Month: October 2019

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe hopes a bit of cricket practice can help keep his squad in good touch for the challenges ahead as Premier League action resumes against Norwich.

The Cherries had been in decent form going towards the international break, before a three-match unbeaten league run came to an end with 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.

With several of the first-team squad away for their countries, Howe looked to utilise some downtime to keep everyone sharp.

“We did a little bit of team building. The players went and visited the academy, which was really nice, so we have filled time in a productive way,” Howe said.

“We played a bit of cricket as part of the team building, no staff, players only.

“There were some unusual techniques – techniques I had not seen before in terms of how you hold a cricket bat and a cricket ball, but I was all good fun.”

Bournemouth return to the serious matter of Premier League action with a couple of the returning players carrying “slight concerns” from international duty.

“In the main, when you lose your players for that period of time and you have games ahead, you are always slightly fearful how they are going to come back, but we can be relatively pleased,” said Howe.

Defender Adam Smith could be welcomed back into the squad following seven weeks out with a hamstring problem.

“We have had to take our time,” Howe told a press conference. “It wasn’t an absolute clear low-grade strain, so we had to be careful with him.”

 

 

Norwich have seen their own injury crisis ease somewhat over the international break.

Daniel Farke’s promoted side were quickly brought down to earth following a memorable 3-2 home win over Manchester City, which was followed with three straight defeats – the last being a 5-1 thrashing by Aston Villa at Carrow Road.

Howe, though, will not underestimate the Canaries.

“I think they have been really impressive. I watched their first game against Liverpool – they got beaten, but I thought they did really well in the game,” the Bournemouth manager said.

“I admire any team that has a philosophy and sticks with it. They are an attacking team, a brave team with good technical players.

“They beat Manchester City which we know is incredibly difficult to do. So full credit to them for that result and I think it shows their capabilities.

“We will have to be very good in all aspects of our play because they are a dangerous team.”

 

Five more men have been arrested over the racist behaviour which marred England’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria.

The five men were detained at the First District police station in Sofia while a further five were searched at a different precinct in the Bulgarian capital, taking the total number identified to 16, a spokeswoman for the ministry of the interior told the PA news agency.

Six supporters were arrested on Wednesday, with four already having been banned from attending any sporting event for the next two years and fined 1,000 lev (around £440). One individual faces a pre-trial hearing on Friday and could be remanded in custody.

The ministry spokeswoman said the search to identify further individuals continues.

England’s black players were targeted for racial abuse throughout the match on Monday night.

The referee initiated the first step of UEFA’s anti-racism protocol just before the half-hour mark by asking for a public address announcement in the stadium ordering the racist behaviour to stop.

The abuse continued and although there was a short stoppage just before half-time, the game was completed with England winning 6-0.

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The Bulgarian Football Union, which is holding a press conference on Friday afternoon following the resignation of its president Borislav Mihaylov on Tuesday, has been charged by European football’s governing body UEFA over the racist behaviour of its fans. The case will be heard on October 28.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is dealing with a number of injury headaches ahead of Manchester United’s crunch clash with Liverpool after confirming goalkeeper David De Gea is likely to be sidelined.

Star midfielder Paul Pogba is definitely out of the match with an ongoing ankle issue and De Gea pulled up with a groin complaint on international duty.

Anthony Martial and Aaron Wan-Bissaka could return against Liverpool on Sunday, but question marks hang over the likes of Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Mason Greenwood.

“Of course, I would like to tell you positive news, hopefully… we’ll see on Sunday who’s come through the last two sessions,” Solskjaer said.

“Because there’s players here who have just started training, just on the verge of coming back or not so I can’t really say.”

Asked what the scan on De Gea came back with, he said: “Well, I don’t expect him to play.

“But it wasn’t as bad as feared. When I saw the game, I thought that’s him out until next international break because we’ve had some long-term muscle injuries but it’s not as bad as feared.”

Sergio Romero would come in if De Gea misses out on Sunday, when United will look to kickstart their campaign.

Solskjaer’s side have endured the club’s worst start to a season in 30 years, but executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has reiterated his support of the under-fire manager.

“I speak to Ed loads of times and we speak regularly,” Solskjaer said.

“As we’ve spoken about so many times, we do have a plan and we know that we’ve made some decisions that maybe in the short-term would harm us, but we know in the long-term will benefit us. And that’s part of the plan.

“But results are always are always the main thing and we can move forward quicker if we get results and performances.

“But I’m sure we will get there. It’s just still planning for the next transfer window, summer transfer window and how we see the team moving forward.”

 

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Manchester United will make replacing Romelu Lukaku a priority in the January transfer window, according to reports.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer let the Belgium international leave in the summer transfer market with the Norwegian looking to sign young, hungry players.

Reports a week ago claimed that United had reached a ‘verbal agreement’ to sign Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, with another report claiming he could even arrive before January.

The Croatia striker was a target for Solskjaer late in the summer after United let Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez join Inter Milan.

It has been said that Mandzukic felt too rushed to make a decision over his future before the deadline, but his lack of game time for Juve coupled with United’s attacking woes has reignited belief that a winter deal could be on the cards.

Despite that, Italian publication Il Giornale claim that wantaway Mandzukic will join AC Milan instead this January.

And the Daily Express claims that bringing in a striker at United is ‘now the club’s priority’ with Lyon’s Moussa Dembele moving ‘higher up United’s shortlist of potential forwards’ after Mandzukic’s decision.

Dembele has scored six goals in ten matches this season after impressing on his debut season for the French side, bagging 23 times in 52 appearances.

Lyon aren’t ‘under any financial or contractual pressure to sell Dembele’ and will want a fee of around £71million for his services.

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Unai Emery insists Mesut Ozil remains an “important player” for Arsenal after the German complained that he has been made to feel like a scapegoat at the Emirates.

Ozil has made just two appearances for The Gunners so far this season, with his only Premier League minutes coming in the 2-2 draw at Watford.

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The former Real Madrid man hasn’t made the squad for the past three league games, with Emery stating that others were more deserving of a place.

That has led to suggestions that Ozil could leave in January, but the 31-year-old says he wants to remain in north London at least until the end of his contract in 2021.

In conversation with the Athletic, the playmaker also took aim at his critics and how he is portrayed.

“If we don’t do well in a big game, it’s always my fault,” Ozil said.

“If that’s true, how do you explain our results in the big games when I wasn’t involved? There’s no real difference.

“I know people expect me to offer more, dictate play and make the difference — I do, too — but it’s not that straightforward.

“I’m not the only player in the team and, don’t forget, some of our opponents are simply better than us.”

 

 

Emery has been criticised by some Arsenal fans for the way he appears to have frozen Ozil out in recent weeks.

But ahead of Monday’s trip to Sheffield United, the Spaniard insists that he remains in his plans.

“We are in our way and we live in the present,” said Emery, when asked if he thought Ozil was made a scapegoat. “In this present we are looking for the best way to be competitive, to play each match with our best quality and best mentality.

“Mesut Ozil, for us, is important. Sometimes one player could be important playing or could be important being on the bench or could be important preparing for the next match.

“This is our mentality and this is the way we want to create with 25 players in the squad.

“Mesut Ozil is in the same way and I told you now for the last three weeks he is working and improving and being better in the training. If we need him we are going use him.”

 

Tottenham are ready to bring in Jose Mourinho if Mauricio Pochettino leaves the club this season, according to reports.

The Portuguese coach was sacked at Manchester United last December after high-profile clashes with star players Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, while there was apparent discontent over the club’s failure to sign a defender in the summer.

Meanwhile, Pochettino has done brilliantly to build Spurs into a side consistently challenging for the top four places in the Premier League, while he got them to the Champions League final last term.

However, Tottenham have struggled this season with injuries and rumours of unhappy players in the squad, with speculation over the summer that several key stars could leave.

And now there has been some speculation that he could leave Spurs, although Tim Sherwood says Daniel Levy would never sack Pochettino.

The Daily Mail recently claimed that Tottenham ‘are among the clubs that appeal’ to Mourinho, with Real Madrid another job that the Portuguese manager would be interested in.

And Soccerlink now say that Spurs are ‘looking for a possible successor’ to Pochettino although his job is ‘not threatened’ just yet.

The report in France adds that Mourinho ‘has been contacted by the London staff who hold him in high esteem’.

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Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic insists he has a future at the club despite a second consecutive season on loan at Hertha Berlin.

The Serbian midfielder has made just 14 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool since he was signed by Jurgen Klopp from Red Star Belgrade for £5.1million in January 2016.

The 23-year-old, who has scored two goals in seven league appearances for Hertha Berlin this season, insists his long-term future is with the European Champions.

“It’s not easy to become a part of the Liverpool squad, I can see myself in the red shirt but I have to become more experienced before I can wear it again,” Grujic told the Liverpool Echo.

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“I want to improve my physical performance and take my concentration to another level. I want to be ready for Liverpool so I will have a chance to get into the team.”

Grujic says Klopp was key to his decision to remain in the Bundesliga for another season, despite offers from elsewhere.

“He said that it would be a great opportunity for me to improve my development,” Grujic said.

“The Bundesliga is one of the strongest leagues in the world and Hertha Berlin is a big club. It is very important for me to play regularly right now and [Klopp] told me to fight for my place in the team.

“Klopp and I are texting regularly. I am also in close contact with the Liverpool loan-manager (Julian Ward), he watches every game that I’m in and we’re texting afterwards.

“Also I am very close to Dejan Lovren and Roberto Firmino, but all of the players from Liverpool are great.”

 

A report has revealed one reason for Manchester United’s inability to appoint a suitable director of football.

There were rumours in January that the Red Devils wanted to appoint a director of football before appointing their next manager.

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That didn’t materialise but the club are still reportedly committed to bringing in the right candidate for the role with Edwin van der Sar the latest name linked.

And The Athletic have information as to one reason the appointment hasn’t yet been made by United.

Daniel Taylor wrote in The Athletic:

‘Even more perplexing is United’s continuing inability to appoint a technical director, 14 months after the club first let it be known this was among their priorities.

‘One of the reasons for the delay, according to information passed to The Athletic, is that [Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer and his assistant, Mike Phelan, tend to perform parts of this role anyway, bearing in mind it involves creating a pathway between the academy and first team, planning ahead with a three-year cycle and looking after the continuity of the club.’

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Arsenal loanee Eddie Nketiah admits he is frustrated by his role on the bench at Leeds after he scored a hat-trick for the England U21s in their 5-1 win over Austria.

The 20-year-old – who scored four goals for the Young Lions during the latest international break – is yet to start a Championship match.

Nketiah has scored four goals across all competitions for Marcelo Bielsa’s side – two of which have come off the bench in the league – and the striker believes he has earned a starting place for the promotion contenders.

 

 

“I am really just trying to do as much as I can,” Nketiah told Sky Sports News.

“Obviously, I will never be happy with being on the bench. I want to play. I pride myself on being in the team. I think I am good enough to be in the team.

“All I can do is put in the performances that I do. When I come on [to] try and contribute and I think with the chances I have had, I have done really well.

“In the two games I have [started], I have scored. I always try and help the team when I come on.

“I feel like going away with England is always a great opportunity for me to continue to put a case forward and show myself.”

Nketiah, who also missed a penalty at Stadium MK, was joined by Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi in the goals as Aidy Boothroyd’s side moved top of Euro U21 qualifying Group C after three games played and he will now switch his focus to club commitments.

“[England] is a great platform and I am grateful to be here and I just want to continue doing more at this level and for Leeds,” he added.

Leeds sit fifth in the Championship, two points behind league leaders West Brom, and will aim to return to winning ways when they host Birmingham at Elland Road on Saturday.

 

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Harry Redknapp thinks Liverpool should be awarded the Premier League title already after their rampant start to the new campaign.

The Reds find themselves eight points ahead of nearest challengers and defending champions Manchester City after winning all eight of their opening fixtures.

Jurgen Klopp’s men look to be in unstoppable form at the moment and head to Old Trafford on Sunday to face arch-rivals Manchester United, who have made a slow start to the season.

“I can see them [Liverpool] winning the league this year,” Redknapp told the Daily Mail.

“Give them the title and give it to them now. I’ve had a big bet and I think the bookmakers should pay me out!

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“If I had one club I’d love to have managed it would have been Liverpool. I loved them.”

Tottenham have struggled to find their feet this season with injury problems and rumours of discontent in the squad – but Redknapp has tipped them to come good.

“At the start of the year I really thought Spurs would push Man City and Liverpool a lot, lot closer,” Redknapp added.

“Tottenham have got a great team, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min – I thought this could be their year.  But it’s been a disappointing start for them for sure and they need to turn it around quickly, but I still think they’ll finish third.

“They’ve got a great group of players. It’s some squad, if you go through it, I don’t care what anybody says I don’t think there’s a lot between that squad and Liverpool’s and Man City’s squad, I really don’t.”