Gm football fans. Route One here.

It’s the international break and we know you’re bored shitless.

Small talk in the office is going to be at a minimal so brace yourself for awkward silences. Or, even worse, deathly stares from your Scottish colleague ahead of today’s fixture.

Anyway, it’s my first day back from Portugal after a week’s trip with my girlfriend and her mates. That’s a first time for me, and let me tell you, certainly the last.

I didn’t mind it so much because it was the international break. And, let’s face it, no one cares about international football (unless it’s the WC or Euros - Copa America, meh). But, still, I’d rather watch Japan thrash the Germans 4-1 than listen to what my gf’s mates do for a living.

It’s not all bad, however. I’m pleased that more and more of you are reading Route One everyday - so THANK YOU for tuning in. This is your daily retreat so we want to make sure to include everything that you want to read.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for shoutouts, requests for news sections, and anything else related to Route One Soccer. We reply to everything.

Our direct email is [email protected].

Let’s get into it, shall we.

Today’s newsletter includes:

• 🫣 Sancho final ‘showdown talks’ with Ten Hag - a perfect deflection?

• 💉 Pogba tests positive

• 🔁 Spurs, Liverpool + City future transfer targets

• 📈 FPL price risers and fallers + Injuries

International fixtures at a glance:

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 : Scotland host England today at 7.45 BST in a friendly to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever international football match. The game will be on Channel 4. Ramsdale, Wilson and Eze will be hoping for some minutes after failing to get off the bench in Poland.

  • Scotland to win: 16/5

  • Draw: 13/5

  • England to win: 4/5

• 🇩🇪 vs 🇫🇷: Germany welcome France for a friendly following the departure of Hansi Flick after their 4-1 home defeat to Japan at the weekend. Pascal Gross could be issued his first international start against the French side.

  • Germany to win: 21/10

  • Draw: 27/10

  • France to win: 5/4

TOP NEWS

Sancho ‘showdown’, the perfect deflection from Antony claims

Man United’s PR team must dread international breaks. Remember that Piers Morgan interview with Cristiano just before the break?

Now, Sancho and Antony are in the firing line.

What’s happening?

Jadon Sancho and Ten Hag are set to have a final ‘showdown talk’ today (Monday) amid uncertainty around his future at the club, according to The Telegraph.

United’s manager was left ‘deeply unimpressed’ by Sancho’s performances in training and left him out of the squad against Arsenal.

Sancho posted a different perspective on social media, claiming that he was used as a ‘scapegoat’ and that there are ‘other reasons’ for Ten Hag leaving him out of the squad.

Ok, so the first thing I want to touch on is Sancho’s post on X (Twitter). Why does it read like a 7 year old has written it? He obviously didn’t write this himself so his PR team must be trying to make the post authentic.

Footballer’s social media posts all follow the same structure: throw a tantrum, mix it with generic football lines (‘I will continue to fight for this badge’) and an air of vagueness. Viola. You have yourself a shitty post that doesn’t offer the fans anything of value.

Oh, boo-hoo, you’ve had a disagreement with your boss. Don’t we all. Get over it and live in the real world.

Heck, imagine waking up to your colleague posting something like this on social media. It would be baffling. Yet, footballers get a free pass to cry whenever something doesn’t go their way.

But that concept must be difficult to accept when you’re earning hundreds of thousands each week.

Look, I agree that Sancho should have at least made the bench against Arsenal. But, still, it’s the bosses decision on whether you’ve been performing well or not in training. It’s his job that’s on the line.

While we all know that Sancho has potential (remember, he’s still only 23), he hasn’t delivered for United so far. 15 goal contributions in 58 league matches is average at best.

It’s also hard to believe that Ten Hag has a personal vendetta against him. He went the extra mile to give Sancho time off last season to work on his physical and mental to recover his best form and confidence.

Verdict

A dressing room bust-up is far less scandalous than allegations of assault, which United’s Antony has been accused of (link).

Either story isn’t a good look. But, as a publicly traded company, United would prefer that the Sancho story takes the column inches.

It seems the perfect time for a story like this - which, in all honesty, isn’t that big of deal - to make the headlines.

Still, tbh, it didn’t make much difference. After reports that the Glazers were going to take the club off the market, United suffered its worst day ever on Tuesday last week.

£600 million was wiped off the market value as the share price closed at $23.66, dropping to as low as $18.83, and closing at $19.35. This was the biggest sell-off since United went public in 2012.

Regardless, it’s clear that Sancho wants out at United. He probably doesn’t want the pressure of playing for United, and the idea of bagging goals for fun elsewhere is looking attractive.

As we now know, throwing a tantrum on social media is the best way to get what you want. And, in this case, it’s likely going to be a big money move to another European league.

Or, even better for Sancho, Saudi. Zero pressure and a shit ton of cash. Ahhhh, the good life. Who can blame him?

CLIPS TO WATCH

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Inside training with the England lads. Perhaps the only good thing about the international break. Bellingham’s two touch is surprisingly shocking… (YouTube)

• 9️⃣ Saturday Social’s PL No. 9 tier list. Haaland is put in his own category (not surprising). Also, I know Specs is trolling (I think, anyway) but it makes for an awkward watch. (YouTube)

• 🧤 Satisfying goalkeeper training for Ramsdale, Pickford and Johnstones. Some might see this as a sort of ASMR… (YouTube)

EUROPEAN NEWS

👎 Hansi Flick sacked by Germany…

Flick wouldn’t have rested easy after being the first German boss to be sacked since the role was created in 1926.

Why was he sacked? The Germans had lost 4 of their past 5 games. Under Flick, the national team won only 12 of 25 matches since replacing Joachim Low in August 2021.

Who’s going to replace him? There are claims from BILD that Julian Nagelsmann may replace him as the long-term successor. Nagelsmann is technically out of work but he is still contracted with Bayern Munich, meaning that the German side could demand around €10-15 million in compensation.

Jurgen Klopp is also named as a potential successor.

🥴 Spanish football chief resigns

About time…

I didn’t want to give this one too much attention in today’s newsletter, but it’s hard to ignore.

What’s happened? After prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against Luis Rubiales, he has resigned.

The criminal complaint followed his alleged sexual assault for kissing a female player at the World Cup.

This follows his angry speech after the WC final in which he said “I will not resign”…

Hmmm 🫣

💉Pogba tests positive for testosterone

Italian newspaper Gazzetta reported yesterday that Pogba tested positive for testosterone after Juve’s match against Udinese.

While tests will be ongoing, Pogba may now face up to 4 years of disqualification. As of now, he has been provisionally suspended.

It’s nice to see Pogba still connecting with his old teammates at United by upholding their ‘bad boy’ reputation. You can take the boy out of United, but you can’t take the United out of the boy…

LEADING HEADLINES

All you need to know

✌🏼Nicholas Pepe - once Arsenal’s club-record signing - has left the club after his contract was terminated. It has been reported that Pepe will sign for Turkish side, Trabzonspor. Is this bad business from Arsenal or necessary for their changing room? More here.

🤝🏼 Walking slowly towards international retirement. Gareth Southgate claims that he has talked Kyle Walker out of international retirement not once, but twice! Southgate said:

🕵🏼 Transfer gossip:

Liverpool and Man City are interested in West Ham defender, Nayef Aguerd, next summer. More here.

Spurs lead the race to sign 16-year-old Croatian Luka Vuskovic - the teen would not join the slide until the summer of 2025. More here.

FANTASY PREMIER FOOTBALL

10 + 11 September Price Changes

Risers 📈💸

• Matty Cash (Aston Villa) - £4.7m

• Pape Sarr (Spurs) - £4.6m

• Bernd Leno (Fulham) - £4.6m

Fallers 📉

• Gabriel Osho (Luton) - £4.4m

• Luke Shaw (Man Utd) - £5.3m

• Yasser Larouci (Sheff Utd) - £4.3m

• Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle) - £5.8m

• Ryan Sessegnon (Spurs) - £4.4m

First Double Gameweek Confirmed - Luton + Burnley

After a fixture rescheduling on Thursday, Luton’s home game with Burnley is being rescheduled for Tuesday 3 October.

In Gameweek 7, both teams will play two games. Luton will visit Everton. Burnley will travel to Newcastle the weekend beforehand.

Both clubs have lost their opening three matches so it’s safe to say this won’t impact FPL manager’s decisions too much.

🤕 Injury updates

• Alexander-Arnold (Hamstring)

• Anderson (Knock)

• Ferguson (Knee)

• Grealish (Thigh)

• Konate (Hamstring)

• Udogie (Fever)

More about our FPL choices in tomorrow’s newsletter…

MEMES 😂

Two weeks of international break… ⏳

BIG-GAME PLAYER

The puzzle section

Route One trivia:

1. Which club did Jürgen Klopp manage before joining Liverpool?

2. Who scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history?

3. Which team has the most yellow cards in Premier League history?

Answers will be revealed in tomorrow’s newsletter.

Thank you for reading Route One. Feel free to email any feedback or share any insights with us on [email protected].