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      Gary Lineker reveals how Match of the Day chooses running order after fan complaints

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      GARY LINEKER has revealed how the Match of the Day running order is decided after receiving accusations of bias from fans. The 62-year-old faced backlash when his former club Tottenham were played first on Saturday’s show after their 5-2 win at Burnley.
      Gary Lineker has responded to fans’ complaints of the MOTD running orderCredit: Alamy
      Lineker fired back insisting the most exciting Premier League games are always on first on Saturday’s MOTD.
      However other factors are taken into consideration, particularly during the second half of the season, he explained.
      Lineker has hosted the BBC flagship football highlights show for more than two decades.
      But fans still question how the running order is decided.
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      Seeing which games get picked to be shown first is one of the show’s unique selling points and hints which Premier League fixtures have been more entertaining.
      The England legend revealed the show’s editor is responsible for the running order but admits it’s a team effort involving himself and the pundits for the weekend.
      He made the revelation during the latest episode of The Rest Is Football – his podcast with Micah Richards and Alan Shearer.
      Lineker said: “It is a combined effort but it is ultimately the editor’s decision.
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      “Generally you get the best match on first, it is Match of the Day.
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      “Obviously when you cover a sporting event, the main focus is on the leaders.
      “You don’t watch a horse race and focus on the back six… Towards the second half of the season.
      “Whoever is top of the league has to come into your thinking when deciding.”
      Lineker also said winning results are preferred to draws when it comes to deciding the line-up.
      He added: “We put Forest beating Chelsea 1-0 on second on Saturday night, ahead of Manchester City scoring five against Fulham because it is a big story… You take all those things into account.”
      The BBC has broadcast highlights of the Premier League for most of the division’s existence.
      The only exception was between 2001 and 2004 when ITV obtained the rights. 
      Since regaining coverage Lineker admits he’s worked hard to ensure every team is given a good show.
      He continued: “I had a discussion with BBC bosses when we got the TV rights back from ITV over whether we could show every game.
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      “Back then it was highlights from a few matches, a couple of clips from another and then just goals.
      “They worked it out and I thought ‘at last we won’t get complaints from fans that teams aren’t being shown’. Now it is just them complaining that their team is on last!” More

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      I’m Evan Ferguson’s former coach – I knew he was special when he showed up the U18s as a 14-year-old with magic moment

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      EVAN FERGUSON stunned his youth-team coach on his first day at Brighton – by scoring a Cruyff turn that went in off the bar. The Irish striker, 18, is causing shockwaves throughout the Premier League.
      Evan Ferguson is shining in the Premier League for BrightonCredit: PA
      The forward made his Bohemians debut aged 14 against Chelsea in pre-seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Mark Beard worked with Ferguson in the Brighton academyCredit: https://www.stockportcounty.com/
      And he scored his first senior hat-trick with a superb treble against Newcastle on Saturday.
      But for Mark Beard, Ferguson’s superb goalscoring exploits are no surprise.
      Beard worked with the six-cap Republic of Ireland international – who could still choose to represent England – striker in Brighton’s academy and is now head coach at Eastbourne Borough.
      The ex-Millwall and Sheffield United midfielder said: “The first time he came in he was only 14 and John Morling (Brighton’s former academy manager) had known he was a special talent from the age of ten.
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      “John said, ‘I’ve got a 14-year-old and I want to try him in the Under-18s.’ He was unbelievable from day one.
      “I will always remember on his first day someone pinged a cross to him around the penalty spot and he’s done a Cruyff turn in the air and it hit the bar and flew in. Everyone stopped and clapped him.
      “From that moment I knew this kid was special, even from the way he carried himself. He walked in like an 18-year-old man, the way he shook your hand, looked you in the eye and got on with the boys.
      “He’s got confidence but not loud, he just knows he’s a good player. There’s nothing not to like about him, the players and coaches love him.
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      “Evan can play up front, on the wing, he’s got all the attributes to do absolutely everything – header, volley, left foot, right foot. 
      “I’ve only ever seen him have one bad game and even then he still scored two goals. He’s a natural finisher.”
      Ferguson made headlines as a 14-year-old, coming on for Irish side Bohemians in a pre-season friendly with Chelsea in 2019.
      The forward impressed against Frank Lampard’s star-studded team and even set up the Bohemians’ 89th-minute equaliser with a cheeky stepover.
      That had Beard and the Seagulls academy sweating on still landing the youngster – but Morling’s connections ensured he swapped Bohemians for Brighton, officially joining in 2021.
      Ferguson is now settled on the South Coast, has passed his driving test and put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Amex to ward off transfer interest from the likes of Manchester United.
      Beard added on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Monday Night Club: “We knew we had him signed at 14 then he played against Chelsea’s first team in a pre-season game.
      Graham Potter was brave and trusted the kid
      “As soon as that happened, there were headlines everywhere and we thought, ‘Oh no.’
      “This unknown kid we thought we had was wanted by Chelsea, Manchester United. It made our job harder.
      “We actually got him early, we got special permission to get him signed and he came over at 16 when he still should have been at school. 
      “Our head of academy was working for Ireland, he knew Evan from ten and had a good relationship with his parents. Brighton is such a good family club. He could have gone to other places for more money. 
      “Some Premier League managers wouldn’t give him the opportunity but Graham Potter was brave and trusted the kid.
      “He was a bit worried when Roberto De Zerbi came in and almost went out on loan but he scored against Everton [in January 2023] and stayed. I knew he would make it. 
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      “He was an early developer and is only going to get stronger but he is also technically brilliant. He’s so quick, deceptively quick. He is rapid.
      “I haven’t seen anything fazing him. The only thing that could stop him is an injury.”
      Ferguson signed a new contract and has gained the trust of Roberto De Zerbi
      Ferguson scored all three in the thumping victory over NewcastleCredit: Getty
      He collected his first match ball at the AmexCredit: Reuters
      Ferguson has six caps for IrelandCredit: Sportsfile More

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      Premier League to release VAR audio on Sky Sports and TNT Sports after Arsenal and Man Utd controversy

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      PREMIER LEAGUE referees’ chief Howard Webb will give his first VAR explainer broadcast of the season tomorrow.Webb piloted his planned monthly broadcast of key VAR calls, including some errors by Stockley Park, at the end of last season.
      Howard Webb will give his first VAR explainer of the seasonCredit: Getty
      And now the head of PGMOL is making good on his promise to bring more transparency and insight to fans.
      While Prem bosses have yet to announce which of this season’s incidents will be included in the first 26-minute show, to be broadcast on both Sky and TNT Sports tomorrow evening, it is expected to show both correct and incorrect decisions.
      Webb conceded to Wolves boss Gary O’Neill that his side should have been awarded a penalty at Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season.
      Liverpool successfully appealed against Alexis Mac Allister’s red card in the win over Bournemouth.
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      It is also accepted that Manchester City’s second goal in the 5-1 win over Fulham on Saturday should have been ruled out for offside against Manuel Akanji.
      Former referee Mike Dean had fumed at the decision on Saturday as he raged “it has to be disallowed”.

      But PGMOL bosses were 100 per cent behind all of the decisions made by Anthony Taylor in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Manchester United, including overturning his initial penalty verdict when Kai Havertz went over in the Arsenal box, despite the complaints by Old Trafford manager Erik ten Hag.
      The decisions of Taylor and VAR Jarred Gillett have been backed by Webb and the PGMOL despite protests from both clubs.
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      Webb will explain the decisions – right and wrong – to former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen, with the clips including the audio communication between the referee and the VAR crew in West London.
      International FA Board rules prevent those discussions from being broadcast “live” – although Webb and PGMOL are lobbying for a change in regulations – but they can be shown after matches are completed. More

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      Rio Ferdinand urges two England stars to RETIRE from international football after ‘disrespectful’ Southgate snub

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      RIO FERDINAND has urged Raheem Sterling and James Ward-Prowse to retire from international football after Gareth Southgate’s “disrespectful” snub.The pair were left out of Southgate’s England squad for upcoming games against Ukraine and Scotland.
      Rio Ferdinand has urged Sterling and Ward-Prowse to retire from international footballCredit: Getty
      James Ward-Prowse was not called up to Southgate’s 26-man England squadCredit: Getty
      Raheem Sterling was left out of the squad as wellCredit: Getty
      Ward-Prowse has had a stunning start to his debut season at West Ham, with one goal and three assists.
      While Sterling has been a standout performer for Chelsea so far this season, scoring twice against Luton.

      But the pair were overlooked by the England boss, who also decided to call up Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips despite their lack of game time at Manchester United and Manchester City.
      Ferdinand, who won 81 England caps, believes that Sterling and Ward-Prowse should respond to the snub by quitting international duty.
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      He said on his Vibe with Five podcast: “If I was Sterling, I’d be very disappointed bearing in mind what he’s done for this England team when he’s been in or around it.
      “If you’re going by the yard stick that Gareth’s using with the likes of Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips.
      “Why is it all right for them guys to get in and not him?
      “Sterling’s probably been the main bright spark at Chelsea.
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      “It’s just nuts. I’d retire. If I’m someone like Ward-Prowse I’d just retire.
      “Say, ‘Listen, don’t pick me no more. There’s no point. It’s disrespectful what you’re doing’.
      “It is to people like him, especially Ward-Prowse who’s been putting up numbers for his team on a regular basis.
      “What more does a man got to do to get a sniff?”
      Sterling’s absence especially has come as a major shock given how much he has been trusted by Southgate over the years.
      The 28-year-old has 82 caps and was one of the country’s top players on their road to the Euro 2020 final.
      The winger also began last year’s World Cup in Southgate’s starting XI.
      But Sterling fell out of favour last season and has still not been able to redeem himself despite an upturn in form
      The Chelsea star is also not expected to be called up to replace Jack Grealish who was withdrawn from the squad due to injury.
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      Meanwhile, Ward-Prowse can also consider himself hard done by after hitting the ground running at West Ham.
      The midfielder is yet to feature for the Three Lions this year and has not played since November 2022.
      Ferdinand has slammed Southgate’s choice of players for upcoming England gamesCredit: PA
      Southgate has picked Harry Maguire despite his lack of gamesCredit: PA
      The England boss also picked Kalvin PhillipsCredit: Getty More

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      Man Utd star Rasmus Hojlund breaks silence on Casemiro shove as he reveals what Brazilian said to him at Arsenal

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      RASMUS HOJLUND has broken his silence on his heated altercation with Casemiro.The Brazilian midfielder appeared to shove Hojlund after grabbing his shirt in Sunday’s loss to Arsenal.
      Rasmus Hojlund has revealed what Casemiro said to himCredit: Getty
      Hojlund made his Manchester United debut off the bench at the Emirates Stadium as the Red Devils fell to a dramatic late defeat.
      During his 23-minute cameo, Hojlund was approached by Casemiro.
      The Brazilian was seen trying to fire up the Danish forward by grabbing his shirt, with fans loving the moment on social media.
      Speaking whilst on international duty with Denmark, Hojlund has now revealed what Casemiro said to him during the interaction.
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      He said: “He [Casemiro] just said something in Spanish: ‘vamos’ or something like that.
      “He was happy that I gave the team perhaps a slightly different dynamic than what you get from Martial.

      “He’s maybe a little more technically strong and looks down the gaps where I like to take the fights.
      “After all, he hasn’t seen me play before, so he told me he was pleasantly surprised to see me play.”
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      United fans had been forced to wait for Hojlund’s debut after his £72million move from Atalanta last month.
      The 20-year-old arrived with a back injury he had picked up in pre-season training with the Italian club.
      Hojlund will now hope to open his goalscoring account for United after the international break.
      He is currently with the Denmark squad for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against San Marino and Finland this week More

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      I spent summer in IT recruitment then played against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and got TWO stars’ shirts

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      CHELSEA’S big-hearted stars gave Wimbledon rookie Ryan McLean a night to remember despite knocking his team out of the EFL Cup last week.The Dons’ winger was presented with the matchday shirt of Raheem Sterling even though the four-times Premier League champion was not playing.
      Ryan McLean, left, came on against Chelsea in Wimbledon’s Carabao Cup defeatCredit: Rex
      And at the final whistle, McLean, 23, swapped tops with £115m British record-signing Moises Caicedo.
      Shocked McLean, who was working in IT recruitment just two months ago, said: “What was most surprising was that Moises asked for mine too.”
      Sterling learned of McLean’s wish after the former non-League part-timer spoke exclusively to SunSport.
      The ex-Man City wideman was not even in the stadium but made sure the extraordinary gift got delivered.
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      McLean said: “I got to Stamford Bridge, walked into our dressing room and our kit man suddenly handed me Raheem’s top. He said ‘how did you pull that off?!
      “I was blown away because he wasn’t even in the squad.”
      McLean only played the last minute as a sub for the League Two minnows in the narrow 2-1 defeat against the mega bucks Premier League side.
      He said: “At the end I shook hands with Moises and asked for his shirt.
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      “He said ‘sure, but down the tunnel’. What a show of respect for him to ask for mine too. A lot of the lads form both teams were doing it.
      “I am going to frame them both. I also have my shirt from my debut. It’s going to be quite a collection.”
      Wimbledon sit fifth in League Two after two wins and four draws from their opening six games. More

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      Top 10 most overvalued summer transfers revealed with Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea all losing millions

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      THE top ten most overvalued transfers have been revealed and it is not good reading for Premier League clubs.Experts at Spin Genie UK have crunched the numbers to work out which clubs around the world spent too heavily during the summer window.
      Chelsea supposedly overpaid for Moises CaicedoCredit: Alamy
      Man Utd forked out £72m on Rasmus HojlundCredit: Getty
      They have compared the amount the buying club paid to their market value at the time of the move.
      Chelsea signed Brighton star Moises Caicedo for a staggering £115million as they smashed the British transfer record.
      The Blues beat Liverpool to bring in the midfielder and handed him an eight-year deal at Stamford Bridge.
      However, the study claims that Chelsea overpaid by a huge £50m.
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      They believe he is worth just £64m.
      Saudi Arabian clubs also splashed the cash this summer, especially Al-Hilal, who overpaid by £26m each in the deals for Malcolm and Neymar.
      The top ten additionally shows Manchester United overspent in their moves for Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana.
      Erik ten Hag signed the Danish striker for a whopping £72m from Italian side Atalanta despite his inexperience, with him having only scored 27 goals in his club career.
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      Numbers from Spin Genie UK
      The statisticians think United paid £26m too much for Hojlund and £15m for goalkeeper Onana.
      Arsenal bolstered their squad by spending over £210m to sign Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
      The Gunners’ £105m deal for the ex-West Ham captain was £23m too high compared to his market value and Chelsea pocketed £17m more than they should have for Havertz.
      RB Leipzig were the big winners of the summer window despite losing key players Dominik Szoboszlai and Josko Gvardiol to Liverpool and Man City respectively.
      The German side received a combined £30m more than expected for the duo.
      And another transfer that was overvalued saw Matheus Cunha making his initial loan move from Atletico Madrid to Wolves permanent. More

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      PGMOL share job vacancy as football fans say ‘I think I’ll pass on that one’ after VAR controversy

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      FOOTBALL fans were quick to “pass” on a new job opportunity at the PGMOL following the latest VAR controversy.Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was fuming after his side’s defeat at Arsenal on Sunday, while Gooners believed they were robbed of a second half penalty.
      Both Arsenal and Man Utd were raging at VAR calls last weekendCredit: Rex
      The first controversy came when Havertz went down after darting between Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Casemiro.
      Referee Anthony Taylor initially pointed to the spot, only for him to change his mind after being sent to the pitch-side screen for an Off Field Review.
      Arsenal fans pointed to the contact between their man and Wan-Bissaka to argue that the original call could not have been a “clear and obvious error” – but Aussie VAR Jarred Gillett recommended a review after Taylor told him he had given the offence for a trip by the United defender, clipping Havertz’s left heel.
      The video of the incident then showed that there was clear distance between Wan-Bissaka’s foot and the Arsenal ace, who was then felt to have inadvertently instigated the subsequent contact by moving his left leg off a straight line – as Taylor agreed when he took his second look at the clash.
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      Dutchman Ten Hag was then raging about the “camera angle” of the offside call which ruled out Alejandro Garnacho’s late goal in normal time.
      The incidents have been hotly-debated by pundits and supporters alike since, although Premier League referee chiefs have backed EVERY key decision made in Arsenal’s controversial win.
      Now it has emerged that the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) are advertising for a new Communications officer to join their team.
      But after all of the fresh drama regarding officials, a lot of supporters were quick to make light of the vacancy after it was shared on social media.
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      “Think I’ll pass on this one,” said one with a fellow fan tweeting: “One job where you’ll truly earn your wage.”
      Another said: “Now there’s a job and a half…”
      While a fellow footy supporter commented: “Seriously hope that pays well – it needs to.” More