That concludes the blog for this Friday. Thanks for reading. Here’s to a weekend of cup finals.
It’s the Women’s Champions League final, kicking off at 3pm.
Couple of pieces to set the scene.
Suzanne Wrack:
Included in that number are England’s Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh. Bronze has been here before, having won the Champions League twice with Lyon, but this is Walsh’s first final. “She’s a fantastic player,” said her teammate Caroline Graham Hansen. “We’re very lucky to have her. She has very good vision for the game. She has adapted well. It’s not easy to come to Barça and play as a No 6.
Jonas Eidevall is the Arsenal Women manager: here’s his tactical preview.
Barcelona do not have as much explosiveness and speed up front as Wolfsburg offer through Jónsdóttir and Ewa Pajor, and they are not as direct, but it is so difficult to win the ball off them. When they do lose the ball, they are so well positioned to counterpress, win it back quickly and keep the ball in the area they lost it in, making your exertions fruitless.
Jonathan Liew hails John Stones as a key man in the latest rise of Manchester City.
They call him the Barnsley Beckenbauer, and in many ways the seeds of Stones’s current role – a kind of sophisticated defensive-midfield hybrid – were sown at Oakwell under the tutelage of Ronnie Branson and Mark Burton. Barnsley’s academy coaches were strongly influenced by the Barcelona team of the late 2000s and, against plenty of internal scepticism, were trying to rebuild their pathways along the principles of Guardiola’s side. Often they would line up without a striker. Mason Holgate, another cultured centre-half, came through the academy about the same time. But it was Stones who was the star of that generation, a big central defender with the touch and vision of a playmaker.
That’ll teach. Feels like a touchline ban hasn’t been much of a deterrent for Jose Mourinho in his career.
The Roma manager was filmed haranguing Taylor at length in a VIP car park after his team were defeated by Sevilla on penalties. Taylor was subsequently targeted by Roma fans at Budapest airport.
Mourinho, if found guilty, will be banned from the dugout for a minimum of two matches. In a flurry of other disciplinary measures, Roma were charged over crowd disturbances among their fans and “acts of damage”. Sevilla were charged after their supporters invaded the pitch and both teams were charged over the lighting of fireworks, throwing of objects and alleged improper conduct of their teams.
Talking of referees, imagine Paul Tierney doing this. Actually, wouldn’t that be a good idea?
In Berlin for the DFB-Pokal final…where referee Daniel Siebert is giving a press conference before tomorrow’s game between RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt. A bit different. pic.twitter.com/Ln74TSiZXy
— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) June 2, 2023
And with that I’ll hand you back to John Brewin to see this thing through to full-time.
Some FA Cup Final stats to delight your friends with/file away for a quiz night. Leeds fans probably know who was managing Watford for the 6-0 humping four years ago. And just who is Fred Tilson?
United have won five of their last six FA Cup meetings with City, most recently a 3-2 away win in January 2012. The only exception in that run was a semi-final victory for Man City in 2010-11.
This is City’s 12th FA Cup final, winning six and losing five of the previous eleven. They’ve alternated between losing and winning in their last four, most recently beating Watford 6-0 in 2019.
United are contesting their 21st FA Cup Final, the joint-most of any side in the history of the competition along with Arsenal. They’ve won the trophy 12 times, with their eight final defeats the joint-most of any side along with Chelsea and Everton.
Marcus Rashford and Casemiro were on target for Manchester United in their League Cup final win against Newcastle. There have been five players to score in both major domestic cup finals for the Red Devils – Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Brian McClair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard.
Since his FA Cup debut for the club in 2019, Riyad Mahrez has scored more goals in the competition proper than any other player (11). He’s scored five so far this season – the last time a City player scored more in a single season was in 1933-34 (Fred Tilson, 9).
Admir gets in touch via email: “Kasami’s goal (see 11.28 BST) wasn’t even the best goal on that weekend as Jack Wilshere scored v Norwich what was the best team goal in the Premier League history.” It’s certainly a belter.
Let’s all be nice to refs. Paul Tierney is the man in the middle for Saturday’s FA Cup final. Good on ya mate. All that hard work. Have a good ‘un. Go well.
Some quotes on the fa.com website from Mr Tierney.
“Obviously, I was really pleased to get the call on Monday morning, so it was a good start to the week as I was on my way to a training camp at St. George’s Park. To referee the FA Cup Final is one of those things that you strive to do and it’s always been one of my targets but it still takes a bit of time to sink in.
“It’s a real honour for me and the rest of the team, and we’re all thrilled to have been appointed for this game. It’s a great fixture to be refereeing too and although there is the common assumption that because I’m from Wigan I must support one of them, I was actually born in Belfast and only moved to Wigan when I was eleven and it’s actually going to be the first time that I’ve refereed a Manchester derby so I’m looking forward to it.
“The first time I was involved at Wembley was as an assistant referee for the 2009 FA Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Chelsea and it’s just the best place to be involved in a football game. I’ve since been fortunate to referee there and be involved in more games and it’s something that always sticks with you. Obviously, this game is going to top the lot on a personal level, so I’m looking forward to it and hopefully the Final will be a great game.”
And well done to these guys too.
Assistant Referees: Neil Davies (London FA) and Scott Ledger (Sheffield & Hallamshire FA)
Fourth Official: Peter Bankes (Liverpool FA)
Reserve Assistant Referee: Adrian Holmes (West Riding FA)
Video Assistant Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire FA)
Assistant VAR: Simon Long (Cornwall FA)
More from Pep. City hammered United 6-3 earlier in the season but Guardiola says Erik ten Hag’s team are much improved since that October shellacking at the Etihad.
“A final is special for itself but what United have been doing in the last four, five, six months – they are a completely different team from the beginning of the season when we faced them here. I have the feeling that the team has improved from the beginning of the season – the patterns are more clear and the quality they have.”
Guardiola also insists he is focusing on the immediate task in hand rather than letting thoughts drift towards the treble.
“It would be good for us if we think about what we have to do to win one game. We have to analyse the strength of our opponent and see the weaknesses they have. The focus is, it’s a football game, that’s the most important thing.
“What’s (said) outside is normal, we cannot control it, but the last two games of the season we have to do what we have to do on the pitch to win the game.”
We brought you Eric Cantona’s new single earlier. “It’s fine, perfectly passable for 6 Music. It’s no Ne Me Quitte Pas, mind,” said Johh Brewin. Now let’s recall the Frenchman’s winner in the 1996 FA Cup final against Liverpool. Great goal, dreadful game. Look at all those Liverpool defenders just posing about in front of the goalline. Jamie Carragher would surely have thrown his head and any other body part in front of Cantona’s volley.
More French music. This was once used on an episode of kids TV programme ‘Here Come The Double Deckers’. It’s splendid.
Updated
José Mourinho charged
José Mourinho has been charged by uefa over his behaviour during Roma’s Europa League final defeat by Sevilla.
Mourinho confronted referee Anthony Taylor in the car park after his side’s loss on penalties in Budapest. He also criticised the English official in his post-match press conference. Both teams have been hit my multiple charges, with Mourinho’s defined as “insulting/abusive language against a match official”.
Charges against Sevilla FC
Invasion of the field of play
Throwing of objects
Lighting of fireworks
Improper conduct of team
Charges against AS Roma
Throwing of objects
Lighting of fireworks
Acts of damage
Crowd disturbances
Improper conduct of team
Insulting / abusive language against a match official (Mr. José Mourinho)
A statement reads: “Disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with Article 55 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (DR) following the UEFA Europa League final match between Sevilla FC and AS Roma (1-1) played on 31 May 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) will decide on the matter in due course.”
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The women’s Champions League final between Barcelona and Wolfsburg kicks off at 3pm, the same time as the all-Manchester FA Cup final which is somewhat annoying. Some facts ahead of the final courtesy of uefa.com.
Where is the game?
PSV Stadium, Eindhoven. This is the first time the final has been in the Netherlands, although UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 was held there, with the decider in Enschede. First opened in 1910, the 35,000-capacity PSV Stadium has a long history of staging major matches.
Background
Barcelona are into their third final in a row, and fourth in five seasons, having lost 4-1 to Lyon in 2019, beaten Chelsea 4-0 in 2021 and surprisingly been beaten 3-1 by Lyon in Turin last year. They beat Wolfsburg 5-1 on aggregate in last season’s semi-finals, but the She-Wolves have performed consistently all season and certainly have pedigree, winning on their first two entries in 2012/13 and 2013/14, and having since lost three finals to Lyon (on penalties in 2016 and after extra time in 2018).
Who is the referee?
Cheryl Foster, capped 63 times by Wales as a player and an international referee since 2015, will be taking charge of her first UEFA Women’s Champions League final.The 42-year-old has refereed three matches in the competition this season.
Is there VAR in the final?
There has been VAR in the final since 2020, and from last season that was expanded to the whole knockout phase.
Road to Eindhoven
Barcelona: Scored an incredible 29 goals in winning their group, but only on head-to-head record after a rare 3-1 defeat at Bayern. Roma were dispatched 1-0 away and 5-1 at home, and after another 1-0 victory at Chelsea, a 1-1 draw at Camp Nou was enough. They played four games at that stadium, in that run, with a combined attendance of over 200,000.
Wolfsburg: Sailed through Group B, comfortably beating St. Pölten home and away and picking up four points against both runners-up Roma and Slavia Praha. A tough quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain was negotiated, with Dominique Janssen’s penalty the only goal at Parc des Princes and Alex Popp striking in a 1-1 home draw. They were also held at home by Arsenal in the semi-final first leg, Wolfsburg seeing an early 2-0 lead wiped out, and in London in front of more than 60,000 fans the tie continued to ebb and flow before Pauline Bremer’s winner deep in extra time.
Let’s head over the border and Celtic’s Scottish Cup final showdown against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley insists it will not be difficult to remain focused amid growing speculation over the future of manager Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou has become the odds-on favourite to take over at Tottenham with one report claiming he will meet Spurs chairman Daniel Levy on Monday.
The Celtic manager batted away questions over his future on Thursday as he bids to avoid distractions ahead of Saturday’s Hampden clash with Inverness and O’Riley claims the players will not be sidetracked.
“It’s not hard, to be honest,” the 22-year-old said. “There is always so much noise in football. Even with players, with managers, all sorts. There is a lot of stuff in the media all the time but I personally don’t believe most of the things I see, just because I know how football works. I’m sure he is very happy where he is because we are doing very well.
“It’s just part of football. Media-wise, there is always something going on and I’m sure there will always be the odd surprise that gets thrown in, someone leaves that you don’t expect, someone joins that comes out of nowhere. You just have to be ready for whatever comes.”
Postecoglou has been linked with numerous Premier League jobs throughout the season and Celtic have shown the focus to stay on course for a treble.
“It comes from, first of all, the hierarchy, the manager and staff setting the foundation of what can we do today to improve and taking it day by day,” O’Riley said. “If you think too much about the future or stuff that has happened before, that’s when problems start to occur because you are probably in your head a bit too much. As long as we are focused on the day-to-day basics of trying to improve one another then I don’t think it should be a problem.”
However, the former MK Dons midfielder understands why many Celtic fans are anxious about the future amid the growing speculation over Postecoglou. “He has provided so much success to the club, and hopefully that continues, and naturally fans are attached to someone who brings so much success,” he said.
“The same goes for the players in the group right now, everyone had good seasons for the most part, so naturally there is going to be interest in players, but hopefully we can keep as many together and push on even more next season.” (PA Media)
Ortega will start in goal for Manchester City
More Man City team news and Guardiola has confirmed that back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will be between the sticks. Seems fair enough given that he’s stood in for Ederson all through this FA Cup campaign and is yet to pick the ball out of the City net.
PEP 💬 Yes, he [Stefan Ortega Moreno] is going to play.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) June 2, 2023
In fact, Ortega can make history if he keeps a clean sheet on Saturday. Let Opta tell us why:
Manchester City are yet to concede a goal in this season’s FA Cup. In the Football League era (since 1888-89), only two teams have won the trophy without conceding a goal – Preston North End in 1889 and Bury in 1903.
Antony "unlikely" to play in FA Cup final
Not such positive news from the Manchester United camp as Antony is “unlikely” to be fit for the Wembley showdown. The 23-year-old winger went down in agony last Thursday during the first half of the penultimate Premier League game of the season against Chelsea.
Antony left on a stretcher and Ten Hag feared a “serious” injury, only to allay concerns three days later by saying the “first assessment is not too bad” and that he had a “good opportunity” to face City. But this week has not gone as well as expected and the Brazil international now looks set to miss the first ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.
“Unlikely [he will be fit],” said Ten Hag. “Dos Santos [Antony] still has a chance but it’s a really small chance. He didn’t make the progress, so he still has a chance but unlikely he is available.”
Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek have long since been ruled out of the final, while Anthony Martial’s injury-hit season will end on the sidelines. The 27-year-old strained a hamstring towards the end of Sunday’s win against Fulham and will miss the Wembley showdown after scans showed a muscle tear.
“These questions so many times about the absence of players in the last couple of months,” Ten Hag said. “Every time I say the same answer: it’s about the players who are available and many times we were successful. We have a good squad and from that good squad we make a good team.” [PA Media]
Pep: Grealish, De Bruyne and Akanji set to make final
Let’s get stuck into some FA Cup final team news and Man City boss Pep Guardiola has given a positive update on Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne and Manuel Akanji. The trio missed the final Premier League game of the season at Brentford last week.
Guardiola said at a press conference: “They trained well in the last two training sessions. No, all of them [the players] are more or less fine.. They are more or less fine.”
Updated
Will Erling Haaland be the difference maker in the FA Cup final? And, perhaps more importantly, the Champions League final?
He’s not exactly going to Wembley at his lethal best. In fact, the Norwegian has managed just one goal in his last six appearances, his worst run in a City shirt. And in a season when he supposedly smashed every record going, Liverpool fans will be quick to point out that both Luis Suarez (2013/14) and Mo Salah (2017/18) scored more non-penalty goals (31) than Haaland (29) managed.
In more music news… Haaland’s favourite group? Abba. Yes, really. His Dortmund teammates ribbed him about it. Harsh. I mean it could have been Queen.
Updated
Ange Postecoglou to Spurs? It looks that way. Here’s Ewan Murray with some thoughts. Just as well Spurs aren’t in Europe.
Nonetheless, those Celtic fans have cause to feel like jilted lovers. It was the Scottish champions who gave Postecoglou his long-awaited break on this continent. Two seasons feels like only an adequate repayment, regardless of how fulfilling the bashing of Kilmarnock, St Johnstone and Rangers supposedly feels. Without taking on a second consecutive season in the Champions League, Postecoglou will leave as a domestic demigod but with questions swirling about whether his approach can prevail when stakes are raised. His overall European record at Celtic is dismal.
Staying with musical build-up to the all-Manchester final, let’s go Citeh and Noel’s cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. I’m with Liam.
I must once again apologise on behalf of my family for Rkids piss poor and damn rite blasphemous version of joy division’s love will tear us apart tut fucking tut SORRY
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) June 1, 2023
Updated
Thanks John. Just listening now actually. It’s not bad. Hope he’s joined forces with Kylie to cover this on the B side, No.1 on this Serge Top 20. By the way, Initials BB should be higher than 8th but let’s not get into that.
Don’t think Eric will knock Françoise Hardy off top spot in my French listings.
Updated
Ok, time to pass over the reins to David Tindall. Let’s see what he thinks of the Eric Cantona single.
Jesse Lingard cut loose. Forest stayed up but this was a move that didn’t work out for either party, even allowing for Lingard’s bank balance. Would a Premier League club take him now?
Jesse Lingard has been released by Nottingham Forest — available as free agent again this summer. 🚨🌳 #NFFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2023
Forest release the following players: André Ayew, Cafú, Jack Colback, Jesse Lingard, Jordan Smith, Lyle Taylor. pic.twitter.com/an2xoKRqtd
Lunchtime plug: Football Weekly Annual (?). Features this writer as a Radio One DJ (!) ad a guide to Getting It Launched. Among much else.
WE HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK. THE @guardian_sport FOOTBALL WEEKLY BOOK BUY IT. https://t.co/787d8NhQt1 pic.twitter.com/TWVSASsJv9
— Max Rushden 💛🖤 (@maxrushden) June 1, 2023
A reminder of what Anthony Taylor had to deal with at Budapest airport.
Feels like Roma and Mourinho have to make quick amends for this or Uefa must act.
Eric Cantona new single review
Talking of FA Cup final heroes – of 1994 and 1996 – there’s this guy. Has anyone dared to listen to his new music yet? I’m going in…the vocals Jacques Brel-esque (he wishes), the violin backing Warren Ellis-era Bad Seeds, a slight wobble into Chanson D’Amour, bit of Jarvis-solo-career whispering. It’s fine, perfectly passable for 6 Music. It’s no Ne Me Quitte Pas, mind.
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Jonathan Wilson’s chalkboard is full of white dust.
City’s real golden spell of form coincided with the beginning of Guardiola’s ploy of using Stones as an auxiliary midfielder, creating the 3-2 trapezoid defensive shape out of possession that now seems accepted as the best way of defending against the counter. It began with Stones at right-back stepping into midfield, but that does risk a rapid break that could release a player in behind him – an issue that, for instance, Southampton exploited on the final day of the season when Trent Alexander-Arnold played in that hybrid full-back/central midfield role.
The key moment in Manchester City history? Many would say the Abu Dhabi takeover on 1 September 2008. But it may not have happened without this Wembley in 1999.
The gap between the two clubs’ fortunes could not have been more acute in the run-up to those finals. City had failed to secure one of the automatic promotion places, finishing well adrift of runaway champions Fulham and five points behind second-placed Walsall. The day before United secured their 12th league title by beating Tottenham 2-1 at Old Trafford in front of 55,189 fans, City had travelled to Springfield Park to draw 1-1 with Wigan Athletic in the first leg of a playoff semi-final that was watched by a crowd of just 6,672.
Champions League final referee keeps the job
In a statement on Friday Marciniak said people had been “rightfully alarmed and disappointed” by his presence at the event and said: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my involvement and any distress or harm it may have caused.”
Memory lane: perhaps the best goal in PL history?
Happy birthday, @PajtimKasami! 🥳
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) June 2, 2023
Any excuse to roll this goal back out again. 🤪 pic.twitter.com/oPIk8cIolo
Updated
Premier League statement on Anthony Taylor attack
A Premier League spokesperson said: “We are shocked and appalled by the unacceptable abuse directed at Anthony Taylor and his family as they travelled back from the UEFA Europa League Final. No one should have to suffer the inexcusable behaviour they had to endure yesterday.
“Anthony is one of our most experienced and accomplished match officials and we fully support him and his family.”
There’s only one team in Manchester. It just depends on who you think that is.
Drinking a breakfast can of Monster energy drink at the Bishop Blaize, a United pub round the corner, Mike Bennett was also looking forward to Saturday’s match. With multicoloured hair and a suit covered in patches, he looked like someone you ought to recognise – which you would if you are into the Blockheads, as he is their lead singer. He described himself as a “passive fan”, until moving to a flat in nearby Media City and becoming a “massive fan”.
He hoped to squeeze in to the Bishop Blaize on Saturday and predicted a 2-1 win for United. The pub manager plonked down Bennett’s beans on toast and interjected with his own prediction: “Three-nil to City.” Hang on a minute, the manager of the nearest pub to Old Trafford is a blue? Apparently so.
Stu Goodwin has been rifling through the transfer rumours; what a summer it’s going to be.
Crysencio Summerville mainly got Leeds fans out of their seats for a 20-day period straddling last October and November, which was when all of his four league goals came, including notable late winners against Liverpool and Bournemouth. He’s remained on the Cherries’ radar, who have joined Crystal Palace in showing interest in signing the 21-year-old Dutch forward.
Kai Havertz, and his 19 league goals in three seasons at Chelsea, could send Spanish eyebrows shooting towards the ozone layer if he is indeed being earmarked to fill a forthcoming Karim Benzema-shaped hole at Real Madrid. The Frenchman, admittedly now 35, is said to be close to taking his 68-goals-in-three-La-Liga-campaigns talents to pepper Saudi nets at Al-Ittihad.
Friend of the website Steven Pye has sent in his old-fashioned FA Cup final TV memories.
Banners
Strictly not a crucial part of the FA Cup final day experience, but as the cameras panned around the terraces, there were always a few homemade banners that stood out. Here is a selection of a few I spotted during my research, but I’m sure there are plenty of others that some of you will recall.
Hoddle’s got more spice than Currie (1982)
Miller grinds Hazell’s nuts (1982)
Simon Stainrod eats three Shredded Wheat (1982)
Our Currie’s hotter than vindaloo (1982)
Currie gives Spurs the shits (1982)
Bald is beautiful (1983 - a Brighton fan’s tribute to manager Jimmy Melia)
Look out Elton - Hair we go (1984)
Sorry Elton, I Guess That’s Why They Call Us The Blues (1984)
We’re expecting reaction and developments through the day on this story, for which a special one ought to be feeling a certain level of responsibility.
After the incident at the airport, the body responsible for officials in the English professional game said in a statement on Thursday evening: “PGMOL is aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport.
“We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the Uefa Europa League final. We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family.”
Brendan Rodgers for Leeds could work – for a couple of years, at least.
Perhaps the club dieticians preclude this behaviour these days. Still it lines the stomach.
Getting the pints in after the cup final pic.twitter.com/AQczksQ8gq
— Bryan’s Gunn (@bryansgunn) June 1, 2023
The Messi reunion with Barcelona – Ronaldo always was a pioneer – looks to be on. What could possibly go wrong for a new team finding its way back and title winners?
Still, the removal of Phil Neville from Inter Miami has set a few minds thinking there’s a chance the great man heads to MLS.
🚨 Xavi: "Leo Messi will decide his future next week. He has 100% my OK to join us".
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2023
"He knows we're ready to welcome him. Nothing has changed, we have chances. We want Leo here. Let him decide. I'm ready to include him in our system", tells Mundo Deportivo. 🔵🔴 #FCB pic.twitter.com/jG75oAXVSn
Allardyce out at Leeds.
Perhaps the least surprising news of the day: Leeds have announced Sam Allardyce will leave the club by mutual consent.
The club statement:
Leeds United and Sam Allardyce can confirm that both parties have mutually agreed for Sam’s spell at the club to end following the completion of the 2022-23 season. Sam joined the Whites for the final four games of the campaign and despite spirited performances against Manchester City and Newcastle United, the objective of staying in the Premier League was not reached.
Big Sam:
It has been an honour to manage Leeds United, a great club with an incredible fan base, who deserve to be in the Premier League. I have really enjoyed working with the staff and players at the club and I would like to thank Angus Kinnear for the opportunity.
I’d also like to highlight the outstanding work of (assistants) Karl Robinson and Robbie Keane who have worked tirelessly over the past few weeks. At this stage in my career I am not sure taking on this challenge, which is potentially a long-term project, is something I could commit to, but I wish the club every success for the future and hope the club returns to the Premier League, where they belong.
#LUFC and Sam Allardyce can confirm that both parties have mutually agreed for Sam’s spell at the club to end following the completion of the 2022/23 season
— Leeds United (@LUFC) June 2, 2023
Preamble
FA Cup finals weekend, the one that matters most. Or used to, though this one has plenty riding on it; trebles either side of the border. Though they are more common in Scotland, history and civic pride will be on the slab at Wembley. Less mouth-watering than mouth-drying, both Manchester clubs appear to have a sense of dread about them. City don’t want it to go wrong against United of all clubs; United don’t want their Treble of 1999 repeated by City. Oh, it’s going to be tense.
Beyond that, plenty of news about. Thanks to José Mourinho, mostly. Plus, in largely close-season there will ins and outs across the continent.
