is envious when watching his England team-mates compete in the competition.

The faint sounds heard, among the frantic clicking of cameras, was Chelsea pricking up their ears, and Manchester City rubbing their hands in anticipation.

In truth, it was already abundantly clear that Rice’s immediate future lies beyond the London Stadium, with the midfielder rejecting three separate overtures from the Hammers to sign a new – and vastly improved – contract.

It’s a situation that puts Chelsea in pole position, with City also seriously fancied in the football betting to secure one of the brightest homegrown talents in many a year. Manchester United are consistently in the mix too.

Before we evaluate their respective claims, however, let’s take a look at what the player wants, and what is now in West Ham’s best interests.

Anecdotally, it’s been said that Rice is extremely keen for any imminent move to be done amicably and that he has no intention of handing in a transfer request, nor kick up a fuss if his current employer plays hardball.

A proud captain of the Hammers and with a close relationship with the fans, Rice is desperate not to leave on bad terms. 

This explains his candid comments such as in Qatar and elsewhere. In effect, he is addressing the West Ham fan-base. Getting his side of the story on record.

As for the Hammers, they are expected to trigger a one-year extension on a contract that expires in 2024, doing so purely to strengthen their bargaining position.

Manager David Moyes has previously said that a minimum of £150m will be required to dislodge his star player and though it won’t ultimately be in that region, nine figures will almost certainly be on the cheque, with Rice no doubt handed a bumper deal that will make him significantly wealthier than he is even now. 

None of this happens unless West Ham execute their contract clause. Or at least, it is a different conversation if they don’t.

It is tempting to think Chelsea don’t have an urgent need for Rice given that they have recently splurged a British record sum of £106m on Enzo Fernandes. But that overlooks the patchy injury record of N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic. 

Similarly, at first glance you wonder why Manchester City would be willing to spend a huge chunk of their transfer war-chest on a player who inhabits Rodri’s position, the Spanish international being the best in the Premier League in that role. 

With Ilkay Gundogan tipped to depart this summer for Barcelona however, and with Kalvin Phillips yet to pull up trees at the Etihad, an established superstar bolstering their midfield would be a welcome boon.

It is these two clubs that head the queue for Rice, and arguably it is Chelsea who are favourites, due to the player – a born and bred Londoner - supporting them as a child. 

It doesn’t take an online betting genius to know that the odds on Declan Rice leaving West ham this summer are short indeed. Where to though, only time, and a great deal of money, will tell.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

It has long been an established custom in football that any youngster who breaks through and shows even a modicum of ability will be hyped to kingdom come. 

That they very rarely fulfil such exaggerated praise and high expectation is neither here, nor there. What matters is the promise, the potential.

The tantalising glimmer of the chance of greatness. It makes us fans and journalists alike go giddy at the knees and lose all sense of proportion. And we never, ever learn. 

This was evident before the Premier League came into being of course but certainly since its formation – in doing so enlarging everything, from fanfare to ticket prices - the practice of hyping talented teens has well and truly gone hyperbolic, at times nudging levels of sheer lunacy.

Factor in too, the hugely significant introductions of click-bait media and social media to our brave new world and is it any wonder that youngsters these days are no longer deemed to be merely ‘promising’ but instead are damned as the ‘next Messi’. 

Take Marko Marin who arrived at Chelsea in 2012 already dubbed the ‘German Messi’ for his propensity to twist the blood of beleaguered opponents in the Bundesliga.

Marko Marin was once tipped as the future of German football along with Mesut Ozil 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/2IuJTiqvMM

— GOAL (@goal) September 2, 2021

Prematurely acclaimed as a superstar-in-the-making Marin went on to make a meagre six appearances in royal blue, elsewhere loaned out several times to minimal impact. Boy, did we get that one wrong.

Or what about Ryan Gould, Dundee United’s ‘Baby Messi’ who burst onto the Scottish scene a decade back by putting in a series of impressive displays while still a bairn.

To his enormous credit, Gould laughed off the comparisons with the greatest player who has ever donned a pair of football boots but still, we can only imagine the additional burden of pressure placed upon slight shoulders. 

After failing to make any sort of mark at Sporting Lisbon, the winger is now playing his trade with Vancouver Whitecaps. 

Then there’s Jose Angel Pozo and Patrick Roberts, Manchester City starlets both, who each were saddled with the ridiculous tag.

If the former leads us to Wikipedia, at least the latter carved out a pretty solid career in the Championship.

If the curse of Messi has struck several times in the Premier League era, comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo also abound. 

In the early 2000s, an otherwise respected Liverpool journalist wondered in print why CR7 was getting people’s knickers in such a twist when down the M62, Anthony Le Tellec was an ‘equally stunning talent’.

Save to say, that one of the duo went on to win five Ballon d’Ors and it wasn’t the 17-year-old winger signed from La Havre. He went on to make seven appearances at Anfield before sliding into obscurity.

A good ten years later, an otherwise respected footballing website had this to say about Manchester United’s teenage prodigy Adnan Januzaj, who at that particular juncture had put in barely half a season of handy showings, including it must be said two goals on his full league debut – ‘In just 16 appearances for the Red Devils, Januzaj has already won comparisons with some of United’s best ever players – Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, and George Best.’

At the risk of succumbing to one-upmanship, that’s why you come here for your football bet tips, and not there, because in what should be the prime of his footballing journey, Januzaj is presently on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir.

His 15 caps for Belgium is a sixth of the number won by Marouane Fellaini. 

The hastily acclaimed Belgian is the first occasion we’ve mentioned a player hyped, then forgotten about who at least did something memorable before fading to black.

#EURO2020 x #GoalOfTheDay 🇧🇪

This volley from @AdnanJanuzaj 👌#MUFC pic.twitter.com/bMSLFsbbW1

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 17, 2021

If, that is, scoring twice against Sunderland constitutes doing something memorable. It is also the first Manchester United prospect under discussion. 

Naturally it follows that the bigger the club, the sillier the bluster and young pretenders to the Old Trafford throne have long been elevated way beyond their capabilities.

Ravel Morrison is one such example, though perhaps with him a proclivity to self-combust explains his failure to fulfil his potential.

Elsewhere there is the most famous illustration of all of ill-considered puffery when we recall Federico Macheda’s upsetting of the sports betting with a last-minute winner for the Reds in 2009. 

A swivel and a accurate shot against a tired Aston Villa defence led to all manner of amplified estimations of the 17-year-old Italian who is presently on loan with the Greek club APOEL. He has scored one goal in the last three years. 

From Jordan Ibe to Josh McEachran, from Gael Kakuta to John Bostock, the Premier League is strewn with talented youngsters who ultimately came to very little, and though there is an ethical consideration in hyping them beyond all reason, the harsh truth is it will always be this way.

The harsh truth is, we will never, ever learn.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 21st February 2023

Having already established himself as a generational talent Jude Bellingham is enjoying another exceptional season in the Bundesliga, racking up astounding numbers for Borussia Dortmund.

He is committing to 1.92 blocks per 90. He is completing 1.87 dribbles per 90. He is having 3.05 touches in the opposition box per game. 

When all of his output is accumulated, it puts the 19-year-old statistically in the top 3% of midfielders across Europe in 2022/23.

Naturally, this makes the prodigiously gifted teen a much wanted man but of course that’s hardly breaking news.

For the past year and more, speculation has been at fever pitch as to where Bellingham’s future lies, with seemingly every media outlet having a theory, dressed up as news. Will it be Manchester City or Liverpool? Will it be Real Madrid? 

Furthermore, with the England star reportedly set to turn down a contract extension with Der BVB we can expect that hysteria to multiply ten-fold in the coming months.

Don’t discount however, the answer to the most pondered footballing question of 2023 to ultimately be a mundane one come the start of next season. The destination nobody is really contemplating.

Which would be Dortmund, for another twelve months at least. 

Granted, there is that rejected contract to consider, one that’s worth up to £180,000 a week. It’s a figure that sounds substantial until it’s acknowledged that his interested suitors will be offering almost double that this summer. 

It would therefore be hardly ideal for Dortmund to have as their captain going into a new campaign a pivotal player who has turned down their advances to stay for the long-term. Who clearly has one eye on the exit.

Yet the astronomical sum it would take to dislodge Bellingham from Germany may eventually prove too problematic this summer for all concerned parties, with circling clubs instead resolving to wait a year and go again.

In the summer of 2024, the midfielder would have only twelve months left on his existing contract and would likely be available for a huge fee, not an unrealistic one.

Alternatively – and just as possible – there might indeed be a mind-boggling, world record bid.

After all, should it be City, Liverpool or Chelsea who win out, Bellingham will automatically be one of the favourites in the Premier League Player of the Year odds before a ball has been caressed.

That’s the level we’re talking about here. He’s a game-changer. A title-tilting individual worth any amount in reason.

Moreover, should the Etihad be his destination of choice, the midfield prodigy will be reunited with Erling Haaland, who is currently short-priced in the top scorer Premier League odds.

However much, or little, that is a factor is negligible but it still gives the reigning champions an edge.

Speak to anyone connected to Liverpool however and they will insist it is they who hold all the cards beyond the financial scope. For Bellingham, it is said, was a boyhood Red with his influential father too an ardent fan.

Highlighting this however leads us only to speculation, peddling theories dressed up as news.

All we know for sure at this juncture is that mountains will have to be moved to land the most impactful player on the planet. And for this to happen, an awful lot of money will have to do an awful lot of talking. 

Don’t rule out that conversation lasting a full year and more.

FIRST PUBLISHED: 21st February 2023

Understandably, many feared the worst for Brighton and Hove Albion when their manager Graham Potter departed for the bright lights of west London.

That all the latest football bet tips have Potter down as the next Premier League coach to leave his post is an altogether other story. 

Because for the Seagulls, his leaving last September potentially spelt disaster, Potter being the chief architect behind the club’s rise to the upper echelons of the top-flight.

Granted, it was Chris Hughton who brought Brighton up and established the south coast side among the big boys.

Potter though took them to the next level, freeing them of relegation concerns and last season breaking an unfancied collective into the top ten. 

Admired for their possession-based fare and tactical flexibility, Brighton’s footballing identity was inherently tied to their manager’s footballing identity and when five members of the backroom staff also upped stick for the capital alarm bells began to ring at the Amex.

Would gravity now take hold, curtailing a highly promising campaign that saw Brighton rack up four wins and a draw from their opening six fixtures?

In the event, this has not transpired, and if anything, remarkably, the Seagulls have only improved, even if their league placing is now more realistically pitched on the outer fringes of the European spots.

Successfully reconfigured as a 4-2-3-1, in recent months theirs has been a gold standard of possession-football that seeks to advance full-backs and control the central ground via clusters of clever movement and short passes.

Up front meanwhile, attackers have been afforded greater freedom and this has elicited a series of fantastic performances from the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March.

The latter incidentally, has been so consistently good, he should by rights be included in the Premier League Player of the Year odds come May.

All told, Brighton have bewitched and befuddled opponents, leading to thrashings of Chelsea and Liverpool and gaining notable results elsewhere.

They’re entertaining to watch, and any fears they may regress after Potter’s departure have been comprehensively dispelled.

And all of this is due to one man and one man only. Step forward, Roberto De Zerbi.

It is telling that the Italian’s appointment last autumn prompted a raft of articles explaining who he is, even if seasoned viewers of Serie A insisted it was a shrewd move, having seen his Sassuolo side consecutively finish eighth on the peninsula, playing with the same style we’re slowly becoming accustomed to over here. 

To the majority of us however, it was just another relatively unknown continental coach, arriving with decent credentials. We’ve seen them come. We’ve seen them leave, often damned as failures.

Fast forward to the present though, and the narrative has dramatically changed, with the often engaging, sometimes outspoken De Zerbi fast carving out a reputation as a seriously astute coach.

He has a clear vision and the ability to out-manoeuvre esteemed peers on a weekly basis, all while getting elite levels from players not generally considered elite. 

Coaches of such stature are decidedly thin on the ground.

With the Italian at the helm, Brighton’s future looks secure and exceedingly bright and the only concern at this juncture is that history repeats itself.

Because if Chelsea swoop anytime soon, hoping that some of his magic transfers to the Bridge, it would be a cruel twist of fate indeed.

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The Cheltenham roar is the cacophony of noise made by the thousands of racing fans in the grandstands when the starter raises the tape for the first race of the festival.

This race on the opening Tuesday is of course the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, a Grade 1 race that runs on the Old Course over 2 miles and 1/2 furlong.

So which horses will you be roaring home in the Supreme this year? Let’s take a look at the state of play in the current ante-post market if you fancy a bet on Cheltenham now.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

It is hardly a surprise that the upper reaches of the Premier League is receiving the lion’s share of the media’s coverage at present.

Arsenal are in serious contention to win the unlikeliest title since Leicester in 2016 while Newcastle’s transformative takeover has already placed them among the elite. Liverpool and Chelsea meanwhile are struggling against type. 

Understandably these gripping narratives are getting top billing.

Should we venture further south however, we are immediately drawn into an engrossing soap opera that might well have us hooked until the final credits, as one of the fiercest-fought and closest relegation battles in living memory plays out. 

Presently, just six points separate Everton, who are third from bottom, with Leicester who are stationed in mid-table and if the sports betting informs us the Foxes are relatively safe a single loss would quickly have us believe otherwise.

That’s because at this juncture, with a little over a third of the campaign left, the harsh reality is that eight clubs are scrapping for their top-flight lives.

If the sheer volume of participants, and the closeness of the overall gap, makes this potentially a vintage relegation dogfight, the intriguing variety of clubs involved is also a factor. 

Included in the mix are promoted sides such as Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest which is often the way, but firmly entrenched in trouble are two who were expected to be nowhere near the drop-zone when 2022/23 opened for business. 

For the last two seasons, David Moyes has taken West Ham to sixth and seventh respectively and another sterling year was anticipated. Instead, the Hammers have won just five of their 23 games, a bluntness in attack proving costly. 

As for Everton, while few predicted great things from a limited squad and a manager in Frank Lampard who divides opinion, fewer still tipped them to languish in the bottom three for the most part of a miserable campaign. 

Elsewhere, Southampton have been consistently poor and reside rock-bottom while Leeds and Wolves endeavour to change direction after enduring periods of mismanagement.

On that note it’s pertinent that five of the current bottom six have sacked their managers in recent weeks, with Southampton looking for their third inside a season, and this once again illustrates what is at stake, and the extreme measures clubs are prepared to take to survive.

The Saints and Bournemouth both spending a small fortune in the transfer window is another example of this as panic sets in and the Championship looms.

So who from the main candidates will ultimately drop? That’s the question that pervades every aspect of this captivating story-arc that may not reach a satisfying conclusion until the final day. 

Certainly, a rousing late escape that we’ve witnessed from struggling teams before feels beyond Southampton, while their South Coast neighbours Bournemouth are short-priced in the Premier League relegation betting for a reason.

That reason being they can’t stop haemorrhaging goals. 

Which leaves a single undesired spot to be filled by one of a trio of Midlands clubs, Everton, West Ham or Leeds. 

Watch this space. It’s going to be drama of the highest magnitude, tense, tight and unmissable.

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