Premier League

JAMIE CARRAGHER, Micah Richards and Graeme Souness got into a heated discussion live on air as the trio argued over the Premier League’s greatest striker.The pundits were all in the Sky Sports studio at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after watching Spurs beat Manchester City.
Harry Kane joined an elite group to score 200 times in the Premier LeagueCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher got into an intense debate live on airCredit: Sky Sports
🗣️ “I don’t think he’s as good as Rooney or Shearer” Does Harry Kane need to win trophies to confirm his greatness? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/zjtALpwRRg— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 5, 2023

Harry Kane grabbed the only goal of the game to become the club’s record goalscorer, surpassing the legendary Jimmy Greaves.
It was also his 200th effort in the Premier League – joining an elite list with Wayne Rooney on 208 and record-holder Alan Shearer who managed 260.
And that prompted an intense debate from the former players trying to put forward their arguments for their preferred strikers.
Carragher was singing the praises for Kane – but Richards believes he is not yet at the same level as Shearer, pointing to his empty trophy cabinet as part of the season.
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Ex-Liverpool defender Carra said: “I’ve said this before, we’ve waxed lyrical about Harry Kane over the last ten years since he’s come on to the scene getting goals.
“There’s something about supporters from the clubs, whether it’s tribalism, whether it’s the fact that he hasn’t won a trophy, that it feels to me at times that people are reluctant to put him alongside Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker, Wayne Rooney.
“It almost feels to me that Harry Kane never gets put above any of them, I don’t know why, because for me I think the argument you can make for Harry Kane ahead of maybe those three players I’ve mentioned, is that Kane is the only one that could really do both, where you class him as an out-and-out goalscorer, and the longer his career has gone on he’s come into that playmaker role.
“People maybe question the trophy side of it, but Alan Shearer only won one trophy, I think Gary Lineker only won one trophy in English football if I’m right – an FA Cup with Tottenham – so I don’t know why, but for me he’s got to go alongside these players that I’m talking about, and at the end of his career I’m thinking I’d be putting him above them.”
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Richards added: “His loyalty has almost gone against him a little bit, when Spurs, they’re fighting for the Champions League, he’s always been a top player – we’ve been saying it for years. A lot of people will say show us your trophies at the end of your career-”
Souness interrupted: “Who says that?”
Richards hit back: “Everyone says that. You don’t shut up about trophies and I’ve only been doing Sky for three years.”
Souness – whose phone went off live on air – quipped: “When you get beyond 25 you stop counting, sorry.”
They then returned to the striker debate, as Richards threw his weight behind Match of the Day pal Shearer.
He said: “No, but he’s a top player. He might still win something with Spurs, you know, he could win a Champions League, he could win and FA Cup [this season], so let’s not write him off, we have to judge him on his goals.
I just preferred Alan Shearer as a striker. Micah Richards
“I don’t think personally he’s as good as Rooney or Alan Shearer because when Rooney came on the scene he was doing things that a lot of players [weren’t], Alan Shearer was scoring 30, 35 goals -”
Carragher added: “Kane is going to score more goals in the Premier League, he’s going to get there or thereabouts, so when you’re saying Shearer has scored more goals, I love Alan Shearer, one of the greatest, but why should Harry Kane not be at the top?”
More back and forth followed before Richards added: “The way he scored all these different types of goals, I just preferred Alan Shearer as a striker.
“You’re talking about all-round game, but as a goalscorer I just liked Alan Shearer.
“Look at the defenders, back in your day, look at all the top defenders there were in your time. The defenders nowadays have not got a patch on them.”
Carragher then joked: “Is Alan Shearer in your ear or something? We can’t take stuff away from Harry Kane.
“He’s a player who will be remembered for a very, very long time if he gets that Premier League record and the England record as well.
‘CARRAGHER SPOT ON’
“He’ll have wanted trophies to go alongside it, but sometimes there’s something special about a player for being that man, that club.
“He could go down – and I think he will – as the greatest Tottenham player of all time, the record Premier League goal scorer of all time, and the England goalscorer of all time.
“Do you think he’d swap that for an FA Cup medal? Or a Carabao Cup medal? I don’t think he would – not a chance.”
The discussion prompted plenty of responses from fans watching on at home.
One said: “The fact that Shearer set all the records in a time when the premier league had a vast number of top-class strikers shows he’s No1. How many of those records has Kane broken and made his?”
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Another wrote: “Micah going on about the different types of goals Shearer scored, has obviously never watched a Kane goal video.”
And a third added: “Carragher is spot in with his thoughts on Harry. He is the best all-round CF of the lot for me.”
Alan Shearer remains the top Premier League goalscorer everCredit: Getty
Wayne Rooney hit the net 208 times in the Premier LeagueCredit: PA More

NATHAN JONES is losing the confidence of Southampton’s players – even though the boss is set to stay at St Mary’s.Under-fire Jones, for the time being at least, appears to have been given a stay of execution by the Saints’ owners despite a disastrous start on the south coast.
Nathan Jones is understood to be losing the backing of his Southampton playersCredit: Reuters
Nevertheless, Jones is set to stay on as Saints bossCredit: Reuters
Jones raised eyebrows with his comments after the 3-0 defeat to BrentfordCredit: Sky Sports
Jones’ position was discussed by the Saints board over the weekend, with many of them unsettled by his comments following the Brentford defeat.
But SunSport can reveal that Southampton’s players were already unimpressed with Jones even before his extraordinary statements following the 3-0 defeat at Brentford.
The majority of the club’s first team have repeatedly questioned his tactics while talking with each other.
They believe his coaching is not at the levels of previous boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was sacked after four years at the club.
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Southampton’s players preferred Jones’ warmer personality compared to Hasenhuttl who was seen by some as both cold and arrogant.
Yet Hasenhuttl gained respect from the players due to his tactics and that is generally not the case with Jones, 49, who has lost six of his seven Premier League matches since taking over in November.
It is thought that there is a core of British players, including captain James Ward-Prowse, who are still supportive of the Welshman.
Jones, a surprise appointment by the club’s Sport Republic, has managed just one win, against Everton.
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But eyebrows were raised within the squad when four first team players, including January signing Mislav Orisc, were picked to play for the B Team on Friday.
Duje Caleta-Car, Moussa Djenepo and Armel Bella-Kotchap all lined up alongside the kids.
After the loss to Brentford on Saturday, he then infuriated the players by saying they were part of the reason he has not changed to his so-called preferred style.
Jones said: “I’ve compromised certain principles because of personnel, but also the way people want to play — because of fans.
“I’ve been very successful playing a fluent style, Luton were a real aggressive front-footed side. Statistically, there weren’t many better than me around Europe in terms of aggression, clean sheets, defending the box, balls in the box, xG, all those sort of things.
“We were pound-for-pound the best because we were spending next to nothing and producing so much. I’ve gone away from that because it’s the Premier League and due to certain players and internationals.
“I’ve had to compromise certain things and I won’t do that again.”
Saints are at home to Wolves on Saturday but before then Southampton’s leadership will front up to supporters on Tuesday night at a ticket-only fans’ forum.
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Director of football Rasmus Ankersen, chairman Henrik Kraft, chief executive Martin Semmens, and managing director Toby Steele will speak to 100 season ticket holders at St. Mary’s Stadium.
The event will not be lived streamed through the club, though a recording will be published in the next few days. More

JESSE MARSCH has been sacked by Leeds after less than 12 months in the job.The American, 49, has overseen a seven-game winless run in the Premier League which ended with a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Jesse Marsch has been sacked after less than one year at LeedsCredit: Reuters
Leeds’ dreadful form has left them 17th in the table, above the relegation zone only by virtue of goal difference.
And now the club have confirmed their decision to get rid of Marsch.
A club statement read: “Leeds United can confirm head coach Jesse Marsch has been relieved of his duties.
“Jesse joined the club in February 2022 and was instrumental in keeping the club in the Premier League on the final day of last season.
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“Rene Maric, Cameron Toshack and Pierre Barrieu will also leave the club.
“We would like to thank Jesse and his backroom staff for their efforts and wish them well for the future.
“The process of appointing a new head coach is underway and we will continue to keep supporters up to date throughout the coming days.”
Former RB Leipzig man Marsch replaced Marcelo Bielsa just shy of a year ago and helped them to secure Premier League survival on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign.
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But despite being backed in the transfer market, this season has proven to be another struggle.
Leeds have won just four of their 20 Premier League games this term.
That poor run has spelled the end for Marsch, with club chiefs keen to ensure they retain their top-flight status for a fourth successive season.
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has emerged as a potential replacement.
The 39-year-old, who previously worked for the club as an U23 coach under Bielsa, led Huddersfield to the Championship play-offs last season.
He then went to Olympiacos for a brief stint, before returning to England to take charge of West Brom.
And his reputation has strengthened even further since arriving at the Hawthorns.
He has led the Baggies from the relegation zone to the play-offs and even had Everton interested last week before they opted for Sean Dyche.
West Brom want to tie him down to a new contract but a return to Leeds could prove too tempting to resist for Corberan.
West Brom boss Carlos Corberan has been linked with the Leeds jobCredit: Reuters More