The former England international was one of the heroes of Sir Bobby Robson's team in the 1970s.
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Thursday, October 31, 2024
Dwight McNeil injury update issued by Sean Dyche ahead of Everton vs Southampton
Everton boss Sean Dyche is hopeful that Dwight McNeil will be fit enough to feature in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Southampton.
McNeil has been a standout performer for the Toffees so far this season, deployed more centrally and registering three goals and three assists in nine league games.
The 24-year-old, however, was withdrawn in the closing stages of Everton’s 1-1 draw with Fulham and is now facing a race against time to be fully fit for their trip down to the South coast.
Asked about McNeil, who missed training on Thursday, Dyche told a press conference: ‘Dwight has got a chance. He’s done a bit of work with the physios today so we’re hopeful on him.’
Abdoulaye Doucoure was also withdrawn late at Goodison Park last weekend and is similarly a doubt with an unspecificed niggle.
‘Doucs had a situation but has been out on the grass today, so we’ll see how that reacts,’ the Everton boss said when asked about the central midfielder.
Elsewhere, Everton are still without James Garner and Tim Iroegbunam in the middle of the park and Youssef Chermiti up front but could soon be welcoming summer signing Armando Broja into the fray.
‘He’s working hard and his stats are good, but he’s still with the sports science team,’ Dyche said.
‘The crossover may start to occur next week where he starts to do the light stuff with us and then builds into a journey back to playing.
‘He’s been out a fair while so there will need to be some games in there as well.’
After losing their first four league games, Everton are now undefeated in their last five but Dyche still believes there is room for improvement, esepcially after their mixed display last time out.
‘I think that’s beginning to show with some of the performances,’ he said. ‘I think we were wide of our mark last time out [against Fulham], but we still got a valuable point.
‘I think the work the staff, the players and I put in [has helped] and I think it’s beginning to show signs again.
‘We’ve been through this before, where challenges come our way, and we get through it. I think that’s an important part of the fabric of what the Club has been over the past few years – and what it continues to be at this current time.
‘The team have had to show that, and I think we are showing that, once again.’
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Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Ben White and Gabriel injury updates from Mikel Arteta as they miss Arsenal’s trip to Preston
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that both Ben White and Gabriel missed Arsenal’s Carabao Cup clash with Preston on Wednesday due to injury.
Gabriel was forced out of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Sunday, replaced by Jakub Kiwior, due to an apparent knee injury.
Ahead of the trip to Preston on Wednesday, Arteta said of the Brazilian defender: ‘We are still assessing him. It doesn’t look bad at all. It was much better the next day. He has done some tests.’
However, he is not in the squad against the Championship side, with Arteta saying ahead of kick-off: ‘He could not train, obviously he’s out at the moment so let’s see how he evolves over the next few games.’
White played the full game against Liverpool on Sunday, but Arteta says he was suffering by the end of the match and could not be selected in midweek.
‘He was struggling at the end of the match so he wasn’t available for tonight’s game,’ the Spaniard said of the English defender.
There had been concerns over another defender in Jurrien Timber as he was substituted on Sunday, but the Dutchman starts at Preston so fears have been allayed.
Despite the absentees, Arteta has fielded a strong team including William Saliba, Mikel Merino, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.
However, there are starts for teenage goalkeeper Tommy Setford and midfielder Ethan Nwaneri.
On competing in the Carabao Cup, the Gunners boss said: ‘It is important because it keeps everyone alive.
‘It can help you maintain the winning habit which is really, really important. You show that you care about every competition regardless of what you play.
‘You have to compete for every match you are in or you are out. The margins are so small and we face a tough opponent.’
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Ivan Toney sends message to Cristiano Ronaldo over Saudi Pro League rivalry
Ivan Toney says he is not in Saudi Arabia to idolise Cristiano Ronaldo but to beat him, as he eyes up a goal-scoring haul with Al Ahli.
The England international moved to the Saudi Pro League from Brentford over the summer, joining the likes of Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Edouard Mendy at Al Ahli.
It has not been a brilliant start to the season for Toney’s team, with just three wins from their first eight league games, with the Englishman netting three goals in six league appearances.
He is aiming big, though, and intends to get the better of Al Nassr’s Ronaldo in terms of goal-scoring and in the league table.
‘I always set targets for myself and hopefully I can hit them,’ Toney told talkSPORT. ‘I know you’re probably going to ask me what my target is but it doesn’t come out. It only comes out when I hit it come the end of the season.
‘So, hopefully I can keep playing well and score goals to help the team and help to win the games.’
On Ronaldo, he said: ‘I don’t watch what other people are doing. Obviously we know Ronaldo is a top player but I’ll concentrate on myself and do what I can do best.
‘It’s all good coming up against these players, but we’re not here to idolise them, we’re here to beat them.’
Ronaldo’s 35 goals in the Saudi Pro League set the standard last season, while Al Hilal’s Aleksandar Mitrovic is leading the way this campaign with 10 goals in just eight appearances already.
Toney hopes that his performances in Saudi Arabia will keep him in contention for forthcoming England squads, saying that he has not been told he will not be selected for the Three Lions since leaving the Premier League.
‘I’m only in control of what I can do on the pitch,’ he said. ‘If that’s the case, that they see me coming here is damaging my chances, then I can’t really change that.
‘But, all I can do is focus on myself and play well, and who knows what can happen.’
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Barcelona defender names Chelsea star as one of his toughest opponents
Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde has named Chelsea star Noni Madueke as one of the toughest opponents he’s faced across his entire career to date.
The 21-year-old Barca left-back, capped seven times by Spain, locked horns with Madueke in his youth football days and insists the winger is a ‘good player’.
England international Madueke has impressed for the Blues under Enzo Maresca this term, conjuring up five goals across 10 games in all competitions.
The west Londoners signed Madueke on a seven-and-a-half-year contract in January 2023, with Chelsea paying Dutch club PSV Eindhoven around £28.5m.
The 22-year-old has made a total of 56 appearances for Chelsea to date, with Madueke scoring 14 times and providing three assists over that time frame.
‘Another could be when I was in youth football against Madueke, who’s at Chelsea now,’ Balde told ESPN when asked to reveal his toughest opponents.
‘He’s a good player, I think he was at PSV then, it was another good game.’
Speaking in September, football pundit Jamie O’Hara tipped Madueke to start challenging Arsenal star Bukayo Saka for his spot in England’s first-choice XI.
‘He’s really stepped it up this season, and I like the way he’s so direct, always wanting the ball and making things happen,’ O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport.
‘I think Madueke could be a real game-changer for England, and I’d go as far as to say he could challenge Bukayo Saka for a starting spot!’
After Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Newcastle United in their last Premier League match, Alan Smith declared that Madueke was now an ‘automatic pick’ for the Blues.
‘Madueke, almost an automatic pick these days,’ the Arsenal legend said on Sky Sports.
‘He’s got the confidence, the trust of his manager and he’s shown a consistency of performance.’
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You can't please everyone - Klopp defends Red Bull role
Jurgen Klopp defends his decision to become head of global soccer at Red Bull and says it was difficult to take a job where "everyone is happy".
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Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Ex-Liverpool star speaks out on Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk possibly joining him in Saudi
Fabinho is not able to shed much light on rumours linking Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk with moves to Suadi Arabia, but did say that Liverpool are ‘desperate’ for them to sign new contracts with the club.
Salah, Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract with the Reds at the end of the current season, leaving the club in a pretty dangerous position.
All three have been integral to the period of success at Anfield over recent years and for all three to leave at the same time would be an extremely difficult loss for the team to deal with.
It would also be a blow to the club’s money men as the three superstars leaving on free transfers would not seem like good business on Merseyside.
Alexander-Arnold has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, but the older two of the trio have been touted as possible signings in the Saudi Pro League.
Fabinho left Liverpool for Al-Ittihad in 2023 and was asked about the possibility of his former teammates joining him in Saudi.
The Brazilian’s response may encourage Liverpool fans as he seemingly knew little about the possibility and suggested the Reds are doing everything they can to keep their star players.
‘I haven’t talked to them lately and to be honest I didn’t see any news about them coming to the Saudi League or leaving Liverpool,’ Fabinho said, via FourFourTwo.
‘I know that some players like Mo, Virgil and Trent are at the end of their contract, and I think Liverpool are desperate to get them a new contract, but it’s not my problem any more!’
There has not been a great deal coming out of Liverpool on how the contract situations are progressing, although Van Dijk did confirm that talks are ongoing between him and the club.
‘I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know, we will see what happens in the future,’ he said after Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday 20 October.
‘My very full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. I feel very good, physically, mentally and I am having fun.
‘What the future brings I have no idea at the moment, but discussions are ongoing with the right people and when it’s time to make a decision or whatever, I think you guys will know it as well.
‘But now full commitment and focus is on Liverpool and to be successful this season. So we will see.’
Speaking last month, Alexander-Arnold did not sound like he was ready to confirm a decision and said his main focus is to win trophies.
‘I have always said I want to captain the club. That is a goal of mine, whether that happens is out of my hands,’ he said. ‘I want to be a Liverpool player this season [as a minimum] is what I will say.
‘The most important thing is always trophies. I want to win trophies. We were close to the title last season and we got a cup. The [quadruple] was on for a while I suppose.
‘This season we are looking really good, it is still early days, but we need a lot of consistency. It will be difficult but we are looking to win as many trophies as we can.’
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Fifpro partners Uefa to 'secure stronger player voice'
Players' union Fifpro agrees a partnership with Uefa which will "secure a stronger voice for players", the organisation's president David Terrier has said.
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Monday, October 28, 2024
Man Utd in Amorim talks as Ten Hag successor sought
Manchester United are in talks about appointing Sporting coach Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag's replacement.
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Wales 'ready to put things right' in Euro 2025 bid
Angharad James says Wales are "ready to put things right" in their play-off semi-final second leg against Slovakia as they look to keep their Euro 2025 hopes alive.
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Enzo Maresca’s priceless reaction as Chelsea are fined £115,000 after setting unwanted Premier League record
Chelsea have been fined a whopping £115,000 by the Football Association due to their ill discipline on the pitch in recent weeks.
But manager Enzo Maresca has seen the lighter side of things, saying that as he won’t be the one paying, the fine is ‘not my problem!’
The Blues have been racking up yellow cards like crazy, an issue that began under previous boss Mauricio Pochettino, with their 105 bookings last season setting a Premier League record.
They have carried on this campaign under Maresca, with 36 yellow cards in just nine game so far – seven more than Southampton and Wolves next on the list.
As per FA rules, if a team gets six or more yellow cards in a single match they receive a £25,000 fine. Chelsea have now become the first team to pull off this feat three times in a single season.
The mass bookings came in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth, the 1-1 draw with Notthinham Forest and Sunday’s 2-1 win over Newcastle.
Adding to that £75,000, the Blues have also been fined £40,000 for their part in the mass brawl that broke out during the Forest draw earlier in October.
The melee began when Neco Williams pushed Marc Cucurella into Maresca, with Forest themselves fined £125,000 for failing to control their players.
After that match, Maresca was informed of the fines that Chelsea could face, but gave a humorous response and insisted his team did not have a discipline problem.
‘I’m not going to pay, it’s not my problem!’ the manager said in his post-match press conference.
‘These kinds of things can happen. Then in terms of emotion or these kind of things the team is fighting altogether and I don’t think some of them lose their heads. I think they all of them were in the game and I was happy with that.
‘It [discipline] is something we need to improve but overall, I like the team the way they are fighting. I like the way they are becoming a team in these kinds of things. I don’t see any problems about that.’
Chelsea will be hoping for a less chaotic game when they face Newcastle again on Wednesday, this time in the Carabao Cup.
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Sunday, October 27, 2024
Maresca praises Chelsea's 'complete performance' in Newcastle win
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca praises his side's "complete performance" in their 2-1 win against Newcastle in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
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Saturday, October 26, 2024
Sutton's predictions v rapper & Man Utd fan Nemzzz
BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton takes on rapper Nemzzz with his predictions for this weekend's Premier League fixtures.
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Friday, October 25, 2024
Wales means everything to Fishlock – James
Wales captain Angharad James says the Wales squad are excited to have record goalscorer Jess Fishlock back after injury.
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Thursday, October 24, 2024
Ex-Morocco and Marseille midfielder Barrada dies aged 35
Former Morocco and Marseille midfielder Abdelaziz Barrada dies aged 35.
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'We conceded really stupid goals' - Larne boss Lynch
Larne boss Tiernan Lynch says he is disappointed and frustrated after watching his team slip to a 4-1 defeat by Shamrock Rovers in the Uefa Conference League game at Windsor Park.
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‘Is he happy?’ – Glenn Hoddle warns Chelsea that Christopher Nkunku could ask to leave
Glenn Hoddle has questioned if Christopher Nkunku is ‘happy’ at Chelsea and believes he is one of several Stamford Bridge players who could ask to leave the club in January.
Chelsea spent £52m to sign Nkunku from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 but the France international has only made 26 appearances for the Blues due to injury issues.
Much was expected of Nkunku following his impressive spell in Germany, with the 26-year-old scoring 58 goals across his final two seasons at Leipzig.
Nkunku netted three goals in 14 games in his first season at Stamford Bridge and spent much of the campaign in the treatment room.
The Frenchman appears to be over those fitness problems but is still struggling for game-time under Enzo Maresca, only starting one league game so far this season.
Nkunku has often featured from the bench, however, and has impressed in cup competitions, scoring a hat-trick against League Two side Barrow last month.
He was handed another start on Thursday night in Chelsea’s Europa Conference League clash against Panathinaikos as Maresca opted to rest his first-choice striker this season, Nicolas Jackson.
Jackson was criticised for his wayward finishing last season but looks an improved player this term, already contributing five goals in the Premier League.
Hoddle believes Nkunku would be ‘more clinical’ than Jackson if offered the same opportunities and has suggested the French forward may look to leave if his game-time continues to be limited.
Speaking on TNT Sports ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Panathinaikos, Hoddle said of Nkunku: ‘The injuries are obviously there, he knows he’s not quite at his sharpest yet.
‘When I look at Chelsea’s forwards, I think Nkunku would be more clinical than Nicolas Jackson if he had the same time on the pitch and had his chances so far this season.
‘Jackson is obviously improving and getting more confident, he has the manager’s faith and backing right now.
‘Whether Nkunku is going to be happy… he might be one that will think he needs to leave come January if this is still happening.’
Ex-Chelsea forward Eni Aluko, meanwhile, said she was a ‘big fan’ of Nkunku and backed him to challenge Jackson for a place in the team.
‘I like him a lot,’ she said. ‘He’s a threat, he’s an intelligent player and he can play in a few different positions.
‘He’s really sharp but he’s been unfortunate because he hasn’t got into a groove because of those injuries.
‘But I think he can really compete for that No. 9 spot with Nicolas Jackson. I’m a big fan, I really like him.’
Nkunku has been tentatively linked with a move to former club Paris Saint-Germain but played down the speculation in a recent interview.
‘PSG remains a big club, but there has not been one approach,’ Nkunku told French outlet Telefoot.
Chelsea proved too strong for Greek side Panathinaikos on Thursday, returning to west London with three points courtesy of an empathic 4-1 win.
Joao Felix scored twice, Mykhailo Mudryk bagged a rare goal and Nkunku also got on the scoresheet as Chelsea made it two wins from two in the Europa Conference League.
Assessing Chelsea’s performance, TNT Sports co-commentator Lucy Ward said: ‘It’s been a good night for Chelsea, lots of good performances, lots of goals, Mudryk has done really well.
‘Maresca is quite calm and measured. You can tell how the team plays that they’ve worked on that sort of movement and passing.
‘The only mark on it is not a clean sheet but I think Maresca will be happy with the performance from his squad, to embrace the challenge of the Conference League.
‘I think that’s so important to team moral, it just gets the competition going and a lot of players thrive from competition for places.
‘Maresca’s got it going with the split he’s got in the squad. They’ve got the capability to go deep into the knockouts in this competition.
‘It’s terrific for the fans if you can lift a European trophy, and then complete the set, no club’s ever done that.’
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Mancini leaves role as Saudi Arabia manager
Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini reaches a joint agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to end his contract as national team manager.
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Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Tuchel a 'great appointment' for England - Potter
Graham Potter welcomes new England head coach Thomas Tuchel as a "great appointment" but says home-grown bosses are "absolutely" good enough to win international trophies.
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Pep Guardiola called Arsenal star moments after winning the Champions League
Pep Guardiola personally called Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko moments after Manchester City won the Champions League in 2023.
The Gunners have been involved in tense Premier League title battles with City for the last two seasons in a row and there is a growing rivalry between the clubs.
Despite increasing tensions between City and Arsenal, though, Guardiola has always maintained a close relationship with his former player Zinchenko.
The 27-year-old Ukraine international joined Arsenal from City in 2022 and he has made 70 appearances for the north Londoners to date.
Zinchenko has now revealed that Guardiola made a personal phone call to him on the night that City clinched the Champions League to complete a historic treble.
‘I guess no one was sleeping that night,’ Zinchenko explained in his new book Believe.
‘But to get a call from Pep? I couldn’t believe it. He said, ‘Alex, you are a big part of this’ – I was fully surprised, in a good way.
‘I said to him, again, a massive thanks for everything he did for me. It shows how good-humoured he could be.’
Meanwhile, Zinchenko received praise from the Shakhtar Donetsk manager on Tuesday night, after he shared a touching moment with the club’s fans amid his country’s ongoing war with Russia.
The away end at the Emirates was awash with Ukraine flags and Zinchenko – who remained on the bench – had a heartwarming interaction with the Shakhtar fans after Arsenal’s 1-0 victory.
An emotional Zinchenko made a point of going over to the away supporters – the large majority of whom would be his compatriots – and applauded them for their support before giving his shirt to a fan.
Shakhtar boss Marino Pusic also revealed that Zinchenko went into the away dressing room after the match to listen to his speech.
‘Oleksandr [Zinchenko] was our guest in the changing room at the end of the game, he was listening to my speech to the players,’ Pusic said. ‘Great guy, we love him, and an amazing player of course.’
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Football Daily
Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by former QPR and Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth.
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Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Benitez praises 'fantastic' Jones performance for Liverpool
Watch as former Liverpool and Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez analyses Curtis Jones' match-winning performance during the Reds' 2-1 victory against the Londoners which kept them top of the Premier League table.
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Monday, October 21, 2024
EFL preview: Will Sunderland keep chasing pack at bay?
Preview of midweek matches in EFL Championship, League One and League Two.
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Former Chelsea star names dream signing for January transfer window
Former Chelsea star Glen Johnson has named his dream signing for the January transfer window, urging the Blues to bring in Lautaro Martinez.
Some pundits have argued the Blues cannot become genuine Premier League title challengers under Enzo Maresca until they recruit a ‘world-class’ striker.
Chelsea already have a number of talented forwards, including Nicolas Jackson, who has produced five goals and three assists in eight top-flight games this term.
Christopher Nkunku has also impressed for the west Londoners with seven goals across 12 games in all competitions so far this season.
In order to close the gap to the likes of Manchester City, though, Chelsea may need to add a superstar and Johnson feels Inter Milan’s Martinez is the perfect fit.
‘I would love to see Chelsea make a move for Lautaro Martinez at Inter Milan,’ Johnson told Genting Casino.
‘He’s a proper goalscorer. I’m sure there are loads of clubs that would love to sign him, not just Chelsea.
‘He’s one of those players who probably doesn’t get the respect that his talent deserves or doesn’t get a fuss made over his talent.
‘I don’t understand why that is because he’s got everything that you would look for in a striker. If I could pick anyone for Chelsea to sign, I’d pick him.’
Martinez has been at Inter Milan since 2018, conjuring up 133 goals and 46 assists across 291 games for the Italian side.
The 27-year-old has been capped 68 times by Argentina, helping them win the World Cup in Qatar as well as two Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.
Martinez was crowned Serie A Most Valuable Player for the 2023-24 season and also scooped the top scorer award with 24 goals in the Italian top-flight.
He has helped Inter Milan land two Serie A titles in 2020-21 and 2023-24 respectively.
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Sunday, October 20, 2024
Kane scores hat-trick as Bayern thrash Stuttgart
Watch the highlights as England striker Harry Kane scores another hat-trick in the Bundesliga as Bayern Munich thrash VfB Stuttgart.
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Arne Slot praises Curtis Jones for ‘controlling’ Chelsea star Cole Palmer in Liverpool victory
Arne Slot reserved special praise for Curtis Jones following Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea, highlighting how the midfielder had successfully kept Cole Palmer quiet at Anfield.
Mohamed Salah converted from the penalty spot to put hosts Liverpool in front in the 29th minute before Nicolas Jackson equalised within moments of the restart to silence the Merseyside crowd.
But Jones restored the Reds’ lead just three minutes later with a smart touch and finish past Robert Sanchez and Slot’s men held firm to secure maximum points.
Liverpool were denied two other possible penalties in what was a breathless encounter. Cody Gakpo also had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after Salah’s spot-kick.
The result saw Liverpool reclaim top spot in the Premier League after Manchester City’s dramatic win at Wolves earlier in the day, while Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea remain sixth.
‘I think everyone that saw the game knows that this wasn’t easy and I said before that Chelsea showed in the second half of last season how good a team they are,’ Slot told Sky Sports in his post-match interview.
‘They invested even more so, for us, it’s very good that we made a bit of a gap towards them because they will be, in my opinion, at the end of the season in and around the top of the Premier League.’
Jones was deservedly named man of the match for his all-action display and Slot felt the midfielder ‘controlled’ Chelsea’s danger-man, Palmer, with his performance.
‘He was very good. Very good individual performance. I think the whole team worked very hard,’ the Liverpool head coach added.
‘Curtis had a difficult job, he had to control Cole Palmer, which is not easy because this player has some quality.’
On Liverpool managing to keep Palmer quiet, Slot added: ‘It’s a team effort but Curtis was mostly responsible for that.
‘He did that really well and he added some really important moments to it.
‘He was two times involved in penalties and score the goal so he was, in both parts of the pitch, very important for us.’
Slot was booked after protesting several decisions that went against Liverpool in the match and the Dutchman was willing to admit that he ‘deserved’ to be shown a yellow card.
‘The booking came from the fact there were three or four decisions that didn’t go in our favour,’ he explained.
‘It was a handball… I don’t know if it was handball but everyone was screaming for it so I did as well!
‘Then there was the red card situation, then there was the penalty situation just afterwards, so there were a few things going against us and I think sometimes you cannot hold in your emotions and that’s what you saw with me as well. I deserved the yellow card, I have to put it like this.’
The former Feyenoord boss gave special mention to Liverpool’s support for helping the team get over the line against a spirited Chelsea.
‘The fans really stood up today, they helped us a lot and that probably comes from these big decisions because they’re just as biased as I am!’ he went on.
‘In the end it’s a good win against a very strong Chelsea.’
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Have Rangers regressed? If so, where does blame lie?
Manager Philippe Clement has been at Rangers for a year, so the obvious question is has progress been made in that time?
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Saturday, October 19, 2024
Fulham played nervous - Silva
Fulham manager Marco Silva says his team did not have their "best performance at all" as the home side conceded two own goals in their 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa in the Premier League at Craven Cottage.
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Friday, October 18, 2024
Callaghan and Vance left out of Northern Ireland squad
Marissa Callaghan and Demi Vance are not been included in Northern Ireland's squad for next week's Euro 2025 play-off with Croatia.
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Thursday, October 17, 2024
As Thomas Tuchel is named England manager, why solving identity crisis is the only answer to a national obsession
In my twenties I had a phase of choosing boyfriends in contradiction to what came before.
If one guy was a fun, party-loving extrovert he’d be replaced by a taciturn loner with a puzzle obsession. After the man who took responsibility for the trips for every friendship group came the one who could barely organise himself out of the house.
The FA seemingly endorse a similar approach in their own recruitment style. Eight years of anyone is a long time, so it’s perhaps understandable Gareth Southgate’s successor would be a reaction to what came before.
Thomas Tuchel is a Champions League winner, a man who has tactically outsmarted Pep Guardiola on the biggest stage, someone who fairly regularly fails when managing up and – as we have been groundbreakingly informed this week – a German.
While I was disappointed to realise some of the takes since Wednesday were not satirical, a few points of interest have surfaced. The first is the lack of a dense pool of English candidates for the top job.
Of those currently in their prime only Emma Hayes has regularly won trophies in both tournament and league. Given she is something even worse than a German, Hayes is not an option in 2024.
Comparison has been correctly drawn between the cost of Uefa licences in this country and abroad. In Spain, for instance, there are about ten times as many equivalently qualified coaches. Yes any retired top-level footballer will be easily able to pay the cost, but it is true to say that widening access widens the talent pathway.
And then there’s the obvious point that reactionary appointments expose. There is no English playing style into which new coaches fit. Watch the Spanish national football team – male and female – and you know their football heritage. Not so England. That makes the choice of direction more complex and explains the range of the names on the apparent shortlist for the England senior men’s coach.
Given she is something even worse than a German, Emma Hayes was not an option
The prominent placement of English assistant coach Anthony Barry on the unveiling was intended to show that this is not some destabilising operation run from the Reichstag. But the inclusion of an Englishman, excellent though he is by all accounts, doesn’t prove the presence of an ‘English’ football thread in the national set-up.
Funnily enough, and I’m going to shock you now, someone’s nationality isn’t proof of their thought processes. The ‘German’ business is important. The world war of eight decades ago still has a grip on the English psyche.
It is the historical period I was taught most about from primary school up (in addition to, for some reason, the Tudors). Our history and that of war is important, vital even. But the reason it lives on with such bombast in the English consciousness is because of the emphasis on winning. It props up our sense of ourselves as a successful nation despite much modern evidence to the contrary.
The discourse around Tuchel suggests England’s mentality so far as it can be broadly characterised is of an immature nation: desperate for praise, searching for new things to boast about and struggling with its place in the world. All the while failing to reconcile our damaged relationships with our neighbours and our – in many respects – past arrogant interactions.
Southgate managed to create a new sense of identity through the England men’s team. He went some way to harnessing the folklore and failings of our time through his words, his actions and the symbolism of his relationship with his players. Tuchel is an impressive speaker too, but can he speak to an English identity?
Well, given this appointment reacts to what came before, perhaps he won’t – and can’t – take on that remit. If he can lead this group of players to silverware, no one’s complaining. But perhaps just in the act of being German, a nationality that took a responsible approach to their own history, he can help us have the conversations that need having about this obsession.
In the national game, we need some stability while we find a style. Since the Rugby Football Union, among others, takes the same cyclical approach to recruitment as the FA, maybe the English style today is to ring the changes regularly. Even I gave up on that by my thirties. Time to grow up, England.
MORE : So what if the new England manager Thomas Tuchel is German?
MORE : Thomas Tuchel tactics, style of play and possible England formation
MORE : Thomas Tuchel makes promise to England fans as FA explain appointment
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You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker and Michael Brown react to Thomas Tuchel becoming England manager.
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Wednesday, October 16, 2024
'Pyrotechnics must stop' at Rangers games - chairman
Rangers interim chairman John Gilligan says the "use of pyrotechnics must stop" after the club were fined by Uefa.
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Tuesday, October 15, 2024
How futsal is stepping out of football's shadows
The sport hasn't always received the desired attention in England, but a new generation of players are aiming to change that.
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Monday, October 14, 2024
Wales not set up to qualify until Ludlow success
Jayne Ludlow has opened up on the problems she inherited when she was appointed head coach of Wales' women's side.
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Sunday, October 13, 2024
Van Dijk and Salah released from international duty
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk return to Liverpool after being released early from international duty.
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Saturday, October 12, 2024
Mikel Arteta was a ‘genuine candidate’ to replace Pep Guardiola at Man City
Manchester City have been looking at Pep Guardiola replacements for years, with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta previously a ‘genuine contender’ for the role.
That’s according to The Athletic, who report that City used to view Arteta as a potential option, even when he was ‘struggling slightly’ as Arsenal’s manager.
Since then, Arteta has transformed Arsenal into genuine Premier League title challengers, although they’ve narrowly missed out to City for the last two seasons.
There is no currently no indication that Arteta would swap Arsenal to take charge of City and the Spaniard is thought to be happy in his current role at the Emirates.
Arteta was working as Guardiola’s assistant when the Gunners decided to take a punt on him in 2019, brining him in as their head coach to replace Unai Emery.
The 42-year-old helped Arsenal clinch the FA Cup in 2020 – but they initially struggled in the Premier League under Arteta – finishing eighth in 2021.
After a fifth-placed finish the next season, Arsenal improved and challenged City for the top-flight title in 2022-23, eventually ending the campaign as runners-up.
Arsenal finished second again last term – pushing City even closer – and they are hoping their long wait to be crowned English champions will end in May 2025.
Guardiola, meanwhile, is out of contract at the end of the season, which has led to lots of speculation over who may come in to replace him at the Etihad.
However, it should be noted that Guardiola is yet to indicate whether he intends to extend his deal with City or leave.
Along with Arteta, Patrick Vieira was also previously seen as a managerial option for City when he was preforming well as head coach of Crystal Palace.
Arteta and Vieira are no longer in the running but there a number of other managers who City are actively considering.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso, Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou and former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi have all been linked to the role.
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I want to give this job my best shot - Carsley
England interim head coach Lee Carsley says he doesn't want to have "any regrets" at the end of his stint in charge of the national team.
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Chelsea star takes swipe at critics who ‘kept coming’ for him in difficult spell
Chelsea star Marc Cucurella has taken a swipe at the critics who ‘kept coming’ for him during his difficult spell when he first joined the club.
Cucurella endured a tough start at Stamford Bridge and was in danger of flopping after moving to the west London club in 2022 from Brighton in a £55m deal.
The 26-year-old faced lots of criticism from pundits, but has since turned his form around and has impressed this season under head coach Enzo Maresca.
That comes after Cucurella played a key role in helping Spain to glory at Euro 2024 in the summer and the left-back has now reflected on his time at Chelsea.
‘I had been at humbler teams before Chelsea and I got there at a time of change, a difficult time, with lots of players, lots of coaches,’ Cucurella told The Guardian.
‘It was [like it was] all my fault; they kept coming for me. People see the price and think you’re a machine that’s going to score 50 goals and provide 50 assists.
‘That’s business between clubs: they agree [the fee], nothing to do with me.’
Cucurella also spoke about the high turnover of head coaches under Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, who replaced previous owner Roman Abramovich in 2022.
‘I’ve had more coaches at Chelsea than in my career,’ the Spain international added.
‘[Thomas] Tuchel, [Graham] Potter, [Frank] Lampard, [Mauricio] Pochettino, now Enzo [Maresca].
‘And Bruno for a game. I wasn’t with Tuchel for long; we could hardly get to know each other.
‘Then Graham Potter came, who I’d been with at Brighton, but it was hard. He had a lot of players, he didn’t quite find the style.
‘And with Lampard too… well, lots of things.’
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Harborough reach FA Cup first round for first time - qualifying round-up
Harborough Town, Kettering Town and Chesham United cause FA Cup upsets to reach the first round proper.
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Friday, October 11, 2024
'I was wild and messed up - I don't want others to make same mistakes'
Nile Ranger was a £10,000-a-week Newcastle United "wonderkid" with the world at his feet before his off-pitch behaviour attracted more headlines than his talent on it.
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No strikers & false nines - an experiment that ended in failure
England start with a false nine experiment, end up in a rudimentary 4-4-2 shape, and lose to Greece on a damaging night for Lee Carsley's job prospects.
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Nobbs on 'special' record, coaching and resilience
Aston Villa midfielder Jordan Nobbs says it was "special" to break the WSL appearance record as she reflects on an "up and down" career.
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Manchester United target in ‘advanced negotiations’ to become next England manager
Thomas Tuchel is in advanced negotiations to become the next permanent England manager, according to reports in Germany.
Tuchel has been out of work after leaving Bayern Munich at the end of last season. His Bayern side won the Bundesliga title in 2022-23 but finished 18 points behind Bayer Leverkusen last term.
The German, who previously worked in England with Premier League club Chelsea, has been plotting his return to the dugout and has been heavily linked with the Three Lions post.
And now, he could be closing in on a return to English football with the national team, according to German outlet Welt TV which says negotiations between both parties have advanced and ‘an agreement could be reached quickly’.
England are still looking to confirm their permanent replacement to Gareth Southgate who left after his side’s heartbreaking Euro 2024 final defeat in July.
Under-21 boss Lee Carsley has been placed in interim charge for England’s six games in the Nations League but his chances of landing the job on a full-time basis took a hit after a shock 2-1 defeat against Greece on Thursday.
The potential news could come as a blow to Manchester United who were considering the German as a potential replacement for Erik ten Hag should they decide to sack the under-fire Dutchman.
Ten Hag’s future as United boss appears to be hanging in the balance with United sitting 14th in the Premier League and without a win in five.
The club’s senior hierarchy, including majority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, met in London on Tuesday but no clarity was offered on the Dutchman’s future following the meeting.
More to follow…
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Thursday, October 10, 2024
Man Utd suffer a fourth injury scare during worrying international break
Manchester United could have yet another injury concern with Lisandro Martinez reportedly carrying a knock.
Martinez was dropped from the United starting XI in the final game before the international break against Aston Villa.
While Erik ten Hag claimed that decision was down to rotation, the 26-year-old was also overlooked when the manager was forced into second-half changes at the back with Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui forced off.
Martinez has travelled back to South America for World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia. But TYC Sports report there is likely to be no room for the United star in the starting XI with Nicolas Otamendi and River Plate’s German Pezzella set to be selected at centre-half.
Tottenham’s Cristian Romero will serve a suspension for tonight’s game along with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Argentine journalist Esteban Edul reports there is a ‘physical concern’ with the United defender that ‘is not leaving him in good shape’.
Martinez endured an injury-hit 2023-24 season, his second in Manchester after arriving from Ajax the previous year.
The centre-half was sidelined in September last year after suffering a recurrence of a foot injury, requiring surgery for a second time in the space of six months.
He returned to action in January but just four games later, he was sidelined once again after suffering a knee injury in the victory over West Ham United in early February. He returned at the end of the season, helping United win the FA Cup.
United are already monitoring a number of injury concerns that have emerged during the international break. Martinez’s countryman Alejandro Garnacho pulled out of the Argentina squad on Monday due to a knee problem with Kobbie Mainoo also withdrawing from the England squad.
Amad Diallo is another to have returned to Manchester early, leaving the Ivory Coast camp on Wednesday.
Noussair Mazraoui meanwhile has undergone surgery after experiencing heart palpitations and is expected to be unavailable for the next few weeks.
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'I'm not the complete player, there's loads of places I can improve'
In his second season with Liverpool and Northern Ireland, Conor Bradley tells BBC Sport NI "there's loads of places I can improve".
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Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Premier League star ‘almost died’ after fainting on flight
Brighton star Julio Enciso says he ‘almost died’ after fainting on his flight to Ecuador with a fellow passenger coming to his rescue.
Enciso, 20, was travelling from the UK back to South America to link up with the Paraguay national team squad for games against Ecuador and Venezuela during the international break.
Paraguay take on Ecuador in Quito on Thursday with Enciso revealing he was ‘powerless’ after collapsing on board the plane.
‘I have a headache. I almost died, I fainted on the plane,’ Enciso said as he attempted to laugh off the incident, Del Paraguay report
‘I was weak, I didn’t eat or sleep well. At one point I got up to go to the bathroom and I felt like I was falling.’
Enciso revealed another passenger came to his assistance, offering him ‘Coca Cola and Japanese soup’ to help him get his bearings back.
‘A guy grabbed me and took me to the front, made me drink coke and a Japanese soup and that did me good,’ he said.
Enciso is already a key player in the Paraguayan set-up with 19 senior caps to his name.
The forward left his homeland to join Brighton for a fee of £9.5million in the summer of 2022, emerging as one of the Premier League’s bright young talents under Roberto de Zerbi.
In his first campaign in England, Enciso scored the goal of the season with his stunning long range effort against Manchester City.
He spent most of the 2023-24 season on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury, picking up another knock in the summer while representing Paraguay at the Paris Olympics.
Under new Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler, Enciso is still to start a Premier League game this season, coming off the bench in five of their seven league outings while starting in Carabao Cup wins over Crawley Town and Wolves.
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