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    Jean-Philippe Mateta wears enormous bandage after horror ear injury so bad doctor wouldn’t show him picture

    CROCKED Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta wanted to carry on playing despite suffering a gruesome gashed ear in the FA Cup win over Millwall.Lions goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off for a horror kung-fu kick to the head which resulted in the Frenchman needing 25 stitches.Jean-Philippe Mateta wanted to carry on playing despite suffering a gruesome gashed earMateta showing off his injured earBut Mateta was unaware of the seriousness of his injury and told Palace’s doctor he wanted to continue before being rushed to hospital.Mateta, 27, declared: “When the keeper kicked me, I was on the floor waiting for him to get the red card.“I was good to go. I thought, ‘just get the blood off and keep going’.“I was arguing with the doctor for 30 seconds, saying I wanted to play. The doctor saw the injury, but I couldn’t see it.READ MORE IN football “I couldn’t feel pain. The blood, for sure. But I thought it was a little cut.“My ear was like this (dangling). But it was not painful. I remember everything, I was not concussed.”Yet, despite Mateta insisting he wanted to carry on – the plastic surgeon who repaired his ear was left totally stunned.Mateta recalled the doc “didn’t know how he would start”, adding: “They showed me, the doc showed me three days after. He didn’t want to show me. But I was like, “show me the picture.Most read in Football”Everything was open, cut here, cut open, behind was worse, cut everywhere. It was crazy.”Mateta insisted his “reflex” head turn away from Roberts’ kick “saved me.”’Endangered his life’ – Crystal Palace owner gives Mateta injury update live on BBC and slams ‘reckless’ Millwall starRef Michael Oliver sent off the keeper – but only after a VAR intervention.Roberts – who suffered online abuse – has since been handed an extended six-match ban.Mateta underwent a successful operation in Paris last month to save his left ear.And, wearing a huge white bandage on the side of his head, he told Sky Sports: “Liam texted me while I was in hospital and I told him, ‘it is OK, it is football.’ He apologised. He was worried.“I don’t think he woke up and thought: ‘I want to cut the head of JP.’ There is a lot of pressure. “He wanted to do good, too much emotion makes you do crazy things. It was just a mistake. You learn from it.”Mateta, who has scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for Palace this season, has set his sights on an FA Cup quarter-final return against Fulham on March 29.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe added: “I will need to wear a mask, the best one, but, hopefully, I can play.“I feel great and can’t wait to come back. But the doc is the boss. He will decide.”Liam Roberts was sent off for a horror kung-fu kickCredit: GettyMateta underwent a successful operation in ParisCredit: GettyMateta remarkably wanted to carry on playingCredit: PA More

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    ‘He’d kick his granny if he needed to’ – Man who kickstarted Dan Burn’s career reveals what England star’s really like

    WEMBLEY winner Gary Johnson has seen both sides of Dan Burn’s “passionate and aggressive” personality.Johnson kickstarted the Newcastle defender’s career when taking him on loan at Yeovil from Fulham in 2012.Gary Johnson has managed Dan Burn beforeCredit: GettyBurn played for Yeovil on loanCredit: PABurn helped fire the Glovers into the Championship for the first time in their history — notably scoring a header against Brentford in the League One play-off final.But just three months later, Johnson and Burn were squaring up to each other when he was playing for Birmingham in a Carabao Cup tie.Johnson, 69, now sporting director at Cheltenham, said: “Dan is unbelievably competitive, he would kick his granny if he needed to.”He was a main player for us because, at 6ft 7in, we’d set-up free-kicks and long throws for him.READ MORE IN football “He was quick for someone that tall, had a great left foot and could play anywhere down the left side which is what England has seen in him.“It was a great loan for everybody and it put him on the map.“Dan was a great lad but I remember after he left us it was World War 3 when we played against him and Birmingham.“Burn was in my face when Byron Webster scored a goal for us after Birmingham had put the ball out of play after an injury and expected us to give it back to them.Most read in SportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“I decided at first that we shouldn’t give it back and there was this kid, whose career I had helped, going nose to nose screaming at me.“That was the only lack of respect I saw from him — but I understood why he did it.”Thomas Tuchel shares hug with Dan Burn and Lewis-Skelly as England stars arrive at St George’s Park for double-headerJohnson has long forgotten that spat and has nothing but admiration for the Blyth boy, 32, who ended 70 years of hurt for Newcastle at Wembley on Sunday.Days after being called up by England Burn, was in dreamland heading the opener against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.Johnson said: “Not long after watching the final I got a text from Fulham’s academy keeping coach Vic Bettinelli saying: ‘You were the making of Big Dan Burn’.“That was kind of Vic but it was strange seeing Burn score with his head — and it was in the same goal. Our one was a bit closer but it put us 2-0 up just before half-time and it helped give us Championship football.“It brought back some fantastic memories. I am proud that me and the Yeovil supporters saw the early success of a young Dan Burn.”Burn has been called up by England for the first timeCredit: Rex More

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    ‘Reminded me of Gerrard at Liverpool’ – Cole Palmer told he needs to LEAVE Chelsea and has outgrown the club already

    JAMIE CARRAGHER and Paul Scholes have urged Cole Palmer to leave Chelsea.The pundits were appearing on The Overlap Fan Debate, where they agreed that Palmer, 22, has outgrown the Blues.Cole Palmer has been urged to leave Chelsea after outgrowing the clubCredit: GettyCarragher also compared Palmer’s struggles to Steven Gerrard’s early years at Liverpool, when the Reds couldn’t match their talisman’s ambitions.Carragher said: “He played two great passes early on [against Brighton], but as the game went on, you could see his frustration.”It reminded me of Stevie at Liverpool because he was so much better than everyone else.”Palmer, who has a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2033, has scored 39 goals and registered 21 assists in 78 appearances for the West London giants.Read more football newsHowever, there are concerns about Chelsea’s lack of competitive edge following a poor display against rivals Arsenal over the weekend.Citing his long-term deal, Carragher added: “If he should be playing for a team looking to win the Champions League, how does he get out?”Meanwhile, Man Utd legend Paul Scholes was in full agreement with Carragher over Palmer’s plight.He agreed the attacking midfielder needs a bigger challenge.Most read in FootballScholes said: “It’s almost been too easy for him at Chelsea.Cole Palmer branded ‘gift that keeps on giving’ after Chelsea star reveals his meal deal sandwich “He knows he’ll play every week and be the best player. I don’t get the impression they are desperate to win anything.”Palmer missed the game at the weekend against Arsenal with an injury.His manager Enzo Maresca said: “He needs a scan, it is planned for Monday morning. It’s a muscle problem.”Probably in Cole’s case it will give him some rest physically and mentally. It could be good.”Palmer was unable to link up up with the England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. More

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    ‘Are you still upset with me’ – Thomas Tuchel’s awkward call to England star he snubbed before dramatic U-turn

    THOMAS TUCHEL asked Morgan Gibbs-White whether he still had the hump after an initial England snub.The in-form Nottingham Forest midfielder was not included in Tuchel’s initial squad last Friday but was drafted in on Sunday due to fitness concerns over Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.Thomas Tuchel asked Morgan Gibbs-White if he wanted to be part of the squad after his initial snubCredit: GettyGibbs-White was added to the squad to replace Cole PalmerCredit: PAGibbs-White could feature in Tuchel’s first game versus Albania on FridayCredit: GettyGibbs-White said: “It was about 4 or 5 o’clock on Sunday. The manager, Thomas, sent me a message to say ‘are you free to talk?’ And I replied within seconds ‘yeah’.“He phoned me up and said ‘are you still upset with me, or do you want to come and join us and fancy training tomorrow?’“I said ‘I’d obviously love to come and join and train with the boys’, so, yes, I found out Sunday late afternoon-ish and I was just smiling from ear to ear.”Asked about his initial disappointment at not being in the squad, Gibbs-White told BBC Radio 5Live: “Obviously I was upset. Yes, a little bit disappointed. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”But at the same time, you also have to look at the quality of players that England have at the minute, so obviously I took that into consideration.“But when he told me, I respected his decision. The standard of players is top level.“I said to him ‘I feel like I’ve done enough to get the call up, considering the form level that I am in, but obviously you’re the manager, you make the decisions, and I respect that totally’.”Incredibly, it was a year ago yesterday when Nottingham Forest were deducted four points by the Premier League for breaking profit and sustainability rules.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThey still escaped relegation but now, are flying high in third spot.Gibbs-White said: “It’s been a remarkable year, yes. Just to see where we’ve come from, from this time last year is incredible. I think the Forest fans deserve that the most.Thomas Tuchel names his first England squad for upcoming match with Albania “Obviously, getting back into the Premier League was one thing, and then scrambling away from relegation for the two years that we were in the Prem obviously wasn’t nice. It wasn’t good, it wasn’t enjoyable.“But now, obviously, we’ve given the fans something to sing about, to cheer about”. More

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    Thomas Tuchel promotes three players into England first-team training as Cole Palmer remains at Chelsea after injury

    THOMAS TUCHEL has promoted three players into England first team training.Liam Delap, Adam Wharton, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis linked up with the senior squad for this afternoon’s session at St George’s Park.Thomas Tuchel has promoted three U21 stars to his senior England squadCredit: PACole Palmer is struggling with an injury and is staying at Chelsea to be assessedCredit: GettyThe trio featured after Cole Palmer was forced out of Tuchel’s first England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia through injury.A statement on the England website confirmed: “Cole Palmer remains with Chelsea for further assessment on an injury sustained in training ahead of his club’s fixture at Arsenal last Sunday.”Over the weekend, the German tactician added Morgan Gibbs-White to his squad after news of Palmer’s fitness.Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said on Palmer’s complaint: “He needs a scan, it is planned for Monday morning. It’s a muscle problem.Read more football news “Probably in Cole’s case it will give him some rest physically and mentally. It could be good.”Today’s session gave U21 stars Delap, Wharton, and Harwood-Bellis the opportunity to impress Tuchel.Delap has particularly impressed for strugglers Ipswich Town, following his summer switch from Man City.The striker has scored 10 Premier League goals in 28 outings for the Tractor Boys.Most read in FootballWharton has rediscovered form, after an indifferent, injury-hit start to the season with Crystal Palace.The midfielder has already appeared once for his country – as a sub during a 3–0 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina last summer, and was recently linked with Real Madrid.Thomas Tuchel names his first England squad for upcoming match with Albania While Harwood-Bellis has been one of the bright sparks in Southampton’s dismal Premier League campaign.Like Wharton, the centre back has appeared for the Three Lions before.Back in November, he made his debut against Ireland – scoring in a 5-0 rout. More

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    ‘Trent’s replacement sorted’ – Fans convinced Frimpong will join Liverpool after spotting his Holland camp antics

    FANS are convinced Jeremie Frimpong is on his way to Liverpool after he hilariously attempted a Scouse accent.The Bayer Leverkusen right-back has been linked with replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold at Anfield amid interest from Real Madrid.Jeremie Frimpong did his best Scouse accent for Ryan GravenberchCredit: @OnsOranjeFrimpong was also all smiles with Virgil van DijkCredit: @OnsOranjeLiverpool fans reckon he could replace Trent Alexander-Arnold at AnfieldCredit: GettyDutchman Frimpong linked up with the rest of his international team-mates earlier today ahead of the Nations League quarter-final against Spain.And the 24-year-old seemed on particularly good terms with the Liverpool contingent in the Holland squad.Frimpong beamed at Ryan Gravenberch, greeting him by doing his best Scouse accent.He got the accent spot on while saying: “You alright la?”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFrimpong and Gravenberch then burst into laughter and gave each other a huge hug.Virgil van Dijk was seen giggling and he was then welcomed with a shout of “my G”.It made fans convinced that Frimpong is on his way to Liverpool, with one saying: “That’s Trent’s replacement sorted.”Another reacted: “If he ends up at Liverpool this summer, the announcement video is sorted.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSWith four goals and 11 assists for Leverkusen this term, Frimpong could step into Alexander-Arnold’s shoes.Real Madrid are set to swoop for the England star this summer after seeing a £20mllion bid rejected in January.’He’s going to Tranmere after this’ – Roy Keane rips into Trent Alexander-Arnold after ‘school boy’ defending vs Man UtdAlexander-Arnold’s contract expires at the end of the season and there is no sign he will agree to an extension. Despite him being set to leave on a free, SunSport exclusively revealed that Liverpool could still receive a fee as Real Madrid are keen to get the deal done in time for the new Club World Cup.The tournament in the US starts on June 15 and his contract does not end until June 30. More

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    Champions-elect Liverpool face most important transfer window in club history with TWELVE stars facing uncertain future

    LIVERPOOL are facing a seismic summer exodus – whatever happens in the remaining weeks of the season.The Reds are still odds-on favourites to welcome the Premier League title back to Anfield, but within weeks could also wave goodbye to up to a whole team’s worth of players in the busiest and most important transfer window in recent club history.Mo Salah is poised to lead an exodus of star names from Liverpool this summerCredit: GettyLiverpool fans have told owners FSG to pay their stars whatever they want to stayCredit: ReutersThe future of Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk, the out-of-contract big three, has been a sub-plot for the whole of Arne Slot’s debut campaign.And it is no longer unthinkable that all three will leave and be followed out of the Anfield exit door by a number of others.Kop boss Slot and Anfield chiefs are also on alert as European rivals circle around first-teamers like Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz. Then there are bit-part players like back-up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, Harvey Elliott and Joe Gomez who want regular football.Read more in footballAnd even if the Reds would welcome offers for underperforming stars such as Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, they would still need to find high-quality replacements to give Slot the chance to maintain momentum.Despite Liverpool’s Champions League exit and defeat in the Carabao Cup Final, the Dutchman’s season will be judged a huge success if he delivers the Premier League crown that would put the club level with Manchester United But Slot has relied on the core of players who revived the Reds under Jurgen Klopp.If this is to be the start of a glorious new era at Anfield, Slot will need chief executive of football Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes to deliver a new-look squad that is fit for purpose.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSOn his way – Mo Salah is one of three key men yet to sign a new Reds dealCredit: AlamyMOHAMED SALAHWhether the Egyptian King opted to join a European rival like Inter Milan or to take the money from Saudi Arabia, he would be absolutely irreplaceable.With 27 goals and 17 assists, Salah has been involved in 63.7 per cent of Liverpool’s Premier League goals this season.Mo Salah appears to confirm Liverpool transfer exit live on Sky Sports after ripping Man Utd to shredsThere is no like-for-like option to step into the shoes of the third highest scorer in club history and a legend of English and world football. The Reds pulled a rabbit out of the hat when they signed Kenny Dalglish to succeed Kevin Keegan as their main man in 1977. This is a bigger task.Down and out – Trent Alexander-Arnold is set to leave Liverpool for Real MadridCredit: GettyTRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLDMost Liverpool fans accept that “the Scouser in our team” is going to Real Madrid to join new bestie Jude Bellingham.Supporters also know that recruiting a right back with the same passing range and potency going forward will be impossible. There is a reason why TAA is the most prolific assist provider from his position in Premier League history, with 62 at the age of only 25. The trick will be finding someone who can defend better yet still deliver enough at the other end of the field to give some compensation for his absence. Good luck.Stand off – Van Dijk and Liverpool are yet to agree terms to keep the skipper at AnfieldCredit: MatchDay Images LimitedVIRGIL VAN DIJKThe accepted wisdom on Merseyside remains that captain Van Dijk is the one of the big three who will sign a new deal to keep him at Anfield.The man himself, though, has given that opinion little support in recent weeks, as rumours of interest from Real Madrid, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere re-emerge, die down and then return.But for Salah’s incredible numbers, the Dutchman would be a leading candidate for player of the year. He is generally regarded as one of the best central defenders to play in England in recent decades.Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen are among those touted as successors. Neither is currently at the same level. But then again, who is?It’s all kicking off as Real Madrid, PSG and others plot moves for Ibrahima KonateCredit: GettyIBRAHIMA KONATEApart from the defeats by Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle, the most alarming and unexpected development of recent weeks has been the emergence of doubt about the future of Van Dijk’s centre back partner.You could dismiss talk that the France international would welcome a summer battle for his signature as mischief-making by the clubs with their friends in the local  media or the product of a slow news day. But it may well not be.Konate’s susceptibility to injury has been an issue in the past but the Reds could ill afford to lose him, regardless of what happens with Van Dijk.Luis Diaz has had a poor second half of the season and could be on his way outCredit: GettyLUIS DIAZThe links between Diaz and Barcelona are as long-standing as the La Liga giants’ financial problems that make any such deal challenging.Yet amid talk of a busy summer at the Camp Nou, with Barca allegedly willing to cash in on bankable stars like Frenkie De Jong and Raphinha, Diaz will be on their radar.Liverpool would not necessarily be averse to selling the Colombian after he failed to maintain his early season form and Cody Gakpo became first-choice on the left flank.Yet Slot would want someone of high calibre and/or versatility to push Gakpo and whatever other forwards he has after the summer.Darwin Nunez is one of FIVE Liverpool forwards who could leave Anfield this summerCredit: GettyDARWIN NUNEZCaptain Chaos’ time at Anfield is surely up after another season of occasional highs but even bigger lows.Liverpool are said to have turned down a bid of £62m plus add-ons from Al-Nassr in January only because they did not have enough time to find a suitable replacement for the Uruguayan.Al-Nassr signed Jhon Duran from Aston Villa instead, but other Saudi clubs remain keen on the Reds’ No 9.Rumours about Atletico Madrid won’t go away, either. Whatever fee Liverpool are able to get for Nunez will need to be re-invested more wisely than the initial £64m they spent on him three years ago.Caoimhin Kelleher is set to take his destiny in his hands and leave LiverpoolCredit: GettyCAOIMHIN KELLEHEREnough is surely enough for the goalkeeper who is the Republic of Ireland’s No 1 yet deserves to be first choice for a club, too.That’s not going to happen at Liverpool, with Georgian stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili due to arrive this summer to push Alisson for his place and, if all goes well, take it in the not-too-distant future.The Reds have turned down bids from Nottingham Forest and others in recent transfer windows and Kelleher filled in well for Alisson while the Brazilian was injured earlier in the season.But with Bournemouth now joining the ranks of clubs ready to give the Irishman his big chance, he will surely be on his way in the summer.Harvey Elliott’s winner in the Champions League at PSG was a rare highlight this seasonCredit: PAHARVEY ELLIOTTBrighton and Borussia Dortmund were among the clubs who were reported to be looking at a move for Elliott in January.The player himself was quick to play down talk of a winter move, stressing that he had had talks with Slot about his lack of game time and understood how hard it was to break into a team that was doing so well.Yet Elliott’s resolve to stay – and the Reds’ determination to keep him – would be tested by sizeable summer offers for a player with just over two years left on his contract.The attacking midfielder/forward – and doubt about his most effective position is a factor – has made just 21 appearances this season, compared to 53 in Klopp’s final campaign, with not a single start in the Premier League.Joe Gomez has never scored in 10 years at Liverpool and may leave before he canCredit: EPAJOE GOMEZGomez has gone from being a key player in Klopp’s farewell season to an outsider under Slot, although he seemed to be returning to favour before a hamstring injury sidelined him.The Reds allegedly included Gomez as a makeweight in the proposed deal to sign Anthony Gordon from Newcastle last year.Eddie Howe will not be the only manager interested in Gomez this summer. Aston Villa, Chelsea and Fulham have all been linked with him, along with clubs in Europe.A move back to London for the former Charlton Academy star, after 10 years at Anfield, looks a good bet. The Reds would want a replacement who matched his versatility but not his injury record.Wataru Endo is Arne Slot’s favourite late sub but other clubs would offer him moreCredit: GettyWATARU ENDOFulham, AC Milan and even Barcelona are just some of the club believed to have an interest in the defensive midfielder, who arrived for a cut-price £16m in the summer of 2023.The Japan captain has become a cult hero at Anfield because of his no-nonsense style and cameo roles in closing out games for Slot’s side.Yet sentimentality will count for little if the Reds could recoup a decent amount of their initial outlay and put it towards securing someone who might put more pressure on Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister for a starting place.Diogo Jota has struggled for fitness and form this season and could be availableCredit: AlamyDIOGO JOTAAs the Kop song goes, the man from Portugal wears the No 20 but if Liverpool win title No 20, his contribution will not have been significant.Jota’s injury issues have been glossed over in the past because of his tendency to have scoring streaks at important times.But like Nunez, the 28 year old has not done enough this season to share the burden of scoring with the incredible Salah.Despite that and his physical frailty, a number of clubs at home and abroad would be prepared to offer Jota a chance to make a new start, perhaps including former employers Wolves.FEDERIO CHIESASerie A title rivals Inter Milan and Napoli were both interested in bringing Chiesa back to Italy on loan in January, after his injury-affected lack of game time at AnfieldUntil what was only a consolation goal in the Carabao Cup final, Chiesa’s most memorable contribution to the season was his manic celebration of Nunez’s late goals at Brentford.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe potential departure of other forward options might make it worth Liverpool’s while to give the Euro 2020 winner another season to prove his worth.But after spending only an initial £10m on the Italy international, the chance to recoup that cash or even make a profit would also be tempting, probably for the player, too. 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    Chelsea files: Geovany Quenda, 17, was so good he was allowed to train in jeans and quit Benfica in bizarre bedroom row

    CHELSEA hope to have a pair of star-studded Levis in their dressing room – but not in the way you think.Centre half Levi Colwill is already an established member of the first team squad. Chelsea have beaten Man Utd to the signing of Sporting’s Geovany QuendaCredit: GettyQuenda (pictured third from the left in the middle row) was initially allowed to play in his trousers as youth team Damaiense didn’t have any spare kit for himCredit: DamaienseBut next summer Portuguese wonderkid Geovany Quenda will be arriving at the club. And he is so good that he was allowed to train in jeans as a kid.Quenda was born in Guinea-Bissau in West Africa and migrated to Portugal in 2016 aged nine. On arrival he tried his luck at football with amateur side Damaiense but did not have any kit. Club officials went to find some but by the time they came back, Quenda was already showing his blistering potential so they let him carry on playing in his normal trousers.A Blues insider said: “He broke a lot of records that day. He then went with them to a tournament and totally bossed it. That’s when he caught the attention of Portugal’s bigger clubs.”Quenda was quickly snapped up by leading Portuguese team Benfica but in a bizarre episode ended up quitting to join their fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon soon after.Benfica had promised the young boy a bedroom at their academy in Seixal but then went back on the deal. Neighbours Sporting seized their chance and put him up and from there he has created shockwaves with his burgeoning talent.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHe was playing for the Under-23 side aged 16 and under Ruben Amorim, who is now manager at Manchester United he was given a first team chance.At 17 yrs and 95 days Quenda became the youngest player in history to score in Portugal’s La Liga top flight – taking the record from Cristiano Ronaldo.Humble Nicolas Jackson snubs mega-money supercars as he leaves Chelsea training in £30,000 Fiat 500 He is the youngest player from Sporting to start in the Champions League and at 16 was the leading scorer in Portugal’s Under-23 league.Although Chelsea say a deal has only been signed ‘in principle’ Quenda will be coming to England in summer 2026 to join a steady stream of young foreign talent on its way over.Brazilian winger Estevao Willian is coming in a few months’ time and Ecuadorian midfielder Kendry Paez is on his way.At a more senior level, Chelsea have agreed an £18.5 million fee for midfielder Dario Essugo – Portuguese like Quenda.Chelsea have also agreed a deal for Dario Essugo, who is currently on loan at Las Palmas from SportingCredit: GettyFAN-TASTICCHELSEA have been winning but not singing. And to try to put that right a group of fed-up season ticket holders have taken action.A group called We Are The Shed had a trial run of a ‘singing section’ in the Upper Tier of the famous stand at Stamford Bridge last week.Around 120 diehards have worked with the club in an effort to gather all those who want to generate noise and atmosphere together in the same group of seats in Block Four.While the deafening Danes from FC Copenhagen were impossible to compete with during last Thursday’s Conference League victory for The Blues, there was a visible and audible know of fans stoking things up.The atmosphere or lack of it at home games has been a big talking point among Chelsea fans in recent seasons. It is the same at most Premier League stadiums these days though in their defence.We Are The Shed are on the lookout for new recruits to join their growing band.A group of Chelsea fans are hoping to improve the atmosphere at Stamford BridgeCredit: GettyThe Blues’ support was drowned out by noisy fans of FC Copenhagen during last week’s Conference League clashCredit: PAROMAN IN RUINSROMAN ABRAMOVICH has turned his back on football since being forced to give up his beloved Chelsea.The Russian billionaire remains furious over the Theresa May Government withdrawing his “golden visa” in  2018.Four years later, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine saw the Boris Johnson Government force Abramovich to sell the club as part of the sanctions against Russian financial interests.And close friends report that Abramovich has barely watched a game since being left with no option other than to hand the Blues over to the Todd Boehly-led consortium.One said: “Roman still likes football. But he doesn’t go to games any more. It was always about Chelsea.”Some £2.5bn of the sale price earmarked for victims of the war, remains stuck in an escrow account.Friends of Roman Abramovich (pictured in 2017) say the ex-Chelsea owner has turned his back on footballCredit: AFPNO LAUGHING MATTERAMID a frantic flurry of interviews and announcements from Manchester United last week, one briefing slipped out which would have pricked ears at Stamford Bridge.It has emerged that Red Devils minority owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has declared war on the club’s bloated wage bill.After branding some United players “overpaid”, the British billionaire wants to scale back base wages and focus on performance related incentives.This news was rather well received within the corridors of power at Chelsea, who have been doing the same for a couple of years now.Many were quick to laugh when the club’s American owners, Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly, started dishing out nine-year deals with the incentive of a big bump when certain targets are hit.Chelsea’s latest published accounts, for the year to June 2023, showed wages rising from £340.2million to £404m.However, the Blues owners have made huge efforts to trim their expenditure on wages back.It has also been noted at the Bridge that the restructuring at other top club’s, with multiple high-level people in place to look after recruitment, is starting to mirror the changes at Chelsea – who have two sporting directors in Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.There are signs that other clubs are starting to copy Todd Boehly’s often-derided approach at ChelseaCredit: APUNLUCKY 13LIFE as a professional footballer may seem like paradise – and it can be. But what people on the outside don’t often see is the sacrifice that goes into getting there.And forward Christopher Nkunku illuminated that in a recent interview. Born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, his blossoming skills earned him a place at France’s national football academy at Clariefontaine – some 35 miles away.Maybe not so far but Nkunku explained: “You are only 13 years old and you move out of home. It was really hard. Since then I have not lived in my family house and this is hard.“But you remember you are here for football because you have a dream and you have to sacrifice to achieve that.”Given that Nkunku played for Paris Saint-Germain then to Germany to join RB Leipzig and now Chelsea in London, that is quite the nomadic lifestyle. And none of it with any guarantee of success.Christopher Nkunku has been playing far from home ever since he was 13 years oldCredit: GettyCAUSING A STERRAHEEM STERLING has been voted into UEFA’s official Team of the Week after his sterling display for loan club Arsenal last Wednesday.The winger is not yet thinking about his long term future as time ticks away on his season long spell in North London.It seems obvious he does not have a future under current boss Enzo Maresca but with two years left on his contract in summer is under no pressure to quit – at least not on Chelsea’s terms. There are rumours that a host of Saudi Arabian clubs are taking interest in the 30-year-old who last week became the first English player to be directly involved in at least one goal for four different clubs in the Champions League: Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and now Arsenal.But they can forget it. One place Sterling won’t be going is the Pro-League. There is money and adulation on tap from star-hungry Saudi fans but it doesn’t suit the born and bred Londoner.Raheem Sterling hasn’t pulled up any trees on loan at Arsenal this season, but he did set a unique Champions League recordCredit: Getty More