Premier League football is back!
After a summer of football which saw England fall agonisingly short in the Euros once again and Argentina rule supreme in the Copa America, the return of domestic football on these shores is merely hours away.
The new 2024-25 Premier League season is upon us with Manchester United and Fulham kicking things off on Friday ahead of what promises to be a brilliant season ahead.
But with just hours to go until the new campaign gets underway, our man and Premier League title winner CHRIS SUTTON has provided fans with 10 things they must do this season.
1. Put your head in your hands when one of your players throws himself to the ground
I’m looking at you, Bruno Fernandes, and you, Jamie Vardy, and all of you other shameless simulators who love going down without a touch.
It’s embarrassing, and do not forget, everything you do is captured by cameras galore. We not only watch you throw yourselves to the floor once. We see it over and over in super slow-mo.
There needs to be a stricter approach to stopping divers by issuing bans. That would make them think twice, and none of us should celebrate someone who drops down for fun, even if it’s for our own team.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes goes to ground far too easily
2. Stay in your seat until the final whistle if you are a true supporter
If you’re a Chelsea fan who left in stoppage time when trailing 3-2 to Manchester United, only to miss Cole Palmer scoring in the 100th and 111th minutes to make it 4-3, then shame on you.
If you’re a Tottenham supporter who exited while your team was losing 1-0 to Sheffield United, only for two goals to make it 2-1 in the final seconds, then hang your heads.
The same goes for the West Ham fans who walked away at half-time of their 6-0 loss to Arsenal. You’re not a Hammer if you leave early. You’re a spanner!
True fans stay in the stadium through thick and thin, and get behind their team.
If you’re a Tottenham fan who missed the comeback against Sheffield United because you left the stadium early, then hang your heads
3. Accept that Big Ange will NOT play a more conservative style of football
Will Ange Postecoglou change his attacking philosophy? Will he heck! It took Tottenham to fifth place in the Premier League in his first season and will only improve with time. ‘Ange-ball’ is one of the most entertaining football styles.
It was refreshing to see someone have the balls to take on Manchester City without the fear that, say, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal showed when they went to the Etihad Stadium.
You’d be mad to think that Postecoglou is about to change his approach. It is a winning one, as the Aussie proved in his time at Celtic.
Will Ange Postecoglou change his attacking philosophy? Will he heck! You’d be mad to think that he is about to change his approach
4. Visit Portman Road to pay homage to the incredible job Kieran McKenna has done
Do I wish it were Norwich in the Premier League instead of Ipswich? Of course. But theirs is a story worthy of praise, not least because of how Kieran McKenna has managed back-to-back promotions with essentially the same group of players.
Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester United all showed interest in McKenna this summer but the promoted club managed to keep hold of the 38-year-old. Get yourself along to Portman Road to see what all the fuss is about.
Get yourself along to Portman Road this season to see what all the fuss is about
5. Go to Goodison Park one last time before the old lady is gone
The last goal I ever scored in professional football was at Goodison Park — a glancing header for Aston Villa in a 1-0 win in November 2006. There was something special about doing that at Goodison, one of English football’s greatest old-school grounds.
I’m fond of some of the new stadiums — Tottenham’s in particular — but make sure you visit the old lady in Merseyside if you can. You do not want to miss the chance to say goodbye before the Toffees move to their brand spanking new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Goodison Park is one of the greatest old-school grounds – and it won’t be around for long
Say goodbye before the Toffees move to their brand new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock
6. Be ready for Erik ten Hag to be sacked before Christmas
United may have stuck with Ten Hag this summer but they were also conducting interviews with potential replacements including Thomas Tuchel.
Just because Ten Hag survived does not mean he is safe. The pressure is still very much on the Dutchman and, as the manager of a behemoth like United, it would only take one sorry spell of defeats for him to be ousted. Will he be gone by Christmas? I wouldn’t be surprised — and neither should you.
Just because Erik ten Hag survived does not mean he is safe – he could be gone by Christmas
7. Pray Manchester City don’t stroll to yet another title
You want a Premier League title race that goes down to the wire as it did last season, not one where Manchester City waltz to yet another championship.
We have to hope Arsenal can continue to push them. We have to hope Arne Slot can somehow make Liverpool competitive from the get-go. We have to hope Postecoglou can get Tottenham in the mix and keep them there. Anything but a one-horse race.
We don’t want another Premier League title race where Man City waltz towards another title
8. Thank heavens that semi-automated offside technology is on the way
I suspect I’m not the only one driven mad by VAR delays. Like the five minutes and 37 seconds it took for the officials to disallow Tomas Soucek’s ‘winner’ for West Ham against Aston Villa, just a month after the Premier League had warned the refereeing body that lengthy delays were damaging their product. Supporters in the London Stadium were left wondering what on earth was happening.
But semi-automated offside technology is set to be introduced at some stage this season, and at least that should save us all some time after seeing how it worked so effectively at Euro 2024 in Germany.
I suspect I’m not the only one driven mad by VAR delays – with some delays taking five minutes
Now, semi-automated offside technology is set to be introduced at some stage this season
9. Cut Enzo Maresca some slack, he is not Pep Guardiola
It was typical Chelsea. Just as they seemed to be making progress under Mauricio Pochettino, he was ushered out of the club with a cushty compensation package. Now it is over to Maresca to show why he is the man who can survive longer than a single season under that ownership. Yes, he’s bald. Yes, he’s bearded. But no, he isn’t a Pep Guardiola clone.
Maresca is his own man and should be given time to show us who he is as a manager in his own right, rather than constantly compared and criticised for not getting Chelsea playing like Guardiola’s Manchester City. Patience, please!
Enzo Maresca is his own man and should be given time to show us who he is as a manager
10. Don’t forget to listen to the brilliant ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
Mail Sport’s award-nominated show is back, bigger and better than ever.
My podcast partner Ian Ladyman and I will spend this season filling the airwaves twice-weekly with all of the football chat you crave. I’m not sick of sitting next to Ian just yet, and he regularly tells me that I’m his hero, which is nice of him.
We are never short of things to disagree about, so do join us every Monday and Thursday to discover why I’m always right and Ian is always wrong.
