Karren Brady: We can’t even put Andre Ayew’s injury down to the curse of the Boleyn any more now we’ve moved
New signing faces up to four months on the sidelines with a thigh injury having just joined West Ham
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 13
FIRST day of the season and Premier League champs Leicester give notice they aren’t going to stun us again by losing to Hull, Poundland’s answer to the league’s soaring wealth.
So, early bad news for the chap who put a fiver on Leicester at 5,000/1 to win the title last season and decided to bet a small fraction of the proceeds on Foxes to repeat their triumph plus the Champions League and the FA Cup with the same odds.
I’m happy to double those odds if he sends £5 — with all winnings going to Gamblers Anonymous.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 14
MANCHESTER UNITED are without suspended Paul Pogba at Bournemouth so the last picture I’ve seen of him is in a swimming pool with his agent, Mino Raiola, which in the view of some clubs is like sharing a bath with a shark.
But who’s laughing longest? The chubby wheeler-dealer is said to be £20m richer by being Pogba’s agent. Mario Balotelli is another of Raiola’s clients but the one-time waiter’s genius for finding clubs with money to burn has not found anyone sufficiently credulous to take him off Liverpool’s hands.
MONDAY, AUGUST 15
I’M refused entry at London Stadium — I forgot my pass.
The office is ten steps away but by the time my PA arrives with it the security man is on the radio.
He says: “I’ve got some woman without a pass, where do I send her?”
My PA says: “Actually her name is Baroness Brady.”
The officer adds: “And she says her name is Bra-less Brady?” Without hesitation, they open the gate!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16
SLAVEN BILIC is only mildly critical of the ref’s decision last night not to send off Diego Costa after a shin-high lunge at Adrian.
But when I see it again today, followed immediately by Costa’s 89th-minute goal that wins three points for Chelsea, I feel angry and cheated.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17
FOOTBALL owes a lot to Joao Havelange, some of it good, some appalling.
President of Fifa for 24 years, the hard-faced Brazilian who has just died was a visionary and a crook.
The downfall of his Fifa successor Sepp Blatter was closely linked to a £50million payment to Havelange that he allegedly knew all about. He can take none of it with him.
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18
NOT so much a red carpet for our visit to Astra Giurgiu, more Carry On Up the Danube.
After a six-hour journey to the Romanian town, our party are taken to seats in a stand next to a toilet.
Behind the seats is a wonky table on which is a bottle of orange fizzy pop (but no glasses), popcorn and a plate of nuts.
We never meet an Astra board member. Our fans are in a cage surrounded by men in high vis jackets.
The team draw the Europa League qualifier and six hours later we are home. I’ll not forget Astra.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19
WE have no luck with newly-signed strikers.
I can’t put this down to the curse of the Boleyn because on Sunday our Premier League home becomes the magnificent London Stadium.
But we’ve lost Andre Ayew for four months having hardly kicked a ball for us. The PL is tough enough without having half a dozen key players in the medical room.
Away from the gloom, Sunday is an historic occasion as we play our opening PL game in our world-class stadium. A few early wins would help.