This article was first published today in our bespoke Sports newsletter The Fixture. You can sign up in seconds to receive it straight to your inbox every weekday here.
A lot has happened since The Fixture was last with you.
Wimbledon produced memorable stories in both the men's and women's finals which brought first time winners at SW19 in the shape of Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova. While Alcaraz already had a US Open stashed in his grand slam trophy cabinet, the Czech was registering her maiden major win. There was a similar outcome a week later at The Open where Brian Harman strolled to victory at Royal Liverpool.
Some outcomes were entirely more predictable such as Australia retaining the Ashes – puncturing the much-salivated over Bazball in the process – and so, too, Scotland spurning their chance at World Cup qualification by snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in atypical fashion against the Netherlands. Max Verstappen added to the air of inevitability when he won his eight grand prix in succession in Belgium yesterday.
As a summer of sport heads towards its final month, it can mean only one thing: the return of the football season is upon us. There has, of course, been a taster for some familiar storylines from last season by virtue of the glorified pre-season friendly nature of the Viaplay Cup which starts so early these days that it has the distinct whiff of cocoa butter about it. In keeping with this summer of upsets there have been one or two in the early weeks of the football as well – although Hibernian's loss to Inter Escaldes in Andorra last midweek was more utterly predictable than major shock.
With the season starting in the middle of July, it's barely a surprise that the League Cup throws up a few curve balls every season. Meanwhile, there cannot be a St Johnstone supporter who is not gravely concerned by how the campaign has started under Steven MacLean. To harvest a mere three points from a group containing Ayr United, Alloa, Stenhousemuir and Stirling Albion is deeply concerning whether it's the early throes of the season or not. It is made to look all the more worrying when you consider that they face Hearts and Celtic in the opening three weeks of the league campaign. During a summer in which most of the sides around them have embarked on signing sprees, MacLean's transfer activity to date amounts to the sum total of two players: Dimitar Mitov, a goalkeeper who last played for Cambridge United, and free agent striker Luke Jephcott. There is no denying that Jephcott has a decent pedigree in England's lower leagues with 44 goals in 151 games for previous clubs Swindon Town and Plymouth Argyle. While that signing might go some way to resolving St Johnstone's problems in front of goal – they had the fifth worst record in the SPFL Premiership last season, scoring one goal more (41) than relegated Dundee United – they have done little to improve a porous defence that conceded 59 times, another record that was among the worst in the division and a fear backed up by the fact that they have conceded seven times in Viaplay Group A against apparently inferior opposition.
Perhaps MacLean might take solace from the fact that another Premiership outfit, Dundee, have also exited the competition early while Championship contenders Queen's Park and Dundee United have similarly fallen by the wayside. However, taken in isolation, there are far more convincing mitigating factors that can be attributed to their waygoing than can be offered for the team from McDiarmid Park.
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