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      Pochettino warns Chelsea fans they face TWO YEARS of pain just weeks after insisting Blues must challenge for title now

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO has pleaded for patience ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Fulham on Monday evening.The Blues make the short trip to Craven Cottage having won just one of their opening six Premier League matches under the Argentine.
      Mauricio Pochettino has won one of his first six Premier League games in chargeCredit: Rex
      The Blues have endured a tough start to the seasonCredit: Getty
      Fans have been left underwhelmed by their side’s performances, with the blunt Blues having scored just five league goals so far.
      Chatting to Sky Sports ahead of tonight’s match, Pochettino conceded that his young side will take time to get better.
      He said: “We need more experience, but that is about time. We need to provide the players playing in the Premier League the experience that they need.
      “It’s a tough competition. I think it’s the toughest competition in the world.
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      “And yes I think we need time because I think we have talented players but that is one of the key points, that we need time to improve individual and collective the team in the way we want to play.”
      Asked how difficult the job is compared to his previous posts, Pochettino added: “I think it’s tough, of course and then at the same time it’s exciting because it’s a massive challenge, to operate in a different way than was Chelsea in the past.
      “We need to respect the history but in the moment we are in a different way to build the project.”
      It was then pointed out that, while he preaches a project, Pochettino’s contract only runs for two years.
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      Further quizzed about how long the project will take, the 51-year-old laughed as he replied: “Two years. I understand because the owners and the sporting director, when they explained…
      “I think it’s about to know people. It’s about if they are happy with us and we are happy with them.
      “We are working like it’s not a problem to have two years, five years or ten years contract – the most important is to be in the right project and for them to identify us as the right people to drive this ship.
      Asked what he would deem as success this time next year, Pochettino didn’t beat around the bush.
      He said: “I think to win. I think the competitions that we are involved we need to try to win.
      “To be successful is to win because Chelsea is about to win, the history is about to win.
      “We are very confident that we are going to be successful here.”
      Back in August, Pochettino conceded that he can’t afford to take his time to succeed at Stamford Bridge.
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      He said at the time: “It is a process that needs time, but in football you can’t ask for time. We know we need to deliver now.
      “My message to everyone here is: ‘We are at Chelsea and we need to win. Today, not tomorrow’.”
      Pochettino, 51, has pleaded for patience at ChelseaCredit: twitter @footballdaily More

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      Gary Neville makes new Premier League title prediction after Man City fall to shock defeat away at Wolves

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      GARY NEVILLE has predicted Arsenal will win the Premier League after Manchester City fell to a shock defeat away at Wolves on Saturday. The Gunners are slowly creeping up to Pep Guardiola’s side as they sit one point behind after their 4-0 victory against Bournemouth.
      Gary Neville has predicted Arsenal as his Premier League title winnersCredit: PA
      Man City had a perfect start to the new Premier League season with six wins from their first six matches.
      But they lost their winning streak on Saturday after Wolves beat them 2-1.
      And Neville has now lost faith in last season’s Treble winners since their defeat.
      The Sky Sports pundit has turned his back on City and is now backing Arsenal to go on and win the Premier League title.
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      Neville said on his podcast: “I’ve got Arsenal to win the league this year.
      “That post-treble feeling, what it would have taken out of those City players and staff would have been enormous.
      “They could easily win the league this season and obviously it is just one game, but little results like that give the other teams encouragement.
      “We know City have lost games in the past and gone on long winning runs so we can’t write them off but it will give a lot of encouragement to Arsenal.”
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      Saturday was Guardiola’s second defeat in a row after Newcastle booted them out of the Carabao Cup with their 1-0 win at St James’ Park on Wednesday.
      Neville continued: “Against Newcastle, it was a serious team that Pep Guardiola took up there and at Wolves, they’re conceding a goal or two, they’re going behind in games and they look human.
      “It will be interesting. If Arsenal keep their players fit, they’ve got a great chance this season.
      “It was a good response from Arsenal against Bournemouth. They’d have come out of the North London derby disappointed. They’ll face those moments in the season.
      “They’ll be confident that they are back in the title race. The gap isn’t going to four points or six when you wonder if you will ever catch them.
      “Stay with them and get to that point where there are nine or 10 games to go again.
      “Arsenal won’t run away and win the league, your first title is very rarely like that, you have to get over the line crawling.
      The Gunners fell short of the League title last season with their 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest confirming City as champions for a third straight season.
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      He added: “Last season they fell apart late on and made mistakes, but they have to get in that position again. Then we’ll see if they’ve matured. I think they will have.
      “I just want them to have composure and be a bit more ruthless. Big tests are coming and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens because it won’t all be about Manchester City this season.” More

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      Xavi names Man Utd star Marcus Rashford in elite group of three players Barcelona fear

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      XAVI has named Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford as one of the players Barcelona fear most.Rashford, 25, scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists in 56 appearances across all competitions last season.
      Xavi believes Marcus Rashford is one of the hardest players to play againstCredit: Getty
      The Barcelona boss admitted his team ‘struggled a lot’ against the Man Utd starCredit: AP
      He also featured in both legs of United’s Champions League clash with Barcelona, contributing one goal and an assist at the Nou Camp.
      The Red Devils defeated the La Liga giants 4-3 on aggregate to progress to the round-of-16 before eventually being knocked out by Sevilla in the quarter-finals.
      But those two matches stuck with Barca boss Xavi, who has since claimed that Rashford is one of the most difficult players to handle on the pitch.
      In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the Spaniard said: “With Rashford we struggled a lot. But also Vinicius, Benzema.”
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      The Man Utd winger has struggled to find his form this season, with just one goal in seven Premier League appearances.
      But Erik ten Hag has insisted that there is more to come from the England international.
      Speaking after United’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday, the Dutchman said: “I think he knows he can do better than he is now and I’m sure it will come.
      “He works hard and it will come, but not automatically. The team has to work around him, and they have to invest a lot.
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      “The decision-making wasn’t good enough and then we don’t score.”
      The Red Devils currently sit 10th in the league table with just nine points from their opening seven games.
      And Ten Hag has urged his team to be more consistent in terms of performances and results.
      He added: “Of course, that is the concern but we have to be more consistent.
      “This is not just a demand from Man Utd, the demand is that we get a row of wins, to get into a rhythm; we have to do better than we are doing right now.”
      Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema were the other two players Barcelona feared mostCredit: Reuters More

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      Pep Guardiola on mission to improve his behaviour after new Premier League rule made him miss Man City’s loss to Wolves

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      PEP GUARDIOLA claims he is on a mission to improve his touchline behaviour in a bid to avoid another ban.The Manchester City boss was forced to watch Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Wolves from the stands after picking up three yellow cards this season.
      Pep Guardiola watched from the stands as his Manchester City side lost to WolvesCredit: Getty
      The Premier League have reduced their threshold for a ban from four cautions in a bid to deter abuse against the officials.
      So if Guardiola gets another three yellow cards, he will be banned for two matches from the touchline.
      He said: “It’s a new rule. They explained to us that sometimes, we do not speak to them correctly. They are the bosses. We have to accept it. I have to adapt to them.
      “If I saw a few things I didn’t like I would say it. Now, I have to control it.
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      “It’s not a big issue. It’s not a problem.
      “They made the rules. When I was a player at Barcelona I was the least physical player ever but maybe I was one of the most booked players in Barcelona.
      “It was because I talked and talked and talked. Now, as a manager, it is the same.”
      Guardiola, whose team delivered a poor performance at Wolves, admitted he did not like to be sat in the stands next to City director of football Txiki Begiristain and Manel Estiarte, head of player support.
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      Guardiola said: “I like to be with the players and have the smell of the grass. Txiki and Manel were so nice but I prefer to be down there.
      “Next time it is a two-game ban. I was the first to be banned so that’s a new record.”
      As for the loss at Wolves, City’s first of the season in the League, he said: “We have to do more. They beat us in the one v ones and that’s not good and we have to do it properly.” More

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      Harry Kane will have NO regrets about leaving resurgent Tottenham… as he’s at Bayern to win trophies, says Spurs legend

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      TOTTENHAM legend Gus Poyet insists Harry Kane will have no regrets about leaving Spurs despite their stunning revival under new manager Ange Postecoglou.That is because Kane knows he is challenging for every major honour available with Bayern Munich, something he never really could during his 19-year stint in north London.
      Bayern Munich star Harry Kane won’t regret leaving TottenhamCredit: EPA
      That is despite Tottenham’s attack-minded revival under Ange PostecoglouCredit: Reuters
      The star striker left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August following a £104million deal with the German champions.
      The England international amassed a staggering total of 278 goals and 64 assists in 430 appearances and became the club’s all-time record scorer.
      However, the 30-year-old never managed to win a single trophy with Tottenham and spent the last four years playing in a defensive setup under Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.
      But Kane’s former club has turned things around with Postecoglou implementing his attack-minded philosophy that has seen his undefeated side climbing to second place in the table.
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      But Poyet is adamant the England captain – who has nine goals in eight games for Bayern this season – knows he made the right decision, despite seeing Tottenham finally playing in a manner that would better suit him.
      Poyet told SunSport: “Harry Kane is doing very well at Bayern Munich so he can’t have any regrets about leaving Tottenham.
      “I’m sure he will be wondering what has happened at Tottenham given that he spent the last three years playing in his own half in a defensive setup and now they are suddenly playing offensive football and he is not there.
      “I think Ange Postecoglou has made an incredible impact and the football is amazing.
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      Tottenham hero Gus Poyet claims Kane might still be thinking about his former teamCredit: Getty
      “There have been a few games which have seen a lot of goals and that was expected but I think that was welcome for Spurs fans. Now it is a matter of seeing whether they can maintain that.
      “The impact has worked well but now it is about whether or not they can maintain the adrenaline and keep performing at that level rather than settling down and getting comfortable.
      “That is the most important step for Tottenham to take in the next two or three months.
      “I don’t think Harry Kane will have any regrets about leaving Spurs because he is playing for one of the best teams in the world in Bayern Munich where he is going to be challenging for every trophy, but for sure there will be something inside him thinking that what is happening at Spurs is incredible.
      “Every decision made by a player can have a positive impact on another and we have seen that with Heung-min Son who has become a more important player and he is scoring goals and having an impact again down the middle.
      “He proved the other day against Arsenal that if you give him the chance, he will score a lot of goals, especially when playing this kind of football.”
      Gus Poyet was speaking to The Sun on behalf of bitcoincasinos.com More

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      Chelsea legend Gus Poyet reveals why Blues team-mates are the reason for Moises Caicedo flop since record £115m transfer

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      CHELSEA legend Gus Poyet believes record signing Moises Caicedo has struggled to live up to his billing because the rest of the team isn’t performing around him.The Blues beat Liverpool to Caicedo’s signature in August following a £115million Premier League record deal with Brighton, just seven months after Enzo Fernandez’s £107m move to Stamford Bridge.
      Chelsea star Moises Caicedo has struggled because his team-mates aren’t performingCredit: Rex
      Chelsea legend Gus Poyet believes the same goes for Enzo FernandezCredit: Getty
      However, both star midfielders have failed to meet expectations so far this season amid a rough start that has seen Mauricio Pochettino’s men tumble to 15th place in the table.
      But Poyet insists that players like them need the rest of the team delivering on the pitch in order for them to hit the high notes.
      The Greece manager is adamant that Pochettino’s injury crisis is also to blame but the West Londoners will still have to improve “very quickly”.
      The 55-year-old is confident things will improve under the Argentinean tactician but advised him to play Caicedo and Fernandez at No6.

      Poyet told SunSport: “The signings of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo were both big calls. I call these types of transfers ‘in fashion’ where it seems to be the popular thing to spend lots of money on a specific position.
      “We have seen it happen with goalkeepers, centre-backs and striker, now the trend is paying £100m for a central midfielder; we have seen this with Declan Rice [at Arsenal], Caicedo and Fernandez. It seems to be in fashion and I don’t like that in football.
      “They are two very good players and I think they are both best as a number six, I don’t think either of them can play in attack.
      “Enzo had his breakthrough at the World Cup when he was playing in front of the back four and Caicedo was doing the same at Brighton.
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      “The problem is that Mauricio Pochettino has a big injury list and he is trying to fit in the best players to accommodate that and not leave anyone out.
      “If you are not an individual player like a winger, you need the team to be performing in order for you to perform.
      “They are in the middle of the park so they need the whole team to be performing around them and I don’t think Chelsea are functioning in the best way at the moment. For Enzo and Caicedo I think it is a matter of time before the team starts to perform.
      “We need to be honest and say that when you change the whole plan of the club you need to take time to adjust. If during that time there is a change of managers then it can take a bit longer.
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      Poyet is confident Chelsea will improve under Mauricio PochettinoCredit: Rex
      “Even worse, if you have key players getting injured at the start of the season then it can become dangerous for everybody because you can get in a bad mood and bad form which can make it difficult to win matches – that brings everything down.
      “It is a tough moment for Chelsea but I think what is most important is what is going on internally in terms of understanding the situation, as well as just remaining calm.
      Gus Poyet was speaking to The Sun on behalf of bitcoincasinos.com More

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      Furious Liverpool break silence after VAR blunder apology as they promise to ‘escalate’ the issue in damning statement

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      LIVERPOOL have broken their silence on the VAR fiasco by slamming those at fault – while promising to “escalate” the issue.The club has released a statement saying they do not accept the explanation given by the PGMOL in their apology.
      Liverpool have slammed the VAR fiasco that cost them a goal against TottenhamCredit: Rex
      Luis Diaz was wrongly deemed offside before scoring at Tottenham and VAR failed to interveneCredit: Premier League
      The refs body admitted a “significant human error” was made by VAR.
      SunSport understands VAR England clearly saw Diaz was ONSIDE but forgot what the on-field decision was.
      He then accidentally gave the “check complete” signal believing he was AWARDING Diaz’s goal when, in fact, he was allowing play to continue at 0-0.
      The Reds are now seeking a resolution and called for greater transparency for the benefit of all clubs.
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      A statement read: “Liverpool Football Club acknowledges PGMOL’s admission of their failures last night. It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined.
      “We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR.
      “It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.
      “That such failings have already been categorised as “significant human error” is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.
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      Simon Hooper was the official for the matchCredit: Reuters
      “This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again.
      “In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”
      The PGMOL took action on Sunday by removing VAR Darren England from Nottingham Forest’s draw with Brentford.
      But seething fans have called for the match to be replayed following the injustice, which saw Liverpool lose to Tottenham after also having two players sent off. More

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      Mark Halsey: VAR is NOT the issue, it’s the people using it… here’s my five-point plan to fix it after latest shambles

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      HOWARD WEBB, the PGMOL chief, has a mammoth job to regain the trust of players, managers and fans after the biggest VAR blunder we’ve ever seen.We have had inconsistent calls on handballs, challenges and penalty incidents since the technology was introduced.
      VAR was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during Tottenham’s win over LiverpoolCredit: Alamy
      Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes five areas of improvement are needed to fix VARCredit: Rex
      But there’s a major problem when we start getting factual decisions wrong, such as the goal by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz being unfairly ruled out for offside against Spurs.
      VAR isn’t the problem — it’s the personnel using the technology and it’s no wonder people are losing trust and faith in the system.
      No one wants PGMOL ­statements, apologises or explanations on TV shows — refs’ boss Webb must forget all that.
      He just needs to sort out VAR — and the standard of officiating — fast because the technology is a good tool IF used correctly.
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      The Premier League has the best players and managers and the supporters pay a lot of money.
      But the officials, with VAR bunglers Darren England and AVAR Dan Cook the latest culprits, nowhere near the level required.
      Everyone makes mistakes but they are now happening every weekend.
      Here’s a five-point plan to avoid further horror shows:
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      IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
      Only the on-field referee and VAR should speak — nobody else.
      During the review process, from the cases we have heard, the system is too chaotic with far too much chit-chat going on. Just cut out the “mate this” and “pal that”.
      Conversations must be more precise, to the point and clinical. We can learn from cricket and both rugby codes where reviews are slick.
      At the moment, there’s too much going on over the mic which leads to confusion.
      MAKE THE AUDIO PUBLIC
      Fans must be allowed to hear the conversation between ref and VAR. We’re in 2023, not 1973. I know IFAB currently prevents this and Webb wants this to come in.
      But we need to push to make this happen because Webb and Co must regain the trust and faith of everyone in the game.
      Suspicions have been raised over some VAR offside decisions in recent weeks — but the only way to be transparent is for fans to hear the audio.
      It would remove that layer of doubts that is now creeping in.
      Luis Diaz was wrongly deemed offside before scoring at Tottenham and VAR didn’t intervene
      MORE TRAINING AND EDUCATION
      VAR officials had four days of extra training before the start of the season — but was that really enough?
      Referees have not trained for all those years to sit in front of a TV screen. It’s a different job and do they really know what they are looking for?
      Pundits have sat there for years, have the experience of watching matches for hours on end to make the correct judgements.
      Prem clubs haven’t helped themselves by voting against the semi-automatic offside system and it needs to be revisited and introduced straight away.
      SET UP A SPECIALIST PANEL OF VAR OPERATORS
      We need a dedicated team that just focuses on VAR because the personnel at present is a huge issue.
      They must be non-active officials, ex-refs or former players who know the laws of the game.
      Ex-players know what a poor challenge is and also the natural and unnatural positions of the arm/hand when judging deliberate and accidental handball.
      Mike Dean was an excellent ref but not suited to using VAR and was quickly moved on.
      Curtis Jones was sent off after VAR showed referee Simon Hooper a still imageCredit: Premier League
      STOP USING STILL PICTURES
      When ref Simon Hooper went to the monitor at Spurs on Saturday, VAR England had lined up a still picture of Curtis Jones’ tackle on Yves Bissouma.
      That immediately plants a seed in the ref’s mind over what the outcome will be.
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      Stills and slow motion make every challenge much worse than what it is.
      Reviews must be in real time initially. More