World Soccer – August 2019

The promotion of Aston Villa, who

have been busily buying for the Premier

League, makes one wonder how well that

talented midfielder, the 23-year-old Jack

Grealish, will adapt. Ideally one might see

him as a future England player. He does

not often score himself but he does make

goals for other people.

A sad sign of these rancorous times

to hear the reflections of Manchester

United’s gifted new £15million winger

Daniel James on the ruthless treatment

he expects to go on receiving.

The last outrage was especially

repugnant. Playing in a so-called friendly

against Tottenham Hotspur in Shanghai,

he was not only fouled but then stamped

Those who live by the sword, you might

say. Stoke City’s formidable centre-back

Ryan Shawcross, largely famed for giving

rather than taking, has just become the

victim of a suspected broken leg during

a game against Leicester City.

As he attempted a sliding tackle on

Marc Albrighton just before half-time,

he had the misfortune to catch the studs

of his left boot in the turf and had to be

given oxygen as the match was held up

for more than eight minutes.

Stoke will not find it easy to replace

a player like Shawcross.

You tend to wonder why Manchester

United seemed so ready to divest

themselves of giant Belgian centre-

forward Romelu Lukaku, albeit at a price

which Internazionale, managed by the

striker’s keen admirer Antonio Conte,

were prepared to pay.

There was, after all, a substantial

difference between the £89million his

English club seemed to value him at and

the reported £57m which Inter wanted

apparently to pay.

Puzzling that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

should want to dispose of him. On

United’s pre-season tour, four home-

grown players showed lively form, with

Angel Gomes scoring against Spurs.

The step up to the Premier League,

however, even for the most promising

youngsters, tends to be a steep one.

James ready for rough treatment in Premier League

Shawcross lives by the sword...

What’s wrong

with Lukaku?

Don’t forget Jack

on by Moussa Sissoko – an offence which

surely merited a long suspension, though

given that it happened in so remote a

venue I don’t suppose that will happen.

It was seemingly by no means the first

bad foul he had experienced on his club’s

summer tour, though it was evidently the

worst. James, a Welsh international, was

wearily philosophical about it.

“If you watch any of my games last

season...I think it’s going to happen to me

every game,” he remarked. “I’m used to it.

It’s just about getting back up and getting

on with it.

“I don’t let it get in my head and just

keep going. The Sissoko one, I nipped in

just before and he fouled me at the edge

of the box in a good position. Part of my

game is about winning those fouls and

getting in good positions.”

James thinks he generally gets

sufficient protection from referees,

adding: “I’d say in these friendly games

the refs are a bit more lenient, maybe a

bit more lenient than they are at home.”

Spurs tripped

up over Trippier

Kieran Trippier has made such a

bright beginning with Atletico Madrid

that Tottenham Hotspur may well be

wondering why they let him go, albeit

for a fee of £20million.

The England international right-back

helped his team to a crushing 7-3 victory

against their city rivals Real Madrid on

tour in New Jersey.

These are difficult days for the Real

manager Zinedine Zidane. At one stage

of a disastrous game against Atletico,

Real were 6-0 down. Zidane, plainly

whistling to keep his spirits up, remarked

“I’m not concerned but I’m hurt.” Which

seems something of a distinction without

a difference.

As for a contented Trippier,

he says: “I have settled in better than

expected to be honest. There is a lot of

For three bleak seasons in a row, Arsenal

have failed to qualify for the Champions

League. Which makes you wonder why as

dynamic an attacker as Nicolas Pepe of

Lille would ever want to join them, even

if in some way or another they scrape up

the vast £72million he would cost.

Napoli seemed a far more likely

destination. They at least have the money.

new faces but the lads make it easier for

you when they include you in everything.”

It remains somewhat surprising that

Spurs were ready to let him go.

Poser for Pepe

Settled...

Kieran Trippier

Target...Daniel

James is fouled

by Moussa Sissoko

Expensive...Nicolas Pepe

ORead Brian Glanville’s

weekly online column

at worldsoccer.com

Injured...Ryan

Shawcross