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      EFL discover 25 positive coronavirus tests in latest round of results… ALL of them at Championship side Rotherham

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      THE EFL have revealed they discovered 25 positive results in the latest round of Covid-19 – ALL of them at Rotherham.The Championship strugglers had already produced three positive results the previous week, forcing the cancellation of their matches against Brentford and Luton.
      Rotherham United returned all 25 of the EFl’s latest positive Covid testsCredit: Rex
      Paul Warne’s side are embroiled in a relegation dog fightCredit: PA
      At the time they informed league bosses others had been ordered to self-isolate because of potential close contact – but the next round of testing produced numbers which staggered officials.
      For the further 25 players and staff were all confirmed to have contracted coronavirus leading to their clash with Coventry also being postponed.
      To make matters worse, it is the second time this season the Millers have been forced to cancel matches after suffering an outbreak within the club.
      Now the EFL are investigating just how well Rotherham followed the strict protocols in place throughout the professional game aimed at minimising risk of spreading the virus.
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      The latest outbreak is now known to have infected 28 people in total, leading to the close of their Roundwood training ground for a second time.
      Paul Warne’s side, scrapping to avoid relegation to League One, were back in action for the first time in a fortnight on Tuesday when they were thrashed 4-1 at home by Watford.
      The Millers were due to return to action on Saturday against Bristol City.
      The latest outbreak in their camp, however, will almost certainly lead to the postponement of the fixture.
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      Neil Warnock charged by FA for explosive post-match blast at officials after Middlesbrough’s loss to Swansea

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      NEIL WARNOCK has been charged by the FA for his explosive post-match blast at officials.The Middlesbrough manager slammed referee Gavin Ward for a number of decisions in the 2-1 Championship loss to Swansea earlier this month.
      Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock has been charged by the FA for his post-match rant about officials after Boro lost to SwanseaCredit: PA
      SunSport revealed last week the FA had launched an investigation into Warnock’s comments and he now has until March 22 to respond to the charge.
      An FA statement read: “Neil Warnock has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to Middlesbrough FC’s match against Swansea City FC in the EFL Championship on Saturday 6 March 2021.
      “It is alleged that comments made by the manager during a post-match interview constitute improper conduct as they questioned the integrity of the match official and/or implied bias and/or were personally offensive and/or bring the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1.
      “Neil Warnock has until 22 March 2021 to provide a response to this charge.”
      Warnock also accused Swansea of benefiting from decisions in the match at the Liberty Stadium on March 6 because manager Steve Cooper’s dad Keith was a former top-flight official.
      His attack on Ward came after he disallowed Marc Bola’s strike, with Yannick Bolasie adjudged to have fouled Jay Fulton in the build-up.
      After Boro levelled, Ward then awarded the Welsh side a penalty deep in injury-time for a George Saville foul on Jake Bidwell, which Andre Ayew converted from the spot.
      Warnock, 72, said: “They are all heroes, they all want the celebrity status.
      “It’s wrong. My lads have been let down by a team of officials who weren’t good enough today. It’s not right.”
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      Warnock added: “I don’t know if it’s Cooper’s dad whose influencing this?
      “He must have all the numbers. But, joking apart, they can’t keep having decisions like that.”
      Boro are eighth in the Championship – just five points off the play-offs.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Lee Bowyer confirmed as Birmingham manager as ex-Charlton chief looks to beat drop after sacking Aitor Karanka

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      LEE BOWYER has been confirmed as the new boss of Championship strugglers Birmingham City.Brum sacked Aitor Karanka after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Bristol City left them 23rd in the second tier.
      Lee Bowyer has been appointed new manager of Birmingham City after leaving CharltonCredit: PA
      Now they have turned to their former midfielder, who quit his job at Charlton over the weekend, to save them from the drop.
      The 44-year-old, who has agreed a deal with Birmingham until June 2023, said: “I’m absolutely delighted and it’s great to be back.
      “I’ve already seen some of the old faces from when I was here last and I’m just really looking forward to getting to work.
      “My priority is to lift everybody. Not just the players, the staff as well. It seems like it’s not been in a very good place, so I’ve got to lift them.
      “I’ve got to try and implement what I want very quickly. The team will improve, I have no doubt about that but we already have a good base to work with.
      “I’m gutted the fans aren’t here because I know the part they would play.
      “When I was here as a player it was an unreal atmosphere. I know how important they are but unfortunately we can’t change that.
      “We have to pull together as a club to make sure we are in this division next season so the fans can come back and appreciate what we do in this short space of time.”
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      Bowyer took charge of training on Tuesday and will be in the dug-out for Wednesday’s home match against Reading.
      Birmingham said details of his backroom team will be confirmed shortly, but CEO Dong Ren is delighted to get his man.
      He said: “I would like to welcome Lee to Birmingham City Football Club.
      “He is a coach who has been on our radar for some time now and as a former player he knows exactly what it means to be a part of this Football Club.
      “We believe he is the man to take us forward, initially in achieving our short-term goal of staying in the Championship and then further into the future as well.
      “We are delighted that Lee has joined us at this important stage of the season and we are all committed to ensuring that he and the team are a success.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Lee Bowyer quits as Charlton boss after contract row despite winning promotion last season More

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      Banned ref Darren Drysdale given low-key return as fourth official at Scunthorpe vs Southend after squaring up to Judge

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      BANNED ref Darren Drysdale is being handed a low-key return to action as fourth official at Scunthorpe on Saturday.Drysdale was suspended after being found guilty of improper conduct during a heated clash with Ipswich midfielder Alan Judge last month.
      Darren Drysdale will return to action as fourth official this SaturdayCredit: Getty
      He is free to start work again but is being sent to Scunthorpe’s League Two relegation home game against Southend United where he won’t even be on the pitch.
      An FA disciplinary panel heard that Judge called Drysdale a ‘cheating bald c***’ as they locked heads during Ipswich’s match against Northampton on February 16.
      Judge disputes that account strongly and says his club has audio footage to prove his did not swear or label Drysdale a cheat.
      Drysdale, 49, admitted losing his composure in the incident but maintained the abuse he received that night was ‘the worst ever’ in his officiating career.
      He still received a ban that was backdated to February 19 and ran until March 10.
      The trip to Scunthorpe will be his first game since the episode in the 90th minute of a goalless draw at Portman Road.
      The two men squared up after Drysdale booked Judge for simulation instead of awarding him a penalty.
      The Football Association have warned Drysdale about his future conduct.
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      He returns from suspension for squaring up to Ipswich’s Alan JudgeCredit: MatchDay Images Limited

      And a visit to Glanford Park where he will be kept out of direct contact with players as much as possible is seen as the best way of easing the controversial official back into the fold.
      Both teams have plenty on the line Saturday with Essex side Southend desperate for points as they look to avoid relegation to the National League.
      Scunthorpe are also at risk of being dragged in as they sit 18th.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Ipswich vs Northampton ref Darren Drysdale squares up to Town ace Alan Judge in heated clash More

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      Warnock hopes Mendez-Laing can be Boro’s play-off wildcard after Dalglish-esque finish helps keep them in promotion hunt

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      NEIL WARNOCK hopes Nathaniel Mendez-Laing can be Middlesbrough’s promotion wildcard – even without a promise of a contract extension.
      The winger, 28, came off the bench to grab his first goal for the club to add to Grant Hall and Paddy McNair’s earlier strikes against Stoke.

      Boro are hoping Nathaniel Mendez-Laing could be their promotion wildcardCredit: Rex Features

      The star’s strike was compared to Kenny Dalglish by his boss Neil WarnockCredit: Getty

      Warnock handed his former Cardiff a career lifeline with a short-term contract last month after he had been axed by the Bluebirds and banned for three months by the FA after testing positive for cocaine.
      The Boro boss has been easing the attacker in slowly, but after he confidently finished off a late counter-attack with a ‘Kenny Dalglish-eque chip’, he is adamant Mendez-Laing can play a huge role in their play-off hunt.
       Warnock said: “He can win games. That’s what you need at this level. 
      “We haven’t had enough goals this season and that’s why we are where we are really.

      “I thought it was a team performance to create the goal and Mendez can score at any level.
      “I can show you his two goals at Old Trafford on the final day of the Premier League and he terrorised the full-back that day.
      “He has plenty of potential but he’s been out a while. I don’t want him to try too hard.
      “He’s just got to do what he’s doing, things like now, training after the game and get some mileage in and hopefully he’ll get some starts in before the end of the season.”

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      He continued: “When you’ve been through what he’s been through it’s a relief, and I’m sure he wanted to show the lads what he can do.
      “It’s no good me saying where he’ll fit in, it’s on the pitch where you show the lads.
      “It was nice though, and you’re not going to see a better finish than that. It reminded me of a Kenny Dalglish finish!”
      When quizzed about keeping Mendez-Laing next season, Warnock said: “There’s a long way to go yet, he knows that. I’ve only just sorted myself out!
      “He knows he doesn’t have to prove anything to me. I know what he can do.”
      A fourth defeat in five leaves Stoke facing up to another year of Championship football.
      Boss Michael O’Neill said: “We are in a more comfortable position than we were last year but we want to be a team that can challenge at the top end of this league and at the moment we are not that.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Neil Warnock in X-rated rant at referee at Middlesbrough youth game vs Leeds just 24 hours after Brentford loss More

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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.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      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.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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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.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      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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