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    Daniel Levy’s Ange Postecoglou dilemma is ultimate head vs heart debate… he simply must think like a Tottenham fan

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    HE wears a chip on one of his shoulders, his heart on his sleeve and a winner’s medal around his neck.Ange Postecoglou is one of the most fascinating men in football and his boss, Daniel Levy, faces a fascinating dilemma over whether to keep him.Daniel Levy (right) has a huge decision to make over Ange Postecoglou’s futureCredit: GettyThe Aussie ended Spurs’ long wait for silverware despite a dismal domestic campaignCredit: AFPWhile Levy rarely attracts sympathy, how on Earth should he weigh up a first trophy in 17 years against 22 defeats in one Premier League season – a record number for any team which has avoided relegation?Before last week’s Europa League final victory over Manchester United, most Tottenham fans wanted Big Ange out.Yet, having celebrated silverware after so long, the majority are now clearly ‘Ange in’.And that swing in opinion shows that Postecoglou called it right with his bold approach to the second half of the season — to prioritise the Europa League and largely toss off the domestic campaign.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThe most joyous moments of this season have arrived when Spurs, Newcastle and Crystal Palace all ended long trophy droughts, as well as Aberdeen, north of the border.Because actually winning things – as opposed to finishing as high up a league table as possible – is the essence of sport.The game is about glory, as Danny Blanchflower famously said.‘To Dare Is To Do’ says Tottenham’s club motto.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKAnd the charismatic, prickly Aussie manager recognised both.Big Ange dared to gamble on the singular glory of Bilbao, over the possibility of finishing mid-table rather than 17th. He won.Ange Postecoglou drops huge hint over Tottenham future with incredible mic-drop moment at Europa League paradeEven though last Wednesday’s final was a terrible game between two terrible teams, in which Spurs showed the lesser attacking ambition.And even though winning a knockout competition tends to do little for a manager’s job prospects – just ask Tottenham’s last trophy-winning boss Juande Ramos, or Erik ten Hag and Louis van Gaal at Manchester United.Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive years – which is harder than winning the Europa League but nowhere near as fun. And sport is supposed to be fun.This kind of thinking has become increasingly unfashionable among managers and club owners in recent years. Postecoglou went against the grain and, in doing so, showed himself to be in tune with Tottenham supporters.Tottenham ratings: Bissouma dominates Europa League final as occasion gets to UdogieBRENNAN JOHNSON was Tottenham’s hero as they finally ended their 17-year trophy drought in the Europa League final.Despite being without James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski for the clash in Bilbao, Spurs came up with a massive win against Manchester United.Johnson scored the goal as he helped bundle in from a corner in a tussle with Luke Shaw to send fans into dreamland.But Spurs also owe a huge thanks to Yves Bissouma who was totally dominant in midfield.At the other end, Destiny Udogie struggled to get up to the pace of the match as he was up against Manchester United’s Amad Diallo.Spurs had just three shots, only 27 per cent of the ball, and completed a mere 115 passes over 90 minutes.But it didn’t matter, as United never really looked like finding a leveller to take it to extra time.SunSport’s Henry Tomlinson gave his ratings for the Tottenham players…Just as he has been with his consistently brilliant take-downs of the lunacy of VAR, as well as modern football’s obsession with largely meaningless stats. In an industry polluted by bulls**t, Big Ange is the fumigator.For the gaiety of the nation at large, and certainly for us lot in the footballing media, it is sincerely hoped he remains in post.Postecoglou’s press conference on the eve of the Europa League final was extraordinary theatre.At various points during that 20-minute session, Postecoglou was chippy, charming, angry, funny, bullish, touching, wise, petty, proud and scathing.Which basically meant he was extremely, obviously, human. And while a manager’s performance in media interviews shouldn’t really be important, they are.As Postecoglou pointed out, Spurs have played 60 times this season, which means he conducted 120 rounds of pre-match or post-match interviews.He is the frontman for the club.Levy, like most other Premier League club owners, rarely utters a word in public.Postecoglou can certainly be thin-skinned. When he cupped his ears to fans after Spurs scored a soon-to-be disallowed goal at Chelsea in early April, it was a significant point in turning supporter opinion against him.During that press conference in Bilbao, Postecoglou sounded like a man who knew he was leaving.But the response to the Europa League win — including a turnout for the open-top bus parade which was (probably) visible from the Moon — is making Levy think again and has increased Postecoglou’s confidence that he may be afforded a third season.Would that be the best decision for Spurs’ future?After Tottenham’s hungover players were battered at home by Brighton on Sunday, it feels a difficult case to argue.Tottenham have a huge decision to make after ending a 17-year wait for silverwareCredit: GettySpurs can’t keep finishing 17th and targeting knockout competitions.Not least because, with such a mindset, they might well end up relegated.Tottenham’s league campaign was beyond awful — but then their injury crisis earlier in the campaign was also extreme.Their record when their first-choice keeper and back four — Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie — play together is excellent.Tottenham win 62 per cent of games with their preferred backline compared to 38 per cent without.And during his first season, Postecoglou led Spurs to fifth place, despite the loss of their all-time record scorer Harry Kane.Now, Champions League qualification has boosted Tottenham’s finances and their desirability as a destination among potential summer recruits.Levy’s decision will not be easy. It is a classic head-versus-heart dilemma. If Levy votes with his heart, and sticks with Big Ange, he will at least prove to Spurs fans that he has a heart.And that he is a Tottenham fan at heart, before he is a hard-headed businessman.Which might not be a bad starting point.REF’S NO VILLANASTON VILLA’S frustration was understandable after referee Thomas Bramall ruled out Morgan Rogers’ ‘goal’ against Manchester United and Unai Emery’s men missed out on Champions League qualification.But making a formal complaint over the selection of the ‘inexperienced’ Bramall was daft.Experienced refs make mistakes, too.And inexperienced refs only become experienced by refereeing big matches. Also, it was a mistake by the experienced World Cup-winning keeper Emi Martinez, which earned him a red card and played an equally significant role in the Villans’ failure to make the top five.Emi Martinez saw red as Aston Villa missed out on the Champions LeagueCredit: GettyBOXES GENIUSGOALSCORING and broadcasting are two ­difficult crafts to master.Before Gary Lineker, only Jimmy Greaves had been seriously good at both.No ex-footballers were in the running to succeed Lineker as Match of the Day host.And the fact the BBC are replacing him with a rota of three journalists — Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates — says much about how he made the show his own over the last 25 years.Whatever your opinions on Lineker’s social-media posts, at least he never stuck to the tiresome belief that those involved in football, should only ever ‘stick to football’.Gary Lineker has signed off after 26 years fronting Match of the DayCredit: PAAMORIM HAMMERINSHORT of sticking them in the stocks and pelting them with rotten fruit, it’s difficult to know how much more public punishment Manchester United’s players can take.The sight of these humiliated flops staring awkwardly at their feet in the Old Trafford centre circle, while Ruben Amorim issued an apology for the club’s  ‘disastrous’ season, was genuinely cringeworthy.And this was swiftly followed by a post-season tour of Asia, to recoup a few million in lost revenues, which knackered players need like a hole in the head.Read More on The SunNobody involved with United really needed Amorim’s David Brent-like apology.They just require things to get significantly better,  very soon. 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      Man Utd have truly hit rock bottom with Europa League final defeat – but it might be best thing that’s happened to them

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      THIS sounds weird, but I actually think Manchester United’s Europa League final defeat is the best thing that could have happened to them.You need to hit the bottom, and they truly have bottomed out now.Manchester United’s loss against Spurs sees the club crash at rock bottomCredit: APBruno Fernandes could be among those leaving the club this summerCredit: Shutterstock EditorialBut Wednesday’s painful loss could yet be a blessing in disguiseCredit: GettyHad they got into the Champions League next season, they would have spent crazy money just to try and bridge the gap and probably get the recruitment wrong again.Now, they are going to have to spend properly, be diligent and work from the ground up. It could be a blessing in disguise.But this remains a massive summer for Ruben Amorim, Jim Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox – and they have run out of excuses.They know who their manager is, they know how much they have got to spend and they know what the problems are. Now, go and solve them and make it happen.And if they don’t, then you will all look like clowns. It’s pressure, but to me it is a great pressure. The question is whether they can handle it.With this latest round of redundancies, it looks like Ratcliffe’s true colours are on show for all to see now. BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKHe is a very smart businessman, much smarter than me.But in terms of understanding and feeling a football club, he is just off the mark all the time. FIRE SALE at Old Trafford! EVERY Man Utd Star Up for Grabs — Even Mainoo & Garnacho!You talk about having your finger on the pulse – he hasn’t got a clue.I know they are a big club, and to be able to get rid of hundreds of people and still be operating is remarkable, which shows you how bloated they are as an organisation.If you are going to lay people off, do it in the summer, don’t do it now. It’s crazy.You need to hit the bottom, and they truly have bottomed out now.Troy DeeneyNo sense of empathy and shows an element of delusion when it comes to what the average person is going through right now.It is a difficult climate, but ruthless businessmen clearly don’t think about your pennies. They want to get the job done.Would they still have made those cuts had they won the Europa League? Who knows.It was never going to be a barnstormer of a final because of how inconsistent both teams were, and both goalkeepers were competing against each other to see who could be worse.Man Utd ratings: Diallo best player in Europa League final but Hojlund out of his depthAMAD DIALLO’S fizzing first-half display was little consolation for Manchester United in a dismal 1-0 Europa League final loss to Tottenham.Rasmus Hojlund’s plight up front continued in one of the worst European showpieces for many years – as both sides showed why they will finish in the Premier League lower reaches.Spurs clinched it from virtually their first opportunity – on 42 minutes.Brennan Johnson bundled in Pape Sarr’s inswinging cross, with United left-back Luke Shaw also getting a touch on the way.The Red Devils dictated possession more and more after the break, with Leny Yoro stretching to test Guglielmo Vicario from a free-kick.But United’s chances only arrived regularly in the final quarter of a patchy contest.The Red Devils belatedly piled on the pressure in the seven minutes of stoppage time, but Spurs just held on.Here’s how SunSport’s Dave Courtnadge rated United on a miserable night individually and collectively for Ruben Amorim’s men…The attitude of those United players stinks too, especially Alejandro Garnacho, who threw his toys out of the pram when he didn’t start the final and claimed he should have played more than 20 minutes off the bench, posting all over Instagram.This kid is talking like he got United to the final all by himself, and that sums up this entire club right now: lots of selfish people putting themselves before others, and look where it has got them.You have every right to be frustrated, but do you think handling it like that is going to get you what you want at the end of it? You’re part of a team.You reckon Amorim is going to stand for that and start playing him more next season? I don’t think so.You talk about having your finger on the pulse – he hasn’t got a clue.Deeney on Sir Jim RatcliffeI remember earlier on in the season, back in February at home to Ipswich, he got taken off because United were down to 10 men and he had a full hissy fit then, storming straight down the tunnel while the game was still going on.He is a very talented kid, but he is as entitled as they come, and if he had a proper dressing room around him, he would have a clip around the ear for that.That wouldn’t be allowed in any of my dressing rooms, or any United dressing rooms of the past, and people should be going up to him and saying: ‘Who are you?’.When he was linked with a £50m move away in January, how many United fans threw their arms in the air desperate to keep him? More

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      Crystal Palace risk being gutted by Big Six after FA Cup fairtytale but Eze and Co should follow Vardy’s example

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      THERE’S one big problem with so-called footballing “fairytales”.Instead of “and they all lived happily ever after”, they tend to end with the words “and they all f***ed off to Big Six clubs”.Crystal Palace’s FA Cup heroes like Eberechi Eze risk being poached by the big six clubsCredit: Shutterstock EditorialBut they should stay put at PalaceCredit: GettyThe day after the final we were given a reminder of football’s greatest fairytale merchant, Jamie VardyCredit: Shutterstock EditorialBefore and after Crystal Palace lifted their first major trophy at Wembley on Saturday, those who inspired the club’s FA Cup triumph have been the subjects of a speculation avalanche about summer switches away from Selhurst Park.Boss Oliver Glasner is in pole position to take over a Tottenham team nowhere near as good as Palace, while Eberechi Eze has attracted the interest of Spurs and both Manchester clubs, all of whom have been beaten by the Eagles this season.Midfield man Adam Wharton is wanted by Liverpool, while skipper Marc Guehi could be holding out for a free transfer to Real Madrid or Barcelona.These are the last things any Palace fan wants to read in the afterglow of victory over Manchester City — but it is the way of the footballing world, with its big, bad wolves.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMoney talks. The bigness of big clubs is big. And killjoy PSR regulations make it increasingly hard for smaller clubs to be upwardly mobile.Yet the day after Palace’s Wembley glory, we received a timely reminder of English football’s greatest fairytale merchant, Jamie Vardy.After their miraculous title success in 2016, Leicester were precisely where Palace are now — their euphoria troubled by rumblings from a traditional, self-entitled elite desperate to dismantle their team. N’Golo Kante immediately headed off to Chelsea, to be followed by his midfield partner Danny Drinkwater a year later.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKRiyad Mahrez begged for a move but had to wait until 2018 before he was snapped up by Manchester City.Yet Vardy, the subject of a major bid from Arsenal in 2016, stayed put — claiming it was an easy decision to stay at Leicester.Dean Henderson gets emotional live on GMB over death of his dad after FA Cup triumphThe idea of rough-diamond Vardy working under the urbane Arsene Wenger would have represented an intriguing meeting of minds.But nine years later, there was Vardy, netting his 200th goal in his 500th and final match for the Foxes, treated to a guard of honour from the boys of 2016 and hailed as Leicester’s finest-ever player.Of course, it still wasn’t “happily ever after”. Leicester have been relegated for the second time in three years following a train-wreck  campaign.But Vardy’s achievements, since his £1million arrival from non-league Fleetwood in 2012, have been extraordinary. From the great escape, to a record 11-match Premier League scoring streak in the title campaign, to the Golden Boot in 2020 and the FA Cup in 2021. Vardy isn’t your classic romantic hero.Jane Austen never wrote about a bloke who played non-league football in a convict’s ankle tag, taunted opponents with incessant s***housery and thrived on a diet of Skittles, vodka and the tobacco product snus.Nicknamed Steptoe, due to his resemblance to an ancient TV rag-and-bone man, Vardy went from rags to riches and back to relative rags, due to his wife’s defeat in the Wagatha Christie court case. But in an age of here-today-gone-tomorrow transience in elite football, Vardy has been a glorious exception.He snubbed Arsenal, became the Foxes’ GOAT and, at 38, still operates with the speed of a thoroughbred racehorse.Of course, nobody should blame Eze, Wharton, Guehi or any of Palace’s Cup final heroes if they do jump ship.And certainly not Glasner, given the complete lack of loyalty shown to modern football managers.Claudio Ranieri, architect of Leicester’s 2016 success, was sacked nine months later —  in between two legs of a Champions League knockout match against Sevilla.When I recently asked Glasner whether Spurs would always be a bigger club than Palace, he insisted that they “inhabited a different world”.While Europa League nights at soulful Selhurst Park sound like a treat, the lure of a higher salary and higher expectations, in a world-class stadium feeds the egos of these men.Glasner may leave this summer, along with two or three of Palace’s best players, and that would be a shame — because it would be such a bleeding obvious thing to do.Vardy, meanwhile, is looking for another Premier League club. Palace might well see him as a more reliable back-up striker than Eddie Nketiah. And Vardy might see another fairytale opening up.Named n’ shamedEverton’s new Bramley Moore Dock stadium has been named after a law firmCredit: ReutersONE of the most depressing factors when a club moves to a new stadium, is that they are nearly all subject to “naming rights” deals.Take Everton’s new home — which has apparently been named after a law firm, rather than the farcical comedian Benny Hill and the orange-skinned antique dealer David Dickinson.English football ground names used to possess a certain romance — from Scunthorpe’s Old Show Ground to Shrewsbury’s Gay Meadow.There is nothing so poetic about the ‘Hill Dickinson Stadium’.Fans show they CairFulham fans will say their goodbyes to Tom Cairney this weekendCredit: Shutterstock EditorialWHEN Fulham face Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Sunday, both sets of supporters will say goodbye to a talismanic midfielder who arrived at his club ten years ago and led them to previously unscaled heights.And while Kevin De Bruyne wasn’t bad, the Fulham fans will be singing “ain’t nobody like Tom Cairney”.Glanville’s no puzzleEnglish footballer writer and author Brian Glanville has passed away at 93Credit: GettyBRIAN GLANVILLE, who has died aged 93, was a prolific journalist and author who was the doyen of our trade.And for all the great lines Glanville wrote, the words I remember best were ones he spoke at Loftus Road during a friendly between Trinidad & Tobago and Iceland in 2006.We were covering this bizarre fixture because England were due to play Trinidad at that year’s World Cup but the “action” was hardly gripping, so another esteemed writer turned his attention to the puzzle section of his newspaper.At which Glanville hollered: “Four letters beginning with ‘C’ — a bloke who does a crossword in a press box.”Esse option a tier jerkerRecruitment from the Championship for the likes of Romain Esse has worked wonders for PalaceCredit: GettyCRYSTAL PALACE’S FA Cup success owes much to their willingness to recruit from the Championship — an increasingly-rare approach among Premier League clubs.Eberechi Eze, signed from QPR, and Adam Wharton, from Blackburn, were stars of the show, just as Michael Olise proved an excellent recruit from Reading before last summer’s move to Bayern Munich.Romain Esse, a January signing from Millwall, looks like he will prove to be Palace’s next such shrewd buy.It’s a wonder more top- flight clubs don’t do likewise.Pep’s sour HendPep Guardiola’s rant at Dean Henderson should have been a moment of good grace insteadCredit: Shutterstock EditorialPEP GUARDIOLA’S ranting at Dean Henderson after Manchester City’s FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace, brought to mind a quote attributed to American football coach Vince Lombardi — “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser”.But despite his reputation for volcanic outbursts, Sir Alex Ferguson — the one manager with more Premier League titles than Guardiola — could often be extremely gracious in defeat.Such as after the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley, when Guardiola’s Barcelona defeated his Manchester United side 3-1.“Nobody’s given us a hiding like that but they deserve it,” Ferguson said. “In my time as manager, it’s the best team I’ve faced.”Sure, Henderson should have been sent off — but Palace’s first major trophy should have been a moment for similar good grace.Read More on The SunLeague of their ownFOR English watchers, a clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan is the least sexy Champions League final in years — no English clubs or players and no Lamine Yamal to marvel at either.Yet PSG and Inter are wonderful teams and this promises to be the competition’s best final in years — especially as there hasn’t been a decent one since Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Liverpool in 2018.Crystal Palace ratingsCRYSTAL PALACE secured their first ever trophy with a famous FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. 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      FA needs to urgently rethink policy on FA Cup semi-finals after rows and rows of empty Wembley seats

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      CAN you imagine turning up to a Taylor Swift gig and finding rows and rows of empty seats? Exactly, it wouldn’t happen.But last weekend, for a showpiece occasion at Wembley Stadium, there were banks of seating with no one in them.There were rows and rows of empty seats for the FA Cup semi-finalsCredit: ReutersIt was very far from a sell-out and the FA needs to urgently rethink their policy on FA Cup semi-finals.Push finally came to shove as the simple economics of attending matches in the capital hit home last Sunday as Manchester City against Nottingham Forest, two big clubs based many miles from Wembley, clashed for a place in the final.What greeted the millions of armchair viewers across the world, keen to tune in to the oldest football competition of them all? Thousands of unused plastic red seats.First of all, it’s not a good look. TV companies will not be remotely happy with this.Most read in FootballTrying to sell a tournament when there are empty seats galore is difficult if not impossible and it damages the image of the competition.A lot is said about the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup, but the TV coverage from Sunday will prompt many to ask why fans are not turning up.This is not a dig at City at all. They are one of the best-supported clubs but could only shift 27,000 of their 36,230 allocation.This was their 29th Wembley trip since the stadium was refurbished in 2007 so you can understand why a touch of London fatigue has kicked in.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSTicket prices cost between £30 and £150 and then you have the 400-mile round trip.Throw in food and drink, plus the Russian roulette of catching a train and you can see why thousands of die-hard fans said enough is enough.Karren Brady’s daughter Sophia reveals she’s pregnant with her second child – as Apprentic star is set to become a grandmother againAsking two clubs to travel so far from their fanbase is not only expensive, it’s also illogical.Why not use much closer, high-quality venues such as Villa Park or Old Trafford.Wembley should be reserved for the final. You might think that is traditionalist but some traditions are worth preserving.It always had a real aura about it and getting there was a kind of footballing El Dorado.By putting semi-finals there, the FA has diluted their own competition, with the result there were over 17,000 empty seats on Sunday.It’s not as if this was a rare occurrence as the 2023 FA Cup semi-final between City and Sheffield United attracted fewer than 70,000 at Wembley’s 90,000- capacity stadium.In 2019, just over 71,000 attended the semi-final between Brighton and City.I think some common sense as well as common decency is needed.If two clubs from the capital meet each other in an FA Cup semi-final, I can see the logic in hosting it at Wembley.Many Man City fans didn’t seem bothered to travel to the capital for the gameCredit: PABut dragging Northerners hundreds of miles to London, with the enormous costs involved, seems complete lunacy.Football needs to take care of its traditions and none more so than the FA Cup which, since it began in 1871, has seen 44 different clubs lift the famous trophy.It has been won by Blackpool and Burnley, Wimbledon and Wigan and the FA Cup needs to be cherished and respected.Perhaps the most famous FA Cup giant-killing goal of them all was Ronnie Radford’s screamer to help non-league Hereford knock out Newcastle in the 1970s.Read More on The SunRonnie’s reaction has gone down in folklore as he celebrated hands aloft, tummy out, wide-mouthed in disbelief.The reaction of the fans showed what it meant to the good folk of Hereford. Wouldn’t have been the same with rows of empty seats, would it? More

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      No TV interest, dismal ticket sales and furious bosses… ‘ridiculous’ Club World Cup is nothing but Fifa vanity project

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      FRANK by name and frank by nature, as Brentford boss Thomas Frank has got his Bees in the right bonnet.His sting was aimed at the Club World Cup, which he described as “ridiculous”. And I agree with him.Fifa’s revamped Club World Cup has not gone down well with some Prem bossesCredit: APBrentford boss Thomas Frank is refusing to watch the tournamentCredit: PAFurious Frank said: “Who wants it? No one. “The addition of the Club World Cup is ridiculous and there is a bigger conversation needed about the number of games being played over a year – but that is not for us and more for the teams in Europe.”You sometimes feel Fifa is run by Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em’s Frank Spencer and this is further proof.Frank criticised Fifa for hugely expanding a tournament for which there is little interest.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLThat’s not exactly true as the winner could bank £97MILLION for seven games, which does give the bean counters an incentive, if not the players.The fact that it has been turned down by BBC, ITV, Sky Sports and TNT Sports suggests the TV execs aren’t that bothered either, even though Manchester City and Chelsea are in it.But what Frank is angered by is simple – the players are bloody knackered.Come the end of a gruelling Premier League season, often with European games in midweek, footballers have run themselves into the ground.Most read in FootballBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKLike anyone else, they need a few weeks in the sun to relax and recover.‘Ah’, I hear you shout, ‘but what about all those pre-season tours to the Far East?’ Fifa show off incredible new Club World Cup trophy that has be opened with a giant gold KEYIt’s a fair point, but these tours can get players back up to fitness.As well as the Club World Cup, what is also a concern is the increasing gap between Champions League qualifying clubs and the rest.For instance, if Chelsea or City both finish in the top five, that will now guarantee them Champions League football next season and around £150m.If one of them wins the Club World Cup that all adds up to nearly £250m! How are the other 15 Premier League clubs supposed to compete with that?The Club World Cup strikes me as a vanity project for Fifa.City boss Pep Guardiola is unhappy clubs must field their strongest squads in the 32-nation tournament, which starts in America in mid-June and lasts a whole month.If Guardiola is cheesed off now, can you imagine his temper if Erling Haaland got injured in the big match against Morocco’s Wydad AC.Frank insisted there is absolutely “no chance” he will even be watching it.He’s not the only one, as by all accounts, ticket sales have been dismal.No wonder the TV giants didn’t want to touch it as nothing stinks out a sporting event more than banks of empty seats. Everyone has worked out there is no glory to it, only money.Read More on The SunThe 24-carat gold-plated trophy was unveiled in the White House. At the rate things are going there, Donald Trump might be melting it down to flog it soon. More

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      Forget the sob stories, five years without an Arsenal trophy means Mikel Arteta risks facing same fate as Poch at Spurs

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      WHEN was the last time the manager of a Big Six club was allowed to go five years without winning a trophy and stay in his job?The answer is Mauricio Pochettino, sacked by Tottenham early in his sixth season.Arsenal have once again failed to keep pace in a title raceCredit: GettyMikel Arteta is facing a fifth season without a trophy at the EmiratesCredit: RexBefore him, it was Arsene Wenger, who already had three Premier League titles – including two Doubles – to boast about before his long eight-season trophy drought.So unless Arsenal are going to be crowned champions of Europe this year for the first time in their history – and without a striker – Mikel Arteta is going to be entering into some pretty exclusive company.Arteta is under no immediate threat at the Emirates.Arsenal remain likely to finish as Premier League runners-up for a third straight season and if they defeat PSV Eindhoven, they will reach a second successive Champions League quarter-final.READ MORE ON ARSENALBut there comes a time when questions must be asked.And five seasons without a trophy is that sort of time.Sure, Arteta has improved Arsenal substantially but is he the man to take them over the line and win a Premier League or Champions League?Arteta did win the FA Cup just months after succeeding Unai Emery – with the team he inherited and then comprehensively dismantled.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSPierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored both goals in that behind-closed-doors 2-1 victory over Chelsea but was stripped of the captaincy the following year and bundled out of the door along with Mesut Ozil.When Kieran Tierney leaves this summer, Bukayo Saka and out-on-loan Reiss Nelson will be the only remaining Arsenal players to have won a trophy at the club – although they were both unused subs in that 2020 triumph over their London neighbours.‘Second again, ole ole’ – Brutal West Ham fans taunt Arsenal with three cheeky chants after stunning the EmiratesThe team Arteta subsequently built appeared young, vibrant and hungry during the previous two seasons, when they ran Manchester City close for the Premier League crown on both occasions.This year, there has been no title race, despite City’s extraordinary implosion. Liverpool have been allowed to run away with it.Arsenal failed to score for the third time in four matches in a God-awful goalless draw at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.That was a clash between the second and third teams in the table, which showcased exactly how far Arne Slot’s Reds are ahead of everybody else.Unless Arsenal are going to be crowned champions of Europe this year for the first time in their history – and without a striker – Mikel Arteta is going to be entering into some pretty exclusive company.Now 13 points ahead, the Merseysiders might well surpass Manchester City’s record 19-point winning margin of 2018.Any current conversation about the Gunners has to revolve around the absence of a fit striker.Season-ending injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, as well as a long-term lay-off for Saka, represent extremely bad luck. But then neither the German nor the Brazilian are authentic centre-forwards.Arsenal’s need for a striker predates those injuries.The debate was raging during the previous two seasons.Arsenal ratings vs Forest as NOBODY looks like scoring for Gunners but Saliba’s a Rolls Royce againMIKEL ARTETA may not have anyone to put the ball in the back of the net but in William Saliba he has one of the best defenders in the Prem.The Arsenal boss watched his side’s faint title hopes go well and truly up in smoke in the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.But his brilliant backline emerged, once again, with credit from this tricky clash at the City Ground.Together with Gabriel, Saliba kept a tight lid on Forest dangerman Chris Wood, who scored a hat-trick in his last appearance on this ground.But the fact the Gunners’ biggest threat at the other end of the pitch came from left-back Riccardo Calafiori – who was subbed off at half-time – says it all about the dire situation Arsenal somehow find themselves in.Here is how SunSport’s Graeme Bryce rated the Gunners stars’ displays…And if Arteta had prioritised a striker, the club would have signed one last summer, rather than having to leave it until late in January to make a failed bid for Aston Villa’s England international Ollie Watkins.Havertz, who was most effective as a No 10 in his Chelsea days, has the height and ability to link up play but he is not a top-class finisher.When Jesus was at City, Pep Guardiola preferred him as a winger and often played with false nines rather than employing the Brazilian through the middle.Talk of former Brentford hitman Ivan Toney, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres came and went and RB Leipzig’s raw 21-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko looks the most likely summer recruit. But Arsenal’s failure to bolster their forward line has been negligent.Still, even when Havertz and Jesus were fit, Arsenal’s playing style had clearly regressed this season.They have become Set Piece FC, an upper-class version of Tony Pulis’ Stoke City and a difficult watch.Mikel Arteta bizarrely hints Arsenal should be mid-table but still won’t give up on title An image of Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover has been painted on to a mural near the Emirates.The days of Wenger’s Arsenal playing eye-candy football and being obsessed with scoring the perfect goal are long gone.Five red cards in the Premier League have cost the Gunners up to ten points.Dark conspiracy theories among Arsenal fans cannot mask a basic lack of discipline and game-management.Forget the sob stories, half a decade without silverware simply isn’t good enough.Arteta has done much to foster a bond between players and supporters after years of the ‘Wenger Out, Wenger In’ civil war and the short reign of Emery.The atmosphere at the Emirates has improved greatly — sometimes vast swathes of the crowd do not leave early to catch their trains.But this term there have been rumblings of discontent.Arsenal have gone backwards and most supporters recognise it.Opposition to the ownership of ‘Silent’ Stan Kroenke has been silenced but if it kicks off again, the manager will be in danger.Pochettino improved Spurs immeasurably, reaching a Champions League final after two successive near-misses in title races.But even at Arsenal’s bitter rivals, five years without a trophy was enough to see the Argentinian gone.READ MORE SUN STORIESUnless Arteta oversees a miracle in Europe – and Arsenal would probably have to beat Real Madrid in a quarter-final and Liverpool in a semi to do so – then the Spaniard will be on trial at the beginning of next term.Forget the sob stories, half a decade without silverware simply isn’t good enough. More

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      Troy Deeney: Beware Sir Jim Ratcliffe, keep making staff redundant and you’ll lose heart and soul of Man Utd, trust me

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      MORALE among Manchester United’s players must be low enough as it is.But when you throw in a total of 450 staff losing their jobs – around 40 per cent of the club’s workforce – it is hardly going to help matters.Sir Jim Ratcliffe has announced another sweeping round of cuts at Old TraffordCredit: PANothing is going right on or off the pitch for Manchester UnitedCredit: GettyTroy Deeney has seen first hand what staff redundancies at a club can meanCredit: The SunFirst and foremost, it must be ­killing boss Ruben Amorim to have to keep answering questions about something which is not his fault, when he has only been at the club for two minutes.And from a PR point of view – with United in the bottom half – the optics are terrible.When was there last any positive news at Old Trafford?Probably when Amorim was appointed – although that optimism didn’t last long.Having spent most of my career at Watford, a far smaller operation with fewer employees, I was gobsmacked to hear United employed as many as 1,140 people before Sir Jim Ratcliffe got his axe out.Maybe many of the roles Ratcliffe is slashing are non-essential. Maybe there genuinely was fat to trim.And maybe the players themselves wouldn’t ever have met a lot of them.When you hear about 450 job losses – 250 in the last round of redundancies, with 200 more to follow – it can sound like just a figure.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBut then I started thinking about the behind-the-scenes staff at ­Watford, people I actually know, and then it became more personal.Because some of these people are the heart and soul of a football club.Andy Goldstein insists Sir Jim Ratcliffe has got everything wrong at Man Utd after drastic cuts For instance, in the training-room canteen at Watford, there were Linette and Sharon.They served us food and drink but they did far more than that.If we’d lost a few games, they were the people who lifted us.If we needed bringing down a peg or two, they would keep us grounded.Some of these people are the heart and soul of a football club.”Oh yeah, you scored the winning goal in an FA Cup semi-final but do you think you can leave your dirty plates lying around?”Linette had been at the club for 35 or 40 years – since Graham Taylor’s first spell as manager.If you were feeling down, just try moaning at her and Sharon and you would hear something along the lines of ‘oh yeah, it must be so hard being a professional footballer, my heart bleeds for you’.There will be staff like that at United’s training ground.Man Utd ratings vs Ipswich as Maguire saves the day after Onana makes case to be WORST ever signingMANCHESTER UNITED eased their fears of the drop in a topsy-turvy relegation six-pointer with Ipswich.The Red Devils triumphed 3-2 despite playing the second half with ten men.A major cock-up from Patrick Dorgu and Andre Onana saw Ipswich take a third-minute lead through Jaden Philogene.Then, after United had recovered to lead 2-1, Dorgu saw a straight red card for a poor challenge on Omari Hutchinson.Philogene scored again to level it before the break only for Harry Maguire to nod in to be United’s saviour.But who was United’s best player on the night?Here, SunSport’s Phil Thomas reveals his Manchester United player ratings…And I hope for the sake of the players, that those sorts of people are not being made redundant.Then there was Gail, Watford’s club secretary. Or should I say the club secretary/therapist.When I needed to vent, I’d go and vent at Gail in her office and the world seemed a better place.It was the same for a lot of players.And then there was Scott — also known as ‘Eeyore’ — the miserable head groundsman, who was actually one of the funniest blokes you could ever meet. He won awards for the playing ­surface at Vicarage Road.He took such pride in his work that he resented you actually playing or training on his pitches.If he could have erected a ‘Keep Off The Grass’ sign at the training ground, he would have done.There was Richard, the long-serving media officer, who protected the club’s image with his life.And another Richard, the player liaison officer, who was a godsend.His was a role which some might reckon showed how pampered footballers can be – but I disagree.We’d have so many youngsters, aged 18 to 21, coming over from abroad, with little grasp of English, who had never lived away from home.Rich would do everything for them.Even when the club’s owners don’t actually care. All of these people were invaluable and would have excellent ­relationships with many players.He would tell them where to live, how to pay their bills, work out where their parents would stay if they came to visit.For older players, he would find schools for their kids.As captain, I’d have to tell players not to take the p*** because Richard was so dedicated he’d be sorting out their social diaries.Some of the biggest unsung heroes at any club are those who work in the community department – many of whom are volunteers.They ensure a club is in touch with its roots, playing a proper role in the local area.United’s players have endured a horror season and their mood won’t be improved by staff redundanciesCredit: GettyEven when the club’s owners don’t actually care. All of these people were invaluable and would have excellent ­relationships with many players.When Watford were relegated, quite a few people I knew were made redundant by the club and that was what killed me more than anything.As a player, you know you have a short career, and that you’ve worked hard to get to the top in a very ­competitive industry.But you also know you are very well paid, that you could go six months without money if you had to — and you were fully aware that most of these people being made redundant were facing the possibility of real hardship.I don’t believe that United can make 450 people redundant without it having any impact on the players. Cut away too much ‘fat’ and you can end up losing your heart and soul.I thought long and hard about whether I should dig into my own pocket to help them out.Now, I’m a rarity in the modern game in that I stayed at one club for ten years and really got to know many of the staff at Watford.Many players who are just passing through won’t be so bothered because they don’t have those ­personal relationships with staff.And in a workforce of over a ­thousand, there will be people who are expendable.Footballers can be a selfish breed. In some ways, it is part of the ­mindset needed to be a successful professional sportsman.But I don’t believe that United can make 450 people redundant without it having any impact on the players.Cut away too much ‘fat’ and you can end up losing your heart and soul. More

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      All this week’s transfer exclusives from SunSport’s man in the know with England pair set to switch Premier League clubs

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      ALAN NIXON is Sunsport’s Boss of Goss. Check out this week’s red-hot transfer whispers from our man in the know…Taylor Harwood-Bellis looks set to move on from Southampton in the summerCredit: AlamySAINT EASY SOUTHAMPTON pair Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Aaron Ramsdale are in line for Premier League rescue moves.England cap Harwood-Bellis is fancied by West Ham and could escape from the drop at the end of this season as Saints head back to the Championship.The centre-half, 23, has just changed agent and will be up for a move after signing from Manchester City last year.Classy Harwood-Bellis would cost about £15million and the Hammers are in the market for new faces at the back. Three Lions keeper Ramsdale, 26,  is another who should beat Saints’  slide into the second tier – with his former club Bournemouth on alert.Rambo impressed at Cherries and Sheffield United before his surprise move to Arsenal in 2021.He jumped at a switch to Saints to play but will not fancy the Championship.Bournemouth have goalkeeper Kepa, 30, on loan from Chelsea but should be in the market for a new No 1 and Ramsdale still has fans within the club.ANFIELD ROADLewis Koumas is being eyed by Crystal Palace for a summer swoopCredit: AlamyLIVERPOOL babe Lewis Koumas has joined fellow Red Ben Doak on  Crystal Palace’s wanted list.The Eagles are looking at a handful of new faces in a busy summer and Welsh international Koumas, 19, is on their radar.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSKoumas, currently impressing on loan at Stoke, could be ready for the step up to the Premier League next season.Palace are already jostling with Bournemouth for Scottish winger Doak, also 19, and considering a big offer for him.But Koumas could also be brought in after catching the eye in the second tier. Aaron Ramsdale COMPLETES £25m Southampton transfer as England goalkeeper’s Arsenal career comes to an endNEY BOTHERWATFORD head the race to sign young Colombian strike sensation Neyser Villarreal.The Hornets hope to agree a £5million deal with the 19-year-old’s club Millionarios.Villarreal shone for his country in the recent Under- 20 championship in South America, scoring a hat-trick against Paraguay.Watford want to move quickly as Palmeiras are also tracking him.MARC’D MANMarcus Edwards is a summer target for Sunderland – if they reach the PremCredit: ReutersSUNDERLAND are watching how Marcus Edwards does at Burnley – in case they have a second stab at signing him.The winger, 26, joined the Clarets on loan from Sporting Lisbon in the January window but they only just beat the Black Cats to his signature.But if Sunderland make the Premier League and Burnley fail, they will be back in again.WHICH Championship manager is fuming with his director of football after hearing he had been bidding for players the boss knew nothing about?The experienced coach was stunned to discover some of the targets the club had in the last window.Most were ones he had never been consulted on and fortunately did not sign — but the damage is done between the manager and transfer guru.IN DEMANDInigo Perez is being eyed by Premier League clubsCredit: GettyINIGO PEREZ, the talk of Spain, is ready to come to England at the second attempt.The Rayo Vallecano coach, 37, has been superb this season — and Prem clubs are watching.Perez missed out on a move to Bournemouth because of post-Brexit rules which stopped him from joining boss Andoni Iraola.Now he is a coach in his own right and would qualify.HARD PRESTTHE FA will face a chunky bill for fitting new VAR cameras at Preston’s fifth-round tie against Burnley on Saturday.North End – bossed by Paul Heckingbottom – have never used the system so the FA must find a way of installing all of the tech needed.ROVERS RETURNBLACKBURN are after a new gaffer  — but their pay deal is putting many off.Rovers are offering about £600,000-per-year plus bonuses but it is not attracting targets like Steve Cooper and Gary O’Neil.There is a potential promotion jackpot too but the deal is not attractive to some, even if they are out of work.Meanwhile, Blackburn technical director Adam Owen, 44,  has been taking a bigger part in team affairs behind the scenes.Owen will work closely with the next coach and that boosts interim David Lowe’s chances of staying in charge. More

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      Harry Redknapp: I would choose to boss this Spurs side over Man Utd EVERY time – and I’d make young starlet my captain

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      WHEREVER that old saying about the darkest nights making the brightest stars comes from, it certainly isn’t Tottenham.But if you had to pin it to a Premier League club, it’d be Ange Postecoglou’s side every day of the week.I would much rather manage this Tottenham squad over Man UtdCredit: Darren FletcherAnge Postecoglou has so many stars in his squad but is being let down by injuriesCredit: GettyRuben Amorim is the right man to turn around Man Utd but it will take years to get the right playersCredit: GettyAnge would probably be glad of it, to be honest, as there’s been little else to light up the place this season.Last summer, the thought that today’s game against Manchester United would be a meeting of two mid-table teams was unbelievable. But that’s exactly what it is.I do think Ruben Amorim is the right man to turn United around but there is so much work that it will take years.If I had the choice of who I’d like to manage, it is Spurs every time as Postecoglou has so many stars in his squad.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut it doesn’t count for much when they’re in the treatment room rather than the dressing room — and loads are.At times Postecoglou has been without a whole team of injured players, which is where that stuff about dark nights and bright stars comes in.And with so many key men missing, Ange has had to rely on some of his kids at a time he needs players AND leaders.But in Archie Gray he has a young man who ticks both boxes despite only making his full Premier League debut in December. And if everyone was available he may still be waiting.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSGray’s dad Andy had a long playing career, his grandad Frank is a Leeds legend, and his uncle Eddie an all-time great.So although he’s only 18, Archie has had more experience of football life than many senior players before he joined Spurs from Leeds last year.Ruben Amorim admits he and Man Utd players ALL fighting for their jobs between now and the end of the seasonAnd while all the lads who’ve been thrown in have done well, Gray has been an absolute diamond — and I have to say it doesn’t surprise me.Everything I’ve seen about him has been positive from day one, wherever he’s played, which is three different defensive positions and midfield already.The way the teenager strolls around at the back reminds me of Franz Beckenbauer or Alan Hansen, which is some comparison.I’m not saying he will ever be that good, of course, as not many got within a mile of those two legends.Last summer, the thought that today’s game against Manchester United would be a meeting of two mid-table teams was unbelievable. But that’s exactly what it is.But there is a real style and elegance in everything he does.There was a moment at Aston Villa last week when Marcus Rashford tried to run at him one-on-one, but Archie got his body across, won the ball and shut down the danger. It was class.From what I hear, he is a good talker too, despite being so young. He’s confident, says the right things, and is not afraid to put his message across in the dressing room.So you can forget his age as he is already a natural leader — and Ange certainly needs one with his team in this position.I would make Archie Gray the club captainCredit: RexCloser to the bottom three than the top six in the Prem — like United — out of both domestic cups and just the Europa League left with just over three months of the campaign to go.Spurs may have a team with no inspiring voice on the pitch but at least Amorim has a couple in Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.Even with a fully fit squad, Ange has no obvious choice for the armband. As much as I love Son, who has it now, he’s never struck me as a captain.In my book Ange should be brave and give Archie the armband now as he won’t be handing it back for a decade if he does.There’s more to it than just calling heads or tails, believe me. As a manager, the skipper is someone you can rely on.You will pick his brains, he will be the link with the rest of the team and almost your right arm in many ways. So it is a vital role.READ MORE SUN STORIESI have said for ages that Gray is a captain of the future — and maybe even an England one — but up to the job at Tottenham already.In my book Ange should be brave and give Archie the armband now as he won’t be handing it back for a decade if he does. More