Oleksandr Zinchenko was on holiday in the south of France last summer when he noticed on Instagram that Bernardo Silva was holidaying in the same area.
Arsenal had finished with 89 points – one fewer than the club record haul of the famous Arsene Wenger Invincibles side of 2003-04, and enough to win the title the season before. In fact, it would’ve won 20 of the previous 31 titles, but it was not enough to beat City that season, who finished on 91.
And even though a rest was badly needed afterwards, there is, really, no time to relax for elite footballers in the modern-day game. Come back to pre-season even a fraction too out-of-shape and you are playing catch-up with more dedicated team-mates.
So Zinchenko reached out to his rival and old teammate to keep things ticking over.
Silva knew the area well from his time at Monaco and Zinchenko sent the Portuguese a text message asking if he could recommend a pitch to do some exercise.
The exchange, in the Ukrainian’s book Believe, proceeded:
Silva: “For what do you need a pitch?”
Zinchenko: “I need to run.”
Silva: “Run? For what? You’re going to try to win the Premier League again? Forget about it. Stay at home.”
It’s the sort of friendly banter that can get under the skin of rival footballers, that filters back to training grounds. They are extraordinarily competitive humans – jokes help fuel the fire.
Zinchenko’s Arsenal have pushed Silva’s City close the past two seasons (Photo: Getty)
Who knew six months later City would be enduring their worst season under Pep Guardiola, Nottingham Forest would be flying, Arsenal in second having struggled for title-winning consistency, and Liverpool, in the first post-Klopp season, would be storming ahead by January.
But what Arsenal have experienced in the past two seasons up against title monsters Manchester City has prepared and motivated them for a fight this season.
Inside Arsenal, it has been noticed how much opponents have changed when facing them, how defensive they now set up, since they became one of the country’s leading teams.
It’s one of the reasons why success at set pieces has become such an important weapon – why “set pieces win games” has been painted in giant letters on a wall in their training ground.
It will be an altogether different prospect when Arsenal host City at the Emirates on Sunday with so much hinging on the game.
Going into the weekend, Arsenal trail Liverpool by six points. Liverpool have a game in hand, but face a tricky game on Saturday away to in-form Bournemouth – another of this season’s pleasant surprises.
City, who seemed completely out of the title race in December, remain in touch.
At Arsenal, there’s a potentially telling symmetry emerging between this and last season. A mini-crisis at the turn of the year – last season two league defeats and an FA Cup exit to Liverpool, this time a draw and defeat, and an FA Cup exit to Manchester United.
Last season, Arsenal’s draw against City and a defeat to Aston Villa were the only points dropped in their final 18 league games last season – taking 49 from a possible 54. They are picking up form and pace again after the FA Cup exit.
The Premier League is on the cusp of an exciting final run-in. A similar run could see Arsenal finally get over the line in the Mikel Arteta era.
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The i Paper has been told that this stance is no slight on Tottenham as a club, more that Tel wants first-team opportunities he believes he may not get there.
The Bayern Munich forward had been the subject of a £60m bid, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy travelling to Germany on Friday to move the transfer along.
However, the north London club have been unable to sway his decision.
As reported on Thursday, Tel is especially interested in seeing whether United make their move.
Ruben Amorim has been pursuing Tel along with Lecce left-back Patrick Dorgu as he looks to make his first signings since taking from Erik ten Hag as manager at Old Trafford.
So many Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in Tel that the 19-year-old and his representatives are biding their time and assessing his preferences before the transfer window closes on Monday.
Villa are hopeful they can make a late play for his services as they also toy with a loan move for Marcus Rashford.
The England international’s strained relationship with Amorim hit a new low when the United boss suggested he would rather pick 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital than Rashford.
As for Tottenham, they are yet to sign any outfield players this January after bringing in goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky in the first week of the window.
Tel’s signing would have bolstered a depleted attack that is without the injured Dominic Solanke, Timo Werner, Wilson Odobert and Brennan Johnson, but Ange Postecoglou’s side will be forced to look elsewhere or make do with the young forwards who excelled against Elfsborg in midweek.
Bayern are willing to sanction Tel’s exit, with the Frenchman having been used sparingly in the Bundesliga, making just two league starts and six substitute appearances, registering one assist.
In the Champions League he has made three appearances and two more in the DFB-Pokal.
It is now simply a question of which move he decides to make as he prepares a switch to the Premier League.
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City’s shock 22nd-place finish – they only scraped through on Wednesday after an early scare against Club Brugge – also meant they were not seeded for this knockout play-off round, their final standing handing Pep Guardiola’s side the prospect of either Madrid or Bayern Munich.
Friday’s Champions League draw ultimately landed 2023 winners City against Madrid, the record 15-times winners, while Scottish champions Celtic face Bayern in the play-offs.
City and Madrid therefore meet for the fourth consecutive season in this competition. Last year, Madrid won on penalties to reach the semi-finals after a 4-4 draw on aggregate.
In 2022-23, City won their semi-final meeting 5-1 en route to winning the treble, while the season prior Madrid won the semi-final 6-5 after extra time. On all three of those occasions, the winners of that tie went on to lift the trophy.
Celtic meanwhile last played Bayern in 2017, losing both group matches home and away.
The first legs of the knockout play-off round take place on 11-12 February, with the return legs a week later. The last 16 then begins in early March, when Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa return to European action.
Champions League knockout play-off draw in full
Brest vs Paris Saint-Germain
Club Brugge vs Atalanta
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Juventus vs PSV
Monaco vs Benfica
Sporting CP vs Borussia Dortmund
Celtic vs Bayern Munich
Feyenoord vs AC Milan
What about Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool?
In bypassing the play-off round, Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa are among the top eight clubs who benefit from playing two fewer matches in the Champions League – getting February off European football as a result.
What those three Premier League clubs do know is that there are four possible opponents they could face in the last 16.
As it stands, Arsenal will play Feyenoord, Juventus, AC Milan or PSV in the Champions League round of 16, while Liverpool will face Monaco, Brest, PSG or Benfica, and for Aston Villa it is Club Brugge, Sporting, Borussia Dortmund or Atalanta.
And despite Friday’s draw determining the fixtures of the play-off round, Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa’s options are yet to be narrowed down.
This is to maintain some level of suspense. Only once the play-off round is complete will their list of potential opponents drop to two teams, with the last-16 draw on 21 February – two days after the play-off round finishes – being the date those three clubs will discover their fate.
From there, the path to the final in Munich will be much clearer given the 21 February draw will also dictate the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
What the current Champions League knockout bracket shows is that Arsenal could meet Celtic or Manchester City in the quarter-finals, while Villa could play Liverpool at the same stage.
However, Liverpool and Villa cannot face either Arsenal or City until the semi-finals at the earliest.
There is also the chance these Premier League clubs cannot face a domestic rival until the final, should they be placed in the other half of the draw come 21 February.
Analysis: Man City vs Real Madrid the tie Uefa needed
Concrete proof of whether this new-look Champions League is in fact an upgrade on its previous guise will come in Munich on 31 May.
Should the final result in Real Madrid lifting the European Cup again, many will shrug and say, “All that change, just for the same old outcome. What was the point?”
It may well apply if City go on and win the whole thing too, and it will leave many frustrated that the new format gifted Guardiola’s side a route into the knockouts – a la Portugal at Euro 2026 – when this kind of form would likely have seen them fall short last season.
Nevertheless, there is some justification in Uefa’s changes that one of the past two winners of this competition will not feature in the last 16, by which point the Champions League will look a little more familiar.
Real’s European pedigree is the envy of clubs the continent over. Even when they are being outshone in Spain, or seemingly in every Champions League tie they play – as was the case in the 2021-22 knockouts – they seemingly find a way.
The Spanish club have reached at least the last 16 every time they’ve played in the Champions League since its inception in 1992, which includes every season since 1997-98, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side have made at least the semis the last four seasons.
City, meanwhile, may be slighter newer to all this, but the last time they did not play a Champions League quarter-final was in 2017, when losing to Monaco.
Something has to give, therefore, and with one of Real or City not making the round of 16, Uefa will feel satisfied in their belief the new format serves up greater headlines – as well as giving them a mouthwatering match-up in a round that otherwise lacks huge fixtures.
You can hear the clinks of champagne glasses at Uefa’s headquarters in Nyon from here.
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The way Kobbie Mainoo sashayed past three defenders, in stoppage time, before slotting a sumptuous finish in the bottom corner had a club desperate for salvation purring.
Manchester United’s backroom staff admitted afterwards to being in awe at what they had just witnessed as Mainoo snatched victory from the jaws of further disappoint at Wolves last year. A star, a homegrown one at that, was born.
Talk of a new lucrative contract quickly surfaced. But after Ten Hag departed, so did the furore around Mainoo as Ruben Amorim used him sparingly, with it glaringly obviously the new United boss looked upon the teenager in a less favourable light.
Concerns over his legs in midfield saw others leapfrog Mainoo in the pecking order, with even another academy graduate, Toby Collyer, becoming flavour of the month in the engine-room.
Amorim, though, for all his struggles so far in England, has to be admired for his propensity for change. Who would have thought Amad Diallo could be such a dangerous wingback? Or Bruno Fernandes be just as effective from even deeper in midfield?
Mainoo was Amorim’s next body of work. With United all-but having secured a place in the Europa League last 16 automatic qualification spots before their trip to FCSB on Thursday, the Tinkerman shuffled his pack once more, deploying Christian Eriksen and Mainoo as number 10s, in more advanced positions.
Kobbie Mainoo thrived in Amorim’s latest experiment (Photo: AP)
While Eriksen quickly faded, Mainoo, with a fleet of foot one can only be born with, flourished. Hinting his future under Amorim may not be in the heart of midfield after all.
“We need time to understand the players,” Amorim said. “He (Mainoo) was struggling a lot defending as a midfielder. We need time to work with the players and understand the best positions for the game.
“As a 10 he was so free playing the ball near the box.”
A goal and an assist in a comfortable away win for United in Europe – the rarest of commodities in recent times – was just the output Mainoo and his team needed.
Quite who United were facing was open to debate, with Steaua Bucharest forcibly renamed in 2017 to FCSB after a long-running legal dispute with the Ministry of Defence, who owned Steaua during Nicolae Ceausescu dictatorship.
A pre-match tifo in the impressive National Arena, celebrating the recently-departed Helmut Duckadam, the goalkeeper who saved four shootout penalties against Barcelona in the 1986 European Cup final to bring Ol’ Big Ears behind the Iron Curtain, told you that this remains Steaua in all but official name.
For all their domestic struggles, Europe has been a safer haven for United of late. Coming into their trip to the Romanian capital, United remained unbeaten in this year’s Europa League, form which has taken them back into the top four of one competition at least.
The early signs suggested Amorim’s tactical reshuffle could bear fruit, with Mainoo blazing over after a fine, flowing move.
As is often the case with modern-day United, the intensity evaporated quicker than you could say Palinka. The hosts in fact had the best opening of the first half, Mihai Popescu prodding wide on the stretch.
The introduction of Alejandro Garnacho and Diallo, however, did give United that cutting edge they had been lacking, combining with Mainoo to form an attacking unit to actually be feared.
After a defensive error, Garnacho struck the post, before Fernandes’ long-range effort came out off the crossbar.
Amad had a hand in the goal that did break the home resistance. It did appear, dare I say it, to be a pre-planned United routine, with Mainoo making his move before Amad picked out Eriksen with a throw. Mainoo then squared for Diogo Dalot at the back post to tap home.
Garnacho continued to cause problems down the left and helped United put the game to bed, Mainoo sliding home the Argentine’s cross. It was the kind of finish made to look routine, but only by a player with ability to take such moments in his stride.
If Mainoo announced himself to the world at Molineux 11 months ago, his efforts in Romania provided Amorim with a timely reminder that just because he may not be able to fulfilling the lung-busting requirements the demanding new boss asks of his central midfielders, Mainoo’s ascendancy to superstardom need not slow down.
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We have reached an exciting point in the Fantasy Premier League calendar: the first double gameweek of the season.
Everton and Liverpool are the clubs playing twice and, rather inconveniently for FPL managers, their fixtures are separated by 10 days due to the domestic cups.
Liverpool play twice between their first game of the gameweek against Bournemouth and their second against Everton, which isn’t exactly ideal.
Nevertheless, that shouldn’t prevent anyone from targeting their players (or even managers) with their transfers.
From Saturday onwards, the shiny, new Assistant Manager chip becomes active, enabling you to snap up a Premier League boss for three gameweeks to earn additional points through wins, goals, clean sheets and more.
If you fancy using it this week, Arne Slot will set you back £1.5m and David Moyes a bargain £0.5m.
Here are this week’s tips ahead of Saturday’s 11am deadline:
FPL tips for Gameweek 24
Jordan Pickford (Everton) – £5.1m
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) – £7.3m
Leif Davis (Ipswich) – £4.4m
James Tarkowski (Everton) – £4.8m
Mo Salah (Liverpool) – £13.7m
Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – £11.3m
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) – £7.8m
Amad Diallo (Man Utd) – £5.6m
Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) – £7.6m
Illiman Ndiaye (Everton) – £5.5m
Alexander Isak (Newcastle) – £9.5m
Goalkeeper
Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Second only to Matz Sels in the FPL goalkeeper charts, Jordan Pickford is an easy pick in goal this week for those looking to recruit a new shot-stopper.
England’s No 1 has kept eight clean sheets so far (only Sels has more) and has averaged 2.9 saves per game. In FPL, keepers earn an extra point for every three saves they make.
The second-most productive defender in FPL this season (and only one point behind the first, Ola Aina) is a no-brainer selection this week given he has a double gameweek.
Trent Alexander-Arnold sits at the top of the charts for chances created among defenders this season (with 43) and big chances created (13) and has recorded assists in back-to-back games.
A slightly left-field pick considering he has just one clean sheet and no attacking returns in his last 13 appearances, but in a gameweek where most of the best defenders face strong attacks, Leif Davis’ fixture stands out.
Only Everton have scored fewer away goals than Southampton this season, while the division’s basement club have conceded 12 times from set-plays. Davis has taken more corners (63) than any other defender and is included on that basis.
Vitaliy Mykolenko (£4.4m) is the Everton defender most in demand this week, but if your budget stretches further then James Tarkowski might be the better option.
The centre-back is yet to score this season, but is a magnet from corners and has missed two big chances from such situations.
Every active FPL manager will have Mo Salah in their team this week (good luck if you don’t), but the big consideration ahead of Saturday’s deadline is whether or not to triple captain him.
Generally speaking, the chip is best used for double gameweeks when there are twice as many fixtures as usual, and given Salah’s relentless points scoring he is the obvious candidate.
Salah is a triple captain contender this week (Photo: Getty)
That being said, it’s a tricky pair of games against Bournemouth, who are bang in form, and Everton in the final Merseyside Derby, in the league, at Goodison Park.
If you are unconvinced by Salah’s prospects to go big in GW24, you could hold off until gameweeks 33 or 36 when there are expected to be more doubles.
Some extremely popular FPL players are being sold this week as managers flock to Liverpool and Everton assets. Remarkably, Chris Wood tops the selling charts despite returning four goals and two assists in his last five games.
Cole Palmer is also up there which is bold from the sellers considering he plays at home against West Ham next. Palmer has scored 90 points in 11 home games this season (8.18 per match) and faces a defence that has conceded the fifth-most shots away from home.
Price: £11.3m Points: 167 Gameweek 24 fixture: West Ham (h)
Spurs have conceded 24 goals in their last 11 league fixtures; only three clubs have let in more in that period. Meanwhile, the Bees have scored more times at home (with 29) than any other Premier League club this campaign.
Bryan Mbeumo has directly contributed towards 11 of those goals (nine goals and two assists).
Now is a good time to invest in the midfielder with fixtures against West Ham (a), Leicester (a), Everton (h) and Aston Villa (h) coming up.
Data often informs our selections on the grounds that players posting strong statistics are more likely to deliver FPL points. In that regard, Iliman Ndiaye’s inclusion is an anomaly.
The Senegalese has registered just three shots in as many games since Moyes took charge of Everton, a total that 19 other forwards in the game can better.
However, he has scored twice from those attempts, has two fixtures and is set to be on penalties with Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to miss out through injury. Just no more seagull celebrations, please Iliman…
Alexander Isak‘s goalscoring streak may have ended against Bournemouth in Gameweek 22, but it didn’t take him long to rediscover his golden touch as he netted twice in a win against Southampton last weekend.
Newcastle’s fixtures are starting to turn for the worse with matches against Manchester City (a), Nottingham Forest (h) and Liverpool (a) coming up after Fulham (h) on Saturday.
However, Isak’s capacity to score against anyone means he remains an essential pick.
Having three Liverpool assets feels essential this week, and while Alexander-Arnold and Salah will be lock-ins for most bosses, the third Liverpool space is up for grabs.
The three outstanding candidates (in The i Paper’s opinion) are three Dutchmen: Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Slot (which feels weird actually typing out).
Gakpo shades it due to his recent form. The forward has scored seven goals and provided two assists in his last 10 league games and has started 11 in a row. Since Gameweek 13, he is second only to Salah for FPL points among Liverpool assets.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Elfsborg (Scarlett 70’, Ajayi 84’, Moore 90+4)
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – After a week of Tottenham toxicity, remarkably Ange Postecoglou has not lost any of his sense of humour.
Having watched Radu Dragusin twist his knee just 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute for Micky van de Ven, Postecoglou kicked a stray ball heading for his dugout, before feeling his hamstring with a chuckle towards the bench.
The injury list has indeed felt laughable at times, and yet here was a glimmer of hope as another setback gave way to a flurry of goals from three of Spurs’ brightest academy prospects.
Off went Dragusin and on came Dane Scarlett, only recalled from his loan at Oxford United when Dominic Solanke was ruled out for up to six weeks.
A breakthrough for the striker has sometimes felt off limits; now 20, Scarlett has made senior appearances in four of the last five seasons under three different managers, following closely behind Troy Parrott who is now starring in the Netherlands. This time, might it be different?
It took one Scarlett header, a brilliant finish from debutant Damola Ajayi, and a mazy run from Mikey Moore to offer a blueprint for how the Europa League ought to be used. They will hope Postecoglou’s job is not in too much jeopardy so that he can afford to keep giving them opportunities.
There is now every reason to as all three shared in their own slices of history. Jimmy Greaves’ record as the youngest Englishman to score in a major European competition (17 years, 245 days at Chelsea) had stood since 1957 until Moore (17 years, 172 days) struck in injury time.
Ajayi, who turned 19 just after Christmas, brushed off a Harry Kane milestone, becoming the youngest substitute to score for Spurs in Europe in over 13 years.
In fact it is the first time any English club have had three goalscorers under 21 in Europe since 2007, when Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner were on the scoresheet for Arsenal in a 7-0 win over Slavia Prague.
Scarlett was a second-half substitute for Dragusin (Photo: PA)
On these nights under the lights in the all-white kit, with Postecoglou purring about a victory “made in Tottenham”, there endures a special heritage from the old White Hart Lane. And still, they come at a heavy price.
Dragusin’s withdrawal felt a cruel irony in a match where some bookmakers were offering odds at how long Van de Ven would last on his latest return from injury.
The Dutchman got his 45 minutes, as expected, but it was a gamble to throw him in, just as it remains a risk to continue to pick such strong XIs in Europe.
Aside from Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma, who started on the bench, this was about the best hand Postecoglou could have played. While Van de Ven is back unscathed, the feel-good factor will take a little while to follow, so deep have been the cuts of the last seven weeks in his absence.
With Spurs through to the knockouts, there is now a serious call to be made. This is a squad close to breaking point, regardless of whether any late business – such as a £60m deal for Bayern Munich target Mathys Tel – can be done.
The youngsters have done all they can do. If they are not ready to take Spurs all the way in this competition, is a half-exhausted depleted crop of their walking-wounded senior players?
How they could have done with a winter break like Elfsborg, who have not played a league match since Christmas. A February play-off would have been the worst possible outcome, so it is a great mercy that Spurs clinched a top-eight finish.
Essentially, Postecoglou has been juggling a double-edged sword. This cup has added to the workload of his beleaguered players. At the same time, there has not been all that much choice.
He can take heart from the trio who excelled from the bench, and from his other 18-year-olds Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall. The latter eventually settled after a hyperactive first half in which he was a little too desperate to impress the Yellow Wall of away supporters from back home.
Moore scores his first Spurs goal (Photo: Reuters)
Rio Kyerematen, Will Lankshear, Malachi Hardy, Dante Cassanova and Callum Olusesi – a close friend of Moore’s – were also named on the bench.
That will only strengthen Postecoglou’s argument that the crisis engulfing Spurs has only ever been about injuries. Van de Ven, for example, transformed the defence on his comeback, thwarting every counter and muscling Jalal Abdullai off the ball, to rapturous applause from around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The “We want Levy out” chants have not gone away, though – it even sounded for a moment as if the Elfsborg supporters were joining in, their goalkeeper Isak Petterson’s chant bobbing along to the same tune.
The heat is off Postecoglou for a few days but eyes will remain on the chairman as the transfer window winds down. This is still not a squad that can afford to find out exactly how far it can be stretched. Should Postecoglou opt to rest his key men going forward, at least Scarlett, Ajayi and Moore have given him three reasons to feel optimistic.
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Manchester City scraped into the Champions League play-offs and Liverpool finished at the summit despite losing to PSV Eindhoven.
Aston Villa sank Celtic to finish in the top eight and go straight through to the last 16, but Villa’s Ollie Watkins was the target of a bid by Arsenal.
The Gunners were also winners, 2-1 in Girona, to finish third in the new-look group phase.
Here’s what you might have missed on Wednesday night:
Man City survive scare
City kept their Champions League campaign alive as they overturned a half-time deficit against Club Brugge to snatch a place in the play-off round.
The 2023 winners had been in danger of missing out on the knockout stages for the first time since 2012-13 after falling behind to a Raphael Onyedika strike in their must-win clash at the Etihad Stadium.
They hit back after the break through Mateo Kovavic before an own goal from Joel Ordonez and a further strike from substitute Savinho carried them to a 3-1 win.
Aston Villa win battle of Britain
Morgan Rogers hit a hat-trick and Watkins showed exactly why Arsenal want to sign him as Aston Villa went through to the last 16 of the Champions League after a 4-2 win over Celtic.
Villa needed to win and hope other results went their way to avoid a play-off round and they looked like they would hold up their end of the deal with ease as Rogers scored twice in the opening five minutes.
But Celtic, who were guaranteed a spot in the play-off round before kick-off, hit back before the break with two Adam Idah goals in two minutes.
Watkins put his side ahead, though, as he broke his Champions League duck on the hour before Rogers’ third at the death sent Villa through.
Liverpool lose unblemished record
Cody Gakpo scored on his return to PSV but it was not enough to inspire an under-strength Liverpool side as they lost their 100 per cent Champions League record after a 3-2 defeat.
Head coach Arne Slot left nine of Saturday’s starting line-up at home with one eye on the Premier League leaders’ weekend trip to Bournemouth but afforded Gakpo the opportunity to face his former club.
When he tucked home a 28th-minute penalty it appeared he had returned to haunt his boyhood club, where he spent five seasons before a move to Anfield two years ago.
But PSV exposed their opponents’ obvious weaknesses and, although Harvey Elliott scored for the second successive Champions League game, goals from Johan Bakayoko, Ismael Saibari and Ricardo Pepi inflicted Liverpool’s third defeat of the season.
Meanwhile, goals from Jorginho and Ethan Nwaneri gave Arsenal a 2-1 win at Girona.
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Newcastle United are just a matter of weeks away from revealing the next steps on the future of St James’ Park, the club’s iconic and historic stadium.
There are two main choices: revamp the current arena or move to a new custom-built site that the club promise would be close to the existing St James’ Park.
A third option, knocking down the stadium and rebuilding part or all of it on the footprint of St James’ Park, has been proposed in certain quarters.
A two-year feasibility study looking into the “art of the possible” around the project is finally reaching its conclusion. So what should happen next? The i Paper canvassed the opinions of prominent fans involved in the process and our own Northern Football Correspondent, who has followed this story closely.
It’s time to get real – and build on a new site
It’s time for Newcastle United’s ownership group to make a serious statement of intent.
The first three years of their stewardship – funded by significant cash injections from majority owners the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – have seen impressive, swift progress. Newcastle are a club transformed, underpinned by smart strategy and sharp minds in key positions. They are getting there.
But it is time to get real. If we are to take them seriously in their aim of disrupting Europe’s football elite then at some point they are going to need to take a quantum leap forward.
With suffocating financial fair play rules preventing them from doing that in the transfer market, the only area where Newcastle can invest freely to instantly bring them up to par with Europe’s biggest clubs is on the stadium project.
It is a decision that comes burdened by some tough questions though – potentially some of the hardest the football club has ever had to make.
Having spent years talking to architects and designers it’s clear that bolting things onto the current stadium is the hardest, most expensive and potentially least satisfying option. It maintains the history and heritage of the club but also the drag on potential capacity and facilities.
Knocking down and building a new stadium on the existing site is a good Plan B but a custom-built stadium in a new city centre location seems to me the best route forward.
I understand there will be outrage at the suggestion in some quarters. St James’ Park is special but what will come next can be just as spectacular if it’s approached with a fan-first philosophy. Bake in cheaper tickets, areas where atmosphere can be generated and consult with fans as a first and last priority.
And then let the architects get to work on constructing something that leaves a legacy for supporters to come, with potentially a 70,000 capacity and the option to go to more if the club continues to grow.
It is no time for half measures, this is the project of a lifetime.
Mark Douglas, Northern Football Correspondent, The i Paper
I’m torn – we need bigger ambition
I want to stay at St James’ Park at the current site but I’m a little bit torn. If they want to knock it down and build something new where we are I can live with that but it’ll depend on what we’re presented with. I’d hate to lose what we have if it was only going to be 10,000 or 15,000 more that was delivered.
This project has to be massive and ambitious. I think if we are to really see the extent of the ambition that PIF has for us then we need to something that is world-leading for Newcastle United – and that’s not just seats but it’s also facilities and the “wow” factor too.
Newcastle fans’ tifo at St James’ Park (Photo: Getty)
I don’t think people realise how big Newcastle United’s fanbase really is. When I see people talking about the stadium question and proposing a revised capacity of 60,000-65,000 I just don’t think that is anywhere near enough.
A fortnight ago we sold out Bromley at home in the FA Cup at £30 a ticket. At the moment there is a lot of people who want to watch the football club who can’t and I think that – rather than commercial revenue questions or Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) – is the most important thing for the club.
So the first question for me on the stadium is: which option is going to be big enough for us?
I’m dead against the idea of moving out of the city centre to an NE3 postcode, to somewhere like Gosforth Park. The city centre location is part of what makes Newcastle United the club it is.
It’s time for the ownership group to show their hand now. It’s four years on from the takeover this year and we know planning in this country – building anything – takes a lot of time. So it could be five or six years until something is finished. We haven’t got that time if we’re serious about competing.
My preference would always be to stay at St James’ Park and do something really impressive with what we already have.
I’m not shut off entirely to alternatives but remaining in the city centre – the NE1 postcode – feels non-negotiable for me, not just because it is so important to Newcastle United but also because of what the club does for the city as a whole.
If we were to move away the damage could be irreparable to our city and local economy. I think, like every supporter, I just want to see what is possible now because it feels like it has been a long road to even get to this point but it’s a really exciting project.
If we can build our own version of the Borussia Dortmund yellow wall – and I know the club were very impressed with that when we played there last year – and keep a portion of tickets really affordable we can do something no other club in England has been able to do. That’s the message: dream big.
There are risks, of course. I look at what has happened at other clubs and I think we need to be careful what we wish for.
Tottenham and Arsenal have moved away or totally rebuilt their historic stadiums for something better but have they been able to recreate what they had at White Hart Lane or Highbury? When I speak to Spurs fans they say it’s not there yet.
I also think the motivation for the club needs to be getting as many fans into the ground as possible, especially younger supporters and affordable pricing. I’m a bit concerned that a lot of the conversation seems to be around PSR and how we maximise revenues – the real issue is fans being locked out of a 52,000 stadium.
As the co vice-chair of the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust we’ll be pressing the club for some big conversations when they eventually reveal what the options are. Everything is potentially on the table – from increasing the standing area to ticket prices. This is the most important decision for a generation and the club need to get it right.
Adam Stoker, co vice-chair Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust
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An area outside the stadium was evacuated after a merchandise stand caught fire ahead of Manchester City’s game against Club Brugge.
The blaze started shortly before 6pm outside the West Stand reception, close to where Pep Guardiola’s team had been due to enter the stadium at around 6.30pm.
Multiple fire engines attended the scene as crowds of hundreds of people were moved away from the area.
Wednesday’s match was considered to be crucial for Manchester City, determining whether or not they could stay in the tournament.
Supporters had gathered in the area for a pre-match entertainment show which included on-stage interviews with January signings Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov.
The show had already begun with women’s players Rebecca Knaak and Aemu Oyama on stage at the time of the fire.
The cause of the blaze is still unknown but appeared to have been brought under control sometime after it had begun.
The remainder of the pre-match show was cancelled but the game was still due to begin at 8pm.
The fire soon appeared to be brought under control (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Just before 6pm this evening (Wednesday 29th January), two fire engines from Blackley and Philips Park fire station were called to reports of a building fire involving an outbuilding on the car park of the football ground on Rowsley Street, Manchester.
“Crews arrived quickly at the scene. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two house reels to extinguish the fire, they are currently dampening down any hotspots and making the area safe.
“Firefighters have been in attendance for around twenty minutes and are still at the scene.”
It was announced at 6.22pm that the stadium was open and fans could enter but three entrance gates inside the cordoned-off area close to the scene of the fire were still closed.
A message over the loudspeaker at the Etihad said: “The stadium is normal. Please enter the stadium as normal. However gates V, X and Y are closed this evening.
“Anyone from Gate Y to use Gate B and V or X to await further instructions. The area where the fire was is still closed off”
A post shared by Manchester City read: “Manchester City FC can confirm that there has been a fire in one of the outside merchandise kiosks, located near the entrance to the Colin Bell West Stand.
“Emergency services are present at the scene and the fire has now been extinguished. The safety of all attending the match tonight is our top priority, and as such all events planned for West Stand reception have been cancelled, including the welcome event for new players, and the first team arrival.”
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