You might be wondering what Erling Haaland is doing with his World Cup break, as Norway didn’t qualify. Well, one club was hoping he would keep playing, for them, in order to keep him sharp and in mid-season form during the long layoff. Ashton United, a tiny club located in Greater Manchester but currently residing in the National League North, the second tier of the National League system and the sixth tier of the English football pyramid, have made their pitch.
Their manager Michael Clegg said, via an official club statement: “It just makes sense. City aren’t playing, and we want to help by keeping Erling fit, it makes more sense than him playing golf for six weeks.”
“We think he will be a great fit for us, and would slot in with our squad dynamic really well.”
Confirming that this is a joke press release/publicity stunt, the club statement says that they “are yet to receive any response from Manchester City.”
While it is a publicity grab, it’s a clever one, and I hope this sells some tickets for them.
The current capacity of their home ground is 4,500, of which just 250 is seated (in the Sid Sykes Stand) and only 750 is covered.
Elsewhere, moving on to players who are at the World Cup, NBC Sports, the Spanish language rights holder to the World Cup in America, via their Telemundo network, issued a World Cup individual player power rankings. It is 25 names long, and it has a very strong Man City presence.
Here is who made the cut.
3. Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium) 23. Phil Foden (England)
Beyond that, the “Next men up” section reads: Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Antony, Lisandro Martinez, William Saliba, Marquinhos, Thomas Muller, Memphis Depay, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan. Or three of the next ten names. Enjoy the World Cup everybody.
Paul M. Banks is the Owner/Manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly contributed to WGN News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.