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ST JAMES’ PARK — Out of a confusing start to the season at Newcastle United, one thing at least can be etched in stone. They have a player capable of steering them into a new era in the shape of the fabulous 18-year-old midfielder Sean Steur.

Steur was a £20m steal from Ajax in the summer and already looks like the perfect poster boy for this “Newcastle 2.0” project. He can pass, press and push Newcastle on but what really sticks out is his personality.

A youthful, re-booted Magpies are going to need plenty of that this season. Setbacks and sweat patches are guaranteed if the first five games are anything to go by but they are finding a way.

No one typifies that more than Steur, who responded to a chastening evening at Elland Road with the sort of pitch-perfect performance that should set pulses racing on Tyneside.

Inside Newcastle they marvel at his maturity. Even in pre-season he was coming to analysis meetings with his own clips, delivering detailed debriefs of what he could do better. So you sort of suspected that he would learn from what happened at Leeds.

Given his role in Newcastle racing into a 2-0 lead within 10 minutes against Hull City, he certainly checked that box. Steur’s willingness to find a progressive pass seemed to set the tone as Matthias Jaissle’s side showcased the vertical football he’s been talking about since setting foot in St James’ Park.

More experienced heads did the damage. Joe Willock – nearly sold for £15m in the summer but whose contribution in the opening weeks of the season has been priceless – opened the scoring with a brilliant low drive before Lewis Hall doubled the lead. But Steur’s pedigree was stamped all over a classy first half.

It didn’t last, of course. And there remains plenty of cause for concern about the way Newcastle are struggling to control games.

The second half spiralled alarmingly from chaotic to almost calamitous and Hull made life extremely uncomfortable for them in the final half an hour. For the first time Jaissle’s substitutions – and requirement for in-game system change – actually seemed to diminish Newcastle.

But there are caveats aplenty. Firstly Newcastle are without nine senior men – Tino Livramento the latest to suffer an injury after feeling “discomfort” following a training session. Their bench included three 17-year-olds and a goalkeeper in Nick Pope who has been told he has no future at the club. It is a crippling situation and one that Jaissle admits needs to be investigated.

Add into the mix the fact that they had to cling on against a game Hull side without Steur, who seemed to succumb to fatigue on 66 minutes. Jaissle’s solution was to swap him with Fabian Schar and Newcastle’s grip on the game loosened completely. Mohamed Ali-Cho scored within seconds and the last 30 minutes were torture for a sold-out St James’ Park.

But you know what? They got there and in the context of the season and Jaissle’s short Newcastle career that felt really significant.

Read more

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For all the troubling stats – 96 chances conceded across five games and bottom of Opta’s expected points table before kick-off here – they are doing just fine. Eight points from a tough opening sequence of fixtures is just fine for a manager and club clearly learning on the job.

Do they have to improve on this? That goes without saying. But they will and the imminent return of Dan Burn and Joelinton will add heft to a team that played with a touch too much naivety in the closing stages. “An incredible reaction,” was Jaissle’s verdict.

Steur will return from the super-sized international break refreshed, too. “It is not normal what he is doing at his age,” said his manager afterwards. It is starting to become routine, though, which is reason enough for optimism as Newcastle emerge from a summer reset.

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Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Aston Villa (Gallagher 86’, Van Hecke 90+8′ | Manzambi 45+4′, Jackson 67′, Buendia 79′)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – Over to north London where three weeks of miserable overthinking was guaranteed, but for which side?

The answer, emphatically, is Tottenham Hotspur, whose fans rose in their thousands in the 79th minute to leave this temple of doom – the best stadium in the Premier League merely a happy hunting ground for those who visit.

Three home league wins here since the start of 2025-26 is nothing short of shambolic, and to collapse in this manner against an Aston Villa side short of confidence themselves will make those weeks feel like months.

Those who stayed did at least witness two late goals – “You’ve scored a goal!” chanted the Villa fans after the first, before Spurs replied, “We’ve scored a goal!” – but the second was the penultimate touch of the game and hardly changed the issues Roberto De Zerbi must address.

And inevitably, with Manchester United away next on 10 October, the heat on De Zerbi will only turn up if they stumble at Old Trafford.

Ahead of kick-off, the jeopardy, and the fun, was in the not knowing which side would head into the international break winless in the league.

And while Spurs and Villa had reasons to be downbeat, three points and one league goal between them after four games apiece, there was room for optimism, too.

Spurs named a strong XI after showing glimpses of what they could become under De Zerbi at Anfield, while off the back of a Carabao Cup win at Coventry City, Villa welcomed back Joao Gomes and started summer signing Johan Manzambi for the first time.

Crucial to Villa securing a third straight win at this ground was ensuring the home supporters had little to get behind early on, but Spurs had the wind behind them after sustained pressure led to Zion Suzuki producing a double save to deny Savio.

Robust tackles and questionable fouls not given ensured Spurs’ players and fans remained in harmony, while Villa were largely reduced to long balls for Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson to chase.

The reality for Villa was knowing the groans would grow the longer it remained goalless. Archie Gray – on for the injured Pedro Porro – was denied a goal with his first touch, and the Suzuki vs Spurs show continued when the Villa goalkeeper then flew to his right to keep out a third Savio attempt.

But just as Spurs’ shortfalls in one box were letting them down, their ineptness in the other box came to the fore, and after Emiliano Buendia and Jackson went close it was Manzambi who put Villa ahead.

From a Spurs perspective, it was inexplicable. Andy Robertson sought to prevent a corner but merely gifted the ball to John McGinn, who found Boubacar Kamara – his shot then turned in by Manzambi at a time Micky van de Ven was off the pitch.

Thus came Tottenham’s biggest battle, against themselves. After the goal, a child behind the press seats roared in anger, and then at half-time a smattering of jeers echoed around the ground. If they were to claw something back, it would have to be through a familiar air of bubbling frustration.

Spurs were flatter in the second half, the introduction of Mohammed Kudus seemingly not having the desired effect, although on the hour-mark it was the Ghanaian who bundled the ball into the net.

A league goal! Relief! An equaliser! Half-an-hour to grab a winner! In the excitement, Kudus ran the ball back to the halfway line, while Savio went to congratulate Robertson, who had made the goal, but after the dreaded VAR “checking for possible offside” screen flashed up, the goal was chalked off and Spurs were back chasing the game.

And then they were virtually out of it, with Jackson besting Jan Paul van Hecke (again) and then Van de Ven before striking an effort Antonín Kinsky could only get a soft hand to.

More groans. More of the same, as far as Tottenham fans were concerned, and many then departed when Buendia curled in a third.

Conor Gallagher’s late goal did at least ensure Spurs are off the mark in the league in terms of goals, but that was no comfort given Van Hecke’s header that followed was the last act of the game.

If two goals change anything, then it is minimal. The timing arguably only rubs further salt in the wounds and does little to address their most glaring problem.

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Rough maths suggests both penalty areas make-up 18.5 per cent of the pitch, and when you struggle to put away chances – when in actually matters – and cannot defend at this level, it simply does not matter what happens in the other 81.5 per cent.

It is Spurs’ biggest blind spot, £300m later, and leaves De Zerbi with homework while the majority of this squad head off for an international break that will feel like a reprieve – until the Old Trafford meeting draws closer.

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WEMBLEY — There is something rather valiant about Thomas Tuchel. He is a man of conviction, and regardless of the outside noise, he will stick to his principles, no matter what.

He is clearly trying to build something with England. The “brotherhood” he speaks of so often is palpable. On another day, with a little bit more conviction, England would have seen out those final few minutes against Argentina two months ago and booked a second-ever men’s World Cup final appearance.

What is so concerning is that this is the fundamental difference between the great and the good. Winning tournaments and never-ending near misses. Tuchel taking his place in the pantheon of greats or becoming yet another who divides opinion.

Spain, on paper, cannot hold a candle to some of the individual talent England possess. Yet, in those pressurised moments, they remain unflustered, passing their opponents into submission to take home yet another trophy.

And Tuchel simply misses the point.

“I’m just wrestling with myself, because even if you control matches in the Premier League, how many English players are there in these teams that really try to control matches?” Tuchel said.

“Is this in our DNA? Do we really value control? Is this something that makes us feel good in a match? Is this something that comes easy to us?

“This is also something I’m still undecided on, because I saw training sessions on the very highest level of my career. But I see training sessions with a lot of speed, with a lot of ball speed, with a lot of physicality, with a lot of dribbling.

“So, it makes me struggle, because we’re talking about the highest-pressure moments, a semi-final against Argentina, 80% of the stadium is Argentinian. So now can you please become Spain for 15 minutes?

“It’s not how English fans cherish a match. I don’t think that an English supporter goes to a Premier League match and wants to see a controlled match and a 1-0 win, late. Deep down in the core, English players – and it’s a beautiful thing – and the spectators, they go for it.

“Let’s not play 1-0. We want to put the ball up front. And this is what I feel now that I have a tournament as an experience, I feel that this team is ready to fight, is always ready to go, and this is the beauty of it.”

Tuchel was certainly in a combative mood when naming his latest squad in a Wembley private box overlooking the pitch being readied for some American football action on Friday.

He admitted to being taken aback by some of the questioning. He, rather delusionally, insisted 99 per cent of the feedback he has received since returning home was looking back on the high points, like England’s superb display in the Azteca against Mexico, rather than the heartbreaking exits.

The fact he came out fighting should be heartening. He is right to point to England’s swashbuckling qualification campaign for the World Cup, where the goals flowed. And he is entitled to allow England to take the attack to Croatia in the group stages of a major tournament.

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A supremo of his experience and knowhow, however, should be able to instruct £100m footballers to be able to pass the ball with the same level of retention as Spain’s possession experts. Regardless of the opponents. And thus give England a better chance of finally ending decades of hurt.

“I never said this summer was a big success,” an embattled Tuchel continued. “I said there were a lot, a lot of positives about it. I think Spain relied heavily on some last-minute goals of Mikel Merino.

“So do you think if they lost the campaign they would be unhappy? I never said ‘big success’. I said it’s ‘unfulfilled’. It’s part of my review.

“But why is the expectation so high? When did we last win it? When did we ever win it? Why is the expectation so high that even bringing home a medal cannot be acknowledged? I’m not sure that I have the time to coach them to [keep the ball].”

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My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s look behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. This week, we speak to Neil “Razor” Ruddock, the former Liverpool and England defender whose hardman image made him the perfect candidate to go on and have an eclectic reality TV career after retiring from football.

Doing a TV show saved my life

I did Harry’s Heroes in 2019 with lots of ex-pros, getting us back fit to play football again. It was all about getting the message out there for men to go see a doctor, because we don’t, in case there is bad news.

In the end, I got tested when doing the show, had to be rushed to hospital and have a pacemaker fitted. Now, any campaign that gets the message out there I am all over it.

I lost Justin Edinburgh, who was my best friend, to a cardiac arrest. The most shocking thing about it was that he was the fittest 50-year-old you’d ever meet in your life. And it makes you think what could have changed if a defibrillator had been there.

Every football fan should go on the British Heart Foundation’s website at half-time of a match and learn how to use a defibrillator. It is not that hard. If I can learn how to do it in 15 minutes, the rest of the world can.

I am a big softie, really

The thing about me is on the pitch, I would rip your heart out with a spoon. But off the pitch if I hurt your feelings, I would be devastated. The big hardman image is only on the pitch.

You miss the lads, being part of a dressing room. I don’t miss training, training is hard. It is one of the greatest jobs in the world, but it is also one of the hardest.

If you have a bad day at the office, everyone knows about it. But if you have a good one, nothing is said, as that’s your job – you’re supposed to have a good one. Making my dad proud, watching him sitting in the crowd as I was playing for Liverpool, that is what it is all about.

Success is judged differently now

There was no Champions League back then, so we [Liverpool] would play in the Uefa Cup every season. If you finished fourth back then, it was seen as a failure, but teams are happy with fourth now.

You get more chances to win things now. If I had my time again I’d have listened more, drunk less. In my day, my job was to put the centre-forward off in any which way you could.

You could be more aggressive back then. You would always get one free one where I could kick anything up in the air. Those free ones now would see you sent off.

Master Chef tops I’m A Celebrity and Big Brother

Going into the jungle was tough. There was no cheating in the jungle. Rats and snakes and all that. The noises you would hear in the night were terrifying. Big Brother was amazing too, but I think my favourite was coming second in Master Chef.

When they rang me to ask me to go on, I said “I can’t cook” and they said “you’re in”. Being a chef is the only job in the world where if you put your mind to it, you will be able to do it. It is the most accessible profession out there.

Cooking is all about using your ears – when it starts sizzling too much, turn it off!

A ring bearer with a difference

Becoming best friends with Rylan was not on my radar. It is as random as it comes. A big tough south London footballer and a gay icon.

I love him. He was ring bearer at my wedding, and properly camped it up.

VAR has put me off football

I should get to more games these days but I have lost interest due to VAR. It is too stop-start, especially in the stadium. It is still opinion – there are no facts. Anything other than offside is just more opinions. And that just winds me up too much.

Ruddock was speaking after joining fellow hardmen, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Iain Dowie and Julian Dicks to tackle defib fear, as part of the next phase of the transformative Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) Every Minute Matters campaign, which has a mission to equip football fans with lifesaving CPR and defibrillation skills. Fans can learn lifesaving CPR and defibrillation skills in just 15 minutes: Search BHF RevivR and/or visit https://revivr.bhf.org.uk/

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Perhaps everyone just needs to take a breath.

Newcastle United might have crashed back down to earth with a shudder on Monday night – and the first half at Leeds was as bad as it should get this season – but Matthias Jaissle deserves a bit more patience than he has been given in certain quarters.

So, too, does the “2.0” project launched during a breakneck summer.

The 4-1 defeat at Leeds threw a sharp focus on issues that have been brewing since day one of what may turn out to be a transition season.

But until one bad result becomes a run of them, we have to keep reminding ourselves of the bigger black-and-white picture.

So here is what has happened since Leeds.

Internally, there has been “unity”. Jaissle has spoken to the club’s power brokers about the need to respond to adversity and how, in the long run, setbacks can prove a springboard for the season.

“We have to be prepared to invite adversity this season. There’s a saying: you don’t lose, you learn. So it’s about how we react,” a senior source told The i Paper.

“To be honest, given everything that happened in the summer, this moment of adversity has actually come a lot later than we expected.”

On the training ground, there is a feeling that body language has been good and the players’ reaction has been positive.

Jaissle’s messaging – he favours short, sharp training-ground missives – seems effective, and he has been adamant that he will not listen to “outside noise”.

A few observers also think he is beginning to better understand the rhythms of English football culture, and he has seemed lighter and less curt in recent press conferences.

“If there’s one setback, we shouldn’t delete our journey. It’s on us to respond,” he said at Thursday’s briefing.

But what will he do to change course?

The Newcastle boss seems steadfast about the 4-2-3-1 system that had, until Monday, delivered five points from three testing fixtures.

It is his favoured way of playing, but the Magpies have been overrun in their last two Premier League games, something that felt especially bleak at half-time at Elland Road.

He will stick to his “principles” but will consider tweaks to the approach. Part of the problem, he senses, is that Newcastle are not transitioning quickly enough into a more compact shape in defensive phases.

That will come, and returning players will help, but more time on the training ground is also needed.

As one senior source points out, there was little time to “stress test” Jaissleball before the cut and thrust of the season got under way.

Leeds look like a very good side, but standards slipped alarmingly as the game ran away from Newcastle.

That happened far too often last season, and this week has been spent reasserting those “basics”.

It will be fascinating to see how the players respond.

The manager, too, because he is still new to the scrutiny that the Premier League brings.

Nobody at Newcastle believes they have appointed their own version of Ruben Amorim, whose downfall was his refusal to deviate from a formation that was deemed unsuited to the squad at his disposal and the league in which they were competing.

Tactical fluidity was supposed to be a big selling point in the summer discussions.

Now it is up to Jaissle to prove it.

Injuries have blighted the start of his tenure.

He has lost Dan Burn, Will Osula and now Anthony Elanga to problems that nobody can do much about.

But Newcastle are asking questions about what they can do better on the medical front, while their impressive performance director James Bunce runs a continual analysis of training load.

Above all, they believe that in an ultra-competitive Premier League, and with the path they have chosen to take, they are going to have to take a few lumps during the course of the campaign.

“It’s about how we come out on Saturday afternoon,” was the verdict of one insider.

Even at this early stage of the season, that game seems crucial.

Pinpointed as a must-win fixture before the start of the campaign, Hull’s excellent start and the jitters on Tyneside make it a tricky assignment.

Of course, Newcastle’s “2.0” project will rely heavily on progress off the field matching what it is on it.

On that front, a major deal with Coca-Cola, which will sponsor the Stack fan hub, is imminent. It is awaiting a couple of signatures but has been agreed.

The four-year contract will bring in around £4m over its lifetime.

Another commercial contract, described as a “biggie”, is also close to fruition as Newcastle look to make the most of their inventory and start acting like an elite club when it comes to securing sponsorships.

They have added £11m to their bottom line through training-ground sponsorships and feel “major partners” are now more willing to jump on board.

But there is still a long way to go.

The internal belief is that revenue needs to be at the £600m mark if they are to make their aim of competing for major titles a reality.

This season, with no European football to boost them commercially, they will be hovering around the £400m mark.

That is a huge gap to make up.

The answer is to “work harder, work smarter”, and it is worth pointing out that the club’s staff headcount continues to rise.

Read more

• Explained: The latest on Newcastle’s finances – and what next for Lewis Hall
• Big read: Inside Matthias Jaissle’s new era – and the night he fell in love with Newcastle

Just this week, Newcastle advertised for a performance scientist on the back of four new roles for its rapidly growing data unit, which had an influence on recruitment decisions this summer.

All of this matters. All of this makes the club better in the future.

The message from the top? This is a long-term project that probably should not be defined by choppy autumn waters.

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Wasn’t that night in the Azteca only last week? Yet, here we are again, questioning Thomas Tuchel’s sanity.

This latest England squad selection carries more weight than it normally would in a September international break, given there are a mammoth four Nations League games to come before another Premier League ball is kicked.

And those doubts over Tuchel remain at the forefront of supporters’ minds, after those two late goals shipped against Argentina two months ago. Tuchel has not rested on his laurels, over what he believes to be a reasonable performance across the pond this summer.

Trent is back

Possibly the most startling recall is for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Tuchel would rather have given a dinner lady a squad number in the summer than add the Real Madrid full-back to his World Cup squad.

As defenders dropped like flies before and during the tournament, Tuchel refused to buckle, turning to every other defensive option, other than Alexander-Arnold, to be part of his roster.

And now, at the first opportunity, the prodigal son, who has only started two league games for Real this season, is back. Had Ben White or Reece James been fit, then we might not be having this conversation. The fact we are still seems strange.

No MGW, again

As our beloved Daniel Storey never misses an opportunity to opine, Morgan Gibbs-White is the top goalscoring midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues. And yet, a player with 68 minutes across three Premier League matches so far this season gets the nod instead.

Had Eberechi Eze justified his surprise inclusion in Tuchel’s World Cup squad, we perhaps could allow for such an aberration. But one goal, for club and country, since November last year, tells its own story. What more does Gibbs-White have to do?

“It makes no sense to have four or five No 10s,” Tuchel said. “We can see he is a key player for Forest. It is one thing to be picked, but another thing to perform for England.”

Palmer gets instant recall

After the start to the season he has made, having developed a bourgeoning partnership with another England star, Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer’s recall to the squad is not surprising in itself.

It just represents such a rapid turnaround from Tuchel, who was alarmingly critical of Palmer after omitting him from his World Cup squad, insisting the Chelsea forward had “never done anything” for his England team.

“Cole has his start that he always had but he has his numbers back,” Tuchel said. “He has his assists back, he has decisive goals back so that is why he is in the squad. I think he has a point to prove.”

Lewis-Skelly over Wharton as midfielder

Adam Wharton is an unusual case. In another life, he would be playing for Liverpool, as the heartbeat of their midfield, and be a regular for England. Yet, he remains at Crystal Palace and cannot get a look-in with the national side.

The latest to jump ahead of him in the pecking order is Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has had quite the few months.

The Arsenal utility player is so adaptable he is very much a football coach’s dream. That will be of little consolation to Wharton, however.

Mainoo still there

One of only a handful of England players not to get a kick this summer was Kobbie Mainoo. Having worked so hard to turn things around under Michael Carrick last season at Manchester United, to remain on the outside looking in will have been a bitter blow.

His inclusion again, however, must be viewed as a huge compliment, given just how many alternatives Tuchel has in that position. The German’s warm words must also be welcome.

“I expect him to be on the pitch [this month],” he said. “And it’s my duty to put him on the pitch. “That [not playing at the World Cup] was totally on me. He didn’t put a foot wrong in the World Cup. “He was class in behaviour and on the training pitch.”

Scott wins rookie race

Alex Scott is another who will surely be the next fledgling talent to leave Bournemouth for a big club. All the summer speculation has not affected the midfield metronome’s form one bit.

Josh King was another starlet vying for a place, with Tuchel insisting the Fulham youngster was close.

Scott is the one who gets the nod, where he will be able to showcase his talents to a much wider audience. Expect something special.

Read more

• Michael Hincks: Thomas Tuchel is taking us all for fools
• Daniel Storey: We all owe Gareth Southgate an apology

Hall chance to lay down marker

Lewis Hall has the opportunity of a lifetime ahead of him. Missing out on a move to Manchester United could be seen as a chance missed, but now, back in the England set up, he can really make his mark again.

Full-back is one of the most accessible positions for England nowadays, having been a closed shop for years.

Hall has the ability to make a starting spot his own in the coming weeks, and is likely to get the opportunity to do just that.

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Ahead of West Ham United’s first visit to Millwall since 2011, the news that David Sullivan will not be in attendance at The Den appears somewhat ironic.

The West Ham shareholder and controversial former vice-chairman, who resigned from his key role and directorship at the club in June amid allegations of misconduct, will not be at the highly-charged Championship clash in south-east London.

Sullivan had been asked not to attend games at the London Stadium, but his presence at the Charlton Athletic fixture last month was described as “deliberately provocative” by the West Ham Fan Advisory Board. He then attended home matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Derby County and Wrexham.

It comes as the 77-year-old has seen his shareholding in West Ham increase from 38.8 to 40 per cent as a consequence of Daniel Kretinsky taking advantage of pre-emptive share rights to firm up his post as majority shareholder.

The shift in the Hammers’ ownership has thwarted recent attempts by businesswoman and former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley to obtain a 25.1 per cent stake in the club after a binding agreement was reached in August with Vanessa Gold, the club’s joint-chair.

West Ham’s existing board members subsequently blocked the deal by triggering their contractual “pre-emption rights” (right of first refusal).

From an on-field perspective, West Ham are on a four-game winning streak in their quest for a return to the Premier League following relegation to the second tier last season.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side – favourites to win the Championship – are top of the table on goal difference prior to the eagerly-anticipated clash at Millwall, where absence has not made mutual hearts grow fonder on either side of the Thames.

Has the positivity on the pitch tempered some of the anger at Sullivan’s seemingly intractable position, with supporters keen on a fresh start at ownership level?

At one point, it appeared Staveley, husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, and their vehicle PCP Capital Partners would become involved and potentially contribute to significant structural changes around the London Stadium. However, such a development appears to be in the east London long grass for now.

“I think if David Sullivan was going to leave he would have done so by now,” a club source told The i Paper.

“After everything that has gone on over the last few months and beyond, you might have thought that would be the case. But he tends to come along (to games) and simply has the air of someone who couldn’t care less what supporters think of him.

“You don’t get to where he is without making a few enemies along the way. There’s nothing new about that in business, but when you are a high-profile figure of a big football club where the fans, by and large, want you out, then it becomes an ongoing problem that can only be solved with Sullivan leaving.

“Sullivan knows all about his unpopularity – how could you not? This is someone, remember, who attends the London Stadium even when police and Newham council strongly recommended that he doesn’t, due to the potential of disorder.”

Despite supporters marching in their thousands from Stratford station to London Stadium last November, Sullivan remains unmoved.

“It’s almost as if he (Sullivan) regards himself as a Trump-like figure,” the source added.

“Completely self-satisfied and immune to everyone and all the public criticism around him. Yes, he has resigned from the board but he now has 40 per cent of the club shareholding, so in that sense it looks like, for the moment, he isn’t going anywhere.”

Kretinsky, owner of Royal Mail, has made all the right noises in relation to West Ham’s governance after Staveley’s consortium was denied a stake. The Czech businessman has been criticised by fans for his lack of regular visits to London Stadium.

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“Now that Kretinsky has an increased stake in the club, it seems like he has re-established a strong controlling position at West Ham,” added the source. “What he may or may not choose to do in terms of changing the infrastructure, for instance, aspects of the stadium, is hard to say. It may well be that Kretinsky believes that the London Stadium setup right now is fine.

“It was certainly interesting when Staveley showed interest in buying into the club and the fans were really enthusiastic when Vanessa Gold agreed to sell the majority of shares to her, subject to the pre-emptive rights. Of course, that didn’t transpire in the end.

“Ultimately, despite the issues around Sullivan, the big winner is Vanessa Gold. I think her heart has always been in the right place with West Ham, especially since her dad David passed. She was mindful of her responsibility.

“She has now just received around £151m to essentially sit back with what is now a token shareholding of about two per cent without much responsibility now.”

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