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      Ex-Man Utd star Ravel Morrison’s career reaches desperate new low as he’s ‘axed by MLS side DC United’

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      RAVEL MORRISON’S career seems poised for another downwards plunge as the former Manchester United prodigy faces being axed by Wayne Rooney’s DC United.The winger, 30, was tipped for greatness by legendary Old Trafford boss Alex Ferguson and rated a future £100million hero by ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand.
      Ravel Morrison only joined DC United in July 2022 but is reportedly not in their plans for this year’s MLS campaignCredit: Alamy
      Morrison was tipped to become a Man Utd hero but his career has fadedCredit: PA:Press Association
      But instead he’s never thrived at any club, generally sliding down the divisions.
      Now Washington Post reporter Steven Goff claims the Mancunian has been axed from DC’s roster – just two days before the new MLS season.
      Morrison only joined the Americans from Derby County last July.
      But he couldn’t prevent Rooney’s side finishing bottom of the Eastern Conference.
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      Goff reckons ex-England Under-21 ace Morrison will be off the roster, making him ineligible to play.
      That leaves the Jamaica international still being paid – but potentially heading for a move or maybe having his contract terminated if both parties agree.
      It means Rooney now has TWO international spots available in his squad.
      Chilean winger Martin Rodriguez is already out for the season after tearing his CL in training.
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      Morrison was at Old Trafford from 2010-2012 but departed amid off-field problems.
      But Ferdinand believes that, had the wideman been given a mentor, his talent would have shone through.
      Morrison went on to spend three unsettled years at West Ham, including loans with Birmingham, QPR and Cardiff.
      Apart from more loans, he’s since been with Lazio, Ostersund, Sheffield United and Dutch team Den Haag.
      Then came his two spells under Rooney – with Derby and now DC. More

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      The bizarre story of Qatari youngster signed for Man Utd by Ferguson – who went on to play for Man City

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      YOU have probably heard of most players to have crossed the Manchester divide; Andy Cole, Peter Schmeichel, Carlos Tevez and Denis Law among them. However, you probably don’t know the story of Hussein Yasser, who played for both and had a very bizarre career path.
      Carlos Tevez is one of the most famous players to cross the Manchester divideCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Hussein Yasser played for both Manchester City and Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
      Yasser started his career with Qatari football team Al-Rayyan, before Sir Alex Ferguson snapped him up for Manchester United in 2002.
      A dream Premier League move beckoned, but owing to the lack of a work permit, he was instead shipped out to United feeder club Royal Antwerp in Belgium.
      Things got off to a good start for him, scoring against Club Brugge in just his third start for the club.
      Unfortunately, this was as good as it got for Yasser.
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      He was sent off just four games later and failed to add another goal to his tally for the season despite appearing a total of 21 times.
      Yasser fared no better the following season, and having failed to prove his quality he was shipped off on a free transfer to Cyprus before moving back to his native Qatar.
      However, while there Yasser was spotted by Algerian midfielder Ali Benarbia, who coincidentally had lined up with then Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce.
      Benarbia recommended the United flop to Pearce, as well as ex-Barcelona midfielder Pep Guardiola.
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      Pearce ended up signing the former, with United legend Cole – who was at City that season – later describing the decision as “odd”.
      This time around, his career in Manchester did get started.
      Yasser’s debut appearance for the Cityzens came in the 2005 League Cup second round clash against Doncaster, with him being subbed off in the 65th minute as they lost 4-1 on penalties.
      The Qatar international was not afforded the chance of another appearance, and was subsequently let go in January.
      A season and a half with Al-Saad and Al-Rayyan followed, before Yasser once again found himself on the European scene with Portuguese side Braga.
      He made an instant impact too, scoring and adding two assists against Hammarby in the Uefa Cup as he became the first Qatari national to play in the tournament.
      But once again, Yasser flattered to deceive, adding just one more goal before going out on loan to Boavista for the remainder of the season.
      His club career thereafter saw him move to Egypt, back to Belgium and then back to Qatar before a short stint in Spain in 2016/17.
      He finally retired in 2018 with Wadi Degla FC.
      His international career – which saw him make a total of 69 appearances – also saw him fall flat on his face at the end.
      During the 2011 Asian Cup, Yasser – who had just been handed the No10 jersey – kicked up a fuss following a 2-0 defeat to Uzbekistan.
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      This ill-discipline saw him sent home, with team manager Abdulrahman Al Mahmoud explaining: “Yasser was removed because his response wasn’t up to the expectations and he was absent from some training sessions.”
      Yasser made just two more appearances for the Maroons, one in 2011 during the World Cup qualifying campaign, and the other during a 4-0 win over the Maldives in 2015. More

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      Boss of new football regulator must be carefully picked to stop ‘some nitwit’ ruining the game, ministers warned

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      THE boss of football’s new regulator must be picked carefully to stop “some nitwit” ruining the beautiful game, ministers have been warned.Rishi Sunak today launched the Football White Paper to create a watchdog to govern the sport.
      Rishi Sunak launched the new footballing white paper todayCredit: Dan Charity / The Sun
      Whitehall sources reckon Gordon Brown might be lining himself up as the regulator’s chairCredit: Getty
      It will have backstop powers to distribute cash from the Premier League to lower clubs if football chiefs cannot thrash out their own deal.
      But Jason Stein, an aide to then-PM Liz Truss who worked on the proposals, warned this could spur smaller sides to collapse talks with the hope of getting more from the regulator. 
      And he said it must not be led by “unhappy grandee MP or connected peer” who knows nothing about football.
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      Whitehall sources reckon Gordon Brown might be lining himself up as the regulator’s chair.
      Mr Stein said: “As a supporter I am deeply concerned that in half a dozen years the football industry could be run by some nitwit appointed in a back room stitch up with no accountability taking us back to the 60s.”
      The Premier League also demanded that “regulation does not damage the game fans love to watch”.
      Sports Minister Stuart Andrew insisted yesterday these would only have powers of last resort.
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      He told MPs: “We have secured powers within the white paper for the regulator to use should there not be an agreement by the football authorities.
      “We still urge them to get on with it. They still could come up with a deal and I sincerely hope that they can do that.”
      Ministers
      The PM launched his blueprint to clean up the beautiful game and block dodgy owners — three weeks after it was leaked to The Sun.
      Sides will also be banned from joining a European “super league” through the creation of a legal club-funded regulator.
      Southampton fan Mr Sunak has accepted the recommendations in Tory MP Tracey Crouch’s fan-led review.
      Writing together in The Sun, they rail against unscrupulous owners prepared to “recklessly gamble away the future of their clubs in the hope of big money payouts”.
      A staggering 64 clubs have gone bust since it launched in 1992, with Bury the latest to plunge into administration. More

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      Newcastle star Kieran Trippier names FOUR Man Utd dangermen ahead of Carabao Cup final including two England pals

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      KIERAN TRIPPIER has picked out four Man United stars as dangermen ahead of the Carabao Cup final.Newcastle face the Red Devils at Wembley on Sunday as they aim to win their first trophy since 1955.
      Kieran Trippier has highlighted four dangermen in the Man United teamCredit: Rex
      Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are two of the player Trippier is concerned aboutCredit: Getty
      Trippier also highlight Luke Shaw and CasemiroCredit: Getty
      The Magpies have been one of the standout sides in the Premier League this season but will face a tough task against in-form United.
      Trippier has admitted that Marcus Rashford has been in “unbelievable” form recently and will be one of the players his side needs to stop.
      The defender also named Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Luke Shaw as the club’s dangermen.
      He told Chronicle Live: “I know Marcus very well, I’m really happy for him because I’ve always known how unbelievable he is and he’s certainly hit some form.
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      “But it’s not about one individual – you’ve got Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Luke Shaw, who’s been unbelievable this season as well.”
      However, Trippier has insisted that his side can not be “too focused” on the quartet and need to plan on how they can attack United.
      He added: “We can’t be too focused on them.
      “Obviously, we need to review them, of course, but we need to focus on how we can hurt them.
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      “We want to go into that final to win.
      “That’s our only priority.”
      Newcastle will welcome Bruno Guimaraes to the team after he completed his suspension following his red card against Southampton in the semi-finals.
      Boss Eddie Howe said of the midfielder: ‘He’s OK, he’s good.
      “He’s been really disappointed to miss the last few games, and he’s felt very frustrated not to help the team.
      “But he’s back – and he’s in a good place.” More

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      Arsenal legend Merson slams Chelsea’s £600m transfers saying Mudryk has done ‘nothing’ and Madueke isn’t good enough

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      ARSENAL legend Paul Merson has slammed Chelsea’s £600m recruitment and says Mykhailo Mudryk has done “nothing” and that Noni Madueke is not good enough.Blues owner Todd Boehly spent a stunning £326m in the January transfer window – which is more than a third of the total £815m paid across the whole of the Premier League.
      Chelsea could end up paying a total of £97m for Mykhailo MudrykCredit: Getty
      The Blues also bought Noni Madueke from PSV for £35mCredit: Getty
      Enzo Fernandez broke the British transfer record by joining Chelsea for £107m on deadline day.
      The World Cup-winning Argentina midfielder became the EIGHTH arrival in January alone, following the likes of £97m Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk, Benoit Badiashile and £35m winger Madueke from PSV.
      However, Saturday’s defeat at home to bottom side Southampton means it is just two wins in 14 Premier League matches for under-pressure boss Graham Potter.
      Mudryk did make a promising cameo during his Chelsea debut in the goalless draw at Liverpool last month but has still yet to deliver either a goal or an assist.
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      And Merson, who won the top tier twice during his Gunners heyday, says that the Ukrainian international should already be making an impact.
      He told Sky Sports: “People think Potter isn’t the right man for the job, but I think he is. For me, I think give him time.
      “I don’t see it changing too quickly. I look at the players and I don’t get it.
      “This Sunday is Chelsea’s biggest game of the season – it’s Tottenham. If he loses this one I’m not sure there is a way back because the fans will go ballistic.
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      “This game can change everything though – if Chelsea beat Spurs he can also be a hero.
      “I like him as a manager but I look at the quality of the players and I question it.”
      And that is when Merson decided to pull the trigger on the new boys.
      The ex-England star added: “They brought Mykhailo Mudryk for £88m and, bar a cameo of 20 minutes, he’s shown nothing. I mean nothing.
      “You wouldn’t expect to need time to settle in at that price.
      “The forward-thinking players are no better than the ones they’ve already got so what’s the point? You can’t tell me that Noni Madueke is a better player than Raheem Sterling or Christian Pulisic. He’s not.
      “Why are you buying a load of players that aren’t better than what you’ve got? None of them improve the team bar Enzo Fernandez and the centre-half [Benoit Badiashile].”
      Paul Merson has gone in two-footed on Chelsea’s new additionsCredit: Getty More

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      3 Dream Team players who could shine in Game Week 24 – 12 teams set to pull double duty!

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      GAME WEEK 24 looks set to be an intriguing one with the Carabao Cup final, FA Cup fifth round fixtures, and midweek Premier League games on top of the usual weekend action.12 teams are set to pull double duty in Game Week 24 which means it could be a high-scoring one.
      Before we suggest three players with the potential to cash in, here’s the fixture list for each club this coming Game Week.
      ARSENAL: Leicester (a), Everton (h)MANCHESTER CITY: Bournemouth (a), Bristol City (a)MANCHESTER UNITED: Newcastle (n), West Ham (h)TOTTENHAM: Chelsea (h), Sheffield United (a)NEWCASTLE: Man United (n)FULHAM: Wolves (h), Leeds (h)BRIGHTON: Stoke (a)LIVERPOOL: Crystal Palace (a), Wolves (h)BRENTFORD: N/ACHELSEA: Tottenham (a)ASTON VILLA: Everton (a)CRYSTAL PALACE: Liverpool (h)NOTTINGHAM FOREST: West Ham (a)LEICESTER: Arsenal (h), Blackburn (h)WOLVES: Fulham (a), Liverpool (a)EVERTON: Aston Villa (h), Arsenal (a)BOURNEMOUTH: Man City (h)WEST HAM: Nottingham Forest (h), Man United (a)LEEDS: Southampton (h), Fulham (a)SOUTHAMPTON: Leeds (a), Grimsby (h)
      Grealish is in Guardiola’s good books at the moment
      The first thing to note there is that Thomas Frank’s Bees will have their feet up in the next week – they’re not in action again until March 6th – so Ivan Toney’s (£5.7m) owners will either have to grin and bear it or take action.
      Man City’s alliterative double of Bournemouth and Bristol City looks ripe for points but it’s not easy to identify a player who is likely to start both fixtures, such is the nature of Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy.
      Manuel Akanji (£3.6m) or Nathan Ake (£4m) could feasibly play a part in both games which would be enough for a double-digit haul if the defending Premier League champions keep their sheets clean.
      In attack, Jack Grealish (£4.1m) is very much in favour at the moment and playing his best football in a blue shirt.
      Has he turned a corner?
      Elsewhere, there’s something very tempting about Darwin Nunez (£4.9m) right now.
      Liverpool may have imploded against Real Madrid in midweek but their front three have produced plentiful returns across their last three fixtures with the Uruguay international contributing 18 points in the next last two Game Weeks.
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      The ex-Benfica forward has largely been wasteful since his big-money transfer to these shores but his flick finish against Los Blancos underlined a new-found confidence.
      On Saturday, Jurgen Klopp’s side face a Crystal Palace side without a win in their last eight games before they host 15th-placed Wolves on Wednesday.
      Stay clear of Liverpool midfielders and defenders but don’t discount their forward options without due consideration.
      Top GunCredit: GETTY
      Last but definitely not least, Game Week 24 looks immensely appealing for Bukayo Saka’s (£4.5m) backers.
      Leicester pack a punch going forward but they’re vulnerable at the back and will be wary of an Arsenal side coming off the back of a spirited 4-2 win at Villa Park – only Bournemouth have conceded more goals than the Foxes at this stage of the campaign.
      The Gunners’ No7 has been directly involved in a third of his side’s 51 league goals this season having score nine of his own and assisted a further eight.
      After being unleashed on the league’s second-worst defence, Saka will get another go at Everton having been frustrated by Sean Dyche’s troops at the start of February.
      Arsenal host the Toffees on Wednesday night and the Emirates faithful will be hoping to cheer their side along to another Saka-inspired victory. More

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      Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi facing touchline ban for next Premier League match

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      BRIGHTON boss Roberto De Zerbi could be hit with a touchline ban after being charged by the Football Association for his outburst at ref Darren England last weekend.The Italian coach erupted at England in the tunnel following Brighton’s late defeat to Fulham last Saturday before hitting out at his “attitude” during his post-match press conference.
      Roberto De Zerbi could face a touchline banCredit: PA
      De Zerbi was shown a red card for his behaviour after the final whistle and will now have to face an FA hearing.
      The case is being treated as non-standard by the governing body.
      The FA said: “Brighton and Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi has been charged following their Premier League game against Fulham on Saturday 18 February.
      “It’s alleged that the manager’s behaviour on the pitch at full time was improper, and that his behaviour and/or language towards a match official in the tunnel afterwards was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper.”
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      De Zerbi insisted after the match that he did not use any foul language towards England.
      But he did claim that members of staff from Fulham did swear at the ref.
      A ban could see De Zerbi miss Brighton’s next Premier League game, against West Ham on March 4.
      This could be a boost for the Hammers, who have never beaten the South Coast side in the Premier League.
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      The Italian has worked wonders since taking over from Graham Potter this season at Brighton.
      The manager has helped the club to 7th place in the Premier League table. More

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      ‘Shy’ Chelsea transfer target Neymar tipped to succeed in new sport and bring along huge fanbase

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      NEYMAR has been tipped for a successful career after football once he hangs up his boots. The PSG star, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea in recent weeks, came under fire last week over his off-pitch activities.
      Injured Neymar faced criticism last week over a trip to McDonald’sCredit: Rex
      The 31-year-old was spotted at a poker tournament and later at a McDonald’s only hours after PSG’s first-leg Champions League home defeat to Bayern Munich.
      But poker pros believe he might well have a future in the card game after he left them impressed with his ability.
      Players at the European Poker Tour spoke to RMC Sport about Neymar – who eventually finished 49th in that tournament – potentially making the switch.
      Poker professional Julien Sitbon expressed his excitement for the idea.
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      He said: “We’re talking about Neymar what! The notoriety he has… 
      “Every time he is on a trip, there are bodyguards and people who are there to watch out for him.
      “He’s someone who plays a lot of hands, so I would describe him as rather aggressive. Afterwards, I didn’t play him enough to know if he was aggressive or passive, but he plays a lot of hands.
      “But I think he is focused because he is a competitor. In everything he does he wants to be good. He likes poker, sure, so I think he’s trying to be focused to perform as well as possible.”
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      Fellow competitor Thomas Eychenne said he thinks Neymar’s football experience can help, but surprisingly branded the Brazilian “shy” and “introverted”.
      He said: “He has the potential. He has the mind of a competitor because he played at the highest level in football.
      “I found him rather introverted. He is not someone who will talk a lot and be very open. But I can understand it, he is extremely in demand.
      “I will say that he is someone who is shy in his appearance. In the sense that he tries not to be seen too much.”
      Kylian Mbappe appeared to criticise his teammate as he told journalists that PSG stars had to “eat and sleep well” following the McDonald’s pictures.
      But he denied that the jibe was aimed at Neymar.
      Chelsea are one of a number of clubs linked to the ex-Barcelona forward, who is now in his seventh year in Paris. More