How not to release a book. How to release your manager after a dreadful start to the season. All this and a look back on another Premier League weekend. 11 subs added since the previous issue. Surging up the league table. Issue 45. Go.

In the previous issue I highlighted the pressure in which Premier League managers were under and although Vitor Pereira may not have been the man with the largest strain on his shoulders, the chances of him exiting Molinuex were increasing at quite a rate.

A rate that grew exponentially on Sunday morning and with Wolves’ miserable showing at Fulham the day before, the writing for the Portuguese coach was daubed firmly on the wall.

Two points from the last 30 on offer, no league win in 14 attempts when also looking back at the end of last season, the Vitor Pereira era comes to an end after just 11 months in the West Midlands.

Admittedly, the 57-year-old achieved what was asked of him last season - staying in the Premier League but asking him to do the same with a squad which is lesser in quality, is seemingly to big an ask.

No more trips to Wetherspoons after overseeing a Wolves win, now super-agent Jorge Mendes will have to dip back into his little black book and see which of his contacts fancies at least a six-month contract.

Six months or maybe more depending on who Pereira’s replacement turns out to be and although it was set to be the return of Gary O’Neil at the start of Monday, this is no longer the case by the end of it.

In a similar mould to Steven Gerrard and return to Rangers, O’Neil has decided that going back to familiar surroundings may not be the best move right now - especially with Wolves being in the state that they are in.

Eight defeats from 10 in the Premier League and eight points off the pace in terms of survival, the next appointment may be more akin to succession planning for life in the Championship.

Which is where someone such as Michael Carrick may end up being a good fit for the club. Plenty of experience of managing in the second tier, albeit next to little in the top - bar caretaker duties at Manchester United in 2021, an appointment with next season in mind perhaps?

Then again, the name at the top of the betting lists at present is current Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards. He has a strong Wolves connection but you have to ask yourself whether that is strong enough to leave a ‘Boro side in such a strong position themselves.

The trajectory of the two clubs are at polar opposites right now. It would be tempting to be the local hero in an unlikely survival bid but surely it is more tempting to lead Middlesbrough back to the Premier League for the first time in nearly a decade.

With that all said, it could be another Portuguese coach that slots in at Molineux and continues the status woe.

Is Carlos Carvalhal up to anything these day

Without stating the obvious here, when you release an autobiography you talk about yourself and pull back the curtain of your life in great detail.

If I was Mary Earps, I would probably stop taking about myself in great detail.

An image that is already perceived as rather sulky due to the timing of her international retirement, the European Championship winner has now doubled down on that image before the launch of her autobiography.

Talking about a misalligment of values in the England camps (what does even mean?)

Talking about Hannah Hampton but not really revealing why they do not get on.

Saying “no bad blood” over and over which usually equates to a person saying “I don’t mean to offend you but…”

It is just an absolute car crash in PR. Either Earps has not used a PR team in the first place, needs a new one or has completely ignored any of their advice.

In a bid to paint herself in a good light and attempt to redeem herself after the murky international retirement, she has done the exact opposite.

There are goalkeeping blunders, there are PR blunders. This is a huge PR blunder by a goalkeeper.

A look at the main stories from last weekend’s Premier League action. Get yourself some Tuesday night takeaway.

Danny Welbeck for England. Get him on the plane. I am deadly serious. Six goals already this season in Premier League seven starts, a goal every 100 minutes or so at present for the Seagulls since the start of the campaign. Pick players on form and you would have to put the former Manchester United and Arsenal forward in your World Cup squad.

Another goal on Saturday at the expense of Leeds who were second best throughout on Saturday. Leeds’ poor away form being absorbed by positive results at home, it is a dangerous combination - albeit one that is keeping them outside of the bottom three for now but if West Ham and Nottingham Forest can both turn a corner, it is not sustainable either.

Burnley the latest team to be put to the sword by Arsenal and once again, it was a game where the Gunners have nothing away defensively. Not a slight on the Clarets as far better teams have drawn blanks against Mikel Arteta’s men since August, it is just a measure of where the Premier League is these days.

A potential banana skin disposed with ease after goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice at Turf Moor. A drama free weekend before Champions League action in midweek. At what point do we discuss Arsenal’s European credentials this season - do they have enough for success on both fronts.

A positive week for Crystal Palace after a pair of indifferent results, after getting the better of Liverpool’s reserves in midweek, Oliver Glasner’s men then followed up with a rather routine win at home to Brentford on Saturday. They may sit ninth in the table at present but the margin between second and themselves in just three points.

Palace in the group of teams that are eyeing up European football, Brentford in the pack below where midtable positioning is not something to turn your nose up at. An off day for Keith Andrews side when making the short trip across the capital, they will however fancy their chances at home to Newcastle this weekend.

A really important win for Fulham over Wolves on Saturday. Had they failed to earn maximum points against such hapless opposition, questions would have also been asked about Marco Silva’s length of tenure. Breathing space for now but his players have to use Saturday’s 3-0 win as some form of springboard.

Had Wolves not been so shambolic at Craven Cottage, then maybe Vitor Pereira would have been given further opportunity to turn it around but when you add that desperately poor performance to the optic of fan arguments less than seven days before, you know that a manager has hit the end of the road.

A lot of talk regarding corners and Nottingham Forest these past couple of weeks - for good reason it must be said. Nobody seemingly able to work out if a ball has gone out for a corner or not, surely the technology is there to make these decisions. Are these the decisions where we want technology to step in? That is arguably the bigger question in all of this.

No question that Manchester United will be smarting after failing to make it four league wins in a row. In fairness, this current Red Devils crop would have failed to turn up just a couple of months ago, so there is progress in that sense. The chap who was looking to get his haircut next weekend, will not be turning up at a barbers anytime soon. Back to 0 you go.

Tottenham’s attacking performance was nothing short of abject on Saturday evening. An xG of 0.05 recorded against Chelsea, Thomas Frank’s men could have played until Sunday afternoon and still not troubled Robert Sanchez in the opposition goal. The boos ringing out for the current Spurs manager but surely its too early to be talking change again.

As for Chelsea, the feeling of a win in N17 is always considered sweet - even more so when you do not have to break a sweat. A gift wrapped goal in the first half after calamity in the Tottenham box. Joao Pedro will probably not score an easier finish in his time at Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately, this was just another win for the Blues in this London derby.

Liverpool are not the talking point of the weekend. Why? Because they won a Premier League game. Arne Slot’s chucking of the Carabao Cup days before paying dividends with a routine win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday night. A first league success in five attempts but is the damage already done? Sunday’s trip to Manchester City may tell us all we need to know.

As for Aston Villa, a really sloppy performance by their own standards. On a night of gift wrapped goals, Mohamed Salah’s return to the scoresheet could not have been any simpler after Emi Martinez’ howler in the first half. Had Morgan Rogers netted early on and made Liverpool sweat, it could have been a fifth straight loss for the hosts and a fifth straight win for the visitors.

A hugely important win for West Ham on Sunday afternoon. Not one that moves the East London outfit outside of the bottom three but at least with Burnley losing the day before, it erodes the gap between the two teams. Arguably the Hammers’ best showing of the season so far - then again the sample of performance has not been all that great to start with.

If Newcastle could play at home every week, they would be in a far stronger position right now. Unfortunately, Eddie Howe’s men cannot play at home every week. More woe on the road and for every success at St James’ where the mantra suggests Alexander Isak is not needed, they need him and a lot more when playing outside of Tyneside. Another step forward but another step backwards for the Magpies.

What is going to win this season’s Premier League? Arsenal’s defence or Manchester City’s attack? The likelihood is the former but the latter are going to crush opponents in their bid to return silverware to the Etihad. Erling Haaland netting another two after a midweek absence, Bournemouth’s high line was so inviting that two could and should have been at least three.

Bournemouth conceding three in total on Sunday but in fairness to Andoni Iraola’s men, Tyler Adams’ first half equaliser did make City sweat for a small period of the game. Much has been made of the Cherries’ new look defence and maybe more needs to be made of how leaky it is. Conceding 14 goals this season is damaging, the damage lessened by scoring 17 at the other end,

Granit Xhaka as the signing of the summer? From a Sunderland perspective, definitely. From a Premier League perspective, you would have to say possibly. A statement that sounds less outlandish with everything positive that the Swiss international offers to the Black Cats.

His positive contribution foiled Everton’s bid for a return to winning ways on a night when manager David Moyes made his return to the Stadium of Light. The Toffees perhaps another club in that dangerous pocket where they could slip towards the bottom three without anyone really noticing. Sitting 14th is not a status that exudes comfort right now.

Only one Premier League game on Boxing Day this season. Obviously a break from tradition but in all honesty, is it really as bad as everyone is making it out to be?

With Boxing Day on the Friday, the clash between Manchester United and Newcastle is just the de facto Friday night football fixture with a normal weekend schedule to follow. Surely this is more a quirk of the calendar itself rather than the Premier League playing the role of grinch?

Which also ties neatly into the next talking point and this is the scheduling of Arsenal and Crystal Palace’s Carabao Cup quarter-final tie.

Arsenal are due to host Palace in the last eight at Emirates Stadium on 23 December two days after the respective clubs make away trips to Everton and Leeds in the Premier League.

Not ideal in the slightest and the scheduling largely undermines the EFL Cup as a throwaway game. I guess this was always going to be the case when teams in Europe then face each other at this stage of the competition.

If you are going to blame anyone, blame UEFA.

Spain beat England in the Women’s World Cup final in 2023, England got their revenge in the European Championships just a few months ago.

They will now face each other in 2027 World Cup qualification - I imagine both teams will qualify with ease but these are two brutally tough fixtures for either side. Imagine the same within the men’s game? Would never happen with all the protectionist seeding these days.

A fascinating Matchday of Champions League football on the midweek agenda. Trent’s return to Anfield. PSG vs Bayern Munich. Qarabag vs Chelsea (ok maybe not that one). Whisper it quietly, but I do really like this league phase of the competition.

Southampton sack Will Still on Sunday.

New Football Manager out today

Coincidence? Probably but perfect timing for him it must be said.

Right, that’s the end of issue 45 as word continues to spread around the football world.

If you liked issue 45, tell a friend and forward it on. If you didn’t like issue 45 please tell me why.

We have surged past 125 subs as the momentum continues at a huge pace. The road to 150 now begins, new squad members are always welcome.

Send your thoughts in, not only of the newsletter but of the game itself. It’s all about building a community you see. Have a great weekend.

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