Beefy Bites 12th August 2024
Beefy Bites 12th August 2024
Your Monday munchables from a weekend in the world of football
Welcome, friends, to the tentative beginnings of a new era of High Protein Beef Paste.
There will be a few additions over the coming months and, yes, some of them will go behind a paywall. You'll have to trust that I truly have no option but what I do have is control.
That's why ‘additions’ is the operative word. The weekly Tuesday edition will be free and unchanged forever. Full stop.
This is the first of those additions and it, too, will be free for a little while until everything else is ready. In the future it will become part of the subscriber deal.
All that being said, this is the first Beefy Bites – your Monday munchables from a weekend in the world of football.
Let me know what you think. It won't make a difference but crack on anyway if you want.
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Marriott goal hints at League One stay for Wrexham?
When Wrexham won their second consecutive promotion, I mulled over the hypothesis that their progress under owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds might slow down in EFL League One. It might even be limited there, though I wouldn't bet on it.
Their ascent might well ease off but, my goodness, they look dangerous. They conceded twice against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday but being able to score goals is a big part of their 2024/25 assignment. They bagged three of them and banked all three points at the Racecourse on opening day.
The second was finished with characteristic assuredness by Jack Marriott. There aren't many better strikers in the third tier. Ollie Palmer's assist was a thing of beauty, the sort of touch that suggests Phil Parkinson's players are already at match sharpness.
Leeds United: Agents of Chaos
Elland Road was the place to be on Saturday. Leeds United, freshly supercharged by Red Bull, hit the crossbar twice before scoring from the penalty spot inside the last ten minutes. Their path even to one point was far from serene and promoted Portsmouth led 2-1 and 3-2 before Brenden Aaronson’s 95th-minute equaliser.
Pompey's third goal, another penalty, also came in stoppage time. It was that kind of game. Aaronson had an even later chance to win it and really he should have done. Daniel Farke will forgive the profligacy in the midst of chaos.
It's a long season in the Championship. Leeds should be well equipped for it both in terms of quality and as apparently permanent residents in the House of Havoc. If they're to finish in the top two, their abandon will need to be balanced with the ability to be more measured when things get a little crunchy.
Bromley off the mark
On Saturday afternoon, Bromley played in the Football League for the first time in their history. They won, too, beating Harrogate Town 2-0 on their own turf thanks to a couple of poacher’s finishes from Michael Cheek and Kamarl Grant. That's a hell of a start for Andy Woodman, who was managing a league side for the first time.
Though he's held various coaching roles since, his last management involvement was as assistant manager of relegated Rushden & Diamonds in 2006. AFC Rushden & Diamonds won in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division – one of our eighth tier leagues – on Saturday.
It's quite a long time since I was involved at Tooting & Mitcham United. Back then, Bromley were one of the local non-league big boys we looked up at and shared more than a few ex-players with. Just look at them now.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima set their sights on J1 glory
After years of Japan’s J1 League being shared between newly successful Kawasaki Frontale and City Football Group-backed Yokohama F. Marinos, Vissel Kobe won their first J.League title last year. They don't seem much interested in a second.
Nobody else appears to want to win it either. Frontale are languishing again, albeit improved since the mid-season break. The Marinos aren't much better. Leaders Machida Zelvia have lost two of their last three, Kashima Antlers two of their last four. Kobe and Gamba Osaka have won one apiece in that time.
The rest of the top five have left a gap for Sanfrecce Hiroshima and they've torn up the rails right into it, winning four on the spin. Third-placed Sanfrecce are the league's top scorers and that's thanks in no small part to Yuki Ohashi. He scored for Blackburn Rovers on Friday.
Loan Czech lends Rangers a potent wide option
Václav Černý scored the winning goal for Rangers against Motherwell at Hampden Park on Saturday and his hour on the pitch was promising for Gers manager Philippe Clement as he seeks to keep pace with favourites and frontrunners Celtic.
The Czech is on loan from Wolfsburg and showed his shooting ability as well as some fine passing and incisive running in his new team's first league win of 2024/25. He's a creator from wide rather than a winger, giving Clement what he hopes will be a useful replacement for exit-bound Todd Cantwell.
With Ianis Hagi also looking in from the outside but Ross McCausland, Óscar Cortés, Scott Wright and Rabbi Matondo each offering something different in wide attacking areas, the addition of Černý’s ability to drift inside and get involved could be just what Rangers need.
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