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      in Soccer

      Forget the sob stories, five years without an Arsenal trophy means Mikel Arteta risks facing same fate as Poch at Spurs

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      WHEN was the last time the manager of a Big Six club was allowed to go five years without winning a trophy and stay in his job?The answer is Mauricio Pochettino, sacked by Tottenham early in his sixth season.Arsenal have once again failed to keep pace in a title raceCredit: GettyMikel Arteta is facing a fifth season without a trophy at the EmiratesCredit: RexBefore him, it was Arsene Wenger, who already had three Premier League titles – including two Doubles – to boast about before his long eight-season trophy drought.So unless Arsenal are going to be crowned champions of Europe this year for the first time in their history – and without a striker – Mikel Arteta is going to be entering into some pretty exclusive company.Arteta is under no immediate threat at the Emirates.Arsenal remain likely to finish as Premier League runners-up for a third straight season and if they defeat PSV Eindhoven, they will reach a second successive Champions League quarter-final.READ MORE ON ARSENALBut there comes a time when questions must be asked.And five seasons without a trophy is that sort of time.Sure, Arteta has improved Arsenal substantially but is he the man to take them over the line and win a Premier League or Champions League?Arteta did win the FA Cup just months after succeeding Unai Emery – with the team he inherited and then comprehensively dismantled.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSPierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored both goals in that behind-closed-doors 2-1 victory over Chelsea but was stripped of the captaincy the following year and bundled out of the door along with Mesut Ozil.When Kieran Tierney leaves this summer, Bukayo Saka and out-on-loan Reiss Nelson will be the only remaining Arsenal players to have won a trophy at the club – although they were both unused subs in that 2020 triumph over their London neighbours.‘Second again, ole ole’ – Brutal West Ham fans taunt Arsenal with three cheeky chants after stunning the EmiratesThe team Arteta subsequently built appeared young, vibrant and hungry during the previous two seasons, when they ran Manchester City close for the Premier League crown on both occasions.This year, there has been no title race, despite City’s extraordinary implosion. Liverpool have been allowed to run away with it.Arsenal failed to score for the third time in four matches in a God-awful goalless draw at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.That was a clash between the second and third teams in the table, which showcased exactly how far Arne Slot’s Reds are ahead of everybody else.Unless Arsenal are going to be crowned champions of Europe this year for the first time in their history – and without a striker – Mikel Arteta is going to be entering into some pretty exclusive company.Now 13 points ahead, the Merseysiders might well surpass Manchester City’s record 19-point winning margin of 2018.Any current conversation about the Gunners has to revolve around the absence of a fit striker.Season-ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, as well as a long-term lay-off for Saka, represent extremely bad luck. But then neither the German nor the Brazilian are authentic centre-forwards.Arsenal’s need for a striker predates those injuries.The debate was raging during the previous two seasons.Arsenal ratings vs Forest as NOBODY looks like scoring for Gunners but Saliba’s a Rolls Royce againMIKEL ARTETA may not have anyone to put the ball in the back of the net but in William Saliba he has one of the best defenders in the Prem.The Arsenal boss watched his side’s faint title hopes go well and truly up in smoke in the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.But his brilliant backline emerged, once again, with credit from this tricky clash at the City Ground.Together with Gabriel, Saliba kept a tight lid on Forest dangerman Chris Wood, who scored a hat-trick in his last appearance on this ground.But the fact the Gunners’ biggest threat at the other end of the pitch came from left-back Riccardo Calafiori – who was subbed off at half-time – says it all about the dire situation Arsenal somehow find themselves in.Here is how SunSport’s Graeme Bryce rated the Gunners stars’ displays…And if Arteta had prioritised a striker, the club would have signed one last summer, rather than having to leave it until late in January to make a failed bid for Aston Villa’s England international Ollie Watkins.Havertz, who was most effective as a No 10 in his Chelsea days, has the height and ability to link up play but he is not a top-class finisher.When Jesus was at City, Pep Guardiola preferred him as a winger and often played with false nines rather than employing the Brazilian through the middle.Talk of former Brentford hitman Ivan Toney, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres came and went and RB Leipzig’s raw 21-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko looks the most likely summer recruit. But Arsenal’s failure to bolster their forward line has been negligent.Still, even when Havertz and Jesus were fit, Arsenal’s playing style had clearly regressed this season.They have become Set Piece FC, an upper-class version of Tony Pulis’ Stoke City and a difficult watch.Mikel Arteta bizarrely hints Arsenal should be mid-table but still won’t give up on title An image of Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has been painted on to a mural near the Emirates.The days of Wenger’s Arsenal playing eye-candy football and being obsessed with scoring the perfect goal are long gone.Five red cards in the Premier League have cost the Gunners up to ten points.Dark conspiracy theories among Arsenal fans cannot mask a basic lack of discipline and game-management.Forget the sob stories, half a decade without silverware simply isn’t good enough.Arteta has done much to foster a bond between players and supporters after years of the ‘Wenger Out, Wenger In’ civil war and the short reign of Emery.The atmosphere at the Emirates has improved greatly — sometimes vast swathes of the crowd do not leave early to catch their trains.But this term there have been rumblings of discontent.Arsenal have gone backwards and most supporters recognise it.Opposition to the ownership of ‘Silent’ Stan Kroenke has been silenced but if it kicks off again, the manager will be in danger.Pochettino improved Spurs immeasurably, reaching a Champions League final after two successive near-misses in title races.But even at Arsenal’s bitter rivals, five years without a trophy was enough to see the Argentinian gone.READ MORE SUN STORIESUnless Arteta oversees a miracle in Europe – and Arsenal would probably have to beat Real Madrid in a quarter-final and Liverpool in a semi to do so – then the Spaniard will be on trial at the beginning of next term.Forget the sob stories, half a decade without silverware simply isn’t good enough. More

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      in Boxing

      I made deal with God as I lay dying after husband’s attack – I’m still trying to keep my end, says boxer Christy Martin

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      BOXING legend Christy Martin has revealed she made a deal with God as she lay dying after her husband’s brutal attack – and says she’s still trying to keep her end of the bargain.The 56-year-old – nicknamed The Coal Miner’s Daughter because of her father’s job in West Virginia, where she grew up – was a pioneer in the ring.Boxing legend Christy Martin is a survivor of domestic abuseCredit: GettyChristy survived an attempted murder by husband JimCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of FloridaChristy, right, poses with actress Sydney Sweeney who will be playing her in the upcoming movieCredit: FacebookShe won 49 fights, with 32 by way of knockout, in a career that began in the late 1980s, and was represented by legendary promoter Don King.However, behind the scenes manager James ‘Jim’ Martin, who she would marry in 1991, made her life a living hell by beating her physically and stripping her down mentally.All the while, Christy, who is gay, was wrestling with her sexuality and identity in the macho world of her profession.In 2010, Martin would attempt to take Christy’s life – repeatedly stabbing his wife, before shooting her in the chest.Martin, who was 25 years Christy’s senior, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.He died last November, while serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility in Florida.Understandably, Christy’s astonishing story has caught the attention of Hollywood.It’s not a boxing movie. It’s about domestic violence and it’s about sexuality. There’s so many different aspects and groups of people that this movie can affectChristy MartinA movie, directed by acclaimed Aussie filmmaker David Michod and starring actress of the moment Sydney Sweeney as Christy, wrapped in late 2024.Netflix also chronicled the tale with a powerful documentary called Untold: Deal with the Devil released in 2021.Speaking to SunSport, Christy, 56, told us: “To me, it’s the underdog story.Christy Martin was a boxing legend, but her ex-husband and trainer attempted to murder her”It’s not a boxing movie. It’s about domestic violence and it’s about sexuality. There’s so many different aspects and groups of people that this movie can affect.”The meaning behind the movie, for me, is don’t hide who you are – whatever it be, whatever makes you different. Be true to you.”Christy admitted she was surprised, at first, by the casting of Hollywood superstar Sweeney.”My first reaction was, ‘Wow, it kind of doesn’t fit,'” she said.”But when I spoke with Sydney, I learned she actually has an MMA background. We had some great conversations.”She is very much a competitor, like I was. I think this role will show people a whole other side to her they are not used to seeing.”She’s very real and a completely normal person, not like some Hollywood people I have met in my life and throughout my boxing career.”Christy met future hubby Jim when she was 22 and he was 47. She was an up and coming boxer, and he promised her the world by claiming he had contacts that could get her to the top of the tree.They married in 1991, although it was a marriage of convenience. Before Jim, Christy was in relationships with women.”I got involved with Jim by accident,” she said.”It was one of those things, I was impressionable and young and he claimed he knew everyone in the boxing business.”Christy was in an abusive marriage with Jim Martin who was her managerCredit: GettyGlam Sweeney was a surprise choice to play Martin in the new filmSweeney flexes her muscles on set of the untitled Christy Martin biopicCredit: instagram/sydney_sweeneySydney is unrecognisable on set for the upcoming movieCredit: BackGridBy the mid 1990s, Christy became a showbiz name in her own right.She featured on the undercard for Mike Tyson’s pay-per-view fight against Frank Bruno, and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.There was even an appearance on classic US TV sitcom Roseanne.But away from the public eye, she was under duress from Jim who controlled her every move.That included trash-talking gay fighters, even though she was hiding her own past and sexuality.Christy revealed: “Jim would encourage me to trash talk fighters who were gay.”I would tell him, ‘You’re treading on thin ice because if I say something, then someone from my past might hear it and come out of the woodwork’.”I would always tell him he was pushing me to walk a dangerous line.”It could have come out at any point, at any time, and something could have exposed me. How would I have looked then?”I was living two lives with what was going on in front of the camera and what was happening behind closed doors.”We would argue about everything, at press conferences, at home. I got to the point where I would pick and choose my battles.”As the first superstar of women’s boxing, Christy appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1996Credit: SuppliedLegendary boxing promoter Don King represented ChristyCredit: GettyChristy became a celebrity in her own right – appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1996Credit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal viaTheir blistering rows would often erupt into violence. “Once he knocked my tooth through my lip when I tried to leave him,” Christy confessed.”I had put a contract together to go our separate ways. I just wanted to live my life and go in a different direction. But I was his personal ATM. Without me what was he going to do?”As their relationship further deteriorated, Christy began to get hooked on cocaine, which she used to ease her pain.As he was beating my head into the dresser, I thought, ‘You know motherf***er, you are not going to kill me. Not today.’Christy MartinOn November 23, 2010 it all came to a head. After spending a few days with her friend, Sherry Lusk, Christy returned to their Florida home to find an agitated Martin.She recalled: “I had a headache, so I went to lay down in the bedroom. The entire time I’m laying down, I could hear Jim sharpening a knife.”Then I overheard him talking on the phone, calling people up and telling them I left him for a woman.”I got up and I was getting ready to go for a run. I put one shoe on and then he came into the bedroom.”He said, ‘I have something to show you.’ I thought he had a boxing contract, but instead he had a knife and a gun.”He started to stab me and cut me up and we got into a fight. In my mind, I was ready to die. “But, as he was beating my head into the dresser, I thought, ‘You know motherf***er, you are not going to kill me. Not today.’Christy refused to give up on life after being stabbed and shotCredit: GettyIn 2010, Martin repeatedly stabbed his wife with this knifeCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of FloridaHe then shot Christy in the chest with this pink gunCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida”It was like a switch just flipped and I wanted to live. When he cut me, he cut his own hand. And so he stopped beating me and went to clean up his own hand.”I started to walk out the room. He came back in and picked up the gun. I said to him, ‘You don’t have the balls to shoot me.'”But he did. He shot me and I remember I just prayed to God and asked for a way to get out.”Christy was stabbed four times in the chest, her left lung was punctured, her left leg was sliced to the bone, and a bullet was lodged three inches from her heart.Callous Martin left his wife for dead on the bedroom floor and went to have a shower.The crime scene where Christy was stabbed four times and shotCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of FloridaChristy managed to make it out of the flat when Martin went to have a shower, picture shows blood on the bathroom floorCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of FloridaThe boxing legend’s left leg was sliced to the boneCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of FloridaJim Martin in hospital with injuries sustained in his attackCredit: Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit of FloridaMartin was sentenced to 25 years in prison for attempting to murder ChristyCredit: Alamy”I heard the shower water turn on and that was God telling me it’s time, Christy, now’s the time. So I tried to get up, but blood was coming out of all these holes,” she said.Miraculously, she managed to make it out of their condo, before flagging down a stranger who rushed her to a nearby hospital.She survived her ordeal, as she believes, by the grace of God.In the emergency room, as she recovered from her wounds, she was also able to kick her drug habit to the kerb.”I had always been that athlete that said no to drugs,” she said.”In college, you smoke weed in high school and college and stuff – but I said I was never going to get addicted.”But cocaine became my drug of choice, and it was because I was so miserable with Jim. I was trying to find a happy place.I had always been that athlete that said no to drugsChristy”Cocaine was putting me in that happy place, even though it was really killing me and putting me in a worse place. It was an escape every day for around three years.”I quit because I wasn’t miserable anymore. I was free of Jim. I didn’t need that drug anymore.”Christy is thankful to be alive to tell her story, which she hopes will help women who have been in similar situations to her.”I made a deal with God in the hospital,” she told us.”You know, you let me live through this and I promise you I’m going to help. I’m going to help at least one person every day so they don’t suffer what I went through.”That’s why I keep talking about domestic violence because I gotta keep up my end of the bargain.”Christy in action against Laila Ali in 2003Credit: GettyJim Martin, right, died in 2024 while serving his sentence at Graceville Correctional Facility in FloridaToday, Christy Martin regularly discusses her domestic violence ordealCredit: GettyPioneering Christy led the way for female boxers like Katie Taylor, rightCredit: Sportsfile More

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      in Soccer

      Troy Deeney: Beware Sir Jim Ratcliffe, keep making staff redundant and you’ll lose heart and soul of Man Utd, trust me

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      MORALE among Manchester United’s players must be low enough as it is.But when you throw in a total of 450 staff losing their jobs – around 40 per cent of the club’s workforce – it is hardly going to help matters.Sir Jim Ratcliffe has announced another sweeping round of cuts at Old TraffordCredit: PANothing is going right on or off the pitch for Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyTroy Deeney has seen first hand what staff redundancies at a club can meanCredit: The SunFirst and foremost, it must be ­killing boss Ruben Amorim to have to keep answering questions about something which is not his fault, when he has only been at the club for two minutes.And from a PR point of view – with United in the bottom half – the optics are terrible.When was there last any positive news at Old Trafford?Probably when Amorim was appointed – although that optimism didn’t last long.Having spent most of my career at Watford, a far smaller operation with fewer employees, I was gobsmacked to hear United employed as many as 1,140 people before Sir Jim Ratcliffe got his axe out.Maybe many of the roles Ratcliffe is slashing are non-essential. Maybe there genuinely was fat to trim.And maybe the players themselves wouldn’t ever have met a lot of them.When you hear about 450 job losses – 250 in the last round of redundancies, with 200 more to follow – it can sound like just a figure.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBut then I started thinking about the behind-the-scenes staff at ­Watford, people I actually know, and then it became more personal.Because some of these people are the heart and soul of a football club.Andy Goldstein insists Sir Jim Ratcliffe has got everything wrong at Man Utd after drastic cuts For instance, in the training-room canteen at Watford, there were Linette and Sharon.They served us food and drink but they did far more than that.If we’d lost a few games, they were the people who lifted us.If we needed bringing down a peg or two, they would keep us grounded.Some of these people are the heart and soul of a football club.”Oh yeah, you scored the winning goal in an FA Cup semi-final but do you think you can leave your dirty plates lying around?”Linette had been at the club for 35 or 40 years – since Graham Taylor’s first spell as manager.If you were feeling down, just try moaning at her and Sharon and you would hear something along the lines of ‘oh yeah, it must be so hard being a professional footballer, my heart bleeds for you’.There will be staff like that at United’s training ground.Man Utd ratings vs Ipswich as Maguire saves the day after Onana makes case to be WORST ever signingMANCHESTER UNITED eased their fears of the drop in a topsy-turvy relegation six-pointer with Ipswich.The Red Devils triumphed 3-2 despite playing the second half with ten men.A major cock-up from Patrick Dorgu and Andre Onana saw Ipswich take a third-minute lead through Jaden Philogene.Then, after United had recovered to lead 2-1, Dorgu saw a straight red card for a poor challenge on Omari Hutchinson.Philogene scored again to level it before the break only for Harry Maguire to nod in to be United’s saviour.But who was United’s best player on the night?Here, SunSport’s Phil Thomas reveals his Manchester United player ratings…And I hope for the sake of the players, that those sorts of people are not being made redundant.Then there was Gail, Watford’s club secretary. Or should I say the club secretary/therapist.When I needed to vent, I’d go and vent at Gail in her office and the world seemed a better place.It was the same for a lot of players.And then there was Scott — also known as ‘Eeyore’ — the miserable head groundsman, who was actually one of the funniest blokes you could ever meet. He won awards for the playing ­surface at Vicarage Road.He took such pride in his work that he resented you actually playing or training on his pitches.If he could have erected a ‘Keep Off The Grass’ sign at the training ground, he would have done.There was Richard, the long-serving media officer, who protected the club’s image with his life.And another Richard, the player liaison officer, who was a godsend.His was a role which some might reckon showed how pampered footballers can be – but I disagree.We’d have so many youngsters, aged 18 to 21, coming over from abroad, with little grasp of English, who had never lived away from home.Rich would do everything for them.Even when the club’s owners don’t actually care. All of these people were invaluable and would have excellent ­relationships with many players.He would tell them where to live, how to pay their bills, work out where their parents would stay if they came to visit.For older players, he would find schools for their kids.As captain, I’d have to tell players not to take the p*** because Richard was so dedicated he’d be sorting out their social diaries.Some of the biggest unsung heroes at any club are those who work in the community department – many of whom are volunteers.They ensure a club is in touch with its roots, playing a proper role in the local area.United’s players have endured a horror season and their mood won’t be improved by staff redundanciesCredit: GettyEven when the club’s owners don’t actually care. All of these people were invaluable and would have excellent ­relationships with many players.When Watford were relegated, quite a few people I knew were made redundant by the club and that was what killed me more than anything.As a player, you know you have a short career, and that you’ve worked hard to get to the top in a very ­competitive industry.But you also know you are very well paid, that you could go six months without money if you had to — and you were fully aware that most of these people being made redundant were facing the possibility of real hardship.I don’t believe that United can make 450 people redundant without it having any impact on the players. Cut away too much ‘fat’ and you can end up losing your heart and soul.I thought long and hard about whether I should dig into my own pocket to help them out.Now, I’m a rarity in the modern game in that I stayed at one club for ten years and really got to know many of the staff at Watford.Many players who are just passing through won’t be so bothered because they don’t have those ­personal relationships with staff.And in a workforce of over a ­thousand, there will be people who are expendable.Footballers can be a selfish breed. In some ways, it is part of the ­mindset needed to be a successful professional sportsman.But I don’t believe that United can make 450 people redundant without it having any impact on the players.Cut away too much ‘fat’ and you can end up losing your heart and soul. More

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      in Soccer

      ‘IQ score beat my wife’s… that’s the best thing’ – Brainiac Frank Lampard on why he’s proving smart choice at Coventry

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      AFTER failing his last two tests at Chelsea and Everton, Lampard is gaining pass marks again.It does not take a genius to work out why… but if it did the high-flying Coventry boss would certainly fit the bill.Frank Lampard is loving his time with Coventry CityCredit: GettyThe Chelsea legend has taken Coventry from 17th to play-off contentionCredit: PAAfter all, how many football managers qualify for Mensa with an IQ of 150 — which puts him in the top one-two per cent of Britain’s brainiacs?Lampard, who also has a GCSE A-star in Latin, told SunSport: “It’s true, I do have an IQ of 150!“I was tested at Chelsea in the aftermath of John Terry getting kicked in the head in the Carabao Cup final.“Our doctor, who was Brian English at the time, made us do IQ tests to get us all a base-level IQ so we could be registered again if you had a concussion or a head injury.Read More in Football“I just breezed it. Other people seem more interested in it than me.“But I am quite proud of it. My score of 150 just beat my wife, Christine, which was the best thing about it.“She was just below me. I don’t know the exact numbers but we were around the same.“But I think she’s smarter than me — at least it feels that way in the house!Most read in ChampionshipCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“It was a strange test. I’d never done one before. For whatever reason, I came out on top of it.“That was my one and only IQ test. I retired after taking one, just in case it was a false test!”Fans spot Frank Lampard do his trademark face change as clip of his first day at Coventry training emergesLampard admitted he was thrilled when he found out his IQ was higher than his wife’sCredit: GettyLampard was also a smart cookie as a schoolboy, dreaming of following in the footsteps of his father and making it as a professional player with West Ham.He added: “I got 11 GSCEs. Four or five A passes, the rest Bs and one C, as well as one A-star-plus for Latin!”Lampard replaced Coventry fans’ favourite Mark Robins in November when the Sky Blues were 17th in the Championship.Yet three months on, it is beginning to look like one of the smartest moves of the season as Lampard has lifted Robins’ relegation candidates to within one point of the play-off positions.Coventry head to Oxford United tomorrow with the confidence of a side who have won seven out of their last eight games — their only defeat coming against leaders Leeds.But I am quite proud of it. My score of 150 just beat my wife, Christine, which was the best thing about it.Frank LampardAfter being burned at Everton and his second stint at Chelsea, Lampard is clearly loving life again in the dugout.Having enjoyed success as a TV pundit it would have been easy for him to take the easy option of becoming a full-time football critic.But he admits he has been bitten by the managerial bug and believes he is young enough — and wise enough — to succeed as a top-level boss after learning some harsh lessons from his past.He said: “I enjoyed the media when I packed up playing. I did it for a year and it was lovely to still have one foot in the game.“When I’ve been in between jobs, sometimes you want to rest, other times you want to work a bit and the media is great for that.“You work with great people. You see the game from the outside. You look at other teams more.“But this is what I love doing the most. I love the day-to-day involvement of being a manager.“I love the challenge, with all of its frustrations.“People tell me: ‘You don’t need to do it’. But it’s not a monetary thing.“I’m 46 years of age. I love working and I’m doing something I love to do.“The media life is easier, that’s for sure! It’s so much easier to comment on everyone with the benefit of hindsight. Management is much tougher.“I’ve been criticised before by former team-mates. Does it feel like betrayal? No, I’m pretty balanced about it now.Coventry have won seven of their last eight gamesCredit: Getty“I’ve experienced that situation, it’s not so much former team-mates, as some ex-players who don’t know what it’s like to manage.“They’ve never worked in management so they don’t understand the rigours.“They don’t understand the working week, don’t understand the challenges of team selection and injuries and managing players and formations.“It doesn’t mean you can’t be in the media.“But if you haven’t worked in management then I take what you say not with a pinch of salt — that sounds disrespectful.“But if I sense that it’s a little bit of a loaded dig or something that’s not well backed up, then I note it and move on.”So has Lampard ever dug up an ex-pro for his on-air comments? He replied: “I’ll answer that by not answering it… what do you think?”Lampard was a battler on the field and he has not lost his competitive edge now he is back in the dugout and in a tracksuit on the training ground.Management has chewed up and spat out so many of England’s so-called Golden Generation.Wayne Rooney has become the latest casualty, following in the footsteps of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, John Terry to a lesser extent, and Steven Gerrard, who have all experienced failure and criticism.The media life is easier, that’s for sure! It’s so much easier to comment on everyone with the benefit of hindsight. Management is much tougher.Frank LampardLampard said: “I don’t feel like I’m the one left holding the torch for the Golden Generation. It’s a lazy generalisation.“Anyone that goes into this job as an ex-player who’s had a highly regarded career should get a lot of credit because you understand that there’s a bigger fall for you.“There’s a bigger level of interest. Maybe we’ll succeed but what about if we fail?“It’s a little bit of a cultural issue. I think we’re all a bit guilty of that in our British culture.“So I don’t listen to the Golden Generation stuff.“It’s just a really lazy thing to say: Great players don’t make great managers.“And then you actually start listing them. Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and all the other ones.READ MORE SUN STORIES“It’s just a fallacy. It’s just picking an argument with confirmation bias.“It’s nonsense.”Lampard’s ex-England team-mate Wayne Rooney was axed by Plymouth on New Year’s EveCredit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      Coaches in tears, staff stacked & millions down drain…inside local hero Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘terrible’ first year at Man Utd

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      JULY is usually an exciting time at Manchester United’s famous academy.Hundreds of kids as young as seven return to the club’s Carrington training ground as they dream of following in the footsteps of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo by becoming the next protege to grace Old Trafford.Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s brutal cuts at Man United have earned him the nickname ‘The Jim Reaper’Credit: PAManchester United academy has also been hit as the billionaire axed coachesCredit: GettyThe club confirmed this week up to 200 people will lose their jobsCredit: GettyBut this season it was different. Instead of coaches greeting the potential future stars with fist-bumps and hi-fives, some of them were in tears.The reason? New minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos minions had set their cost-saving sights on the academy.So as kids and parents buzzed around downstairs, respected coaches were being told they were at risk of redundancy upstairs.Shock filled the building as confused children saw coaches they loved walking down the stairs with tears in their eyes.Some children also broke down, while others tried to comfort their coaches as bewildered parents looked on. A dad who witnessed the scenes told The Sun: “How the club acted was outrageous. “It was like waiting all summer and then sacking all the teachers on the first day of term — in front of the kids.“Some of the coaches were crying, some of the kids were then crying — and parents were wondering, ‘What on earth is going on?’”Academy Director Nick Cox later emailed parents to explain the job cuts were part of a club-wide review aimed at saving cash and becoming a “more lean and agile organisation”.Ruben Amorim blames results on the pitch for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s brutal Man Utd cuts That mantra has been a familiar message from United officials as billionaire Sir Jim slashes his way through every department of the football club, earning him the nickname “The Jim Reaper”.’He’s had a terrible year’Just this week, the club confirmed up to 200 more people will lose their jobs — on top of 250 loyal staff made redundant last year.Even United legend and ex-manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2million ambassador role was cut.He argues club staff become too comfortable while leaders have become too sentimental — leading to a decade of poor performance.The problem for Sir Jim — who is worth an estimated £23billion — is that on the pitch results have been disastrous.After spending £14million dispensing of manager Erik ten Hag and football director Dan Ashworth, he spent millions more installing Ruben Amorim in the Old Trafford dugout.The 72-year-old can regularly be seen gritting his teeth along with the rest of United fans as his team flounder on the pitch, winning just five of 16 Premier League games.Sir Jim has applied a similar approach to United as he has with his petrochemicals empire — where predictable costs and cost savings have reaped huge success.But so far in the football world, he has failed to discover the right formula for the sweet science of footie.And the man once billed as the saviour of the club from the hated Glazer family, who have loaded £1billion of debt and interest payments on the club following their 2005 takeover, is now regarded by some fans as just another businessman desecrating the club and all it stands for.On the pitch results have been disastrous this yearCredit: AlamySir Jim reacts during United’s clash with LiverpoolCredit: GettyRatcliffe spent millions installing Ruben Amorim in the Old Trafford dugoutCredit: GettyIn Failsworth, the working-class district eight miles from Old Trafford where Ratcliffe started life, he was previously hailed as a local hero thanks to his business acumen.But after sacking hundreds of United staff, putting up some match tickets to £66 a game, cancelling the Christmas party, and ending free lunches for training ground staff in favour of soup and free fruit, he has lost some of his sheen.The Sun this week visited Dunkerley Avenue, where Ratcliffe lived until he was ten, and were offered views Roy Keane would be proud of about the Ineos boss’s stewardship of the club.Lifelong Man United fan John Fearnley said: “I can’t understand why he is doing this.“He knows what it is like to come from a working-class family but now that is exactly the people who he is targeting. “He’s already put match ticket prices up and no doubt season ticket prices will follow next season.“I think he would have put them up mid-season if he could have. Cutting hundreds of jobs is a mistake and will hurt those affected a lot.”The 70-year-old retired contracts manager added: “My Man City mates are having a right laugh about United getting rid of the canteen and handing out free fruit.“They keep sending me Marcus Rashford memes about how we need him back now the free meals have been stopped.”Sue and John Fearnley are not impressed with Ratcliffe’s approachCredit: Matthew PoverDunkerley Avenue in Failsworth, Manchester, where Ratcliffe lived until he was tenCredit: Matthew PoverRatcliffe’s childhood homeCredit: Matthew PoverHis wife Sue, 69, added: “I am United through and through but what he is doing is wrong.“It’s crazy that he is making all these people redundant. “They will be the lower-paid staff and money will already be tight. “I thought things would improve when he bought into the club. “It’s the players’ wages that need cutting. “They should rip the existing contracts up and if the team does well, give them bonuses.”Mike Robinson, 56, said: “What he is doing is a disgrace. “He is destroying the fabric of the club by sacking the very people who are the club.“When he became the richest man in the UK and you’d tell people where you were from, some would say, ‘That’s where Jim Ratcliffe is from!’.”“It was nice to have someone from Failsworth do so well for himself.“But not now he is sacking ordinary working-class people.”Rob Inkerman, 35, said: “He’s a local lad, a United fan and a billionaire. “I thought he would have known what the club stood for and how it is the ordinary people who make the club what it is.“But instead of improving the club, he’s making it worse. He’s had a terrible year. “When he arrived, I think a lot of people saw him as a hero, someone who could save the club. But not any more. “His reputation with the fans has gone and how must the staff be feeling?“But is sacking staff and stopping the freebies really going to make much difference? “I bet it would make more of a difference to those who used to receive the free lunches.“He’s worth a fortune and should be spending it on the club he supports.”‘Bespectacled bores’And while Ratcliffe remains steadfast in his belief his hardline approach will lead United back to the top of world football, others who have always been suspicious of his reasons for buying into the club remain unconvinced.John-Paul O’Neill, author of Red Rebels: The Glazers And The FC Revolution, said: “After all the hype and hope of Ineos’s takeover of Manchester United’s football operations, the club’s current travails can’t really come as that much of a surprise as little about Jim Ratcliffe’s buy-in makes any sense, least of all financially.“Unlike the Glazers, the most common refrain from United fans who’ve pinned their hopes on the Oldham oligarch is ‘at least Ratcliffe’s put some money into the club’. “But they seem to be confusing the cost of doing the deal — injecting cash that keeps the Glazers afloat — with being some sort of willing benefactor.“Everything Ratcliffe has done at Old Trafford smacks of a two-bob operator.12 months of turmoilDecember 2023: Club confirm Ratcliffe’s takeover vowing to invest £245million.January 2024: Ratcliffe and right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford meet manager Erik ten Hag on a tour of training ground. Omar Berrada poached from Man City as new CEO.February 2024: Ratcliffe’s £1billion, 27.7 per cent takeover completed.March 2024: Ratcliffe bans words “awesome” and “lukewarm cappuccino”. Announces plans for “Wembley of the North” to replace Old Trafford. Man Utd NYSE share price drops to $13.73 – down from $20.52 after takeover.April 2024: Senior staff club credit cards and private cars cancelled.May 2024: Ratcliffe emails employees slamming “disgraceful” lack of cleanliness of facilities. Work finally starts on leaking Old Trafford roof. United finish eighth in Premier League ­­– their lowest ever. Ratcliffe gives employees a week to decide if they want redundancy. Staff forced to pay for own transport to FA Cup final and given only one ticket each. Pre-final party and hotel for senior staff axed.June 2024: United announce £50million upgrade to Carrington. Ratcliffe introduces strict policy forcing staff to come into office.July 2024: United agree deal to bring in Dan Ashworth as sporting director after four months of gardening leave at Newcastle. Erik ten Hag signs shock new contract until 2026. Staff on US pre-season tour cut to 125. Ratcliffe makes 250 redundancies including kitman Alex Wylie.August 2024: United splash £199million on players in summer transfer window. Matchday staff lunchboxes scrapped.October 2024: Sir Alex Ferguson’s £2million-a-year ambassador salary is axed. Staff Christmas party cancelled. “Back to work” policy costs a fortune, converting hospitality suites into offices. Erik ten Hag sacked with club 14th in Premier League table, costing £15million.November 2024: Ruben Amorim appointed manager after the club stumps up £10million to trigger his release clause. Coach Ruud van Nistelrooy axed by Amorim. Ratcliffe reportedly set to halve £40,000 budget paid to Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association.December 2024: Ratcliffe admits “mediocre” United “still in last century”. Fans protest after OAP and children concessions tickets ditched and minimum home ticket cost up to £66. Ashworth sacked as sporting director at a cost of £4.1million. Staff Christmas bonus of £100 ditched for £40 M&S voucher. Ceiling starts leaking during Amorim’s press conference after 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth. With reports of a mice infestation at Old Trafford, droppings are found in food kiosks and suites as food hygiene rating drops to two stars. SunSport reveals Ratcliffe cut £40,000 donation to Association of Former Manchester United Players charity.February 2025: Up to 200 more redundancies.“The farce of the millions wasted on Erik ten Hag and Dan Ashworth is well reported, but who authorised £200million to be spent on transfers last summer, under a manager who was a dead man walking and didn’t even make it to November, let alone Christmas?“Journalists were being briefed by United officials this month that the latest round of redundancies is necessary to prevent the club going bust.“If anyone is to actually believe this, just over a year after Ineos’s army of highly paid lawyers and accountants conducted due diligence on United’s accounts, it begs the question as to why Ratcliffe would have committed nearly £1.5billion to buying a quarter of it, rather than wait until the position became clear and the price crashed?“Why would any serious business operator pay such a fortune to become a minority shareholder in a failing business saddled with a billion pounds of debt? “It almost seems as if Ratcliffe has been brought in to be the Glazers’ lightning rod — a patsy to deflect attention — as he fronts all the decisions they wouldn’t, or couldn’t get away with making.“Ratcliffe can sack all the staff he wants, but the fact remains that in 2025 the biggest non-football-related drain resources remains the cost of the Glazers’ 2005 takeover — and those payments could double when the loans come up for refinancing in 2027.“Strangely, that’s one marginal gain Ineos’s bespectacled bores don’t seem willing to address.“But when their own ‘expertise’ has already seen around £230million spent since May on ‘improvements’ that have taken United to 14th place in the Premier League, it’s no wonder Ratcliffe and his gang are seeking out scapegoats anywhere else they can find them to save those precious pennies.”Former Manchester United’s manager Erik ten HagCredit: AFP More

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      in Boxing

      I fought Anthony Joshua for £5,000 but now live new life as a bailiff and expose some of the biggest secrets in boxing

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      PAUL BUTLIN was once a heavyweight fighting the likes of Anthony Joshua – but now he is a TikTok star from his van exposing boxing’s secrets.Butlin, now 48, boxed top names in his career including Derek Chisora and Joshua before retiring in 2016.Paul Butlin is the ex-heavyweight champ now exposing boxing’s biggest secretsCredit: RexButlin went viral while working in his job as a bailiffCredit: https://twitter.com/MichaelBensonnButlin is a big hit on TikTok exposing boxing’s secretsNowadays, he works as a debt collector while becoming a surprise hit on TikTok where he has almost 40,000 followers and millions of views.No longer at risk of getting on the wrong side of promoters or managers, Butlin pulls back the curtain on boxing’s dark side.Blowing the whistle on fighters’ pay, matchmaking and failed drug tests are all part of the reason fans can’t get enough of Butlin’s channel.And he tells SunSport: “I just started making boxing videos and people seem to like the real side of me, because all they see is like Conor Benn and people like this.READ MORE IN BOXING”They just think you’re gonna make millions, so I’m just trying to distract people to the other side of it. “The real side of boxing where you’ve got graft just to live really.”His controversial claims have included suggesting several top but nameless boxers use performance enhancing drugs. Butlin alleged in one video: “All the big names, I’m not gonna mention, I know they’re on it. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”I’ve been training in gyms since 16-years-old, I know who’s on gear, who ain’t on gear. I can tell with the power.” And he believes Jake Paul’s eight-round points victory over 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November was an example of a rigged fight.He said: “The whole fight was a fix, I watched it. Absolute b****s. “He hardly threw a punch, (Tyson) could have knocked him out at any time. Absolute fix, the game is a con.” Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions company did release a statement to deny accusations of the bout being fixed. Butlin – a former bouncer – went viral himself when a video emerged of him having a row while collecting a debt.Little did the man recording know that he was dealing with one of Britain’s most respected and experienced heavyweights.But Butlin said: “It’s just one of them that you get used to. I’ve got nothing to prove, do you know what I mean?”I don’t stand – even when I work at the door – I didn’t stand there and saying, ‘Well, I’m a professional boxer.’ Do you know what I mean? Or I used to be a professional boxer.”I just am what I am, and then people can abuse me. That is part of the job.”Butlin opened up about being verbally abused during his day jobCredit: https://twitter.com/MichaelBensonnWhen Butlin speaks about boxing, fans will listen. After all, he’s not a pretender with a big social media following, he has experienced it all in the ring. Butlin only started his amateur career at 26 and turned pro after just two years and 12 bouts. He went 4-0 before losing to Paul Buttery – in what he admits was a step up too soon in his career. An up and down run of performances and results then forced the East Midlands man to the away corner to make reasonable money. He said: “I realised the only way I could make money without selling tickets is going on the road if you like.”Butlin also made a name for himself sparring the likes of Tyson Fury before the Gypsy King became a world champion superstar.In fact, Butlin first crossed paths with Fury while the future British legend was still a teenager and knew he was destined for greatness.First jab he hit me with – and I told this story before – I was like, Jesus! It was like a right hand off a good heavyweight. That’s how strong he was.Paul Butlin on Anthony Joshua Butlin revealed: “Even after sparring him the first time, I said to him, ‘You’d beat most heavyweights now.’ “Obviously at the time I was sparring Matt Skelton, Pele Reed, loads of heavyweights. “I said, ‘Mate, you beat all these heavyweights now as an amateur.’ That’s what I told him.”And then he invited me up where he couldn’t get sparring. I went up to Manchester, I went to his uncle’s who sadly passed away. “Tyson was living in a caravan back of there, and he was training in like the barn.”And then I went to an amateur club in Manchester, so probably two or three times I sparred him, always got on well with him, he always looked after me and yeah, he’s a good lad.” Butlin also helped welcome Joshua to the world of professional boxing – one year after AJ won Olympic gold in London.And he admits to being blown away by the sheer power of Joshua – even with his lesser left hand jab.Butlin was beaten by Anthony Joshua in 2013Credit: Mark Robinson – The SunHe was paid just £5,000 for the fightCredit: Mark Robinson – The SunButlin said: “I squared with him in the casino where we had the weigh in, I looked at him and I thought, ‘Mate, you’re having it! “Got in the ring, I wasn’t even bothered. I thought, ‘Do you know what, you’re having it! I’m fit as a fiddle.'”First jab he hit me with – and I told this story before – I was like, Jesus! It was like a right hand off a good heavyweight. That’s how strong he was.”I went back to Carl Greaves first round, and said, ‘Mate, I can’t deal with him.'”He goes, ‘What are you on about?’ ‘I can’t deal with his power.’ He hits that hard.”And the only reason I got up after that big shot is because I was fit. I mean, I had nine stitches in my eye. Great shot. I can’t fault him.”Fans would assume fighting Joshua is a top payday – but Butlin is open in admitting he made just a tiny £5,000. He said on reflection: “At the time I was working, I had my gym. I think we just got married. We had young kids, five grand helps.I’ve been training in gyms since 16-years-old, I know who’s on gear, who ain’t on gear. I can tell with the power.”Looking back now, obviously the older you get I’m a bit gutted I didn’t get more. But that’s life, innit? You’re gonna take it.”If you don’t take it, someone else is gonna take it. So £5,000 at the time was a lot of money, and I just thought, ‘Yeah, why not?'” But Butlin also caused damage of his own – just ask Chisora. London’s veteran fan favourite once revealed Butlin was the hardest-hitting opponent he ever faced.Chisora claimed Butlin hit so hard he had to get the referee to check his gloves and make sure it wasn’t loaded with weights in it.”He never told me that afterwards,” Butlin says with a laugh. Butlin’s career on the road as the opponent was filled with short-notice bouts. Sometimes it was only 24 hours notice, other times while he had a BROKEN HAND.But Butlin always showed up – until he packed it in to tell the tales on the grubby boxing business. And while his career in the ring, all across Europe, may have gone unnoticed among some fans, his boxing exposes on TikTok certainty aren’t.READ MORE SUN STORIESButlin gets dozens of requests and questions sent in by his TikTok fans – but did he ever expect to be such a hit among social media?He said with a grin: “No, not really. I thought, it’s bald old Paul just making videos.”  More

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      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton admits Italian racists made him think twice about joining Ferrari after suffering sickening abuse in past

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      LEWIS HAMILTON admits Italian racists made him think twice about moving from Mercedes to Ferrari.Italian football has been plagued with racism problems, with ex-Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku suffering sick monkey taunts while playing for Inter Milan and Roma.Lewis Hamilton has admitted he thought twice about joining FerrariCredit: AlamyThe 40-year-old has expressed concerns over Ferrari’s lack of diversityCredit: AFPAnd Hamilton, F1’s only black driver, confessed: “It definitely crossed my mind when I was thinking about my decision.”It’s often such a small group of people that set that trend for many. “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”Hamilton, 40, was racially abused during his days in karting and also targeted by Spanish bigots in 2008.READ MORE ON F1But now he has been fired up by F1 pundits attacking his name, like former team owner Eddie Jordan, who branded Ferrari’s decision to axe 30-year-old Carlos Sainz for the Brit as “suicidal”.Hamilton told Time Magazine: “I never reply to any of the older, ultimately white men who have commented on my career and what they think I should be doing.”How you show up, how you present yourself, how you perform slowly dispels that.”But Hamilton has expressed concerns over Ferrari’s lack of diversity.Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSIn 2020, he started the Hamilton Commission to increase black representation in UK motorsport.Mercedes launched their own diversity initiative and began hiring staff from under-represented groups.Lewis Hamilton and Charles LeClerc arrive on red carpet at F1 02 car launch in styleBut Hamilton said: “Now I’m going back to the beginning of my time with Mercedes, where it wasn’t diverse.”Ferrari, along with every other F1 team,  signed a Diversity and Inclusion charter in November.Yet boss Fred Vasseur said: “It’s not politically correct but first is performance. “I’m keen to go into the  direction of diversity and so on but I want to build up the best team.” More

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      in Soccer

      ‘Can’t get a striker from grocery store’ – Boehly defends transfer strategy to angry Chelsea fans after £1.2bn spend

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      CHELSEA co-owner Todd Boehly has opened up about the club’s controversial transfer strategy – after spending over £1.2billion since 2022. The American businessman, 51, was targeted by fan protests ahead of the Blues’ 4-0 win over Southampton earlier this week. Todd Boehly has defended Chelsea’s transfer policy since he took over in 2022Credit: AlamyThe Blues have spent over £1billion on players in under three yearsCredit: GettyStars including Cole Palmer have been signed to deals over eight yearsCredit: GettyBoehly came out in defence of his leadership during an appearance at the FT Business of Football Summit on Thursday. The LA Dodgers owner directly addressed the protests, claiming: “Criticism is just par for the course.”The sooner you learn you won’t keep all the people happy all the time that brings freedom.”Boehly’s reign has seen immense spending, with £1.2bn spent on over 40 players. READ MORE ON FOOTBALLChelsea have also dished out contracts of up to TEN years to numerous stars, including Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.But they have still found themselves left without an out-and-out striker in recent weeks after injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu.Defending the strategy, Boehly insisted: “Strikers are hard to find. You can’t get one from the grocery store.”It’s an amazing skillset and you have to have a fantastic mentality.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”The most misunderstood thing is that we’re thinking about it measured in years, not months. “You have to think both short and long-term. We’re focused on a combination of both and seeking the best possible way to execute that. It’s a balancing act to figure that out.Enzo Maresca urges Chelsea fans to show trust after BlueCo protest “You have to have a plan and exercise it, accept that things are not linear and that the thing that matters is that the trend is in the right direction.”Boehly admits his first foray into English football has come with a “learning curve”.Chelsea have finished 12th and 6th in the Premier League over the past two seasons, failing to lift a trophy. They looked set to mount a title challenge before Christmas, only for their form to fall off in the past two months.Strikers are hard to find. You can’t get one from the grocery store.Todd BoehlyHe continued: “We’ve been here for less than three years and that’s been a whirling dervish of activity. Nothing is a straight line, ever and sport is so humbling.”If you look at contracts in football, a seven-year contract is really a five-year contract.”The reality that 95 per cent of the time by then you have to make a decision or you’ll shoot yourself in the foot.”At that point, you either agree an extension with the player or that greener pastures are out there for both sides.Chelsea ratings vs Southampton as Cole Palmer STILL can’t score or assist… and gets a horror grade”If you deny that you are kidding yourself.”We felt the longer contracts meant we could amortise but it was also about how we put together a team with the ability to stay together.READ MORE SUN STORIES”Teams that are dynasties over the years had superstar captains that were able to lead. But how do you find those superstar captains?”And in football, the market is obviously across multiple countries – so you’re thinking France, Germany, Brazil, Latin America – basically everywhere around the world.” More