Sport Columnists

Subterms

    More stories

    • 288 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Karren Brady: David Gold was kind, thoughtful and one of the Three Musketeers – life at West Ham will never be the same

      by

      DAVID GOLD of the Three Musketeers died this week, and life at West Ham will never be the same for David Sullivan and I, nor quite so enjoyable.At such a sad time it’s important to hold onto the happy memories which give you strength as you come to terms with the fact that someone so important to you won’t be in your life anymore.
      David Gold passed away on Wednesday at the age of 86Credit: PA
      Gold and Karren Brady worked together at Birmingham City and West HamCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      David was a kind and thoughtful man, who was a key to the partnership that took over Birmingham City and then his beloved West Ham.
      I first met him 34 years ago when I was 19, and at 23 when I took over Birmingham City we formed our football partnership and became the Three Musketeers — he, David Sullivan and I.
      There was a great friendship, respect and trust between the three of us. Over those years, we have gone through so much in our business and personal lives.
      I went from teenager to middle-aged woman with two children and he was always supportive and a dear, dear friend.
      READ MORE ON DAVID GOLD
      A gentleman in every sense of the word, he made time to speak to everyone, from the warehouse to the stewards without any airs and graces.
      He lived for his family, his football and his friends.
      He and David Sullivan never missed a home or away game in 17 years of owning Birmingham City and not many owners can say that!
      He also made his time at St Andrew’s a family affair. His mum, in her 80s at the time got very involved.
      Most read in Football
      She set up Monday bingo mainly for pensioners and went to every match with her son.
      He took his daughters and later his beloved grand-daughter to West Ham. All of them his pride and joy. He was never happier than when he was with his girls.
      He claimed he drank whisky because he thought his tipple, Tia Maria, wasn’t manly enough, we always had a giggle about that!
      He flew his own helicopter, once landing in my back garden, only narrowly missing a tree.
      He also crashed his plane at the training ground. Passengers beware, none of us would fly with him!
      One of the greatest days in his life was becoming an owner and joint-chairman of West Ham in 2010 with DS, both life-long Hammers fans.
      In 1990, before they owned Blues, together they owned 27 per cent of West Ham.
      But the club’s owners at the time would not even give them a seat at games let alone the board, so they sold their stake, sadly, after about a year.
      No wonder they had tears in their eyes when their Boleyn dream became real — two lifelong fans, two local boys made good, two best friends taking over their boyhood club.
      DG played for West Ham boys teams, but his father refused to sign the scholarship forms, said he had to get a proper job!
      The best he could do was keep a prized scrapbook of his mentions for the teams as well as the medals he won playing for the club as a lad.
      He really did love WHU, he was a supporter through and through.
      No question he was the East End boy made good. Growing up in poverty in a terrace house opposite the Boleyn Ground, he built his own retail business with his daughters by his side and eventually moved to a mansion with his own golf course.
      He has seen his club transfer successfully to the London Stadium and the Hammers growing in hunger for the big successes the Musketeers worked so hard for.
      No doubt he’ll be wearing our colours in heaven; I bet he is having a kick about with his hero Bobby Moore right now!
      Tributes have poured in from across football for him; from players, boards and managers.
      Read More on The Sun
      One of the most touching was the applause Spurs fans gave him at Crystal Palace — from our fiercest rival, he would have loved that unique act.
      For me and David Sullivan it is the end of an era. And we will miss him terribly. More

    • 275 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      Karren Brady: Dele Alli should be at his peak but he’s getting booed at Besiktas, his career is a warning to youngsters

      by

      THE collapsing career of Dele Alli is a warning to every young footballer.But what kind of a warning?
      Dele Alli is struggling in Turkey as the Besiktas fans boo himCredit: Getty
      And what of the future of Aaron Ramsey?
      With Arsenal, he bordered on becoming one of those midfielders who would play great football into his late-ish 30s, like Luka Modric.
      That intimation of fame appears to have been lost as he downsizes clubs until you wonder where he will stop.
      The same is true of Dele, although he’s only 26 against Ramsey’s 32 and has already slipped into Turkish football, scrapping to be a regular first-teamer on loan with Besiktas.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      No one quite knows why this has happened.
      He has slowed from the exhilarating ball player he was in his teenage years with Spurs, a perfect contrast with Harry Kane, whose early days were nowhere near so impressive.
      But as the England captain was consolidating scoring goals for his club and country, Dele was sliding away from his World Cup 2018 place, on to Everton and then to the other side of Europe where, over Christmas, he was booed by his own crowd.
      As a Cardiff kid, Ramsey was talked of in the same terms as Dele and Arsenal were his choice among a host of Premier League clubs.
      Most read in Football
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      A double leg fracture delayed his entry into the Gunners’ gallery of great players but he smashed his way into it with energy and goals to spare from 2014.
      Over the next five years he was on the FA Cup-winning side three times and was so significant for Wales in their historic Euro 2016 run to the semi-finals that he was named in the team of the tournament.
      Three years later, Juventus moved in with what clearly was an irresistible offer of a reputed £400,000 a week and the player with an engine that would have worked an airline, flew off to Italy on a four-year deal.
      Few would have guessed the then 29-year-old’s career was on a slide.
      Maybe his lifestyle isn’t what it should be but brief research uncovers nothing more than a penchant for pretty girls. If that is career-damaging, thousands of star players wouldn’t have made it.Karren Brady on Dele Alli
      But after one successful season was followed by two undistinguished, he regressed to Rangers in Scotland and then Nice, for whom he scored in the first minute of his Ligue 1 debut in August.
      Since then? Zilch.
      Ramsey played all but three minutes of Wales’ three matches at the World Cup last month.
      A man once described by Steven Gerrard as “the best attacking midfielder in the Premier League” is off the radar, perhaps soon to fetch up in the USA. Maybe Ramsey grew too old too soon.
      Dele should be at his football peak, not plodding away all but out of sight.
      Shortly after joining Spurs for £5million from MK Dons in 2015, he was named PFA Young Player of the Year in consecutive years and was also named in their Team of the Year.
      Then England called.
      The peak was the 2018 World Cup, when the Three Lions reached the semi-finals, but even then, at 22, he wasn’t quite the player he used to be.
      A season later, he was out of the squad and on the sidelines.
      That’s the stuff films are made of, except that the hero sees the error of his ways and fights his way back and into the team in the final reel, Rocky style.
      As I said, we don’t know what errors he has made or if it’s just that the motor is running out of juice early.
      Maybe his lifestyle isn’t what it should be but brief research uncovers nothing more than a penchant for pretty girls.
      Read More on The Sun
      If that is career-damaging, thousands of star players wouldn’t have made it.
      George Best did supremely well but the cause of his problems wasn’t beautiful women but booze. More

    • 250 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Freak Haaland nailed on to get 40 goals… but what can we expect from Arsenal, Newcastle and Gakpo in 2023?

      by

      HERE’S what SunSport columnist Troy Deeney is looking forward to casting his eye over in the Premier League and beyond as we hit 2023…HOW MANY RECORDS WILL ERLING HAALAND BREAK?
      Troy Deeney reckons Erling Haaland will score 40 Prem goalsCredit: Getty
      First and foremost, Haaland will be tasked with helping Manchester City chase down Arsenal at the top of the table – but he is a pure goal scorer, and will be wanting those records too.
      When I look at him and what City are doing, it is impossible to see how he doesn’t score 40 goals and that is mental to say.
      He only needs 12 more goals in 23 games to reach Mohamed Salah’s tally from last season. It isn’t even out of the blue for him to score six goals in two games.
      If he is on 35 goals heading into the last few matches of the season, I feel sorry for anyone who has to stop him. He is a freak, a lovely freak to watch.
      WILL A JANUARY SPLURGE HELP ARSENAL’S TITLE BID?
      Buying new players to bolster their squad is all well and good, but it is about bringing in new players and maintaining the consistency they have had so far this season.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      They don’t need too many additions, but if they do sign someone else, how does that dynamic change things? They have a happy squad, and you need to keep it that way.
      There is a growing expectation that Arsenal really can do it the longer they are top, and if they come out of the next month unscathed, I will start believing.
      But I just wonder that if City catch them, and I believe they can, will Arsenal recover from it? I actually feel they will finish as low as third come the end of the season.
      Deeney thinks Arsenal could finish third this season despite their flying startCredit: Getty
      HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
      WILL SOUTHAMPTON, WOLVES AND EVERTON STEER CLEAR OF TROUBLE?
      These are the three teams that I worry about the most when I think of relegation and survival in the Prem this season.
      Most read in Football
      They are three teams who we thought could break into the top 10 for the past few years, but have they now missed that window? The bottom is now looks like where they belong.
      Two of those three have changed managers – I am really interested to see how they get on, especially Nathan Jones at Southampton and will he be given enough time to turn that club around even if they go down?
      HOW WILL CODY GAKPO SETTLE IN?
      It will be interesting to see how this signing influences Jurgen Klopp’s rotation policy with his attacking players at Liverpool, especially someone like Darwin Nunez who is going through a tough patch right now.
      Gakpo needs time to develop and grow into the striker that we all know he can become, so who will drop out every now and again from the likes of Nunez, Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino in order to give him that?
      I don’t think the kid is a No.9, but someone who could drift across all three positions up top.
      Cody Gakpo watched his new Liverpool team-mates face Leicester on Friday at AnfieldCredit: Sky Sports
      ARE LEICESTER NOW A NOTHING-TEAM?
      By their own lofty standards in recent years, they have had a poor, poor season, and it is turning into a real nothing season for them. It is just about staying up.
      But with their money issues and needing to still sell to buy, are they now just back to what they have been before the title win and FA Cup glory – a middle-of-the-road team?
      They still haven’t replaced Kasper Schmeichel, they still haven’t found a replacement for Jamie Vardy.
      The whole squad is a bit iffy at the moment, they have stagnated in the transfer window and they are where they are as a result.
      CAN NEWCASTLE CONTINUE TO SOAR?
      They have lost one game all season. To me, that’s frightening. Should they go and finish in the top three or even top two, it will be an incredible story.
      Leicester’s Prem win in 2016 still stands above everything else. No one saw that coming.
      But Newcastle would come close if they can finish the job and keep competing with the very best from where they were last year.
      Eddie Howe has built a really balanced team.
      FA CUP REPLAYS RETURNING
      Not just from a club’s perspective, but from a fan’s perspective, it brings a lot of excitement — and they are vital for teams who don’t have massive budgets.
      Portsmouth have Tottenham away. If they manage to earn a draw, then they get a big night at Fratton Park.
      Read More on The Sun
      That would probably keep them alive for another year.
      Gillingham have Leicester. Chesterfield have West Brom. Oxford have Arsenal at home. I was brought up on the FA Cup and chances like this, one replay can change their entire financial year. It can change a player’s career. It’s magic. More

    • 200 Shares109 Views

      in Soccer

      New Club World Cup outranks European Super League for self-preening greed, Gianni Infantino must be stopped

      by

      FIFA’s idea to stage a 32-team Club World Cup in 2025 outranks even the European Super League in self-preening greed.Fed on the success of the football in Qatar, no doubt president Gianni Infantino thinks he has timed his announcement as perfectly as Kylian Mbappe’s sliding volley in the World Cup final.
      Fifa recently announced plans for a new Club World CupCredit: Getty
      He could not be more wrong.
      Already forces which swatted aside the Super League plan, which was to be a private competition between a dozen European clubs, are preparing to go to war again.
      Infantino believes he is a special man, from his white trainers to his expenses claim for a £8,795 mattress at home.
      He is well named.
      Read More in Football
      The infantile pre-tournament rant that he felt a kinship with Qataris, gays, disabled, Africans, migrant workers and women all because he had ginger hair, made me wish Sepp Blatter was back in charge.
      Infantino got away with the most unlikely World Cup venue outside the Moon and no one challenged it.
      He has now constructed this new tournament, as unstable as a wooden house in a rotten tree and is so pleased with himself that he couldn’t wait for the World Cup to finish before he unveiled it.
      Foisted on our sport by a bunch of crooks, Qatar worked because of worldwide enthusiasm for a great competition.
      Most read in Football
      FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
      It did not work for the hundreds of migrant workers who died building the stadiums.
      Cramming it into the middle of the European season wasn’t popular, either.
      But the fact that national associations were persuaded (bullied) into it were grounds enough for similar arrangements to be put forward for this Club World Cup.
      Full of conceit, Infantino struck at the opportune moment to introduce his tournament, which he says would be played every four years and, he must have estimated, would dwarf the Champions League’s appeal and income.
      There appeared to be no thought about player exhaustion or how the lucky 32 clubs would be chosen, only hints that 13 places would go to European clubs.
      We have no further details yet but let’s say England will be granted one entrant.
      How does that come about?
      Presumably, the Premier League champions from the preceding competition would be chosen — but there must be doubts otherwise a more complete outline surely would have been announced?
      The fact Fifa have not yet announced how they will jam 48 teams into the 2026 World Cup rather supports my view that it is hit and hope.
      Still, it is possible that clubs will be selected by invitation.
      If so, you can bet Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus would receive very favourable treatment regardless of where they finish in their domestic leagues.
      This renegade trio has not given up on a European Super League because they see it as a huge money-spinner.
      And that is, despite the do-good speeches from Infantino & Co, the true motive for a Club World Cup: The billions to be made from huge attendances, TV rights and sponsorship.
      Fifa may see themselves as the United Nations of football but their ambitions are undermined by weak-kneed acceptance of Qatar’s stances and by the way in which previous committee members were corrupted.
      Read More on The Sun
      Infantino now has a third term as president and plans to remain until 2031.
      His latest grab must be defeated. More

    • 300 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Lionel Messi achieved his World Cup dream but he did not do it alone – this was the best Argentina team he’s played in

      by

      LIONEL MESSI finally got his hands on football’s greatest prize as he led Argentina to World Cup final glory against France.It is obvious and understandable that all the headlines are about him and all the spotlights are on him. 
      Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball as best player at the World CupCredit: Getty
      Messi was backed up by his team-mates as Argentina won their first World Cup since 1986Credit: Getty
      He is a breathtaking talent, and even France fans will find it hard to feel bitter about Messi’s dream coming true.
      But he did not do it alone. 
      Football is a collective sport and this always looked like the best, most functioning team that Messi has ever been part of in an Argentina shirt.
      The man of the match for the first hour was his long time team-mate Angel Di Maria.
      Read More On Messi
      When Messi and Argentina won the gold medal in the 2008 Olympics it was Di Maria who scored the only goal of the final. 
      When Messi and Argentina won last year’s Copa America – a vital stepping stone on the way to this triumph – once more it was Di Maria who scored the only goal of the final. 
      And it was Di Maria who did much to befuddle the French defence. 
      This time he was used wide on the left. 
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
      He often operates on the other flank, sometimes as a wide midfielder in a 4-4-2 rather than as a winger. 
      He can even play in the midfield trio. 
      Whatever the team needs, he does. 
      It is hard to think of another world class player with such little ego.
      Julian Alvarez was brought into the side when it became clear that Messi would be a more sporadic figure than Argentina had planned. 
      They needed the extra mobility of the Manchester City man, a striker with the soul of a midfielder. 
      And his partnership with midfielder Enzo Fernandez, his old colleague from River Plate was vital to the campaign – and a pointer to a post-Messi future.
      Rodrigo De Paul provided midfield thrust, Alexis Mac Allister was full of subtlety and the centre back combination of Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi creaked occasionally but came through the competition better than anyone could have expected. 
      And behind them Emiliano Martinez proved to be the best goalkeeper that Argentina has produced in decades. 
      Over the course of the competition he did not have a great deal to do, but came up with vital saves in both open play – the one from Randal Kolo Muani at the end of extra time averted disaster – and in the penalty shoot outs.
      This was a team effort. 
      As a collective they had to dig deep when they could have been shattered by having victory snatched from them – in the last minutes of normal time against both Holland and France. 
      On both occasions they bounced back well in extra time, snatching back a momentum that seemed to have been stolen by the opposition. 
      For this to happen, everyone had to be on board. 
      A few moments of genius from Messi would not have been enough to guarantee the title.
      Read More on The Sun
      It is fitting, then, that the last kick, the decisive penalty that confirmed Argentina as champions of the world, came from the boot of Gonzalo Montiel, the reserve right back and one of the least glamorous players on the field. 
      It might have been Messi’s World Cup, but he could not do it alone, and there was a kind of poetry in the identity of the last Argentine to take a penalty.
      Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty in the shootoutCredit: Getty More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Harry Redknapp: I’ve been mesmerised by Lionel Messi… but winning the World Cup will NOT settle football’s GOAT race

      by

      I PLAYED against Pele. I marvelled at Maradona. I’ve been mesmerised by Messi.If the little guy lifts the World Cup on Sunday, it will be a great way to top off an amazing career.
      Lionel Messi has the world in his hands but still can’t grasp the title of best ever just by helping Argentina beat FranceCredit: Getty
      Messi’s modern-day rival Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, is destined to never win the World Cup after Portugal crashed out to Morocco in the quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
      But it won’t stop the arguments about whether he is better than Cristiano Ronaldo.
      Let alone where he stands in the all-time debate.
      I find it tough and I’ve had more experience than most of some of the greats and what they meant in the game.
      I was always a big Pele fan. Look at the amount of goals he scored, including two in the World Cup final when he was 17, the first of three he won with Brazil.
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      A few times at West Ham we came up against his Santos team, then I played in America when he was at the New York Cosmos.
      He had everything. He was so strong, as well as everything else.
      All those things you see modern players doing everywhere on TV or social media — Pele probably did them first.
      Maradona was incredible. To turn a team, Napoli, around like he did and win two Serie A titles was an amazing achievement. Then, of course, he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST OFFERS FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS FOR DECEMBER 2022
      You also have to remember that Pele was kicked from pillar to post. Teams would go out and try to absolutely finish him. He was fouled out of the 1966 World Cup.
      It was pretty much the same for Maradona. There’s that stat about when Argentina played Italy in the 1982 World Cup and Claudio Gentile is supposed to have fouled him 23 times. And he only got a yellow card.
      People have still steamed into Ronaldo and Messi but nothing like the way that those two were targeted and hurt in their day.
      That’s a big reason why it’s hard and unfair to make comparisons across the years.
      Other candidates?
      I was playing in the England youth set-up at the same time Johan Cruyff was coming through in Holland, so we all knew about him from an early age.
      All those things you see modern players doing everywhere on TV or social media — Pele probably did them first.Harry Redknapp
      He was a fantastic talent, the best player in that Total Football side. But what’s also amazing about him is what he did after playing. He changed the game so much as a coach, too.
      George Best was a rival and friend. He was also a genius. He never had the chance to show it in a World Cup, which tells against him in these kind of conversations.
      And he had a short career at the top level compared to Pele, Maradona, Messi and Ronaldo.
      I have to say there’s no one that jumps out at me at this World Cup and says he’s going to take over from Messi and Ronaldo when they retire.
      People talk about Kylian Mbappe. He has great ability, no doubt about that. But he’s out of the game too much. Sometimes you don’t see him for ten or 15 minutes.
      Brazil legend Pele celebrates winning the World Cup in 1970 after also lifting the top prize in 1958 and 1962Credit: Getty
      The late George Best is arguably the most famous name in Man Utd’s historyCredit: PA:Press Association
      He played in flashes against England but not so well to make you go, “Oh, my god”.
      Kyle Walker did a good job on him but it would have been harder to do that to the others.
      You couldn’t mark Messi out of the game. He would always be involved. Maradona, Pele the same.  Messi, when he picks the ball up and runs with it, it’s like it’s tied to his laces.
      It’s incredible. His passes, and one-twos — I love it and always have done over the years watching Spanish football on TV when he was playing for Barcelona.
      Messi has had an amazing World Cup. Everyone thought he was finished. After their opening-game defeat against Saudi Arabia, everyone thought Argentina were finished.
      I’m glad they’ve proved people wrong.
      Partly because the football romantic in me likes the idea of Messi going out in style.
      But I also have to admit to having a little bet before the tournament — Argentina to win it and Messi to be top goalscorer.
      Both are looking quite strong, so I’ve definitely got an interest in today’s final.
      Just don’t ask me to put money on who’s the best player of all time — that race will never end.
      WE CAN PHIL IT COMING
      THIS World Cup was a big chance missed for England. But it will come again!
      Because we have a fantastic group of young players. I think we had the best squad in the tournament.
      Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, they’re kids with two, three, or four tournaments left.
      Surely we will find a way of winning a tournament.  We can’t keep being unlucky.
      I still think we can be a bit bolder in our selection.
      We did play well against France so it’s hard to criticise.
      But it would be great to find room for a No 10, whether it’s Foden or whoever. We’re still a bit negative.
      Gareth must look at it and think, ‘Hang on, I’ve got a real chance here’.
      If it was an ageing squad, ‘I’m not going to do anything with this lot, there’s only one way from here and that’s down’, then…
      But it’s not. He has a real opportunity to win something. The Euros are in 18 months.
      I’d be surprised if he moved on. People ask who could take over if he goes. But remember Gareth didn’t come into the job with an amazing record as a club manager.
      If he stays, great. If he doesn’t, whoever gets the job has a great chance to be successful.
      CHAMP DESCHAMPS
      Only one manager has won two World Cups — and that was before even I was born.
      Didier Deschamps is already in that very small group of those who have been world champ as both player and coach.
      Read More on The Sun
      Now he could join an even more exclusive club with Vittorio Pozzo, Italy boss in 1934 and ’38.
      When you look at the players France are missing, it’s a great achievement. Not bad for someone Eric Cantona once dismissed as “a water carrier”. More

    • 263 Shares99 Views

      in Soccer

      Ten Hag is to Man Utd what Southgate has been to England – a seemingly underwhelming boss sweeping away comedic chaos

      by

      THE Cristiano Ronaldo circus has left town, the bitter Civil War with the Glazers is ­ending and Erik ten Hag grows in authority by the day.The Premier League — remember that? — is back in ten days  and its most famous club, Manchester United, are threatening to sweep away a decade of confusion and despair.
      Erik ten Hag is attempting to lead Man United out of the doldrumsCredit: Reuters
      Pep Guardiola, so often ahead of his time, blurted it out not long before the World Cup break.
      “I have the feeling United are coming back,” said Manchester City’s great sage. “Finally, United is coming back. I like what I see of United right now.”
      Guardiola actually sounded glad about it. He arrived at the Etihad in 2016, just as Jose Mourinho was rolling into Old Trafford.
      It was supposed to be the renewal of a great managerial rivalry, an epic clash of styles, forged in the crucible of Spanish Clasicos — but it turned out to be a mismatch.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      City were built to succeed, United to fail.
      Six-and-a-half years later, with Mourinho long gone, Guardiola has finally detected a worthy challenge emerging from across Manchester.
      And the City boss was speaking before the end of the toxic soap opera which was Ronaldo’s second coming, as well as the news that the Glazers, those absentee slum landlords who have presided over a decade of mismanagement since Alex Ferguson’s retirement, are selling up.
      Ten Hag, an intelligent man with a quiet decisiveness and a welcome aversion to bulls**t, is getting what he wished for.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST BETTING APPS FOR THE WORLD CUP
      The Dutchman is to United what Gareth Southgate has been to England, a seemingly underwhelming appointment, who is sweeping away a ­culture of comedic chaos.
      And since the Premier League broke up for its six-week holiday, no club has improved in mood like United.
      Ronaldo was dealt with swiftly and decisively, just as the Glazers finally bowed to green-and-gold pressure and announced their intention to go.
      Ten Hag has been blessed with a second “pre-season”, especially useful for a new manager, and, in Spain this week, he has spoken with honesty and a welcome lack of sugar-coating about Jadon Sancho, Harry Maguire and the prospect of new ownership.
      This is not to suggest United can win the title this season. Just two games ago, they chucked in a  dismal 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa, and they stand 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
      But a return to Champions League football — which had looked an impossibility when the Ten Hag era opened with a home defeat by Brighton and a thorough humping at Brentford — looks very much on the cards.
      After ten years of United spaffing money on high-profile flops, there have been promising signs from Ten Hag’s new recruits.
      Casemiro is the world-class holding midfielder United have craved for years.
      Gareth Southgate has led England into a new era of optimismCredit: Getty
      Man Utd entered the World Cup break with a feeling of optimismCredit: AFP
      Sniggering about the physical stature of Red Dwarf centre-half Lisandro Martinez has been silenced because it turned out Ten Hag, who had managed the Argentinian at Ajax, realised size isn’t everything.
      Antony, another arrival from Ajax, looks capable of becoming an A-list showman for the Theatre of Dreams.
      And Christian Eriksen is a masterstroke free transfer who could have a similar impact to Teddy Sheringham, another supreme craftsman who arrived at United when he was the wrong side of 30.
      Marcus Rashford has been revived, the 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho is a thrilling prospect and a January move for Dutch striker Cody Gakpo is a tantalising possibility with United perhaps only a centre-forward short of becoming an elite team again.
      United have beaten Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham and have drawn at Chelsea under Ten Hag.
      Their next three league opponents — Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Bournemouth — might have been hand-picked as a springboard into the second half of the campaign.
      Nothing is certain, with Guardiola having extended his City contract, with Newcastle already a serious proposition after a mere sprinkling of Saudi oil money, with Arsenal reborn under Mikel Arteta, with Liverpool still strong and Chelsea still stinking rich.
      But there are signs that United — “finally”, as Guardiola emphasised — are on their way back to sanity, perhaps even greatness.
      City spanked United 6-3 in early October but when the next Manchester derby comes around on January 14, there may be a genuine sense of revival and hope around Old Trafford.
      Ten Hag doesn’t possess the ego or the CV of Mourinho or Louis van Gaal, nor the emotional connection of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
      His appointment was a shot in the dark but, suddenly, United can see a light at the end of the tunnel.
      Stop starting late England
      ONE largely overlooked aspect of England’s performances in Qatar was the fact that they started badly in four games out of five.
      After an excellent opening against Iran, England never got going against the United States, they didn’t click until half-time against Wales, or for the first half an hour against Senegal, nor until France took a 17th-minute lead in Saturday night’s quarter-final.
      Whether Gareth Southgate stays or goes, England must start turning up for work on time.
      England made a habit of starting slowly in QatarCredit: Getty
      Griez is the word for France’s Cup
      AFTER France’s semi-final win over Morocco, many headlines heralded a “Messi-Mbappe dream final”.
      And yet France’s Antoine Griezmann, not Kylian Mbappe nor Lionel Messi, has been the most influential player of this tournament.
      It may be a dream for the Qataris to have their two prized possessions at Paris Saint-Germain slugging it out.
      But last time I looked, football was still a team game, and France have a better team than Argentina.
      France are about more than just Kylian MbappeCredit: AP
      Big Sam’s got magic Dutch
      IT’S a shame Holland had already lined up Ronald Koeman to replace Louis van Gaal as manager after the World Cup.
      While watching the national team that once gave us “total football” lumping it up to two big men in their epic quarter-final defeat to Argentina, it felt as if there was only one man worthy of inheriting Van Gaal’s team.
      Sam Allardyce could finally have fulfilled his self-professed destiny of lifting a major international trophy.
      The Dutch should give Big Sam a callCredit: PA
      Steve’s crowd pleaser
      STEVE WILSON, the BBC commentator who should be the heir to John Motson and Barry Davies but somehow never receives due credit, came out with the best line I’ve heard this tournament during the France v Morocco semi-final.
      With the vast Moroccan support creating an almighty din, Wilson stated that — unlike most games of this World Cup — the match was being played in front of “a crowd not an audience”.
      Only a handful of nations — including Morocco and Argentina  — have enjoyed a large, authentic following in Qatar.
      Most games have been played out in front of Mexican-waving neutral tourists and the atmospheres have been weird.
      And while we’re on the subject of TV commentary, one request please . . . 
      No matter which channel it’s on, or which competition it’s in, can any big-match coverage please feature the magnificent Ally McCoist on co-comms?
      Ally McCoist’s commentary has gone down a treat yet againCredit: Getty
      No riddle it’s Jimmy
      THE extraordinary and revolutionary positivity of England’s Test team is rightly being marvelled at around the cricketing world.
      But despite England reinventing the wheel under Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, they would not have won a series in Pakistan without Jimmy Anderson, still doing what he’s always done, at the grand old age of 40.
      Read More on The Sun
      James Anderson remains the main man aged 40Credit: Getty
      L’Eq them talk
      I ALWAYS love the outrage over the “notorious” player ratings in French sports paper L’Equipe — Phil Foden got four out of ten and Jude Bellingham five after England’s World Cup quarter-final defeat by France.
      But if you’ve ever met any L’Equipe writers, you will understand the whole thing is just a glorious attention-seeking wind-up. More

    • 238 Shares149 Views

      in Soccer

      Jack Wilshere: England should try to lure Eddie Howe from Newcastle if Gareth Southgate leaves after World Cup exit

      by

      IF Gareth Southgate does leave the England job, I’d love the FA to try and get Eddie Howe.I know how good Eddie is from my time at Bournemouth but people wondered whether he could make that step up to a bigger club.
      England should sign Eddie Howe if Gareth Southgate leaves, claims Jack WilshereCredit: Rex
      Jack Wilshere worked with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe at BournemouthCredit: –
      Well, now he has shown at Newcastle how skilled he is at developing players and he’s turning them into title challengers.
      The problem for the FA would be persuading him to swap his club for his country — and I’m not sure they’ll be able to do that. 
      He might feel it’s too early for him and that he wants more time to build success in the North East.
      If he delivered silverware for Newcastle he’d be a god.
      Read More on World Cup
      But the England job is the pinnacle for any English coach and it might be hard to turn down if there is a proper offer on the table.
      Eddie is so thorough in everything he does — from the way he organises the season, to his well-thought-out training sessions, to the one-to-one attention he gives players.
      He’s a top man-manager. I’d only had Arsene Wenger as a club boss before I went to Bournemouth and he was a great man-manager, too — but in a different way to Eddie.
      Arsene would give you a lot of trust and confidence and left you to get on with it.  Eddie was more detailed, probably because the level of player he had was not as good as Arsenal’s.
      Most read in Football
      BETTING SPECIAL – BEST WORLD CUP BETTING OFFERS AND FREE BETS
      Eddie had to coach more. Arsene didn’t really have to tell Samir Nasri or Tomas Rosicky how to play between the lines. Eddie would tell you how to do it and give you feedback — not always positive — but the way he did it made you really want to play for him.
      I couldn’t recommend him highly enough.
      I don’t believe we must have an English boss but he needs to understand the English game.
      Arsene was the best manager in my career and, though brought his own style, he picked up a lot of our qualities, too.
      While ex-England boss Fabio Capello got a lot of stick, I found him unbelievable.
      But the England job is the pinnacle for any English coach and it might be hard to turn down if there is a proper offer on the table.Jack Wilshere
      He gave me my debut when I was only 18, just after the 2010 World Cup and gave me the confidence to play in that environment.
      It’s well known his English wasn’t the best so we didn’t have long conversations but he put me in the team and backed me at a young age and I’ll be forever grateful for that.
      I know he wasn’t the most popular of managers with the country and some of the squad, but I wasn’t aware of that at first because I was just so nervous and wanted to get on with things and to do my best.
      But there were rules about not leaving the table until everyone’s finished, no butter, things like that, which some of the older players didn’t like.
      A manager doesn’t have to be liked to be a success but they have to be respected.
      Gareth Southgate saw England knocked out of the World Cup in the quarter-finalsCredit: Getty
      Once you’ve got that respect then you’re OK. We’re living in a naive world if we think everyone is going to like the coach.
      Even at my Under-18 coaching level at Arsenal, I feel it when I’m picking the team. You want your players to fight for you but they’re not going to be happy if you leave them out of the side.
      Arsene was the best manager in my career and, though brought his own style, he picked up a lot of our qualities, too.Jack Wilshere
      I’m not surprised Gareth is considering his future but he’s earned the right to have a think about it and decide what he wants to do. He’s a very honest guy which is one thing the country loves about him. When he does his interviews you can tell he’s authentic, which is one of his strong points.
      He’s an intelligent man who will analyse everything and work out what to do for the best — for the country, for the team and for him.
      If he carries on, he knows the next two years will be really important and hopefully we can win the Euros — but I’d also understand if he steps away.
      He has put the team in an incredible place. He’s almost guaranteed we will be competitive for the next ten years.
      Arsenal hero Jack Wilshere insists Eddie Howe has what it takes to be England bossCredit: Simon Jones
      People say it’s easy to be an England manager with the talent we have but he’s been diligent with the way he’s brought through new players and, of course, this squad is still so young.
      At some point we need to turn that into wins but it’s a great place to be.
      Like the rest of the country, I’m still frustrated we lost to France in the quarters. It was a massive opportunity missed.
      The build-up and the way we played was good. But we didn’t have that vital edge.
      You can study the stats and see that we played better than them, we had more possession and more shots — but we lost.
      Read More on The Sun
      It’s about those clinical moments in both boxes.
      France will be worthy world champions if they lift the trophy but it will hurt England fans even more knowing they were there for the taking and it really could have been us. More