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      ‘I’m going to fail’ – Pep Guardiola fears ‘nothing will be enough’ even if he WINS Champions League with Man City

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      PEP GUARDIOLA has insisted that he will eventually fail as Man City manager.The Spaniard has enjoyed tremendous domestic success since joining the club in 2016, winning multiple Premier League titles.
      Pep Guardiola has suggested that people think the club should have won the Champions League alreadyCredit: AFP
      He has also helped the club to four EFL Cups and one FA Cup, but has not had the same success in European competition.
      Since taking over, City have reached the final of the Champions League once, in 2021, but they were beaten by Chelsea.
      However, three of their exits from the competition have come in the quarter-finals.
      The other two exits came in the semi-finals and the last 16.
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      This season, many view City as the favourites to finally win the tournament.
      But Guardiola believes that even if his side does get their hands on the trophy that his time will still be judged as a failure by those outside of the club.
      The former Barcelona boss believes that many think that the Citizens should have won the tournament on more than one occasion since he took charge.
      He said: “People say because we have this name or whatever [City should win it], but I always have the feeling it’s so difficult to do that [win the Champions League].
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      “Every season it’s more and more difficult.
      “We want to do our best and get to the quarter-finals but what is going to happen is going to happen.
      “At the end of the day, our destiny is already written.
      “Sometimes we have been close, sometimes not.
      “Whatever I have done personally in the past or in the future, I am going to fail. Nothing will be enough.”
      City face RB Leipzig tonight in Germany for their first leg of the round of 16.
      The Citizens will be without star players Kevin de Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte due to injury.
      Guardiola said: “Losing both [is a blow].
      Read More on The Sun
      “Kevin didn’t feel right after the game against Nottingham Forest and yesterday Ayme didn’t feel good. It happens sometimes.”
      John Stones will also miss the match. More

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      Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag opens up on dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson and reveals what they spoke about

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      ERIK TEN HAG has shed light on his dinner date with Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of his side’s crunch clash with Barcelona.The Red Devils secured a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp in the first leg of their play-off match.
      Erik ten Hag has opened up on his dinner date with Sir Alex FergusonCredit: Getty
      The legendary former boss ate out with the current manager last nightCredit: Red Issue
      The two powerhouses will collide again in the Europa league at Old Trafford on Thursday to determine who will advance to the knockout stages.
      United boss Ten Hag appears to be leaving no stone unturned with his planning to down Barca.
      We showed earlier how he had a team consisting of eight analysts working at the game in Spain to uncover more clues on how to defeat Xavi’s side.
      Then the Dutchman was spotted having a meeting with legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of the huge clash.
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      SunSport exclusively revealed that the pair of them were seen deep in conversation over dinner in Cibo restaurant in Wilmslow on Tuesday night.
      Talking today about his meal with Fergie, Ten Hag said: “It is massive (to have his support).

      “I enjoy to speak with people with massive knowledge and experience of it.”
      Sir Alex is a huge admirer of Ten Hag and what he has done for the club since taking charge in the summer.
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      The United manager is currently steering the Red Devils to trophy chances on four fronts.
      Ten Hag has United in the title race, the fifth round of the FA Cup, and they take on Newcastle in the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday in search of their first trophy since 2017.
      But first up comes the challenge of Barcelona, and Sir Alex, who won United the treble in 1999, was clearly happy to share his wisdom.
      Ten Hag added: ““He wants to share it, he wants to help and support. Manchester United is his club and he feels so committed.
      “He wants us to be doing well. It was a great night.” More

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      I once scored four against Liverpool in a classic, now I run a coffee shop and play in my son’s band

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      THIS former Prem star once bagged four goals for Leeds as they beat Liverpool 4-3 in an all-time classic.But he has now left that life behind for a quaint existence as a coffee shop owner in stunning Croatia.
      This former Prem star now resides in stunning CroatiaCredit: https://www.instagram.com/markviduka9/?hl=en
      North of Zagreb, in the country his parents hail from, is where this top class ex-centre forward now resides.
      And, as someone that never enjoyed the “b****cks” of top-flight football, Mark Viduka wouldn’t have it any other way.
      “I left Australia to sign for Croatia Zagreb aged 19 and fell in love with the lifestyle,” Viduka admitted to the Mail.
      “And we’d always wanted to run a cafe, for fun really, one where everyone was welcome. So here we are.
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      “Listen, my missus does all the work, I just sit here and drink coffee!”
      It was in November 2000 that an inspired Viduka, scorer of 269 career goals, powered David O’Leary’s side to a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Liverpool.

      His stunning four-goal salvo would go down in folklore… but the 45-year-old himself doesn’t even think he was that good!
      He continued: “I didn’t play that well. Some bad touches, poor hold-up play, that stays in your mind.
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      Viduka carries the match ball after his sensational four-goal displayCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Aussie is serenaded by the Elland Road faithfulCredit: PA:Press Association
      “I had four shots that day, scored four goals. How often does that happen?”
      Quizzed what he does with his spare time, when he’s not sipping espressos in his coffee shop, Viduka revealed his musical passion.
      The affable Aussie said: “Other than drink coffee? I play the guitar. My son, Oliver, is a drummer in a band.
      “When one of his mates can’t make it, I jump in. We use our basement. The neighbours aren’t very happy about it! Me and the boys love Arctic Monkeys. The lyrics, man, genius.”
      Viduka’s coffee shop is called Non Plus Ultra, translating as No Higher Point.
      Goran Ivanisevic is among the stars to frequent Non Plus Ultra, and on the Croatian tennis legend, Viduka added: “A good guy.
      “You know what else we have? The manager of UB40 runs a local brewery. We’ve got his beer, it’s lovely.”
      Viduka, now 45, also played for Middlesbrough, Celtic and NewcastleCredit: AP:Associated Press More

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      Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun urged to QUIT England and switch international allegiance to become ‘poster boy’

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      ARSENAL prodigy Folarin Balogun has been told to snub England and instead become America’s new poster boy.The 21-year-old is the joint-leading scorer in Ligue 1 alongside PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe and Lille’s Jonathan David with 14 goals for loan club Stade de Reims.
      Folarin Balogun is eligible to play for England, USA and NigeriaCredit: AFP
      The Gunners could be ready to cash in on the hotshot, who only has 18 months left on his contract, this summer after his exploits surprised many at the club.
      However, at international level, the USA is ready and waiting to convince him to switch his allegiance.
      Balogun was born in New York, America, to Nigerian parents and raised in England and is eligible to represent all three nations at international level. 
      He has represented the States four times for their Under-18s, but he has also been capped by the Three Lions at youth level and has seven goals in 13 appearances for the U21s.
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      But with a host of young talents such as Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah and Yunus Musah, USA legend Eric Wynalda says that the forward can be the man to fire his country to glory.
      And he is adamant that the US Soccer Federation should be promising him all-sorts of endorsements and incentives to get him to turn his back on England.
      Speaking to The Action Network’s Wondergoal Podcast, Wynalda, who scored 34 goals in 107 caps, said: “If we get Folarin Balogun him we solve a lot of problems. 
      “I’m impressed with everything about him. The power that he has, the timing of his runs.
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      “We have to appeal to his ego which is the reality of this. We should let him know that he will be a star.
      “An absolute star at a World Cup, in his own country as he was born in New York.”
      Wynalda added: “We need to lock him in with some sponsors too. 
      “He will be a star with us. He won’t necessarily be a star with England.
      “It will come down to how important it is for him to be in the spotlight. That’s the only chance we’ve got to get him.” 
      “Everything from the Mastercards, the Budweisers, the Coca-Cola’s, the big ones that will be sponsors of this World Cup. They have to figure out how to fit him into the budget.” More

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      ‘Even his own baby isn’t safe’ – Watch Cristian Romero slide tackle his own SON as Tottenham star teaches kid football

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      TOTTENHAM hardman Cristian Romero slide tackled his son Valentino while teaching him how to play football.Romero, 24, and partner Karen Cavaller added Valentino to their family in late December 2021.
      Cristian Romero had a kick-about with his son, ValentinoCredit: Instagram
      The Spurs man slide tackled Valentino but hugged him afterCredit: Instagram
      The World Cup winner is known for his tough tacklesCredit: Rex
      And the World Cup-winning Spurs defender is wasting no time in teaching his son how to play the beautiful game.
      In a hallway kick-about, Romero jokingly SLIDE TACKLED the one-year-old before sweetly ending it with a loving hug.
      The centre-back is known for his crowd-rousing tackles and frequent tellings off from the referee.
      One fan joked: “Even Romero’s own baby ain’t safe lmao.”
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      Another reacted to the video, saying: “Much more wholesome ending than I expected.”
      A third tweeted: “Almost hits him like he hits all his rivals” while another quipped: “red card”.
      Romero turned in a top display at the weekend as Spurs fired themselves into the top-four with a 2-0 win over rivals West Ham.
      Emerson Royal opened the scoring in the second half followed by a Son Heung-min goal off the substitutes bench.
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      Spurs leapfrogged Newcastle for fourth spot.
      However, the Toon have a game in hand and are just one point behind the North Londoners. More

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      Leicester vs Arsenal: Gunners look to build on incredible Villa comeback in tasty Premier League match – odds

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      ARSENAL continue their journey to potential Premier League success with a trip to the King Power where Leicester awaits.The Gunners looked destined to drop more points against Aston Villa last weekend having trailed for large periods of the match.
      Jorginho’s shot rebounded off Emi Martinez to put Arsenal aheadCredit: PA
      Leicester got humiliated 3-0 by Manchester United at Old TraffordCredit: Reuters
      But up stepped January signing Jorginho whose spectacular effort rebounded off Emi Martinez to give Arsenal the lead, before Martinelli sealed the deal late on.
      And the Gunners’ Saturday got even better when Nottingham Forest held Manchester City to a draw courtesy of a late Chris Wood strike.
      Now in the ascendancy, Mikel Arteta will be hoping his men can build on their momentum against a Leicester side who was recently humiliated by Manchester United.
      However, the Foxes put four past Champions League chasing Tottenham the last time they played in front of their home crowd – and that was after going behind.
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      When is Leicester vs Arsenal?

      Leicester’s mouth-watering match against Arsenal will take place on Saturday, February 25.
      It is scheduled to get underway at 3pm GMT.
      The King Power Stadium in Leicester is the allocated arena for this Premier League encounter and it can host approximately 32,261 fans.
      Arsenal ran out 4-2 winners when the sides met earlier this season.

      Is Leicester vs Arsenal on TV?

      Unfortunately, Leicester vs Arsenal will NOT be broadcast live on TV in the UK.
      This is due to the Saturday football blackout law in the UK.
      Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the entire action.

      What is the team news?
      Brendan Rodgers has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Leicester’s huge clash with Arsenal.
      However, Jonny Evans and Ryan Bertrand are unlikely to feature, while James Justin is out for the season.
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      Elsewhere, Thomas Partey is a huge doubt for the Gunners having missed the last two Premier League fixtures following a sustained thigh problem.
      Gabriel Jesus is inching closer to recovery, while Mohamed Elneny is set to miss the remainder of the campaign.
      But the quartet of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Eddie Nketiah are all likely to be available despite missing out on Monday’s training session.
      Latest odds

      Leicester to win 15/4
      Draw 29/10
      Arsenal to win 4/6

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair are correct at time of publication More

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      Dream Team’s top 7 defenders currently priced at £4million or cheaper – featuring three Manchester United full-backs!

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      It’s not so clear which defenders Dream Team bosses should back right now.Newcastle assets have generally been the best over the course of the whole season but, as we detailed yesterday, four games without a clean sheet has slowed their progress dramatically – they play the two Manchester clubs next as well.
      Manchester City have conceded their fair share of goals and Pep Guardiola’s rotation policy means it’s hard to pin down a regular anyway – one week Rico Lewis (£3m) appears to be the standout bargain in the game and the next he’s totally inactive.
      Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool all have their much-documented problems.
      Even league-leaders Arsenal are averaging one conceded goal per game in the top flight.
      All things considered, it’s a tricky position to master at the moment.
      With that in mind, let’s take a look at the best seven defenders currently priced at £4million or cheaper.
      Kenny Tete
      An underrated gemCredit: GETTY

      Fulham
      £3m
      71 points
      0.3% ownership
      Ranked 16th in his position

      Very much an unsung hero outside of Craven Cottage, as evidenced by his minuscule ownership.
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      The Dutchman has chipped in with four assists from right-back and, while he’s prone to a yellow card, he’s been a key contributor to Fulham’s impressive showing upon their return to the Premier League.
      In terms of Dream Team viability he’s not banging down the door but if Marco Silva’s side hold on for European qualification then he could be one to monitor next season.
      Aaron Wan-Bissaka

      Manchester United
      £3.7m
      73 points
      1.7% ownership
      Ranked 15th in his position

      Old Trafford’s resident spider averages 4.6 points-per-game, putting him above the likes of Dan Burn (£4.9m), Thiago Silva (£6m) and Ruben Dias (£5.7m) in the same metric.
      Limited in attack but among the best one-on-on defenders in Europe, Wan-Bissaka did very well when tasked with filling in for Diogo Dalot (4m) while the Portugal international was injured.
      Having impressed Erik ten Hag, he may be given a decent allotment of minutes in the final third of the season but Dream Team managers should be aware that Dalot is Man United’s first-choice right-back.
      Nathan Ake
      Not Guardiola-proof

      Manchester City
      £4m
      76 points
      5.6% ownership
      Ranked 13th in his position

      The Netherlands international is the best-performing defender for the defending champions this term (now that Joao Cancelo has exited) and he was a relatively safe pick when deployed at left-back.
      However, Guardiola has been getting funky recently with Bernardo Silva (£2.7m) occupying the role vacated by Cancelo with mixed results.
      Ake’s owners may have to ride out this current wave of tactical quirkiness.
      Ben Mee

      Brentford
      £3.9m
      92 points
      2.8% ownership
      Ranked 12th in his position

      A centre-back you can set your watch to.
      The 33-year-old has improved Brentford’s defence since signing from Burnley in the summer and would be one of the first names mentioned when discussing the Bees’ ongoing unbeaten streak of eleven league games.
      Mee’s total is boosted by three goals, an assist, and three fully deserved Star Man awards.
      Gabriel
      Ever presentCredit: GETTY

      Arsenal
      £3.8m
      98 points
      17.8% ownership
      Ranked 9th in his position

      It’s interesting that William Saliba (£2.9m) is more popular (22.5% ownership) than his centre-back partner because he’s 32 points shy of the Brazilian’s total.
      Mikel Arteta has remained loyal to his starting XI and Gabriel has played every minute of every league game in 2022/23.
      It’s worth noting that the Gunners’ No6 has earned just one point from his last seven games but the fact he’s still a top-ten asset among defenders speaks volumes for his overall consistency – he needs to stop the rot sharpish though.
      Diogo Dalot

      Manchester United
      £4m
      108 points
      5.4% ownership
      Ranked joint-4th in his position

      One wonders what tally the Portuguese full-back would be on had he not missed 11 games through injury.
      Dalot is one of just eight defenders to have achieved 100+ points at this stage of the campaign having produced four double-digit single-game hauls.
      If Man United can edge out Barcelona on Thursday night and go deep in the Europa League then there could be plenty of Dream Team points on offer for the 23-year-old.
      Luke Shaw
      A Shaw thing

      Manchester United
      £3.8m
      108 points
      11.2% ownership
      Ranked joint-4th in his position

      It’s a similar story for the Red Devils’ No3 who has the exact same points total as Dalot at the time of writing.
      Shaw has admirably filled in at centre-back a few times in recent weeks but it’s at left-back, his natural position, where he truly excels.
      Read More on The Sun
      The England regular has contributed to 14 clean sheets so far this season and with 29 points across the last three and half Game Weeks, he’s on the charge.
      It’s not unthinkable he could finish the campaign on the defenders’ podium. More

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      Abramovich would have sacked Potter THREE times slams ex-player with Chelsea record now worse than Nathan Jones’

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      TONY CASCARINO is convinced that Graham Potter would have been AXED as Chelsea boss if Roman Abramovich was still the owner.The Englishman has struggled to improve the club’s fortunes this season as they have dropped into 10th place in the Premier League.
      Graham Potter is under pressure at ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Tony Cascarino thinks he would have been sacked if Roman Abramovich was still in chargeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The Blues are currently 11 points off Tottenham in 4th spot, having only won once in their last five league games.
      In fact, Potter’s run has been so poor that his overall record at Chelsea is worse than sacked Nathan Jones’ torrid time at the helm of Southampton.
      Potter has only won 28.3 per cent of his games as Chelsea manager, while Jones managed a win percentage of 35.71 thanks to success in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.
      Things are not going much better away from the league as Chelsea are 1-0 down in their Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund.
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      The Blues have also been knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, by Man City on both occasions.
      And Cascarino believes that he would have been sent packing from the club if the owner was not Todd Boehly.
      Although he did suggest that the American’s patience might be running out after a big spend in January.

      In his column for The Times, he wrote: “If Roman Abramovich was still the Chelsea owner, Graham Potter would have been sacked on three different occasions by now.
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      “His side’s first-half performance in the 1-0 home defeat by Southampton was abysmal, and losing to the Premier League’s bottom club is simply unacceptable.
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      “Even with Toddy Boehly’s ownership group now running Chelsea, I cannot see Potter being afforded much more patience.
      “The club have spent more than £500 million since last summer, bringing in some of the best talent around.
      “Their squad is so deep that when I am at Stamford Bridge for a game, I sometimes bump into players not in the matchday squad that would walk into the starting XI of most teams in the country.
      “Boehly is clearly in a hurry to get Chelsea competing for titles again, so why would he be content to allow mediocrity under Potter?
      “I would not be surprised if the head coach was dismissed this week.” More