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      Chris Wilder’s sacking is a disgrace and Sheff United will be lucky if they find a manager who can emulate his success

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      SHEFFIELD UNITED’S disgraceful decision to sack Chris Wilder brought an end to the greatest era in the club’s post-war history.
      The boyhood fan and former player brought unprecedented joy to thousands of fans – and it is unlikely they will have it as good again.

      Chris Wilder, 53, did a remarkable job at Sheffield UnitedCredit: AFP

      It is important to remember where the Blades were when Wilder took charge in the summer of 2016.
      They had just completed their fifth year in League One, finishing 11th under Wilder’s predecessor Nigel Adkins.
      The club was riddled with apathy and frustration, with fans desperate for them to appoint the right person and return to the Championship.
      In his first season in charge, Wilder’s team – playing free-flowing, attacking football – won the title with 100 points.

      They captured the imagination of the supporters, reinvigorating their faith and giving them a team to adore.
      And the best was yet to come.
      In their first season back in the Championship, they recorded a famous 4-2 win at Hillsborough – the home of rivals Sheffield Wednesday – and competed for promotion.
      Wilder’s team were top of the table in November, but a serious injury to midfielder Paul Coutts derailed their campaign and they finished ninth.

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      Liverpool boast the most-valuable squad in the Premier League
      The following season they strengthened, bringing in Ollie Norwood, David McGoldrick, Dean Henderson and John Egan, and won promotion to the Premier League.
      The Blades continued to prove doubters wrong in the top flight, finishing ninth last season.
      Within four years, Wilder had taken them from third division obscurity to within a whisker of qualifying for Europe.
      And now, after one poor half-season – when a realistic chance of survival had already gone – he has been sacked. 
      Regardless of the conflict between Wilder and the board, it is a ridiculous move to get rid of the club’s greatest manager.
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      It has alienated large sections of the fanbase, who will only begin to accept his departure if they achieve success again – and that may be some time.
      Wilder’s interim successor, Paul Heckingbottom, got off to a horrible start – losing 5-0 to Leicester City.
      Sheffield United maintain they are in a strong place as they look to build a squad that can make an immediate return to the Premier League.
      CEO Stephen Bettis has said: “We’ve made a significant investment in the football club in the last few years, in excess of £100million on players, all of which are young, exciting players with great prospects for the future. 
      “And I think the club is in a really good place.”
      But it is hard not to fear for them.
      Wilder has left a void his permanent successor will find almost impossible to fill. 

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      Madrid legend Karanka set to be axed by Birmingham after awful13 points from 57 return leaves Brum in relegation mire

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY have sacked manager Aitor Karanka, according to reports.
      The Blues lost 2-0 at home to Bristol City on Saturday and the club’s owners are said to have relieved the Real Madrid legend of his duties after the game.

      Birmingham have reportedly sacked Aitor KarankaCredit: Rex Features

      Former Middlesbrough boss Karanka said there was ‘no chance’ of him resigning after the defeat.
      But the club have stepped in and saved him the trouble, according to the Mail.
      The sacking has not been confirmed by the Midlands side yet but an announcement is reportedly expected imminently.
      City players are said to have been told the news on Saturday night.

      Blues sit 21st in the Championship and have the worst home record in the division.
      Karanka has overseen a run which has returned just 13 points from a possible 57.
      His side have lost seven of their last 12 – winning just two.
      And with ten games left in the season, club chiefs appear to have had enough.

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      Ex-Nottingham Forest boss Karanka signed a three-year deal in July but leaves having picked up just eight wins from 38 games.
      Whoever takes over will have a battle on their hands with Birmingham just three points clear of 22nd place Rotherham having played four games more.
      Blues host Reading who are in the hunt for the play-offs on Wednesday before a relegation grudge match against Rotherham on April 17.
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      SHEFF WED 1 NORWICH 2: Pukki and Cantwell seal comeback as Canaries go ten points clear after eighth straight win

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      TODD CANTWELL made life just gr-eight for Norwich as they roared 10 points clear at the top.
      The midfielder’s magical 77th-minute finish – his fifth goal of the season – capped a superb comeback by the leaders to confirm an eighth straight league win.

      Cantwell, 23, scored the winner at HillsboroughCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Pukki, 30, made it 1-1 just after the hourCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Teemu Pukki’s 21st of the campaign in the 61st minute was a fine leveller after the high-flying Canaries were stunned by former player Jordan Rhodes as second-bottom Wednesday battled to avoid a seventh straight defeat.
      Striker Rhodes scored nine goals during a season-long loan with Daniel Farke’s side as they went up as champions in 2019.
      This time he was foe, not friend as the 31-year-old, who also started his career at Norwich’s arch-rivals Ipswich, opened the scoring in the seventh minute.
      The Scotland international pounced after Josh Windass had been pulled back by Ben Gibson on the edge of the box.

      Barry Bannan’s free kick struck the wall and when Joey Pelupessy’s follow-up fell kindly into Rhodes’ path, he calmly steered it past Tim Krul for his fourth goal of the campaign.
      Wednesday were a shadow of the side that had struggled at the bottom end.
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      Former Norwich loanee Rhodes, 31, gave Wednesday the leadCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      They unsettled the visitors with their aggression and slick attacking build-up as Adam Reach and Kadeem Harris tested Krul with decent efforts.
      Lukas Rupp saw a drive pushed away by Keiren Westwood at the other end while Pukki was thwarted by a Tom Lees block.
      But Farke had his men fired up for the second half and they levelled with a Skipp and a thump.
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      Spurs loanee Oliver Skipp drove forward to tee up Pukki in space inside the box and he smashed into the top corner past Westwood.
      It was his 50th goal in 75 Championship games and number 51 almost followed when he lashed another effort wide.
      But Cantwell’s classy left-foot curler did beat Westwood to give Norwich a first league double over the hosts since the 2001-02 season – and keep them on course for a Premier League return.

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      Middlesbrough 3 Stoke 0: Warnock’s Boro keep play-off dream alive but end the Potters’ after Riverside thrashing

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      MIDDLESBROUGH are clinging on to their play-off dream but surely ended Stoke’s after thrashing them 3-0.
      Grant Hall and Paddy McNair struck in the first half before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing pounced late on to leave Boro eight points off the top six.

      Nathaniel Mendez-Laing celebrates after sealing Boro’s 3-0 win over StokeCredit: Rex Features

      But the defeat left out-of-form Stoke stuck in mid table obscurity and facing another season in the Championship.
      After a fourth defeat in five, boss Michael O’Neill said: “I’m extremely disappointed with the result.
      “For all the play we had we just did not do enough with it or have enough cutting edge.
      “We are trying to rebuild the club and it will take time. We have to continue to try and make the club and team better and bring better players to the club.”

      Stoke almost scored after 20 seconds when Jacob Brown’s cross-come-shot cannoned back off the post.
      They continued to dominate with Tommy Smith coming close only to be caught out against the run of play by a set-piece.
      Marc Bola’s corner was flicked on by Chuba Akpom for Hall to slot home at the back.
      Stoke’s Nick Powell was fortunate to just receive yellow after diving in on Yannick Bolasie, although the Boro man recovered to provide his team’s second after a tactical reshuffle.

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      McNair had just been pushed into midfield from defence, and that led to him receiving the ball out on the left and skipping past two before opening his body to slot past Angus Gunn.
      McNair almost got his second when Gunn came racing out to clear straight to him but his long-range chip was wide of the empty target.
      Boro stopper Marcus Bettinelli made a brilliant save to deny Steven Fletcher on the volley before Mendez-Laing came off the bench to finish a counter-attack to seal it.
      Neil Warnock said: “We had to win today. I said to the players we have to get wins on the board.
      “We’ve just got to go and try and win every game now. We are quite capable of doing it.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Norwich want Tottenham star Oliver Skipp transfer after sensational loan stint puts Canaries on brink of Prem promotion

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      NORWICH have ‘opened talks’ with Tottenham over taking Oliver Skipp on loan again next season, according to reports.
      The midfielder joined Daniel Farke’s side on loan last summer, following their relegation from the Premier League.

      Oliver Skipp has played 37 times for NorwichCredit: PA:Press Association

      And he has been a revelation for the Canaries, ever-present in the Championship as Norwich have motored to the top of the table.
      Farke recently revealed that signing Skipp was his ‘biggest wish’ last summer, and the German hopes to do so again ahead of next season.
      According to Football Insider, Norwich have already been on the phone to Spurs about keeping the 20-year-old, should they be promoted.
      But later reports suggest that Spurs will knock back interest, having ‘mapped out’ a role for Skipp next season.

      The England Under-21 international has made 23 first-team outings for Tottenham, since being handed his debut by Mauricio Pochettino in December 2018.
      After two months of consideration he decided to accept a loan move to Carrow Road last summer, and has since been labelled as the ‘perfect business’ by boss Farke this season.
      With Norwich ten points clear at the top of the table, the German said: “He was one of my biggest wishes to bring in last summer, so compliments to Stuart Webber for making it happen.
      “I can only praise Ollie and Tottenham. This was perfect business. The best piece of business is always a permanent move, when you are fully convinced and you commit the club’s future to a player, and they do likewise.

      Skipp, 20, made his Spurs debut in December 2018Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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      “A loan is tricky. But if you have a chance to bring in someone who can be a major boost to the squad then perhaps a loan is the only way that happens. We would never be able to sign a highly rated player like Oliver Skipp. Not on a permanent deal.
      “It would be an unbelievable amount of money for our club.”
      Norwich have hoped that Webber’s relationship with Spurs’ head of recruitment Steve Hitchen can swing things their way.
      But due to Tottenham’s current stance, another loan appears unlikely.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Valerien Ismael has Barnsley dreaming of Premier League return after unbeaten run eclipsing likes of Man Utd and Chelsea

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      WHEN Valerien Ismael took over at Barnsley his target was to avoid relegation.
      But after seven wins in a row and a draw from their last eight games – they are on the second best unbeaten run in the country – they travel to Bournemouth today sitting in a play-off spot.

      Barnsley are on the second best winning run in the country

      Valerien Ismael has got Barnsley fans dreaming of a fairytale return to the Premier League

      And this incredible run of form has got fans dreaming of playing Premier League football next season.
      The Tykes have only been in the top flight for one season in their entire 134-year history after Danny Wilson famously led them there 24 years ago.
      Ismael told SunSport: “The main focus was to reach 50 points as soon as possible and we now have 58.
      “We want to see how many we can get before the international break in three games time. Then we can see what we can reach this season – can we go for more?”

      Barnsley were seconds from dropping into League One last season until Clark Odour’s dramatic stoppage-time winner at Brentford.
      And when Ismael took over from Gerhard Struber in late October, the Tykes were struggling again – having failed to win in their first seven league games.
      But the French coach has won 17 of his 28 Championship matches in charge with a 3-4-3 formation and an intense pressing game.
      Ismael said: “We’ve done it step by step. The first aim was to implement the philosophy then get results and then get them consistently. When you do that, you climb the table.

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      Daryl Dike and Alex Mowatt have been key figures in Barnsley’s run
      “We did it in December by winning six games out of eight and, even in January when we lost three in a row, the performances were brilliant.
      “So we didn’t lose confidence or faith in the way we play football. We believe this is the right way.”
      Ismael, 45, is proving to be one of the bright up-and-coming managers.
      And he revealed how he settled and believed in his philosophy after his last match in charge of Wolfsburg four years ago – despite the fact it cost him his job.
      He said: “Management is difficult. It takes time to adapt and know exactly what you want.
      “When you fail, it’s not a mistake – it’s normal. You must find a solution, a new way to play and your philosophy.
      “In Germany in my last game at Wolfsburg we played 3-4-3. We lost 2-1 against Werder Bremen but it was a brilliant performance.
      “From there, I knew what I wanted and with more experience am clearer in my mind what I want to see.”
      Ismael moved to Austria last season and made great waves at LASK.

      Barnsley loan signing Daryl Dike celebrates his stunning winner against Birmingham
      He led them to their first-ever Champions League play-off and, after losing to Club Brugge, managed them in their first-ever appearance in the Europa League – where they topped their group which included Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Rosenborg.
      They eventually lost to Manchester United in the last 16.
      He said: “LASK was the breakthrough for me because that gave me confidence.
      “It was good to see everything I believed and trusted in could be taken to the next level and now we’re doing it successfully in England too.”
      The January transfer window was massive for Barnsley. Not only did they keep their best players, they signed strikers Daryl Dike and Carlton Morris.
      USA ace Dike, 20, already has three goals in six starts since his loan move from MLS club Orlando City – including an absolute belter against Birmingham – while Morris has four goals from three starts since joining from MK Dons.
      Ismael said: “They’ve taken us to the next level and now we’re getting rewards of being able to keep our key players.
      “That is a new thing for Barnsley. If you can work with consistency and continue to develop the guys, you can reach something.”
      A big part of Barnsley’s success has been the fitness levels.
      Ismael understood the importance of that when he won the Bundesliga title in 2006 as a player at Bayern Munich under Felix Magath.
      But the German boss flopped when he managed Fulham – unable to save them from Premier League relegation before struggling in the Championship.

      Felix Magath was a “special manager” but Ismael says you cannot coach like he did now
      Ismael said: “You build your own mentality and philosophy as a coach while looking at what made a manager like that special.
      “But the way Magath managed you cannot do now. You have to be close to your players and communicate your ideas.
      “We had strong fitness work with Magath where the aim was to destroy you!
      “In training now, the purpose is to prepare the guys so they’re fresh to give 100 per cent in games.
      “Back then, we were so tired but the quality was so high in the squad.
      “That is not the way – especially in the Championship where you have 46 games in a season – and because of the pandemic are playing three times a week.
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      “You have to give players the room to recover – not just the body but the mind.”
      Ismael – who also won the Bundesliga as a player with Werder Bremen in 2004 – has always felt he had unfinished business in English football.
      As a young player, he was unable to make an impression after Crystal Palace bought him for a then club-record £2.75million from Strasbourg in January 1998.

      Valerien Ismael failed to make an impression as Crystal Palace’s recording signing in 1998

      Terry Venables gave Ismael an early insight at Crystal Palace into working with a top coach
      Aged 22, he only made 13 appearances as the Eagles were relegated.
      But he got an early insight into what makes a good coach by playing for former England boss Terry Venables.
      He said: “I was too young to make that move and shouldn’t have done it in January either.
      “But it was a new experience for me to work for such a big manager like Venables.
      “I took a lot of experience from him. In training you felt the attitude and experience he had – it was good to see that.”
      There is no doubt that if he gets Barnsley promoted, it will be a football miracle.
      So what is Ismael’s ultimate ambition as a manager?
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      He said: “To be known for the way I play football. It’s important when people are talking about the manager, they can say that was the right way to play.
      “If you think about Pep Guardiola, you think that’s the right way to play football.
      “When they play this football, they reach titles and for me this is the most important thing – to implement my way to play.”

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      Norwich loan manager Neil Adams is secret to more than £100m of transfers including James Maddison and Ben Godfrey

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      OVER £100million worth of talent has passed through Norwich’s increasingly successful loan system – including Leicester’s James Maddison and Ben Godfrey of Everton.
      So it is no surprise that clubs like the Canaries, who allow a large number of younger players go elsewhere for first-team action, now employ a loan player manager.

      Neil Adams took charge of the Norwich first-team in 2014 and is now loan managerCredit: Action Images – Reuters

      James Maddison was a huge success at Carrow Road after signing from CoventryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      It is a relatively new phenomenon in English football – but absolutely crucial. 
      Norwich currently have 19 players on loan and the man in charge of the system is former first-team boss Neil Adams, who took charge of the club both in the Premier League and the Championship.
      Midfielder Maddison, defender Ben Godfrey and twins Josh and Jacob Murphy all made their mark at Carrow Road before being sold for big money.
      Along with current first-team midfielder and England under-21s international Todd Cantwell, they all had successful loan moves under the watchful eye of Adams.

      Norwich, who look certain to be returning to the Premier League next season, appointed Adams in 2015, seven months after he stepped down as first team manager when the club were seventh in the Championship.
      Adams, 55, today gives a fascinating insight to the job which includes loan clauses with clubs – and strict orders for the players.
      A former winger with Norwich, Oldham and Everton, Adams currently has players out on loan at clubs from Mechelen and Waasland-Beveren in Belgium, to Telstar in Holland, Queen of the South, Charlton, Blackburn and King’s Lynn.
      He said:  “The club decided that if you send players out on loan – particularly those that you want to develop and players you want to give experience to – you had to do it in a detailed and thorough way.

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      More clubs are using loan managers. We are looking to develop our players and increase their value. We don’t hide away from that.
      Neil Adams

      “We are sending out elite category 1 players. Some need developing at a club. We have to do it properly, it has to be researched and planned and most importantly of all, thoroughly monitored.
      “You need success stories like Jacob Murphy, Josh Murphy, James Maddison and Ben Godfrey to back it up. If you had gone on loan six years or ago, it might have meant you were finished at the club. Now, when we tell a young player they are ready for a loan it is a pat on the back.
      “More and more clubs are using loan managers. We are looking to develop our players and increase their value. We don’t hide away from that.
      “In normal circumstances, I watch about 12 games a month. Until March 2020, I would spend a lot of time going to Holland and Belgium.
      “Also, we will watch the players’ games on either live links or the videos sent to us from the club. It is a condition of our loan contract that a club must send us footage of every game our player plays within two days.
      “I also insist players call me within a couple of hours after every game. It is a five minute catch-up.
      “I ask: ‘How did the game go? How did you feel you played? Did the manager or coach say anything? Are you fit?’ Then I will watch the game.
      “If they have lost 5-0, I appreciate they will probably not want to talk to me on the team coach so they sent me a text and we catch up the next morning. We also have January release clauses in case it is not working out.”

      Ben Godfrey (right) earned a pretty penny when leaving Norwich last summerCredit: PA:Press Association

      Todd Cantwell (right) enjoyed a loan stint before breaking into the first-teamCredit: Alamy Live News
      Norwich’s loan success stories include Maddison who was signed from Coventry for £2m and loaned back to the club in 2016 before being sent up to Aberdeen for five months. He was sold to Leicester for £22m.
      Norwich signed Ben Godfrey from York for an initial £100,000 and was sent to Shrewsbury on loan. The defender has done well since moving to Everton for £25m.
      The Murphy twins had numerous loan spells before becoming regulars in the Norwich first-team. Jacob was sold to Newcastle for £12m and brother Josh earned a Premier League move to Cardiff in a £11m transfer.
      Adams, who led Norwich to a shock win over Chelsea in the 2013 FA Youth Cup final, added: “The proof is in the pudding. Todd is a class example.
      “I am sure he won’t mind me sharing this information but Todd had never sort of left Norfolk and had been at the academy since he was eight. He was obviously an excellent player but needed toughening up a bit and needed senior football.
      “Had he gone to League One or League two in England he might have got beaten up and we may have lost the fantastic ability he has got so we loaned him to Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch second division.

      “Todd was able to develop his talent, got out of his Norfolk comfort zone and he ended up helping get the club promoted. Now, he is a regular for our first-team.”
      Canaries boss Daniel Farke and sporting director Stuart Webber decide which players are sent on loan.
      Adams added: “We are recognised around the country as doing this quite well. The proof is when you have clubs asking to come to Colney to see how we do it. We are happy to welcome them.” 
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      Yannick Bolasie latest star to receive sick online racist abuse as Boro demand that ‘it cannot be allowed to continue’

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      MIDDLESBROUGH have condemned the ‘vile and unacceptable’ racist abuse directed at Yannick Bolasie and demanded that ‘it cannot be allowed to continue’.
      The on-loan Everton winger shared a screenshot of a disgusting message he received on Instagram on Wednesday night.

      Yannick Bolasie has become the latest footy star to be subjected to vile racist abuse on social mediaCredit: Rex Features

      The 31-year-old captioned it with: “Something seriously wrong with people…Keyboard warriors. Still yet to meet a person who had this energy when they saw me.”
      It comes just weeks after English football united to demand social media giants stop talking and start acting to stop online abuse.
      In a direct and no punches pulled message to Twitter chief Jack Dorsey and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, representatives of all areas of the game came together in an open letter to tell the companies that ‘basic human decency’ required intervention.
      The damning letter was signed by FA chief Mark Bullingham, Premier League boss Richard Masters, Gordon Taylor, EFL chief exec Trevor Birch, womens’ game leader Kelly Simmons, the LMA’s Richard Bevan, Mike Riley and Sanjay Bhandari of Kick It Out.

      Now Middlesbrough have re-emphasised that message and called for action.
      A statement from the Championship play-off hopefuls said: “The racial abuse directed to Yannick Bolasie on social media is vile and unacceptable, and demonstrates exactly why more has to be done to identify the perpetrators of such comments and to bring them to justice.
      “The matter has been reported to the relevant authorities by both Yannick and ourselves and he has our full support.
      “It is of great concern to the club that we are witnessing behaviour of this type and it cannot be allowed to continue.

      Boro have demanded that the sick online abuse cannot continue to be allowedCredit: Rex Features

      “As our players said when responding to the debate on taking the knee we now need to see demonstrable actions from those who have the power to implement them rather than further gestures. Actions must speak louder than words.
      “We repeat that we will not tolerate abuse of any form and any individuals who are identified to us will not only face the prospect of criminal charges but will also be banned from the Riverside Stadium.
      “The MFC family stands together as one to unite against all forms of discrimination.”
      It follows a worrying growing number of disgusting racial abuse incidents over the past few months.
      Manchester United stars Anthony Martial and Axel Tuanzebe were both on the receiving end of sick messages.
      While Reece James, Romaine Sawyers and Lauren James were subjected to vile racist abuse.

      Patrick Van Aanholt was the latest Prem player to be racially abusedCredit: Reuters
      Crystal Palace’s Patrick Van Aanholt then became the latest Prem player to be racially abused on social media last week.
      The disgusting, X-rated missive Van Aanholt was sent branded him a ‘monkey’.
      And it ranted at the defender for failing to score, referencing Palace’s odds for netting the first goal in their goalless draw with Manchester United.
      It continued an alarming trend of footballers being subjected to hate in relation to placed bets failing to come off.
      And it is not only players who have come under attack in the disgusting manner.
      Referee Mike Dean requested to be pulled from matches after he received online death threats posted to his family.
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