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      Newcastle suffer further Carabao Cup final blow with second key man to miss clash as Anthony Gordon ban confirmed

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      NEWCASTLE have suffered another crushing Wembley blow after Lewis Hall was ruled out of the Carabao Cup Final.The Magpies have opted against appealing Anthony Gordon’s red card in Saturday’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton for violent conduct.Newcastle have been dealt another blow ahead of the Carabao Cup finalCredit: PALewis Hall has been ruled out with injuryCredit: GettyNewcastle have opted not to appeal against Anthony Gordon’s red cardCredit: ReutersHe will now serve a three-match ban – the second of which will be the clash with Liverpool under the arch on March 16.Gordon received his marching orders for pushing Jan Paul van Hecke in the head.And the club feel they don’t have any grounds to get the decision overturned.Now boss Eddie Howe will be without left-back Lewis Hall after he picked up an ankle injury in last week’s league loss at Anfield.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe 20-year-old visited a specialist.And Sun Sport understands that he has now been delivered the bad news that the damage means he too will now miss the Wembley showpieceThat means that Howe is facing up to the prospect of taking on the league leaders and trying to stop Mo Salah without BOTH of his first-choice starters down the left.The news is also a blow to new England boss Thomas Tuchel.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHall seemed certain to be in his first Three Lions squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.Now he seems certain to be sidelined for those matches also.Newcastle United take possession of brand new touring coach with tailor-made interior More

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      Millwall fans give minute’s applause for goalkeeper Liam Roberts following horror challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta

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      MILLWALL fans conducted a minute’s applause for suspended star Liam Roberts during their Championship clash with Bristol City.The Lions were playing their first game since crashing out of the FA Cup with a 3-1 defeat to South London rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.Millwall fans gave a minute’s applause to suspended goalkeeper Liam RobertsCredit: @BroadcastMooseRoberts was sent off in the eighth minute of the FA Cup clash against Crystal PalaceCredit: ReutersRoberts’ tackle forced Mateta to go to the hospitalCredit: GettyRoberts was subjected to vile abuse online after the incidentCredit: GettyThat game was overshadowed by a shocking challenge from goalkeeper Roberts after he inexplicably rushed out of goal and fly-kicked Eagles’ ace Jean-Philippe Mateta in the head.Mateta was rushed to hospital as a result of the collision and needed 25 stitches, with Roberts being given his marching orders by Michael Oliver after a VAR review upgraded a yellow card to a red.Palace chairman Steve Parish said the tackle had “endangered his life” during an astonishing half-time rant to BBC Sport.Roberts, 30, had been subjected to a huge barrage of abuse on social media following the incident.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIn a statement released on Monday, Millwall said: “The club are disgusted by abuse directed towards goalkeeper Liam Roberts following Saturday’s unfortunate collision with Jean-Philippe Mateta.”The reporting on the matter, as well as disgraceful suggestions made by certain news organisations and high-profile figures within the sport that Liam intended to harm Jean-Philippe, has contributed to the unwarranted character assassination of Liam and fuelled abhorrent online abuse towards him.”And Millwall fans paid tribute to Roberts by applauding him in the eighth minute of the clash, the same time he was sent off against Palace.Roberts, who could have his suspension extended to beyond three games for serious foul play, reportedly apologised to Mateta in the evening following the game.Most read in FootballIn a message on social media after being released from hospital, 27-year-old Mateta said: “Thanks for all your kind messages. “I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon and stronger than ever. Well done, guys, for the great job today. I love you. JP.”‘Endangered his life’ – Crystal Palace owner gives Mateta injury update live on BBC and slams ‘reckless’ Millwall starMillwall added: “No player at Millwall Football Club steps on to the pitch with the intent to harm another, and the club will continue to support Liam, who reached out to Jean-Philippe personally on Saturday evening with an apology which was accepted immediately.”The club are pleased to hear positive updates from Jean-Philippe and wish him the best in his recovery.”Vile chants of “let him die” from some of the travelling supporters drew condemnation from BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce.Meanwhile, the FA are set to investigate alleged homophobic chants aimed at Ben Chilwell – on loan to Palace from the Blues.Elsewhere, Mark Halsey slammed the state of English referees after Oliver originally only awarded a yellow card for the tackle. More

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      Gary Lineker calls for major FA Cup rule change after Man Utd’s defeat to Fulham and Alan Shearer is ‘all for it’

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      GARY LINEKER has called for the FA to scrap extra-time in the FA Cup following Manchester United’s defeat to Fulham on Sunday.Lineker, 64, called for the major change after United and Fulham played out a 1-1 draw that saw over an hour of goalless football lead to a penalty shootout success for the Cottagers. Gary Lineker has called for extra-time to be scrapped in the FA CupCredit: AlamyThe claims come after Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by FulhamCredit: APLineker labelled the clash as “bad” as he suggested that penalties are often more exciting than the extra-time that precedes it.Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, he said: “We’ve argued many times, just get rid of extra time. Just go to penalties. It makes so much sense.”Particularly with the amount of football teams are playing now, the amount of injuries we’re getting. Just play 90 minutes, then settle it on penalties. “Because once it goes to extra time, the vast majority of us are thinking, particularly when it’s as bad as it was last night [Man Utd vs Fulham], you’re just thinking ‘come on, penalty shootout, a bit of excitement’.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLFellow podcast host and England icon Alan Shearer was in full agreement with Lineker too.He added: “Straight to penalties, I’m all for that.”The FA Cup already saw replays scrapped after the first round at the start of this season, meaning clubs lower down the football pyramid lose their shot at lucrative repeat fixtures.So much so that the EFL urged the FA to “re-evaluate their approach” before the season began, claiming clubs are being “marginalised in favour of others further up the pyramid”.Most read in FootballAlan Shearer echoed Lineker’s sentiment on extra-timeCredit: GettyCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHowever, ditching extra-time alongside the replays could give smaller teams a better chance of advancing with the lottery of spot-kicks somewhat levelling the playing field.Lineker spoke out on that issue earlier in the season after Tottenham edged past non-league Tamworth in extra-time.’Early retirement for you-‘ – Danny Murphy makes cheeky comment to departing Match of the Day presenter Gary LinekerSpeaking back in January, he said: “We still have extra-time. Personally, I think if they’re going to take away replays, they should take away extra-time.”Because otherwise, it really favours the strong teams.”Because they’ve got bigger squads, and they can put on their best players in extra-time like Spurs did. And they went on to win.”Of the eight FA Cup fifth round ties that took place last week, four of them went to extra time, with three being decided via penalty shootouts.FA Cup replays after the first round have already been axedCredit: Reuters More

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      ‘We’re the laughing stock’ – Ex-referees chief demands Michael Oliver is AXED for ‘missing’ horror challenge on Mateta

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      FORMER refs’ chief Keith Hackett has called for blunder whistler Michael Oliver to be axed and claims English officials “are the laughing stock in Europe.”Hackett also wants a maximum 120-second VAR review introduced following the astonishing 8min 11sec farce to rule out a Milos Kerkez ‘goal’ for offside in Bournemouth’s FA Cup shootout win over Wolves.Michael Oliver has been slammed for not immediately awarding a red card for a horror tackle on Jean-Philippe MatetaCredit: RexCrystal Palace star Mateta was taken to hospital after being kicked in the head during the club’s FA Cup clash against MillwallCredit: APEx-ref Keith Hackett wants Oliver axed and a 120-second maximum review time introducedCredit: GettyOliver was slammed by Crystal Palace chief Steve Parish for failing to award even a free-kick after Millwall keeper Liam Roberts’ flying kung fu kick to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s head put the Eagles striker in hospital.It needed VAR Nick Hopton’s intervention in Saturday’s FA Cup fifth round clash before Oliver was persuaded to issue Roberts a red card.And it came on the same day the new Semi-Automated Offside Technology failed at the Vitality Stadium – on the very first weekend of it being used in competitive matches.It prompted ex-PGMOL boss Hackett to launch a blistering attack on his successor Howard Webb, posting: “We are the laughing stock in Europe and the decline continues.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL“I wonder if the PGMOL are capable of delivering top-class officiating.“A challenge that put a player in hospital not recognised by the referee; EIGHT minutes to make an offside call? Time for the players to have afternoon tea! How is that helping?”Angry Parish accused Roberts of endangering Mateta’s life with the “most reckless challenge I’ve ever seen.”Mateta needed 25 stitches in a “serious” gashed ear and also underwent head scans before being released from hospital.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSAnd Parish fumed: “It was a dreadful challenge, but why the ref needed to go to the screen I have no idea.”Oliver, 40, was also widely criticised over his Molineux cock-up in January when he wrongly issued a straight red card to Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly for a trip – overturned on appeal.Listen to Michael Oliver’s conversation with VAR over Lewis-Skelly red card as Howard Webb says referee got it wrongHackett insisted Oliver “needs rest. At least a couple of weeks off.“That was terrible officiating. The referee went missing. The red card should have been issued without hesitation.”Bournemouth and Wolves fans chanted: “F*** VAR,” and “it’s not football any more,” during the Vitality farce.And Hackett posted on X: “This should be a game-changing moment.“Why didn’t the Premier League/PGMOL purchase an SAOS system that is tried and tested.“Why decide to use at this stage of the FA Cup?“We now need to put a time clock on the process. Two minutes max – then revert to the on-field decision.”Hackett, 80, also claims if refs wait for a VAR input before making decisions, “then we might as well use Tarot cards or bingo balls.”READ MORE SUN STORIESSheffield-born Hackett previously accused the £26million PGMOL of “being run by a bunch of amateurs who operate like a Mayfair Gentlemen’s Club.”He added: “VAR is not working, so bin it.” More

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      Nottingham Forest 1 Ipswich 1 (5-4 pens): Sels the hero in shootout to set up FA Cup quarter-final with Brighton

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      MATZ SELS was Nottingham Forest’s penalty shoot-out hero again as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side booked a quarter final tie at Brighton.And it was a SECOND shoot-out miss for Ipswich’s Jack Taylor who also failed to score from the spot in the Carabao Cup this season.Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels celebrates after saving the final penaltyCredit: RexNuno Espirito Santo joins in emotional scenes after Forest’s shootout winCredit: PASels got down smartly to foil Jack Taylor from the tenth penaltyCredit: PATractor Boys midfielder Taylor was the only player to fail from the spotCredit: GettyIpswich took the lead through George Hirst’s header only for Forest skipper Ryan Yates to equalise.Extra-time could not separate the sides and Forest went to their second successive penalty shoot-out in the competition.And Nuno’s side did not miss – with Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Neco Williams and Callum Hudson-Odoi all converting their spot kicks.That put the heat on Taylor again – but his penalty was saved by the Premier League’s top keeper Sels.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe Belgian also saved his side in the previous round’s penalty shoot-out at Exeter.It means Forest are in the last eight of the Cup for only the second time in 29 years.After a turgid first half, the game exploded into life after the break with Hirst heading Ipswich ahead from a corner.Yates brought Nuno Espirito Santo’s men back level and was agonisingly ruled offside as it looked as though he had wrapped the game up with his second goal. Most read in FA CupBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSThere was controversy in extra time as Ipswich sub Liam Delap was brought down by Forest defender Murillo as he raced in on goal – ref Tony Harrington gave nothing.England boss Thomas Tuchel was at the City Ground to cast his eye over candidates for this month’s Three Lions internationals against Albania and Latvia.Inside Fulham’s wild dressing room celebrations as rowdy stars launch bottles and dive around after win over Man UtdBut of the two starting line-ups, only Hudson-Odoi would be a realistic pick for future squads.Tuchel managed Hudson-Odoi during the player’s injury-hit time at Stamford Bridge – and the ex-Chelsea man impressed as he looked a threat and hit the bar.But the arrival of subs Gibbs-White and Anderson, just before the hour, would have given him food for thought – along with late Ipswich sub Liam Delap.Forest made six changes for the tie – but Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna clearly wanted to rest players for the Premier League relegation battle ahead.However, with the tie going the distance, neither side could rest.McKenna made eight changes but Forest pressed early for a goal – maybe with memories of the Exeter tie still fresh in their memories.Forest looked sharp again after the break though – and Hudson-Odoi set up Anthony Elanga forced Tractor Boys keeper Alex Palmer into a save, low down to his right.But Ipswich skipper Sam Morsy came close to opening the scoring with a powerful drive from 25 yards that Forest keeper Sels did well to tip over the bar.The resulting corner went much better for McKenna’s men after 53 minutes.Ryan Yates hails his equaliser for Forest in normal timeCredit: ReutersYates made it 1-1 with a dominating headerCredit: ReutersGeorge Hirst saw his header open the scoring for IpswichCredit: ReutersBen Johnson’s corner found Hirst at the far post and his header found the net through Sels’ legs.The goal came in front of the travelling Suffolk fans who sensed the chance to stun Forest on their own turf.But Forest levelled it up with 22 minutes left – and perhaps it was the sight of top scorer Wood preparing to come off the bench.Forest fans were already singing his name as Elanga delivered a pinpoint cross into the Ipswich area.Yates was on hand to head home and Nuno’s side were suddenly back in the game.And Wood was told to return to the bench with his services put on hold.The game had opened up and the home fans then urged Brazilian defender Murillo to shoot. He did just that, bringing a superb save from Palmer.Wood did eventually come on with eight minutes to go as Nuno, as in the last round, needed his big guns on the field.But Hudson-Odoi almost gave Forest the lead when he cut on from the left and produced a shot which clipped the crossbar.The game was halted after a clash of heads between Yates and Jacob Greaves left the Ipswich sub with blood dripping from a facial wound.Yates had what would have been his second headed goal ruled outCredit: ReutersHirst enjoyed his breakthrough for the Tractor BoysCredit: ReutersIpswich boss Kieran McKenna made anxious notesCredit: ReutersForest chief Nuno Espirito Santo looked on anxiouslyCredit: RexREAD MORE SUN STORIES More

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      How Ruben Amorim will prove Wayne Rooney wrong despite FA Cup loss to Fulham

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      MANCHESTER UNITED crashed out of the FA Cup thanks to a penalty shootout defeat to Fulham on Sunday.As has been the case in many previous games, there were positives and negatives to take from the performance.Man Utd crashed out of the FA Cup against Fulham on SundayCredit: GettyBut we have identified some positives on Tactics ExposedCredit: PAWe have looked at what Amorim got wrong in the clash, including a selection issueCredit: RexAnother set piece proved to be the Red Devils undoing before Bruno Fernandes scored a wonderful goal.But despite dominating much of the play from there after, Man Utd were unable to take their chances before crashing out when Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee missed pens in the shootout.After the defeat, Ruben Amorim was busy hitting back at Wayne Rooney after he labelled the manager naive for saying the ultimate goal was to win the Premier League.In the latest edition of our Tactics Exposed series, we take a look at what Amorim got right and got wrong during the clash.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBRUNO THE ANCHORMANFernandes’ position as one of the two pivot players was highlighted in our Tactics Exposed show last week.But unlike his performance against Ipswich where he was all-action but often to the detriment of Man Utd’s 3-4-3 system, on Sunday he was more disciplined.We highlighted Bruno Fernandes’ ‘Steven Gerrard syndrome’ against IpswichStepping into the heart of defence would have left him being pressed by Fulham and United without optionsFernandes seems to have taken on board more of what Amorim wanted him to do in this game in a more rigid way of playing by holding his position as the pivot more.Handing more trust to the centre-backs meant United had more passing options to progress the ball through the lines. Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSThis gave Amorim’s side a structure to play out from the back against Fulham, with United often passing through the lines to Christian Eriksen and Diogo Dalot.It also consequently meant Fulham changed their plan at half-time, with United certainly having some joy with this game plan.Man United fan The United Strand vows to not cut his hair until Red Devils win FIVE games in a rowUnfortunately, one of the main problems for United in this game came when they got into dangerous areas, with the likes of Eriksen getting the ball out wide but not being the player who will be able to beat his marker.Most importantly on this point, however, Fernandes’ touches and heat map showed him to be in a far more focused role within the structure all while putting in another captain’s performance.A more disciplined showing made Bruno an effective pivot in front of the back threeTrusting the likes of Harry Maguire and Co gave United more passing options through the linesAnd with Christian Eriksen and Joshua Zirkzee dropping back it meant United could progress the ball easilyUnited had a lot of joy in finding Eriksen went playing outFernandes had more touches of the ball in areas he should be having them inHis heat map also showed how he was still all over the pitch but more focusedIt was progress for Amorim, small progress, but progress.Fernandes later chipped in with another goal to level it up before scoring in the shootout as the Red Devils crashed out.IT’S OBI ONE UP TOPThe big debate has been over Rasmus Hojlund and whether the service is the problem — or just Hojlund himself.He again made some good runs and scuffed the one decent chance he got from Eriksen’s cross but didn’t do enough, especially in the duels.In the end, it was unfortunate once again that Alejandro Garnacho did not start alongside Hojlund, with the attacking dynamism the winger brings not able to assist the Dane when he made his runs.The whole first half he got one cross from Eriksen to the front post for a half chance.Rasmus Hojlund was once again starved of attacking intent by United’s starting XIHojlund had one half chance to try to end his goal droughtBut the game changed in the 68th minute when Chido Obi came onBut the game changed when 17-year-old Chido Obi came on in the 68th minute.Young Obi outshone Hojlund with direct running, physicality and got himself in three scoring positions.Zirkzee got closer to the teen when he came on for Hojlund and Garnacho did inject some pace after the starting No 9 went off.But it looks like it is time to give Obi a start and take Hojlund out of the firing line.Obi won half of his duels against Fulham compared to 20 per cent with Hojlund and he got into those positions to be dangerous.The teen ace benefitted from Joshua Zirkzee operating closer to him, like a two up topHe put himself in areas to get the ball and get a dangerous chanceHe proved to be a handful for the Fulham defenceBut for a wonderful save by Bernd Leno he would have won the gameAnd but for a really, really good Bernd Leno save he would have surely scored the winner.There is an inevitable storyline in United’s next league game coming against Arsenal after United poached the teen ace from the Gunners. Alan Hansen once famously said “You don’t win anything with kids”. But United are not winning anything without the kids either, so why not give him a go?After all, at this point of their season they don’t have a lot to lose.They’re not creating much and the chemistry between the players seems to be non-existent.Diogo Dalot was getting in all the right areas as the United left wing-backBut he lacked the impetus needed to make United really effectiveOne issue which certainly did not help was the lack of presence at left wing-back, with Dalot unable to provide the attacking impetus needed to be successful.He was in the position loads, but only one cross ended up resulting in a chance for the attack.THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBERLeny Yoro returned to the back three alongside Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt to face Fulham.And there were some positive signs this time around despite a lot of long balls being played forward.The trio kept Rodrigo Muniz, Adama Traore and Alex Iwobi pretty quiet throughout the game.Matthijs de Ligt’s cross-field passes proved an effective out ball for Man UtdThe passes would find De Ligt one on one with an opposition markerIf another player was there asides from the more defensively minded Dalot it might have produced different resultsDe Ligt was far better in defensive situations due to him being willing to jump out and engage, like he did with great success against Manchester City and Liverpool.He showed some very good cross-field passes to the wing-back on the opposite side, but we will come back to that in a moment.Overall though, it was a good flat back three which refused to be bullied.NACHO HOT BUT WING-BACKS NOTI’m not sure if Garnacho has bought his team-mates dinner yet like he promised them he would last week.But he proved effective when he came on to provide the direct running United needed and was a big threat to Fulham, though it is a system puzzle with Amorim wedded to 3-4-3.Alejandro Garnacho coming on added a directness on the left which had been missingLike Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui simply doesn’t provide the aggression United need to truly excel in this formationHis touches were often too deepThe starting wing-backs Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui just don’t have the pace and dynamism to stretch defences.De Ligt’s long field switches proved effective in getting United up the field and stretching the play.However, with Dalot unable to make the most of them they ended up being largely wasted chances.When Garnacho arrived, he did that on the left of the front three but, with no outlet on the right, it meant an imbalance.Garnacho might have made more of this situationAmorim must consider starting with more attacking wing-backs like Garnacho or the currently injured Amad Diallo — as well as new signing Patrick Dorgu, who was suspended on Sunday.But one thing is for certain, Dalot and Mazraoui are not currently doing enough in an attacking sense for Man Utd, which is leading to them having a lack of creativity.CALVIN CLIMBSCalvin Bassey was the shining light in an otherwise below par Fulham performance.Marco Silva had matched Wolves’ 3-4-3 in midweek, but ended up reverting back to the preferred back four against United.But with the home side’s back three proving to be too much for the Fulham attackers to handle, it was left to centre-back Bassey to come up with the goods in his first ever FA Cup game.Yet for Man Utd it was a case of deja vu after they conceded almost the exact same set piece goal against Fulham two years ago when Aleksandar Mitrovic scored against them.It was deju vu for Man Utd as they conceded the same set piece goal as almost exactly two years agoThis time around it was Calvin Bassey who found space at the far post to head home the openerMan Utd, like most teams nowadays, defend zonally.What Fulham did to break through this was drag out the first zone to create a gap into the second zone.The outswinging corner to a Fulham head at the near post ended up in a dangerous cross towards the far post.Two years ago it was Andreas Pereira’s cross which was flicked in at the far post when he ran into the space and scored.READ MORE SUN STORIESThis time, it was once again a Pereira corner, swung into Muniz who headed it into the gap at the far post.In the end they were just about value for a win, but you would not fancy playing them in the latter stages of the FA Cup.Man Utd ratings vs FulhamMANCHESTER UNITED crashed out the FA Cup on penalties against Fulham.Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee had poor spot-kicks saved as the Red Devils slipped to their sixth home defeat under Ruben Amorim.Fulham broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time with a well-worked corner.Antonee Robinson darted to the near post and flicked it onto Calvin Bassey who directed his header into the bottom corner brilliantly.Just as United’s frustrations were brewing, Bruno Fernandes was the saviour yet again.He picked up Diogo Dalot’s perfect cut back and fired it beyond the stretch of Bernd Leno.United had chances towards the end of the second-half, with subs Alejandro Garnacho and Chido Obi unable to finish.There was nothing to separate the sides in extra-time and penalties were needed.Despite well-taken kicks from Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Casemiro, Lindelof and Zirkzee woefully fired directly at Fulham hero Leno.But which Man Utd players could hold their heads up and which flopped?Here, SunSport’s Ken Lawrence reveals his player ratings. 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      Man Utd’s history means nothing – thinking they can win the league in three years is arrogant and delusional

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      IT was an FA Cup weekend which showed just how far Manchester United have fallen.Which showed how little their history means, how shockingly bad their recruitment has been — and how many clubs have overtaken them.Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim is underestimating the size of his taskCredit: GettyWayne Rooney was correct to warn the Red DevilsCredit: X formerly Twitter / @BBCMOTDRooney was also spot-on to say United could do with Danny WelbeckCredit: GettyAnd it showed how correct Wayne Rooney was to criticise the naivety of United’s hierarchy for targeting the Premier League title within three years.In a fascinating quarter-final line-up, there are four clubs — Bournemouth, Brighton,  Fulham and Crystal Palace — who have never won the Cup but who have realistic ambitions of doing so on May 17.All four are infinitely smaller than United but sit above Ruben Amorim’s men in the  Premier League table.So when Rooney doubts United’s stated ambition of winning the title in their 150th anniversary year of 2028 — chief executive Omar Berrada’s so-called ‘Project 21’ — he is absolutely right.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLRooney called it ‘naive’. He might have added ‘arrogant’ and ‘delusional’.United haven’t won it in 12 years and are now further away from doing so than at any point during that time.Portuguese Amorim is a searingly honest press-conference operator but he was wrong to sneer at Rooney with his ‘that is why I’m manager of Manchester United at 40’ jibe.That Rooney’s managerial career has stalled after four underwhelming jobs by the age of 39 does not mean his comments lack credibility.Most read in FootballUnited face more high-pressure games this monthBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSAre only successful football managers allowed to assess football managers?Sir David Attenborough has never been a Rwandan mountain gorilla but he made a decent fist of talking about them.Man United fan The United Strand vows to not cut his hair until Red Devils win FIVE games in a rowAmorim claims being a pundit is easy — which doesn’t explain why so many ex-players are so bad at it.Rooney, meanwhile, is far more articulate and insightful than he’s often given credit for.He’s United’s record goalscorer and he understands that the club’s fame, its history, means little to current footballers — especially those from overseas.“If I’m a player and United try to sign me, I’m thinking, ‘I’m not sure’,” said Rooney. “The top players want Champions League.”United’s 13 titles under Sir Alex Ferguson are an irrelevance to the elite young players they want to recruit.Those potential transfer targets will instead regard a shell of a football club, stuck in the bottom half of the table.The idea of United targeting the title in 2028 is nonsense.Before they can even think about challenging Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City, they must get past that little lot of FA Cup quarter-finalists — Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham and Palace.Joshua Zirkzee was gutted after a shootout miss as Fulham KO’d UnitedCredit: GettyMarcus Rashford is flourishing on loan for Aston Villa from UnitedCredit: GettyAll are well-run clubs benefiting from the ‘levelling up’ effect of Premier League TV revenue and Profit and Sustainability Rules.United are not experiencing a one-season blip. They are suffering from a dozen years of rank boardroom mismanagement.Would you bet on them finishing above Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham or Palace next  season?When Fulham won at Old Trafford on Sunday, United cast-off Andreas Pereira shone, as did Sander Berge, the holding midfielder United tried and failed to sign from Burnley last summer.Fulham manager Marco Silva was one of several bosses United sounded out before they offered a new contract to Erik ten Hag.Silva is a gifted coach, who prioritised the Cup by resting several first-choice players for last Tuesday’s visit to Wolves, a match which Fulham won after their manager changed his favoured formation — showing an admirable flexibility which seems alien to Amorim.Fulham beat United without playing well. Despite three key injuries of their own, they had a far stronger bench than United.They are nine points clear of United because they are simply better.United would love a forward as good as Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, Evanilson or Dango Ouattara, or a winger anywhere near the standard of Brighton’s Kaoru MitomaThis is the Premier League’s new order. Smaller clubs have strong squads, well-scouted, recruited, assembled and coached. They don’t often need to sell their best players either.They can work without the white noise that  surrounds United, because of a history which only serves to drag the club further down.Earlier on Sunday, United old boy Danny Welbeck scored an excellent winner for Brighton at Newcastle.And at 34 Welbeck would still be a huge improvement on what Amorim has at his disposal — as Rooney pointed out.On Friday night, Marcus Rashford was enjoying his freedom at Aston Villa — who haven’t won the Cup since 1957 but also have a decent chance of doing so.And how United would love a forward as good as Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, Evanilson or Dango Ouattara, or a winger anywhere near the standard of Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.Bournemouth and Brighton are diamond miners in the global transfer market, Fulham are more adept at recycling unwanted Premier League players and at Palace it’s a mix of the two approaches.But all have succeeded while United have continually failed.And these are the clubs United must surpass before they even think about challenging to be champions of England again.Champions by 2028? Naive isn’t the half of it.Mocking was sickWHO says FA Cup romance is dead, when Saturday brought us a kung-fu kick at Crystal Palace v Millwall, a headbutt at Bournemouth v Wolves and a racism row at Preston v Burnley?If the assault by Millwall keeper Liam Roberts on Palace striker Jean- Philippe Mateta wasn’t bad enough then the sick mocking songs of Lions fans were even more reprehensible.Amazingly this challenge on Palace attacker Jean-Philippe Mateta by Liam Roberts wasn’t the worst aspect of the FA Cup derbyCredit: GettyPalace supporters did retaliate sarcastically with a similar ‘let him die’ chant when a Millwall player was receiving treatment for a far less serious injury.The FA say Millwall chants, which gloried in Mateta’s trip to hospital, cannot be punished because they do not breach their rulebook.Well, either update your rulebook or use some common sense.Millwall can have all the community initiatives they like but while they  continue to be followed by such a high percentage of moronic lowlife, they will continue to be the pariahs of English football.Mint’s missed momentBRIGHTON’S Yankuba Minteh really should have celebrated his goal against former club Newcastle on Sunday.It’s not just that Minteh, 20, was flogged in the summer without having ever played a minute of first-team football for the Magpies.Yankuba Minteh had extra reasons to enjoy his goal at NewcastleCredit: AFPIt’s that the talented Gambian winger refused a move to Lyon after realising Newcastle merely regarded him as a saleable commodity to help them comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules.Even though a £40million fee had been agreed, Minteh held out for the Premier League move he wanted and proved his worth with a goal which helped knock Toon out of the FA Cup.He should have fully enjoyed his moment because he owed his opponents nothing.Stat’s it, big AngeIF Ange Postecoglou does not last as Tottenham boss, can we please beg all major broadcasters to offer him a blank cheque to head into punditry?Because nobody cuts through football’s mountain of bulls**t quite like Big Ange.Postecoglou’s disdain for VAR already earned the Aussie immense credit from this column — and now he has weighed in on the myth of ‘assist’ stats.Ange Postecoglou is rightfully disdainful of statistics for assistsCredit: Alamy“The assist is the most useless statistic in world football,”  said the Spurs chief. “It could come off your backside, fall to somebody on the halfway line, he scores, and it’s an assist. So it doesn’t impress me.”As usual, the big man is bang on.Now blame the robo-flopTHE problem with VAR is the personnel, not the system, they lied.Just wait until robot linesmen come in, with 30  high-speed cameras tracking 10,000 data points on every player — that will speed up checks, they promised.READ MORE SUN STORIESYeah, because that’s the thing you find with technology in your everyday life — it never fails, does it?And then the robot linesmen arrived — and malfunctioned — and we waited for EIGHT minutes to find out whether a Bournemouth ‘goal’ against Wolves had been offside. More

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      Humble Jack Grealish spotted at social club where pints cost less than £3 after Man City’s FA Cup win over Plymouth

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      HUMBLE Jack Grealish was spotted at a social club near Sunderland which sells pints for less than £3 following Manchester City’s FA Cup win.The £100million star, 29, played the full 90 minutes at the Etihad on Saturday as City beat Plymouth 3-1.Jack Grealish was spotted in a social club in the North-EastCredit: X @footballbreakzThe £100m footballer headed to the £3-a-pint North Biddick Social ClubCredit: X @footballbreakzHis partner Sasha Attwood was not in attendance at the unexpected venueCredit: instagram/@sasha__rebecca’But with no midweek fixture following the Champions League exit, the footballer got snapped at the North Biddick Social Club in Washington on Sunday night. Grealish wore an oversized grey hoodie and ripped baggy sky-blue jeans with white trainers as he sat alongside two pals at the unexpected location. The social club describes itself as “Washington’s No1 entertainment venue” and offers “a fine selection of beers, wines and spirits at unbelievably low prices” that sees punters “save a small fortune”.That includes a menu from last year showing pints costing from £2.94 to £3.60. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLA bottle of prosecco costs less than £10 with spirits coming up well under £3. According to the Daily Mail, Grealish put a “substantial sum” behind the bar for regulars at the North Biddick Social Club, which is a 136-mile, two-and-a-half-hour drive from the Etihad.It is unclear why Britain’s most expensive footballer in Premier League history opted for the hotspot in the North-East. There was no sign of his partner Sasha Attwood at the social club.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSSasha gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Mila, in September. And it comes less than three weeks after Grealish was spotted leaving a swanky restaurant in London alongside a mystery woman.Jack Grealish’s reaction to Cole Palmer becoming a manager says it all as he and Maguire apologise to Chelsea starThe ex-Aston Villa ace, though, insisted “she’s not with me” as he departed the celebrity hangout Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone. SunSport revealed the blonde was Emma Silverton, a former model, hostess and freelance photographer.On the field, Grealish is continuing to struggle for minutes.Despite his key role in the Treble-winning 2022-23 season, he is a fringe squad player these days under Pep Guardiola.There have been suggestions he has not been as dedicated in training as in previous years since his 2021 record-breaking transfer. Just six of his 14 starts this season have come in the Premier League – with 34 minutes of top-flight action in 2025. He has registered two goals this term – against PSG in the Champions League and Salford in the FA Cup – and chipped in with five assists overall, with transfer rumours swirling he could leave Man City in the summer. Grealish opened up on 2024 being one of the hardest years of his lifeCredit: instagram/@sasha__rebecca’Sasha gave birth to their daughter Mila in SeptemberCredit: InstagramGuardiola publicly apologised to Grealish that his Premier League minutes have been limited to just 605 as he has tended to prefer the likes of Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and now Omar Marmoush out wide. Speaking last month, the manager said: “I’m so sorry he doesn’t get the minutes that maybe he deserves.”But in the end, the contributions from Jeremy or Savinho have been massive this season, this is the only reason why.”It’s not personal, or that I don’t like Jack, or I don’t have confidence in him.”Of course, when you play one player more minutes than another, you have more confidence than him right now.”But I know his attributes, it’s just for the fact that for the impact of Savinho.”It’s Savinho’s first season – his impact in goals, and assists, the last game at Arsenal made an incredible step-up defensively and challenging duels. And this is the reason why.”Issues on and off the field – including his Euro 2024 snub and the fallout from a terrifying raid on his house in December 2023 – led Grealish to describe 2024 as “probably the most difficult year of my life”.Grealish admitted: “Last year, the whole year itself, it was weird because my little daughter was born, but apart from that it was one of the most difficult years.”Probably the most difficult year of my life for many reasons, on and off the pitch.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I found it really difficult. It’s a New Year now, and hopefully I can kick on from here.”City return to action on Saturday with the lunchtime kick-off away at Nottingham Forest in a huge fixture for the race to qualify for the Champions League. His trip to the social club comes three weeks after he was spotted leaving a swanky London restaurantCredit: SplashGrealish insisted ex-model Emma Silverton was not with himCredit: SplashThe forward played the full 90 minutes against Plymouth on SaturdayCredit: ReutersHe has spent much of this season sat on the benchCredit: GettyPep Guardiola apoligised for the England international’s lack of game timeCredit: AFP More