Gary Lemke looks at which Premier League manager could depart next, Son’s increasing influence at Spurs and much more from the English Top-flight!
SON’S STOCKS CONTINUE TO RISE
When Son Hung-min scored for Tottenham in their 2-0 win over Fulham, it took him to 110 English Premier League goals. Spurs have hardly blinked since losing Harry Kane (with 213 career goals second only to Alan Shearer) as they went to the top of the table for the first time in three years. It got me thinking about who are the most prolific EPL scorers this season. Mo Salah, with 146 goals, is 12th on the all-time list. Raheem Sterling (118) is 22nd and Son is now 26th after going past Ryan Goggs. One more and he overtakes Emile Heskey and joins Dion Dublin and Sadio Mane on 111. Next? Newcastle’s Callum Wilson, in 50th position with 84 career goals.
Hueng Min son stats:
— letsplaysoccer (@zjspinking) October 23, 2023
9 games,7 goals,1 assist
James Maddison stats:
9 games,3 goals,5 assists.
Son and Maddison cooking this season.
What a duo💯 pic.twitter.com/WrhBuEiXkX
MILNER HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME
Now that we’ve started going down that rabbit hole, Brighton’s James Milner (ex-Newcastle, Villa, Man City, Liverpool et al), is third on the all-time list of EPL appearances, with 625. He’s only behind Gareth Barry (652) and Ryan Giggs (632). Milner should pass Giggs this season. But, who are the next most seasoned players currently in the EPL, as they are on the all-time list? Ashley Young (431) is 29th overall, while Man City’s Kyle Walker is 60th with 372 games. And in 70th place, with 360 appearances, is Man United’s Jonny Evans.
50 goals. 49 matches. 16 years.
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 5, 2018
When James Milner scores, he doesn't lose!
Here are the best stats from the weekend:https://t.co/CbtmrF9kFC pic.twitter.com/1LYBOhRW5h
HAMMERS HAVE SPRUNG A LEAK
It hasn’t been a good week for West Ham, who went into this next round of EPL fixtures in ninth position on the table and the Europa Conference League champions. They lost twice in the past few days, 4-1 to Aston Villa in the EPL and then 2-1 at Olympiacos in the Europa League. This weekend they host strugglers Everton and will hope their luck turns. In their defeat to Villa, they reached an unfortunate milestone. The Hammers have now conceded 1500 goals in EPL history, the third highest of any club. The two above them? Everton (1552) and Tottenham (1509).
West Ham lose 2-1 to Olympiacos and their 17-game unbeaten streak in Europe comes to an end.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 26, 2023
What a run it was 👏 pic.twitter.com/5f1DLM3wsU
HISTORY OF SUPPORTING A CLUB
Hollywoodbets and Cape Racing, under the chairmanship of Greg Bortz, have turned the sport around in that province and Hollywoodbets themselves have also revived the sport in KZN. Bortz, like most of us, has a favourite EPL side. It’s Tottenham. We all have a story as to how we started supporting a team. Here’s his. “I’m a passionate Spurs fan. I’ve been a season ticket holder for a long time. The first time I ever saw football – back in the early 1970s there was no TV – it was in the cinema with my mom. I was five or six. They used to have a supporting show before the main movie, it was like airport board-type information. I couldn’t read but they were showing FA Cup final highlights and my mom read out the names of teams in the competition that year. We liked two names – Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur. We started supporting Tottenham. Guess what? That year they got relegated that year and Forest went on to win the League and European Cup!”
HECKINGBOTTOM TO WIN ‘SACK RACE’?
Things happen so quickly in the EPL that we’re already nearly a quarter of the way through the season. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that we haven’t seen a manager sacked, yet. Technically, Wolves’ Julen Loptegui won the “Sack Race”, but he departed on 8th August, before the season had kicked off. So, as we head into this latest round, all 20 EPL managers are still in their jobs. That will surely not last much longer. Sheffield United have had an abysmal start to life in the Premiership, losing eight of nine games. That could be nine out of 10 when they visit Arsenal on Saturday. Their manager Paul Heckingbottom might well be clearing out his desk right now.
Paul Heckingbottom could be sacked if Sheffield United lose to Arsenal this weekend. Former Blades boss Chris Wilder is the lead name on a shortlist of three drawn up by the United hierarchy to replace Heckingbottom.
— The Bladesman (@The_Bladesman) October 26, 2023
[mail]#twitterblades #sufc pic.twitter.com/SJA2cgzLmT
TRIBUTES POUR IN FOR SIR BOBBY
When Sir Bobby Charlton, the former Manchester United and England great, passed away a week ago at the age of 86, quite rightly there was a flood of tributes to him and an outpouring of acknowledgement from around the globe. He was a World Cup winner with England in 1966, the first and only time the country won the trophy. Now there is only one member of that 1966 side still alive – Sir Geoff Hurst, who scored a hat-trick in that final. He is 81. It’s a poignant reminder that life is fleeting. And on the weekend the Boks pay the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final, a reminder too that nothing is permanent. From that 1995 side, Ruben Kruger, James Small, Joost van der Westhuizen and Chester Williams have all passed on, and has the coach Kitch Christie, and of course Nelson Mandela.
A moment's applause will be held in tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton, one of England’s greatest footballers, at all Premier League fixtures this weekend.
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 27, 2023
➡ https://t.co/Ttlao65EGs pic.twitter.com/YNSX1npsNN
