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Unai Emery’s detailed and prolonged criticism of his players after Aston Villa’s draw at Sunderland represents the latest twist in the club’s difficult early season.
This column has discussed before the difficulties Villa had in the summer market as they try to put together the pieces of their financial jigsaw puzzle and now Emery’s frustrations have boiled over in the dressing room.
The Spaniard is a terrific coach who has done wonderfully well at Villa Park but he is also super-ambitious and it may yet be hard for the former Arsenal manager to achieve all that he desires in a Premier League where clubs are restrained by spending rules.
With Emery having essentially constructed the football operation at Villa himself – sporting director Monchi was hired on his say-so for example - the club has long since felt a little vulnerable to the prospect of the duo moving on.
We are a good way from that scenario right now but nevertheless problems at Villa are one of the season’s most intriguing early storylines and one to keep an eye on.
Unai Emery is growing frustrated at Aston Villa after a turbulent summer transfer window
TUCHEL’S KEEPER WORRY
Only nine months away from a World Cup and two of Thomas Tuchel’s goalkeepers seem to have played themselves out of contention on the back of summer moves.
James Trafford is now firmly ensconced as understudy to the marvellous Gianluigi Donnarumma at Manchester City, having left his number one spot at Burnley, while Aaron Ramsdale has been in freefall since losing the battle for the Arsenal jersey to David Raya two years ago.
Last season’s troubles at Southampton have now been followed by a summer move to Newcastle for whom he is yet to play a single minute of football.
Goalkeepers lives can be strange, though. For example two former number ones who rose to prominence and then fell out of favour at Newcastle are thriving once again at the top level – Martin Dubravka at Burnley and Karl Darlow at Leeds. Dubravka, in particular, was excellent as Burnley held Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor.
ODD ONE OUT AT FOREST
Postecoglou himself, meanwhile, seems just as unsure about Forest’s record summer signing as was his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo.
It is understood that one of the bones of contention between Nuno and Forest Global Head of Football Edu was the purchase of the forward Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich for £37m.
Nuno was so unimpressed by the transfer, he didn’t include Hutchinson in his squad for the Europa League that starts on Wednesday and after giving the talented 21-year-old a game in the Carabao Cup defeat at Swansea last week, Postecoglou left him on the bench at Burnley on Saturday.
Hutchinson has just nine minutes as a substitute behind him in the Premier League so far this season. Strange.
Ange Postecoglou did not start Omari Hutchinson against Burnley, with his predecessor Nuno Espirito Santo taking issue with his £37m arrival
NEW SPURS ALSO A BIT OLD SPURS
Life after Ange goes on rather more methodically for Tottenham.
Last October at Brighton, Postecoglou and his players were booed from the field after a 2-0 half-time lead somehow became a 3-2 defeat. This time, Spurs switched it up and came from a couple down to draw 2-2 with Thomas Frank’s team pushing for the win late on.
Frank’s Tottenham are far from perfect, mind, and some enduring frailties remain.
Forward Richarlison needed to be stronger as he was hustled off the ball – it was not a foul – in the lead up to second goal, for example. If Frank manages to get a season of consistency out of the Brazilian, he will be the first person to do so.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario then needed to do better with the swerving shot from Yasin Aayari when it came. At some stage Tottenham do need to do something about their problem position.
Thomas Frank has made a positive start at Spurs but there are still issues to iron out
HUNGOVER
Only one of six English Champions League clubs won at the weekend - Liverpool - after the first round of European games last midweek.
Meanwhile, for those who care about these things, Liverpool and indeed Tottenham fielded starting line-ups with no English players, against Everton and Brighton.
Finally, in last week's game at Anfield between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, there was only one Englishman starting. Conor Gallagher of Atletico Madrid.
REFS STILL TOO SLOW
Hard to argue with Manchester City’s recruitment of Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal and his confidence, athleticism and power was crucial to nullifying Arsenal’s set piece potency at the Emirates.
The Italian came for everything and only got it wrong once. He did take time-wasting to ridiculous levels when in possession, though, and when the inevitable booking arrived in the 76th minute, it was at least half an hour overdue.
If such a booking is made early in the game, it puts an end to the issue and the game can flow. Why do so few referees do that?
Referees were too slow to clamp down on Gianluigi Donnarumma's time-wasting on Sunday
REFS STILL TOO SLOW - PART TWO
At Old Trafford, meanwhile, players were chasing referee Peter Bankes around the place like a pack of dogs after a rabbit.
A reminder that only the captain of each team is allowed to approach the match official this season. Five games into the new Premier League season and another new directive is on its way down the plughole.
BRUNO STILL IRREPLACEABLE
Manchester United’s win saw captain Bruno Fernandes notch his 100th goal for the club and he became only the fourth foreign player to achieve that with the Red Devils – after Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The game against Chelsea was also Fernandes’ 200th in the Premier League for the club and over that period the United skipper has been involved in more than 100 goals with 64 strikes of his own and 39 assists.
His value to United cannot be overstated nor indeed can that of Reece James to the vanquished Chelsea. England boss Tuchel said earlier this month that James will be his right-back if he stays fit and the 25-year-old was fabulous as Chelsea pushed for an equaliser in the second half.
Chelsea were certainly hampered by the early red card and the cautious way coach Enzo Maresca reacted to it but when the danger eventually came, so much of it emanated from the ball being at James’ feet down the right side.
Bruno Fernandes proved once again that he is an irreplaceable figure at Manchester United
CLOUGH MEMORY LIVES ON
The weekend marked the 21st anniversary of the passing of the great Brian Clough but his son Nigel continues to keep the managerial flame burning for the family. Hard to believe Clough junior is 59 years old and that he has now managed more games than his father’s total of 1140.
Clough’s Mansfield – who he brought into League One two seasons ago – played with ten men for most of Saturday’s game at Port Vale before succumbing to a last minute penalty to lose 2-1.
One of the great peculiarities of Clough’s career, meanwhile, is that he has managed to work for 27 years – at Burton Albion, Sheffield United, Derby and Mansfield – while never leaving the family home in Derbyshire.
Nigel Clough has now managed more games than his legendary father, Brian
HAMMERS STAYING AWAY
Graham Potter may be back home in Brighton sooner than he would hope after his horror show continued at home to Crystal Palace.
West Ham have now conceded seven goals from set plays and even a change of goalkeeper – advocated in this column a week ago – couldn’t help them.
With a protest against the club’s board taking place before the game, what will worry West Ham as much as anything are the number of empty seats at the stadium.
Saturday’s official attendance was given as a 63,000 full house but the spaces clearly visible on TV were reflective of some season ticket holders simply not bothering to turn up. That’s a worrying sign only three home games into a new season.
