ALTHOUGH this was the night when England’s embarrassment of riches in attack was put on full show, here was a stark reminder that the nation remains unbelievably thin in quality at the back.
Central defenders, full-backs and even the goalkeeper. Right across the board, England have some major issues.
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) October 10, 2024
"First time with the armband and to have a result like this – it's hard to put into words."
John Stones speaks with Gabriel Clarke after defeat to Greece.#ITVFootball | #NationsLeague | @England |@gabrielclarke05 pic.twitter.com/dTgPAYsROd
John Stones captained England for the first time in the absence of Harry Kane and this is not a night he will look back at with any fondness.
Stones was one of three players – along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer – who could have done better for Greece’s opening goal through Vangelis Pavlidis.
Along with Levi Colwill, he was also lucky that Pavlidis’ strike towards the end was ruled offside as both players were at fault.
Yet right at the end. When Pavlidis struck again for the winner, Stones – along with Rico Lewis – could have done much better.
The options for Lee Carsley – and whoever takes this team forward over the next two years – are not exactly mind-blowing when it comes to strength in depth across the back.
Over the last couple of years, we should have seen this issue coming. But there has been too much focus on what we could do at the other end of the pitch.
This was Stones’ 82nd cap, meaning he has now overtaken former defender Rio Ferdinand in England appearances. He is now joint 17th on the all-time list with Raheem Sterling.
The Yorkshireman is even more important to the England team than Ferdinand ever was purely because the former Manchester United defender had John Terry, Sol Campbell, Ledley King and Jamie Carragher as international colleagues.
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With Harry Maguire axed from the squad before suffering an injury, and Ezri Konsa also forced to withdraw with a knock, Stones played next to Chelsea’s Levi Colwill who did okay.
Yet Stones’ lack of games for Manchester City is a huge worry and this could harm England over the next two seasons.
He enjoyed a decent Euros in Germany even though this followed the most difficult season of his club career when form and injuries limited him to just 12 starts in the Premier League.
And this season, despite playing a part in other competitions for Pep Guardiola, Stones has only started one top-flight match this term.
There were times against the Greeks when Stones found himself exposed as England did their Harlem Globetrotters impression.
It was a mix-up between Stones and Jordan Pickford which presented a chance to Tasos Bakasetas yet Colwill dashed back to deliver a heroic goal-line clearance.
But as for the goals – along with the disallowed ones – Wembley witnessed some Car-crash.
Here was the proof, not that we needed it, that left-back is also a huge problem.
By Tom Barclay
LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.
Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.
But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.
The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.
Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.
But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.
Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.
Jordan Pickford: 4
Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6
Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.
John Stones: 5
Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.
Levi Colwill: 7
Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.
Rico Lewis: 6
Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.
Declan Rice: 6
Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.
Phil Foden: 4
Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective.
Cole Palmer: 6
Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season.
Bukayo Saka: 5
Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.
Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN
Played in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.
Anthony Gordon: 5
Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.
SUBS:
Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6
Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7
Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7
Manager Lee Carsley: 4
Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again.
Although happy to play there, Lewis considers himself as a midfielder. Colwill can also play in that spot but he is more comfortable in central defence.
Even at right-back, where we seemed to be spoilt for choice, there are concerns.
Carsley clearly considers Alexander-Arnold as the team’s first-choice right-back even though Gareth Southgate listed him as a midfielder.
Alexander-Arnold, though, was guilty of allowing Pavlidis to brush past him too easily for the opening goal and it was not the only time he was caught out.
Kyle Walker, who did not make the England squad last month, will probably start against Finland but he will be 36 at the next World Cup.
While Pickford has been England’s best keeper by some distance over the years, he was properly dodgy in this Greek humiliation.
Yet the alternatives are Dean Henderson and Nick Pope, along with Aaron Ramsdale. All are decent keepers but neither are going to challenge the Everton keeper.
Now, there is a real chance England might have to go into a Nations League play-off in March as they might not win the group.
LEE CARSLEY has admitted that England only worked on tonight’s striker-less system for 20 minutes.
The Three Lions caretaker boss spoke after his side’s dismal 2-1 Nations League defeat to Greece at Wembley.
https://twitter.com/itvfootball/status/1844486603768508504
The visitors were the better side for much of what was an emotional night, following the shocking death of George Baldock.
Vangelis Pavlidis gave Greece a deserved lead on 49 minutes, after his side had been denied by a sensational Levi Colwill goal-line clearance in the first half.
Jude Bellingham levelled for England on 87 minutes, only for Pavlidis to produce a winner in stoppage time.
Carsley, 50, was without injured captain Harry Kane for the match.
In Kane’s absence, he opted against starting Ollie Watkins or Dominic Solanke up front, instead selecting no recognised No9.
Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer all started in the striker-less XI – but Carsley’s risky line-up never really gelled.
Carsley eventually ditched the system, bringing Watkins on for Gordon on the hour mark.
He then threw on Solanke for Foden with 72 minutes on the clock.
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Speaking to ITV reporter Gabriel Clarke after the match, Carsley admitted:”I think we were probably second best for a lot of tonight. It’s disappointing.
“I just spoke about there, we’re going to get setbacks – it’s important now that we respond well against Finland.”
Asked about the system, Carsley said: “We tried something different. We tried to overload the midfield and play a little bit differently.
“It’s something that we tried for 20 minutes yesterday. It’s something we experimented with, it was disappointing that it didn’t come off.
“But I think it was unrealistic to expect too much and it’s a case of trying again.”
On his side’s poor defending, he added: “I think with the quality that we’ve got… you look at all the goals tonight, they’ve come from mistakes, which is disappointing.
“Even at 1-1, we were quite fortunate at that point.”
Quizzed if he will persevere with the system, Carsley said: “I think it’s definitely an option. When you’ve got someone of Harry Kane’s quality it rules that out because of the amount of goals that he gets for us and how important he is for the team.
“But we tried something tonight and in the future we’ve got to have that courage and that ability to try things.
“This is a period where it’s so important that we gain promotion from this league, but we tried something different.”
The Three Lions will look to bounce back on Sunday as they face Finland in Helsinki – with Kane’s fitness remaining up in the air.
By Tom Barclay
LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.
Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.
But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.
The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.
Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.
But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.
Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.
Jordan Pickford: 4
Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6
Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.
John Stones: 5
Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.
Levi Colwill: 7
Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.
Rico Lewis: 6
Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.
Declan Rice: 6
Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.
Phil Foden: 4
Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective.
Cole Palmer: 6
Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season.
Bukayo Saka: 5
Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.
Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN
Played in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.
Anthony Gordon: 5
Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.
SUBS:
Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6
Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7
Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7
Manager Lee Carsley: 4
Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again.
A BAFFLED Roy Keane has savaged England’s approach during their dismal loss to Greece.
The ITV pundit hit out Three Lions players for ignoring “the basics” in Thursday’s disastrous 2-1 defeat at Wembley.
England slumped to a first competitive loss at the Home of Football in almost four years.
An inspired Greece – driven by the tragic loss of George Baldock earlier this week – had the ball in the net FIVE times, with three ruled out for offside.
It came after interim boss Lee Carsley opted for an experimental False 9 system.
Carsley’s under-cooked side could muster just one shot on target in 88 minutes before Jude Bellingham’s late leveller.
Vangelis Pavlidis netted a deserved winner for Greece in stoppage time, prompting Keane to tear into the Three Lions.
The ex-Man Utd midfielder said on ITV: “We go back to the basics of the game.
“The words over the last month or so with England have been freedom, style, attacking football.
“Freedom is the new buzzword, obviously. It’s the new garlic bread.
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“But you still have to do the basics of football. You have to defend properly. And you have to have urgency.”
Both of Pavlidis’ goals came in the second half and looked preventable, with a number of England defenders surrounding him in the box.
But the Benfica striker was still able to get his shot away on both occasions.
The lack of bite in defence “summed up England’s night,” according to Keane.
Watching footage of the first goal, he continued: “Look at this! Five or six England players around [Pavlidis].
“You’ve got nobody actually doing their job properly.
“How can this happen? My goodness. Someone has to put a tackle in.”
By Tom Barclay
LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.
Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.
But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.
The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.
Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.
But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.
Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.
Jordan Pickford: 4
Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6
Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.
John Stones: 5
Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.
Levi Colwill: 7
Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.
Rico Lewis: 6
Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.
Declan Rice: 6
Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.
Phil Foden: 4
Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective.
Cole Palmer: 6
Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season.
Bukayo Saka: 5
Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.
Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN
Played in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.
Anthony Gordon: 5
Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.
SUBS:
Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6
Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7
Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7
Manager Lee Carsley: 4
Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again.
Following Thursday’s loss, interim boss Carsley admitted the experimental approach had only been worked on for “20 minutes.”
He told ITV: “I think we were probably second best for a lot of tonight. It’s disappointing.
“I just spoke about there, we’re going to get setbacks – it’s important now that we respond well against Finland.
“We tried something different. We tried to overload the midfield and play a little bit differently.
“It’s something that we tried for 20 minutes yesterday. It’s something we experimented with, it was disappointing that it didn’t come off.
“But I think it was unrealistic to expect too much and it’s a case of trying again.”
MARRIED At First Sight was thrown into chaos tonight after ANOTHER bride stormed out of the dinner party – just minutes after meeting other couples for the first time.
Hannah and Stephen, 33, are one of the new couples who tied the knot earlier this week on the E4 show.
The pair appeared to hit it off on their wedding day, but their honeymoon went down hill very quickly.
This evening’s episode of MAFS saw the pair meet the rest of the cast, as well as the other two new couples Sionainn, 29, and Ryan, 28, and Amy, 27, and Luke, 30.
The two made it very clear after meeting their new co-stars that they haven’t been getting on – and things reached boiling point when they sat down for dinner.
Polly asked the pair what they have been arguing about, to which Hannah replied: “Ask him.”
Stephen explained: “We were going to go for dinner and then Hannah was like I don’t want to go for dinner.”
Hannah interrupted and said: “Hang on a minute that’s not what I said. I said ‘I’m not overly hungry’. Do you fancy getting a drink instead?'”
Stephen then said: “I feel bad for Hannah because she felt rejected from it. It wasn’t a rejection. It really wasn’t a rejection.”
Polly then asked the couple if they think that they can be together.
“I hope so!,” Stephen replied.
Hannah said: “If I get the guy back that I married. Not the one now. You’ve never said any of this to me…
“You’ve just sat here and said I do see how she’s been rejected and I don’t want to feel like that, but you’ve never said that to my face.”
But Stephen wasn’t having any of it and told her that he had.
Hannah started to get up and said: “What is the f***ing point in this s***? I’m not going to sit next to someone that can’t even look at me.
“I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall.”
Loved-up Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling of series six fame had the first Mafs baby.
The pair couldn’t keep their hands off each other on the programme and quickly found their feet in the outside world, moving into Adam’s Doncaster home.
Just 18 months after meeting, the couple welcomed their daughter Beau.
Season five couple Michelle Walder and Owen Jenkins also managed to make their marriage work away from the cameras and had their first child in December.
Teacher Michelle, 29, has no regrets about taking part in the experiment. She told us: “I just feel very lucky and thankful that it has worked out – and excited for everything to come.”
Michelle and Owen were both sick of dating apps when they applied in 2019.
Owen recalled: “I had been out for some drinks with a friend after work.
“While he was out for a cigarette I was scrolling on Instagram waiting for him to come back in.
“The MAFS advert was the last thing I saw, and I joked, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if I signed up?’
“A few beers later when I was back at home I sent in the application, and the rest is history.”
Another couple to make Mafs UK history is Zoe Clifton and Jenna Robinson.
Despite a slight rocky start, where they clashed over Jenna’s vegan lifestyle, the show’s first same sex pairing are still going strong.
They even have a successful podcast together called Life With a Pod.
Jenna shed light on being involved in the show earlier this year when she told us: “We’re not legally married, and I never felt like we were. I definitely feel the process makes you take the relationship a lot more seriously and having the help of the experts… if you can survive that process it sets a firm foundation for a long-lasting relationship.”
It’s not the first time that Hannah has stormed off.
The newlyweds clashed during their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic when Hannah told Stephen that she didn’t want to go for dinner.
The two tried to talk things out, but got worse when Hannah threatened to expose a secret about Stephen’s family in front of the cameras.
“Don’t you dare go down that route!” Stephen shouted, as they rowed outside their hotel.
He then admitted to the cameras that the secret was about his family – which left fans wondering what it could have been about.
Later on in that episode after cooling off, they meet for some food – and things come to a head again.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep because I’d have said f***ing no,” yelled Hannah.
Stephen then stands up and says: “Alright, we’re done then. Happy?
“Does that make you feel better?”
Clearly unable to iron out their issues, Hannah gets up and leaves – shouting: “You chat s*** mate.”
In the same conversation he ‘mugged her off’ after telling her that he wanted to stay in separate rooms again.
He told her: “Moving forward tonight for me, this nothing against you, but I am going to stay on my own again.
“I’ve got a lot of things going on in my head right now, I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.
To which Hannah replied: “It just feels like everything is my fault.”
Stephen then said: “I just need to be in my own thoughts.
Hannah snapped back: “That just tells me that you don’t want to make this work.”
AS MESSAGES go, it was pretty clear.
None of those subtle mind games journalists must turn to when they have failed to shoehorn a line out of some dullard manager who has said nothing in a press conference.
But then Enzo Maresca doesn’t do dodging and weaving in the public eye. He says it how it is in a calm, clipped manner.
And it’s straight to the point.
Like his curt and curious response to one innocent questioner asking whether Chelsea is his chance to forge a reputation for himself as a Premier League manager.
Neither Maresca’s tone nor his expression wavered as he replied: “I have a wife, four kids and a mum and dad. I have a reputation already.”
Blunt if a little weird, right?
So when Chelsea’s fifth manager in 2½ years declared his steadily rejuvenating team are nowhere near as good as Manchester City or Arsenal because they have stuck by their respective managers, he was simply talking sense.
He was also telling his bosses at Stamford Bridge in no uncertain terms the sackings must stop if they want to get the club back to where they enjoyed so many trophy-laden seasons.
Some of his predecessors said the same and everyone else in the room rolled their eyes.
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When Maresca declared just a couple of weeks into the job that “I call the shots”, we yawned.
Yet there is a growing sense Maresca might be the man to finally tame Chelsea’s Wild West owners — the American-led posse of investment specialists and financiers who think they know everything but know very little about actual football.
He is spot on that his team is a long way back from City and Arsenal.
Sunday’s scrambled 1-1 draw at home to ten-man Nottingham Forest confirms that.
Chelsea occupy fourth place in the Premier League mainly by default because Tottenham, Newcastle and particularly Manchester United, are so unpredictable.
Yet it doesn’t take 20-20 vision to catch a glimpse of Maresca’s hand at work as he backs up his strong words with deeds.
Nowhere is that more noticeable than in Mykhailo Mudryk’s plight.
The winger is expected to start Ukraine’s Nations League game with Georgia tonight.
Yet he has started only one Premier League game for Chelsea since the back end of August and is slowly but surely sliding down the ladder of importance under Maresca.
It happens to most players at some point.
Only Mudryk, 23, was a symbol of the new Chelsea — an expensive showpiece signing snared after a protracted chase at the behest of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, when they were feeling their way in the transfer market.
The cynical view is that the main attraction was purely that Arsenal wanted Mudryk too.
Thus starry-eyed Chelsea swooped simply to beat a rival, because that’s how they perceived business should be done.
Whatever the truth, it cost an upfront £62million, plus add-ons.
A new manager ditching a chairman’s marquee signing so unceremoniously takes balls.
But now Mudryk can’t get anywhere near the first team for Premier League games.
Ironically, he has played more minutes under Maresca than any other Chelsea boss . . . just not in the games that matter.
Instead it has been the Conference League and a starring role against Barrow in the Carabao Cup.
For a new manager to ditch a chairman’s marquee signing so unceremoniously takes balls.
Not only that, he brought in Jadon Sancho to play in Mudryk’s position.
A one-two combo Sugar Ray Robinson would have been proud of.
No subtle psychology either. Mudryk’s out and my man’s in — so Behdad and Boehly must suck it up.
And they seem to be.
Maresca has since gone on to surgically dissect his entire squad — one for the Premier League and one for everything else.
It’s up to those in the cup squad to impress their way on to Maresca’s A-list and for those in it to do enough to stay there. Simple and effective.
Common sense at Chelsea? It will never catch on.
WE have finally reached a point in football where both sides claim to have won.
The hubris-driven reactions of Manchester City and the Premier League to their latest courtroom battle over dodgy dealings added to the confusion for many.
Yet it may well have inadvertently opened up a whole new approach to the beautiful game in a world where winning means big-time wonga.
Imagine a sport where nobody loses? Where the result doesn’t matter because you can simply say ‘I won’ and everybody else is so bloody confused that they can’t be a***d to argue.
Sounds ludicrous. But a few years ago we’d have said that about VAR, a Champions League where you don’t have to be a champion to play in it, the 39th game, kick-offs at 8pm on a Saturday, £100 a ticket, cup competitions loaded to favour the big teams, players on £500k a week and half- and-half scarves.
Oh, and £25 for a bobble hat in some club shops, which I saw a few weeks back. Still only one winner there.
WIMBLEDON dole office will be busier than usual in July when queues of redundant line judges start signing on.
The All England Club’s switch over to automated, eagle-eyed, infallible technology to spot whether a ball is in or out means it’s curtains for around 300 of them.
Wimbledon say they are behind the times when it comes to moving over to AI instead of actual humans to make the big calls and stress they will do their best to find the officials alternative employment.
Even so, look out next summer for a Centre Court full of second-hand £900 Ralph Lauren official Wimbo blazers being offered for sale on Vinted.
I’M all for revolting fans — but the daftest demo must go to the Spanish couple who got themselves in bother in Singapore for having a pop at Valencia owner Peter Lim by holding up a ‘Lim Go Home’ banner outside his house. Er . . .
IT’S farewell to Rafa Nadal, the man who made wedgie-wiggling a sport in its own right.
The Spaniard retires next month after 22 Slam wins.
When we’re no longer able to focus on his bizarre habit of sticking his fingers into his backside and his nose-pulling and ear-scratching routine, we’ll just have to watch the tennis. Grim.
KRISPY Kreme is launching a special range of Halloween doughnuts inspired by a beloved movie.
The four new flavours honour the 40th anniversary of a 1984 classic film and are available in select stores now.
The doughnuts were created to celebrate four decades since the release of Ghostbusters.
The 1984 classic, featuring Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver, has been lauded as one of the most iconic blockbusters of the 1980s.
The all-new Krispy Kreme x Ghostbusters Collection consists of four fresh flavours inspired by the movie, to get you in a spooky mood.
For a limited time at participating Krispy Kreme shops, guests can enjoy the new doughnuts in a limited-edition custom Ghostbusters dozens box.
The new treats include:
Dave Skena, Global Chief Brand Officer for Krispy Kreme, said: “Yes it’s true, these treats are no trick.
“When it comes to Halloween this year, you know who to call.
“Krispy Kreme is the gatekeeper to Halloween sweetness and Sony Pictures Consumer Products is the key master to bring spooky-sweet Ghostbusters doughnuts to our fans this year.
“You’re welcome, Gozer.”
Krispy Kreme and Ghostbusters fans can also get a limited time Krispy Kreme dozen (from £ 25.95) featuring the Ghostbusters, Slimer, Ecto-Sprinkles and Original Glazed Doughnut.
The dozen are delivered fresh daily to all Krispy Kreme shops, selected grocery shops, and are also available for delivery straight to your door via nationwide delivery.
For more information about the Halloween range, please visit https://www.krispykreme.co.uk.