Charlton co-owner Charlie Methven has demanded executives from Crystal Palace and West Ham “grow up” and accused the London clubs of stalling a deal between the Premier League and the EFL.
Monday’s shareholders’ meeting in London ended without an offer being made, with focus instead shifting to first overhauling the Premier League’s financial system to replace the current profitability and sustainability rules.
An element of the new system was agreed at the meeting, but a mooted six-year deal granting the EFL 14.75 per cent of net media revenue with the Premier League – projected to be worth in the region of £900million – was not voted on.
Methven told talkSPORT: “There are a few Premier League clubs that are holding the industry back and are driving the rest of the industry mad for only thinking of their own short-term, narrow self-interest. Frankly, everything else is just noise.
“It’s on record that Palace and West Ham are leaders of this King Canute-style movement. It’s not yet a matter of public record which clubs they’ve persuaded to be in their corner.
“If you speak to executives from other clubs in the Premier League, they are almost as frustrated as we are. They know because they see a bigger strategic vision of what will happen with the public regulator.
“(Palace and West Ham need to) grow up. Remember that these clubs, the clubs they run, were very recently Football League members and the fact that in a game of musical chairs they are in the seats they are currently at.
“It doesn’t mean that at some point their clubs won’t be back in the Football League.”
The PA news agency has contacted Palace, West Ham, Charlton and the Premier League for comment.
Methven is one of seven Charlton shareholders with more than a five per cent stake in the club, which was purchased by Global Football Partners’ UK subsidiary SE7 Partners in July 2023.
Some feared Monday’s meeting was the last chance for the leagues to come to a deal on their own before the football governance bill, which will effectively establish an independent regulator, is put through Parliament, although the timeline for this remains uncertain and could be compounded by a general election.
The Government has repeatedly said it wants the football authorities to agree a new financial settlement among themselves but has warned that one could be imposed upon them by ‘backstop’ powers set to be given to the new regulator.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chair of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, told PA on Tuesday: “The longer this deadlock goes on, the more the stated commitment from Premier League clubs to striking a deal with the rest of the pyramid looks like nothing more than an empty promise.”
The Premier League is looking at a system more closely aligned with the squad cost to revenue ratio contained within UEFA’s financial sustainability regulations.
Those regulations will eventually limit clubs participating in European competitions to only spend 70 per cent of revenue on the likes of transfer fees and player wages.
Methven added: “The situation is quite clear, it’s understood by the Football League that any deal would come with strings attached, the Championship likely to subscribe to a different cost control scheme.
“That was always understood and understood by the EFL that we would have swallow a few pills to get the deal done.”
A statement released by the Premier League after Monday’s meeting said its clubs “re-confirmed their commitment to securing a sustainably-funded financial agreement with the EFL, subject to the new financial system being formally approved by clubs”.
Philadelphia Union v Orlando City: Curtin looking for improvement amid tough run
Jim Curtin is calling for his Philadelphia Union side to improve ahead of the visit of Orlando City this weekend.
The Union are on a run of four games without a victory, needing to come from two goals behind to salvage a 2-2 draw away at D.C. United last weekend.
The poor run has left the Union eighth in the Eastern Conference, already 10 points behind leaders Inter Miami.
Curtin knows his side must get better ahead of back-to-back home games, telling reporters: "We still have a lot we can improve.
"We go back home for two games and we have to play with confidence. That's really when this group are at their best."
Orlando, meanwhile, are in the midst of their own underwhelming start, winning just two of their first 10 MLS games to leave them 14th in the East.
Oscar Pareja's men went down 1-0 at home to FC Cincinnati last weekend, and the Orlando head coach was disappointed with the performance and defeat.
"It's another frustrating night because of the result," Pareja said. "Obviously, at this point we are needing urgency to get points."
Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese added: "We’re trying to push a certain way instead of being ourselves. This team just has to fix that and try and be ourselves."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Daniel Gazdag
Gazdag has started the season impressively in front of goal, netting six times in nine matches to kick off the campaign. If Philadelphia are to get themselves back up towards the top of the East, Gazdag may be the man to fire them to it.
Orlando City – Duncan McGuire
Orlando have found it tricky in front of goal so far this term, and McGuire leads the team's scoring charts with four, double what any of his team-mates have managed. It will likely fall upon him to provide his team's main goal threat again on Saturday.
MATCH PREDICTION – PHILADELPHIA WIN
The Union have lost back-to-back home matches after losing just two of their previous 51 at Subaru Park in all competitions. Philadelphia have never suffered a three-match home losing streak in all competitions in club history.
Orlando faced just seven shots in the defeat to Cincinnati last weekend as they've conceded a league-low 9.7 shots per match this season. Opponents have converted a league-high 18.6% of their shots into goals against the Lions this season, however.
Orlando won 2-1 at the Union in the last meeting between the sides in Chester in March 2023, but the Lions have never avoided defeat in consecutive away matches against Philadelphia in all competitions and the Union look the favourites to earn the three points this weekend.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia: 54.2%
Orlando: 19.7%
Draw: 26.1%
Al-Akhdoud 2-3 Al-Nassr: Brozovic stunner delays Al-Hilal coronation
Marcelo Brozovic scored twice – including a fine half-volley in second-half stoppage time – as Al-Nassr beat Al-Akhdoud 3-2 to delay Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League title coronation on Thursday.
Former Inter midfielder Brozovic fired in a seventh-minute opener from outside the area before Cristiano Ronaldo tapped into an empty net to double the visitors' lead.
Sadio Mane struck the woodwork early in the second half and Al-Nassr relinquished control of the game from there, with goals from Hassan Al Habib and Saviour Godwin making it 2-2.
However, Brozovic blasted a bouncing ball home following a goalmouth scramble in the first of seven minutes of stoppage time to hand Al-Nassr a fifth straight win and keep them within nine points of Al-Hilal, with three games still to play.
They have only delayed the inevitable though as the leaders – who have only dropped four points all season – need just one more point to secure their crown ahead of facing Al-Hazm on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Brozovic upstages Ronaldo
While it's usually Ronaldo writing the headlines for Al-Nassr, he was upstaged by Brozovic on Thursday as the Croatian found the net with both of his shots, also leading all players on the pitch for final-third passes (19) and completing 90.1 per cent of his passes overall (81/95).
Al Ahli 1-2 Al Hilal: Malcom saves league leaders' winning streak
Malcom’s stunning solo goal finished Al Hilal’s second-half comeback to earn a 2-1 win over Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Monday.
The forward started his run from inside his own half before slotting in the winner, after teeing up Aleksandr Mitrovic for the equaliser just after the interval.
Feras Al Brikan had given Al Ahli the lead in the 30th minute, but the hosts could not hold onto it against the league leaders.
Al Hilal continue their unbeaten league campaign to a 30th match, moving 12 points clear at the top of the table, while Al Ahli remain in third, now 22 points off the AFC Champions League spot.
Data Debrief
Malcom was one of Al Hilal's most influential players; as well as playing a hand in both goals, he had the joint-most shots (five), and the joint-most shots on target (two), and created two chances for his team.
Al Ahli also struggled to cope with Mitrovic's threat, as the Serbian created an xG of 0.61 from his five shots, having 11 touches in the opposition box.
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