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Ben Hunt: Billionaire boys Stroll and Latifi’s woeful form may make it a miserable homecoming at Canada GP
by Philippa Kaur 13 June 2022, 19:58
FORMULA ONE heads off to Montreal this weekend — although don’t expect much for Canadians to cheer.Despite the country only having 15 F1 drivers throughout the sport’s history, they currently occupy ten per cent of the grid.
Lance Stroll has scored just two points so far this seasonCredit: Reuters
Nicholas Latifi is one of three drivers yet to score a point this seasonCredit: Alamy
However, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Williams driver Nicholas Latifi are both enduring difficult seasons with some question marks over their futures.
Stroll has scored just a measly two points so far and Latifi is currently sat 21st in a championship that has 20 cars on the grid.
That’s because Nico Hulkenberg’s two races for Aston Martin when Sebastian Vettel was sidelined with Covid have him placed above Latifi on account of his better finishing positions.
It has been frustrating for Stroll, who strangely retired from the race in Baku due to “a vibration issue”.
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The previous day it was an engine problem that caused him to hit the barriers twice in a matter of seconds during qualifying while team-mate Vettel qualified in ninth.
Latifi, too, has had his fair share of errors and crashes.
And he was also embarrassingly outperformed by Nyck de Vries when the Formula E world champion jumped in for one practice session in Barcelona to set a lap time quicker than the Canadian.
Ordinarily, you’d say these two drivers have run out of time to say they deserve their places in F1.
Stroll might have three podiums in his 108 starts, while Latifi has never come close in his 47 GPs.
If both teams have serious aspirations about improving, then perhaps they need to look elsewhere.
However, we would be forgetting the fact that these two aren’t your usual backmarkers who have rustled up a few quid to drive in F1.
These are the billionaire boys. Both their dads are said to be worth over £2.5BILLION each.
Lawrence Stroll made his money through buying fashion brands and is also the owner of Aston Martin.
That makes firing his son a rather awkward prospect when he has spent millions at the team — including a brand new factory at Silverstone — in the hope they can challenge for titles.
On the other hand, Latifi’s dad, Michael, is the owner, chairman and CEO of Canadian food company Sofina Foods Inc.
His money was a welcome boost to cash-strapped Williams under their previous structure when they were owned by the Williams family.
However, now under owners Dorilton Capital, if the rumours are to be believed, then son Nicholas could be replaced by Australian racer Oscar Piastri in the near future.
Piastri, 21, is an exciting prospect after winning the F2 title last year and would certainly be a good fit alongside Alex Albon.
But with doubts over Latifi’s future, and with Stroll on a roll of three races without scoring points, it could be a miserable weekend for the locals.
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THERE was a bust-up in Baku’s Formula 2 paddock which saw a driver fined €5,000 and his dad BANNED from the British Grand Prix.
Charouz Racing System’s Cem Bolukbasi, 24, was slapped with the fine after a heated exchange with Israeli F2 ace Roy Nissany.
Nissany, 27, was blamed for punting Turkish driver Bolukbasi out of the race and has received a three-place grid penalty.
But the drama did not end there as Cem’s dad Yavuz Bolukbasi sought out Nissany after the race.
Nissany’s trainer, Francesco Martinez, also became involved and there was “some pushing and physical contact” — yet according to the FIA’s report “no punches were exchanged”.
Bolukbasi senior has had his credentials withdrawn for the next round in Silverstone, while his son has to pay the fine within 48 hours.
LE MANS NERVES
TOYOTA’S Le Mans-winning star, rookie Ryo Hirakawa, said he “did not sleep for a week” before the weekend’s victory.
That hardly seems like ideal preparation for a 24-hour race.
FREIGHT FEARS
THE key race this week is not the GP in Montreal — but whether the teams’ freight makes it there.
Air delays, plus a 5,565-mile trip from Baku, mean chiefs are sweating on logistics.
CLOSING ING
TOM INGRAM, 28, won two out of three races at Oulton Park to close the gap on BTCC leader Josh Cook to 15 points.
It was his first win at the circuit. Stephen Jelley won race three. More
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Grealish, Foden and Trent must find a way to earn Southgate’s loyalty as England side begins to look like a closed shop
by Philippa Kaur 8 June 2022, 22:28
IS Gareth Southgate too loyal?Are his England team stagnating, rather than evolving and progressing?
England only woke up in the 1-1 draw in Germany when exciting wideman Jack Grealish came on for one of his cameosCredit: Rex
Phil Foden is currently an injury doubt but has all the class needed to show Gareth Southgate he’s worth a start in the World CupCredit: PA
Is Southgate’s starting line-up, for A-list fixtures, becoming something of a closed shop?
The Three Lions boss denies these accusations and insists he is ‘open-minded’.
But ten of the 11 players who lost last summer’s Euros final started in the 1-1 draw in Germany on Tuesday night — only the injured Luke Shaw missing out.
And seven of that 11 also lined up for the World Cup semi-final defeat by Croatia at the 2018 World Cup.
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There is a growing feeling that others, especially Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are not given a fair crack of the whip.
Meanwhile, established Southgate favourites — in particular Harry Maguire but also Kieran Trippier, Jordan Pickford and Mason Mount — are often included despite their form, and will start at the World Cup in Qatar whatever.
Asked whether he was too loyal, Southgate replied: “No. We’re totally open-minded.
“Bukayo Saka came out of the pack and we didn’t hesitate putting Jude Bellingham in the fray (as an early sub on Tuesday), which was an incredible experience for him.
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“But to win big matches there’s a huge amount of qualities needed. It’s not just about talent. You’ve got to have know-how and awareness.
“Germany tested us tactically without the ball to such a high level, with the movement and runs they made, so the reading of the game and communication on the pitch is vital.
“That group of players have played together a lot and on those nights it’s vital.
“Of course we want to try to develop others and bring that competition and to give them the similar sorts of experiences, which indirectly Jude ended up getting (in Germany). But that’s a process.”
It is a difficult balancing act for Southgate, or any international manager.
When fixtures are scarce, particularly elite-level tests like an away game in Germany, there is always a temptation to go with the tried and tested.
And teams that win tournaments — which must be England’s goal after a semi-final and a final — tend to have a shedload of caps behind them.
It was Italian nous and game- management which saw them edge the Three Lions at Wembley last summer, rather than superior talent.
There’s a rising suspicion that Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t had a fair chanceCredit: Getty
Harry Maguire remains a fixture in England’s central defence despite his woeful season with Man UtdCredit: Rex
England are not an old team. Of those who played at the Allianz Arena, only Walker and Trippier are over 30.
But they are in danger of going stale, with Southgate’s commitment to the stalwarts of his Russian campaign never wavering.
Centre-back Maguire is the epitome of this. Despite a shocking season with his club Manchester United, he remains a nailed-on England starter.
Eric Dier, who enjoyed an excellent campaign with Tottenham, did not even make the squad for this current run of four Nations League fixtures.
Southgate’s team were largely poor in Munich, until the introduction of Grealish, 18 minutes from time, gave them renewed attacking impetus, which allowed them to nab a point through Harry Kane’s late penalty.
The Grealish debate has raged long and loud for the last two years — and he lies at the heart of another question mark over Southgate. Is the England boss too cautious and conservative?
Why doesn’t he fully trust the £100million Manchester City man?
Is it simply true that Grealish is more influential as a substitute, when opposition legs are tired and the game is more stretched?
Or is it more accurate that, as Southgate apparently believes, Grealish is most effective as the main man in a lesser team — such as Aston Villa — rather than for England or City, where he has not been a regular for Pep Guardiola’s champions either.
Grealish certainly needs an outstanding start to next season if he is to force his way into Southgate’s starting line-up in Qatar this winter. His City team-mate Phil Foden is perhaps a more likely candidate.
But if, as seems likely, the team which started on Tuesday will be very similar to that which kicks off the World Cup against Iran on November 21, there should be concerns for Southgate.
It would be ironic if Grealish, such a crowd-pleasing buzz-merchant, is offered a start against the Italians behind closed doors at Molineux.
England’s passing was shoddy, they were overly cautious and they struggled to cope with Germany’s fast, fluid attacks.
Yes, they were tired after a gruelling season but it was not so different for the Germans.
The back five of Pickford, Trippier, Maguire, John Stones and Walker all started against Croatia in Moscow.
They are the backbone of Southgate’s team. Along with Kane and Raheem Sterling they are near-permanent fixtures, when available.
Because of the nature of this post-season block of four games in 11 days, there will be changes for England’s home games with Italy on Saturday and Hungary on Tuesday.
That chance to experiment should be welcomed, although the exciting duo of Foden and centre-back Fikayo Tomori — title-winners with City and AC Milan respectively — are doubtful.
It would be ironic if Grealish, such a crowd-pleasing buzz-merchant, is offered a start against the Italians behind closed doors at Molineux this weekend.
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One thing is for certain, Grealish, Foden, Alexander-Arnold and the rest of England’s fringe players must find a way to earn Southgate’s loyalty.
Because once the England manager gets loyal, he stays loyal. More
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Dave Kidd: Mourinho, Conte and Ancelotti can’t all be wrong… Gareth Bale’s days as an elite footballer are long gone
by Philippa Kaur 6 June 2022, 19:33
WANT to sign a five-time Champions League winner on a free transfer?Still only 32, one of the most decorated British footballers of all time and about to captain his nation at the World Cup?
Bale says he has ‘loads’ of offers from clubs this summer but what does he have to offer a Premier League side?Credit: Rex
Gareth Bale claimed, with a grin, that he has “loads” of offers for a new club this summer after leaving Real Madrid, then leading Wales to Qatar.
But are any of those offers from the Premier League?
Because, despite his outstanding talent and stellar CV, what sort of signing would Bale be for any English top-flight club?
A player whose devotion to his country is totally unshakeable — but who makes no bones about the waning of his enthusiasm for club football.
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Had Ukraine defeated Wales on Sunday, Bale may have opted for retirement, or the semi- retirement, of Major League Soccer.
So give Bale a one-year deal and you might get a couple of months at full pelt, but as we get close to the World Cup in November, a player who will be more desperate than most to avoid an injury before Qatar.
And after the tournament, a player ready for his pipe and slippers or — more accurately — his five-iron and golf spikes.
Three managerial greats — Jose Mourinho, Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti — have all been reluctant to play Bale in recent seasons. Were they all wrong?
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FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
There will be some in the Newcastle hierarchy who would love to snap up Bale as a marquee signing for the Geordie Arabia project but is the supremely- sensible Eddie Howe likely to concur?
A return to Tottenham seems impossible under the demanding Antonio Conte.
Might his first club Southampton fancy a stab?
Bournemouth, under Bale’s former Spurs team-mate Scott Parker?
But any of them would be grappling with exactly the same issues.
Spending a weekend in Cardiff for Wales’ play-off victory over Ukraine was to experience a cultish hysteria around Bale.
While the skipper’s free-kick led to Andriy Yarmolenko’s own-goal winner, and he played with energy and passion, this Welsh victory was not truly about Bale.
Bale has got used to life on the bench at Real MadridCredit: Getty
Burnley’s second-choice keeper Wayne Hennessey had the game of his life, while Ben Davies and Neco Williams were magnificent in defence — and substitute Brennan Johnson was arguably the liveliest Welsh attacking player.
But the mutual love-in between Bale and his homeland is extraordinarily strong.
A succession of Wales managers are adamant that he is an outstanding individual player who fully buys into the team collective and that the national team is where he feels a sense of belonging, especially given his fractious relationship with Madrid.
Recalling his sicknote for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics, the Wales fans love to sing: ‘Viva Gareth Bale, he had a bad back, f*** the Union Jack, Viva Gareth Bale’.
That dodgy pull-out is long-forgotten elsewhere in Britain — but in Wales it is used to add to a growing sense of Welsh nationalism.
Wales will be dangerous group-stage opponents for England in Qatar — the first-ever all-British match at a World Cup finals.
Gareth Southgate would have preferred to avoid a domestic tear-up. He was wary of the unique atmosphere around such matches before last summer’s Euros clash with Scotland. And he was right, as that goalless draw was comfortably England’s worst performance of the tournament.
The England boss will also know that Bale — who scored against England at Euro 2016 — will be a dangerous opponent, given the right preparations.
But where will those preparations be, given that Bale stated this weekend that it is ‘very unlikely’ that he would go to Qatar as a free agent?
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The one club to have gone public about their desire to sign Bale is Cardiff City, where he would be afforded hero status, boost gate receipts and merchandising income, as well as being allowed to pick and choose matches in the grind of a Championship season.
For while Qatar may afford Bale a glorious swansong with Wales, his days as an elite club footballer are surely in the past.
MUST BE KIDDING
SO the children of Hungarian racists turned out to be racist and booed England’s players taking the knee. Who’d have imagined it?
If Hungary – or England, or any other nation – are to be punished for fan misbehaviour – then behind-closed-doors must mean behind-closed-doors.
Allowing 30,000 schoolkids in – or even the couple of thousand expected at Molineux on Saturday for England’s ‘behind closed doors’ Nations League fixture with Italy – is a farce.
But then this is UEFA and, as anyone who was in Paris for the Champions League Final can attest, farce is simply what they do.
NATIONS PLEAS
THE Nations League is a fundamentally good idea. It provides competitive fixtures instead of friendlies.
And when England are winning in it, we do consider them to be competitive.
It is the staging of four Nations League fixtures at the end of a congested domestic season which caused Kevin De Bruyne to criticise the competition as “unimportant”, amid fears about burnout.
International sides need matches — it is the club game which is bloated.
The only answer to this mess is less club football. Good luck with that one, Kev.
GOD, IT’S SO SILLY
THERE was uproar on social media, and if there wasn’t uproar it wouldn’t be social media, after Trent Alexander-Arnold refused to sing God Save The Queen before England’s loss in Hungary.
After four days of parades and bunting and Paddington Bear (who’d be heading off to Rwanda if he’d arrived from Darkest Peru now), it’s worth remembering many of us are able to feel pride and joy in being English, while not wanting to sing about a hereditary monarchy.
BAT’S IT JOE
FOR two years or more, it felt as though the England captaincy was an unnecessary burden on Joe Root — and that Ben Stokes, an obvious natural leader, should have succeeded him.
So it was heartening to see that switch pay off in the First Test victory over New Zealand at Lord’s — with Root playing one of the innings of his life to secure a rare England victory over the world champions in Stokes’ first match in charge.
Root, a hugely likeable bloke, a magnificent batsman, but pretty average skipper, admits he had an ‘unhealthy relationship’ with the captaincy for some time.
After he became only the second Englishman to reach 10,000 Test runs, we might now reasonably expect the Yorkshireman, 31, to have a damned good go at surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 15,921.
BUM STEER
ONE of my favourite things about a day at the cricket has always been bumping into David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd for a chat about the usual subjects.
Such as locating the best real ale pubs in the vicinity, the fortunes of Accrington Stanley FC and the music of Half Man Half Biscuit.
And one of the best things about watching cricket on Sky was the gentle humour of the former England coach, which gave their coverage a welcome change of pace.
Sky dropped a ricket by axing Lloyd.
Having also lost the wonderful Michael Holding, to retirement, and the amusing Rob Key, to his new role as England supremo, they need old Bumble back. More
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More Isle of Man TT deaths spark calls for dangerous race to be axed but riders know the risks – the decision is theirs
by Philippa Kaur 6 June 2022, 16:04
AROUND this time of year, there are calls from people who have never attended any form of motorsport event to put a stop to the Isle of Man TT race.It usually follows a tragedy and sadly this year Welsh rider Mark Purslow and Frenchman Olivier Lavorel became the 261st and 262nd riders to lose their lives on the Mountain Course, which has hosted the race since 1911.
The last time the Isle of Man TT caused no fatalities was way back in 1982Credit: 2022 Dave Kneen
It is an incredible statistic in itself but also surpassed when I tell you that since 1937, the only time there were no fatalities at the TT race, was in 1982.
Of course, by modern standards, a sporting event with that level of fatalities would – and should – not be allowed to continue, but this is an exception.
As a motorcyclist myself, I accept the risks whenever I use my bike but I ride it because I enjoy it.
Now, I am not putting myself in the same category of those racing in the Isle of Man this week, far from it, but the basic principle is the same.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-xpuujo{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-tqcu81{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}TT TRAGEDY .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Mark Purslow dies aged 29 at Isle of Man TT following horror crash
I went to see the race in 2019 and was blown away by the speed. I was also slightly unnerved by the lack of safety measures.
I say lack because of what I was used to in F1 where there are run off areas, gravel traps and crash-absorbing Techpro barriers.
At the TT, there are stone walls, post boxes and kerbs to negotiate – but I quickly learned that was the point.
It is not as if the risks aren’t unknown to the riders either.
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Back when I visited, I spoke to famed TT specialist John McGuinness and I put it to him that it was ‘a bit dangerous’ and his response has lived with me since.
He said: “You don’t just jump on a Superbike and fly down Bray Hill without knowing exactly what you are getting yourself into.
“James Hunt died as a 40-year-old of a heart attack, Barry Sheene died at 52 years old of cancer.
“If somebody dealt me a pack of cards right now and said ‘You can have 48 great years or 60 s*** ones’, I’d take 48 great years.
“I’ve lost a few mates around here but there’s no gun to anybody’s head to do it.”
He is right too, for when I was reading about Purslow’s tragic accident, I recalled McGuinness’s words.
As the Welshman’s family grieved for the 29-year-old, there was something telling in what his family wrote on the racer’s Facebook page.
They said: “He loved to ride, and he knew the risks but he loved racing since such a young age… we are going to try and get some solace in the fact he always told us if he was going to go, this would be the way he would want to, and that he would be smiling.
“He will be telling us all to stop crying, have a laugh and a drink for him, and celebrate his achievements.
By modern standards, a sporting event with this level of fatalities would – and should – not be allowed to continue, but this is an exception.Ben Hunt
“We love you Mark forever and always you were one in a million, always in our hearts. The Purslow family.”
It was a poignant reminder that while the Isle of Man TT remains dangerous, as does all motorsport, it should still be allowed to continue.
Because if you attended the event, spoke to every rider, mechanic and fan, they’d all tell you the same thing as McGuinness told me: “People always try to stop things they don’t understand.
“So before you make your mind up, come to the Isle of Man, watch the racing, talk to the riders and teams, and then decide.”
Azerbaijan GP
I am excited to be heading back to Baku this week for the Azerbaijan F1 GP – mainly for some normality.
After chaotic and sold-out races in Miami, Barcelona and Monaco it will be great to see some half-empty grandstands again in a destination that people have never heard of.
Giovinazzi’s switch
Former F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi must be feeling drained after such a miserable time since making the switch to Formula E.
He’s currently last in the championship after some dreadful performances – but he exceeded himself at the Jakarta ePrix.
First he almost took out his Dragon Penske team-mate Sergio Sette Camara with an over-ambitious overtake that sent him into a spin.
He then was forced to retire from the race five laps from the end for running out of battery life.
Too soon for Espargaro
Aleix Espargaro was another racer to come up short at the weekend in embarrassing circumstances.
The MotoGP rider, who was running in second place in his home race in Barcelona, pulled over and started celebrating – only it was not until he was overtaken by other riders he realised he’d gone a lap too soon.
Eventually, after realising his mistake, he was classified in fifth place in the Catalan Grand Prix.
Espargaro was distraught afterwards – especially seeing race winner Fabio Quartararo extend his championship lead over him to 22 points.
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Mansell Mania
Nigel Mansell will celebrate 30 years since winning the F1 title by starring at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Organisers are looking to recreate ‘Mansell Mania’ as he will be reunited with his 1992 championship-winning Williams FW14B and drive a number of other cars from his Formula One days, including the Lotus 91, Ferrari 639 and 640. More
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Phil Thomas: Pogba should have been a Cantona or Henry… instead he leaves Man Utd as the ultimate ‘if only’ player
by Philippa Kaur 4 June 2022, 20:20
IF the average Manchester United fan had three words to sum up Paul Pogba’s second coming at Old Trafford, most would be unprintable.“An absolute waste” or “what a disaster” would be among the milder responses. But in the main, you’d end up wearing out the asterisk key.
Paul Pogba should have achieved so much more at Man UtdCredit: Getty
Yet the briefest, and most cuttingly pointed, of epitaphs to bid the Frenchman farewell is this… “on his day”.
Hardly the most insulting of phrases. Indeed, related to most footballers, usually it means the total opposite.
Only Pogba isn’t most footballers.
Pogba is as talented a player as there is, in any position, on any continent, in any era. Yet only on his day.
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We should look back on his Premier League career as being one of the shining lights of the English game.
We should be mentioning his name in similar terms to the likes of Eric Cantona and Thierry Henry, or Sergio Aguero and Didier Drogba.
Only we won’t. Pogba will say farewell to the Prem as a flop. As a failure. An ‘if only’ kind of guy, rather than with a legacy as one of the greatest to grace these shores.
When you talk of Cantona, Henry, those greats of bygone years, you never, ever use the phrase “on his day”.
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was sham & begged me for nude pics, says BB star
Likewise with the stars currently tearing it up. Mo Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, even Harry Kane… not an “on his day” among them.
You see when you’re talking about real talent, that doesn’t apply. Never will those words precede a description of the real top-level stars.
It’s because for the absolute cream, the ones who deserve speaking of in hushed tones, “on his day” is pretty much every day. Or at least, every game.
If De Bruyne has a shocker it stands out because he has very few of them.
It’s the same for Salah, and Kane, Sadio Mane, Phil Foden plus a few more besides.
Name a stand-out performance by any of the above and it’s a real puzzler for one reason — you’re spoilt for choice.
Do the same for Pogba and there’s just as much head-scratching… to come up with any.
Even the most die-hard United fan would struggle to go beyond the second half of a Pogba-inspired Manchester derby comeback and a goal scoring Europa League final against a still developing Ajax side.
His United career — this time around — came to an end this week with an 800-word eulogy from the club’s media team. Eight. Hundred. Words.
Clearly more creative thinking in that department than the Frenchman had shown in the midfield one for the vast majority of his time.
The fact they were losing a World Cup winner on a free transfer for a second occasion, having paid nearly £90million to re-sign him, would usually be reason for riots.
Instead, there was little more than a shrug of acceptance, and any dissent was directed at the player himself.
That says it all from a set of supporters who never turn on their own.
Yes, there have been spells over the last six years when Pogba, 29, has been plagued by injuries. When there has been a reason for maybe not being at his best.
But there have been a lot more when there hasn’t. Of course, no one in their (legally obliged) right mind would ever accuse him of not putting everything in. Of not caring.
Plenty would think it though. And it would be hard to argue with the opinions of those plenty as well.
Could you seriously describe 29 league goals and 38 assists by a creative World Cup- winning midfielder over six years as anything but an unmitigated disaster?
The only thing that’s worthy of is a “good riddance”. In these modern times, though, it merits a £3.8m “loyalty bonus”.
Clearly for hanging around long enough to run down his contract and leave for nowt, allowing him to trouser another hefty signing-on fee, probably back at Juventus.
That really does stink. About as much as the bulk of Pogba’s performances.
By the time next season kicks off, the Old Trafford departures will probably be close to double figures.
The fact many will see Pogba’s as the biggest blessing in disguise of all says everything.
KLOPP CAN’T TOP ‘84 KOP
Liverpool ended their Quadruple bid with just two trophies after losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League finalCredit: Rex
IF there’s one good thing to come out of Liverpool’s failure to win the Quadruple – only one? – it is this.
At least it should finally silence those trying to convince us this is the greatest team in the history of this famous club. A great team, of that there can be no doubt. But the best ever?
There have been plenty of them at Liverpool over the years. But if you had to plump for one, it would surely be the 1983-84 European Cup, (old) Division One and League Cup winners.
One in which centre-backs Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson played in all 51 league and European games.
Ian Rush and Phil Neal missed three between them while Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish played over 40 apiece, as well.
All six would make most all-time Liverpool line-ups… and this was in the same season, mind.
Only 15 players appeared in the league in that treble-winning campaign. And two didn’t reach double figures between them.
So, argue that Jurgen Klopp has the greatest SQUAD in Liverpool’s history to choose from by all means.
But the greatest team? In my book, they don’t come close.
ZLAT HAS A WORD
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s upcoming book is well worth a readCredit: Reuters
GOT a sneak peek recently at the marvellous Adrenaline: My Untold Stories by that well-known shrinking violet Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In one sitting, it will make you love him and hate him, want to shake him by the hand and also by the throat.
But believe me, you won’t want to put it down.
It’s packed with amusing tales, and typically forthright views on some of the world’s greatest players.
It is out on July 28. I’d advise you not to miss it.
FALLIN’ ON CEF EARS
YOU have to hand it to Aleksander Ceferin and Uefa — they never cease to amaze.
In the wake of that Champ-ions League debacle, unbelievably they felt THEY should be the ones getting sympathy because they ‘only’ had three months to organise the final.
Maybe they forgot whose decision it was to award the original game to Russia — a country that has stuck two fingers up at sport with its drug-taking corruption over the years.
The fact things didn’t end even worse was entirely down to Liverpool supporters and was nothing to do with French police or any other officials.
President Ceferin, Uefa and fit for purpose… three things you will very rarely hear in the same sentence.
KAV ALL IN FOR JIGGO
MOST players may be putting their feet up and soaking in the sun but Millwall chief executive Steve Kavanagh is still getting a sweat on.
Or at least he will be next Saturday when — together with a collection of Lions staff and supporters — he gets on his bike in memory of SunSport legend Paul Jiggins.
They are doing the Cycle for Jiggo, riding from London to Brighton to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation in honour of the lifelong Millwall fan and journalistic giant who passed away in March.
Anyone keen to donate can do so at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/millwall-football-club-cyclingforjiggo More
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I’m still scratching my head at how Benzema’s goal wasn’t given in Champions League final – and Peter Walton never helps
by Philippa Kaur 2 June 2022, 17:10
AS Boris Johnson struggles to convince us that partying during lockdown didn’t actually break any rules, maybe he should call in Peter Walton to clear things up.Because if anyone can defend the indefensible, it’s BT Sport’s refereeing expert.
No clear reason has been given for Karim Benzema’s disallowed goal against LiverpoolCredit: Reuters
Former ref Peter Walton couldn’t explain clearly why it was the right decisionCredit: Free for editorial use
I am still scratching my head to understand how Karim Benzema’s Champions League final ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside.
And once Walton had been called in to clarify matters for TV viewers, everything was as clear as mud.
“It’s actually an easy one,” insisted the former Premier League official before giving the most complicated explanation imaginable.
And after listening to him wittering away about Fabinho’s tackle being an accidental backwards deflection rather than a deliberate attempt to play the ball, I understood only one thing.
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I don’t know the rules of football any more.
After the best part of 40 years watching and reporting on the sport, that is quite some confession.
But I’m certain I’m not the only one who is struggling to comprehend laws which are making a simple game as incomprehensible as cricket and Rugby Union.
Confirmation of those suspicions arrived the day after the Champions League final, when Huddersfield were denied two penalties during their Championship play-off defeat by Nottingham Forest.
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Their first claim was open to debate because Harry Toffolo went down very easily when he brushed the outstretched leg of Jack Colback.
But there was absolutely no doubt that Lewis O’Brien was fouled by Max Lowe as Huddersfield pressed for a late Wembley equaliser.
Yet VAR Paul Tierney refused to get involved and I can only assume he didn’t want to embarrass Jon Moss in his final match before retirement.
So now Moss has seen his record shop trashed and suffered online death threats while Huddersfield are left to complain about missing out on the £200million jackpot that comes with promotion to the Premier League.
Burnley know exactly how they feel after the ridiculous penalty awarded against Ashley Barnes which condemned them to defeat by Spurs and took the wind out of their sales as they battled to beat the drop.
RULES DON’T APPLY?
It was another decision that was justified on a technicality by the rulebook aficionados but one that left the rest of us gobsmacked.
So now there is talk of the Premier League clubs contemplating a move to oust referees’ chief Mike Riley from his position as general manager of the PGMOL.
But Riley, as useless as he is, doesn’t make the changes to the rules which leave so many decisions open to interpretation.
That’s down to the International Football Board, who meet again in two weeks’ time to decide how they’re next going to bugger things up.
And the fact that they’re convening in Doha suggests it will be something that none of realises is an actual thing until it wins the World Cup for Qatar.
Gareth Bale’s been clocking up some air miles this weekCredit: Getty
PLANE SAILING FOR GARETH
HAD to laugh when I read about Gareth Bale’s gruelling week of flying first class between Madrid, Paris, Wroclaw and Cardiff.
Because let’s be honest, he can’t exactly be knackered by the 20 minutes of football he has played for club and country in the last two months.
Maybe it’s the strain of lugging his £650,000-a-week salary around which has proved such a strain.
It still hasn’t prevented him from being awarded an MBE in this week’s Jubilee Honours list, though.
Presumably for his services to the banking sector.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s words came back to haunt him against Real MadridCredit: AFP
EYE DON’T SPY
IN an interview to preview the Champions League final, Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold declared: “I can see things others can’t see.”
What a pity he couldn’t see Vinicius Junior sneaking in behind him to score Real Madrid’s winning goal.
But he wasn’t the only one at the Parc des Princes suffering from blurred vision.
The French interior minister who blamed the shambolic handling of the match on ticketless Liverpool supporters was even more blind to reality.
The organisation was so bad that even Boris Johnson is now calling for an investigation. And we all know how seriously he takes official inquiries.
But I’m guessing that the King of Spain and Rafa Nadal weren’t kettled and tear gassed by le Parisian riot police as they made their way to their posh seats. Odd that.
The Monaco Grand Prix fell flat thanks to a mix of rain and a safety carCredit: Getty
WATER WAY TO GO
THE only thing that could possibly make the Monaco Grand Prix interesting is a spot of Riviera rain to test the skill of the drivers.
But when the heavens opened up in Monte Carlo on Sunday, race officials delayed the start until the track had dried out and still went off behind a safety car.
The inevitable outcome was less of a race and more of a procession, free from overtaking and decided by the quickest pit crews.
It is hard to think of any other sport which shoots itself in the foot more regularly than Formula One.
DEAL ME IN
WITH no major tournament to distract us, it’s going to be a very long summer of transfer speculation.
The good news is that every foreign player who says they won’t sign a new contract with their club will be a transfer boost for Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.
And every player who joins someone will be a transfer blow.
TECH NOT NEEDED
YOU almost have to admire the obstinacy of the French Open refusing to use Hawkeye to settle disputed line calls.
Why use modern technology when you can rely on the umpire jumping down from his chair to examine scuff marks in the clay?
Especially when TV then uses that technology to show viewers where the ball actually landed.
AIR WE GO
IT’S good to see head of world athletics Lord Coe signing the sport up to the declaration for clean air campaign.
Because with so many of the world’s best athletes taking asthma medication, it’s easy to understand why the IAAF are so concerned about pollution levels. More
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Ralf Rangnick leaving Man Utd ends one of the oddest chapters in Premier League history as Erik ten Hag settles in
by Philippa Kaur 30 May 2022, 20:03
WHILE Liverpool and Real Madrid were parading trophies, days after Manchester City had done the same, Manchester United were announcing the severance of all ties with Ralf Rangnick.And with barely so much as a ‘See you later, innovator’.
Ralf Rangnick’s Man Utd exit brings to an end one of the league’s strangest-ever chaptersCredit: Reuters
Manchester United, surely you remember them? They used to win titles. Even after that, they still topped the Deloitte Football Money League.
And they still ‘do great numbers’ on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
In the actual football, not so much. Under Rangnick, United finished with six successive away defeats, an overall goal difference of zero and conceded a 35-point deficit to champions City.
When Rangnick was appointed interim manager in November, United’s ‘football director’ John Murtough heralded him as “one of the most respected coaches and innovators in European football”.
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He also announced that Rangnick would take up a two-year consultancy after his caretaking was complete.
That consultancy role has now been scrapped, with Rangnick taking over Austria’s national job.
Instead, we’re told Rangnick held a two-hour ‘handover’ conversation on the phone with his successor, Erik ten Hag.
And judging by Rangnick’s highly entertaining public criticisms of everyone and everything at United, as well as his team’s disastrous performances, we can have a decent stab at imagining how the call went. Ten Hag: “Heh, Ralfie, how’s it hanging?”
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Rangnick: “Erik! Yeah, so, basically the players are egotistical wasters and the board are incompetent muppets.”
Ten Hag: “OK, so what do you reckon I should do about it?
Rangnick: “F***ed if I know, mate.”
The Rangnick experiment was one of the oddest chapters in Premier League history.
A bookish German, who’d been ranked as a 12-1 shot alongside Alan Curbishley for every managerial vacancy in the previous decade, suddenly handed the keys to Old Trafford.
It is easy to forget United finished second in the Premier League last year, then signed the greatest goalscorer the world has ever seen, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Then finished with their lowest-ever Premier League points total.
United snubbed the chance to hire Antonio Conte before Spurs pouncedCredit: PA
The levels of ineptitude have been staggering, even by the standards of post-Sir Alex Ferguson United.
There is no hindsight needed in suggesting United should have sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the 5-0 home mauling by Liverpool in October, when they could still have appointed Antonio Conte.
The Italian was desperate for the United job, probably only turned down Tottenham last summer because he thought he might soon succeed Solskjaer, then decided that if the Norwegian could survive a home gubbing by his club’s most bitter rivals, he could survive anything.
Conte then took the Spurs job and is now planning for Champions League football, having spent the first tranche of a £150million transfer fund on a classy veteran in Ivan Perisic — just the sort of transfer chairman Daniel Levy would never normally rubber stamp.
Meanwhile, United flounder. And they flounder because their directors and players wanted a quieter life.
It was widely briefed that Conte “did not fit United’s long-term strategy” and that he would have been too demanding of the squad.
It has later been claimed that Ronaldo vetoed his appointment.
Fans will be hoping things improve under Erik ten HagCredit: EPA
In short, United bottled it and tossed off their season, while Conte openly challenged Levy and his players, then reached the top four.
Now, Ten Hag — who has won plenty of Dutch trophies shooting fish in a barrel at Ajax — inherits a dysfunctional squad, without even the regular victories that allow the illusion of team spirit to be glimpsed.
Occasionally, managers have taken a significant step up, breezed into the Premier League and succeeded.
But we’re talking Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
Ten Hag will need to be a combination of early Wenger and early Mourinho — a visionary reformer and a charismatic leader — if he is to turn things around.
Perhaps United’s hierarchy believe their new manager is just such a man.
Or perhaps they’ve simply opted for a quieter life again.
Uefa would have been better off keeping the Champions League final in Russia instead of FranceCredit: Getty
PIDDLING UEFA EFFORT IS THE NORM
NORMALLY, if I’m covering a match, I will arrive about 90 minutes before kick-off.
As it was the Champions League final, I made it to the Stade de France four-and-a-half hours early on Saturday.
That’s because big European showpieces are always chaotic, whichever city they are in. Everyone’s an away fan and Uefa couldn’t organise a piddle-up in a brewery.
I got caught out in Munich in 2012, almost missed kick-off and vowed ‘never again’.
So I didn’t witness, first-hand, the shambolic ‘funnelling’ and shameful tear-gassing of Liverpool fans queuing patiently to get in.
I did though, like thousands of others, make a 6km walk back from the ground to central Paris in the early hours of Sunday, because there were no trains running.
And why would anyone want fans to have adequate transport?
During that walk through the badlands of St Denis, I was offered cocaine, sexual services, and a kicking from a drunken bloke who’d fallen off a scooter.
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I just assumed he was one of Uefa’s executive committee, made my excuses and carried on walking.
Maybe they should have kept the final in St Petersburg. At least Vladimir Putin would have made the trains, and the actual football match, run on time… More
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How Lady Gaga could help Tottenham finally land £250m stadium deal as major US companies circle
by Philippa Kaur 25 May 2022, 19:55
SPURS fans have been revelling in a week of good news, with Champions League qualification and owners Enic making a £150million cash injection.And the club are set for a further boost as the growing success of their 63,000-capacity home increases the likelihood of a money- spinning naming rights deal.
Lady Gaga will hold a concert at Tottenham’s stadium this summerCredit: Getty
Spurs supremo Daniel Levy should soon have plenty of parties interested in naming rights for his stadiumCredit: PA
Chairman Daniel Levy has targeted a front-loaded £250m-plus agreement to bolster Tottenham’s income streams, with major US companies thought the most likely to be enticed aboard.
And with Spurs now benefiting from the first full year of football income plus two NFL games, boxing, Saracens rugby union, this weekend’s Rugby League Challenge Cup final and summer concerts from Guns N’ Roses and Lady Gaga, it seems likely bidders will emerge.
Net zero? For Fifa it might be net zero-one.
ZURICH bigwigs have heralded this year’s Qatar World Cup as the first carbon-neutral global tournament.
But Carbon Market Watch says Fifa’s arguments are based on “creative accounting” and called the suggestion “an own goal”.
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They said: “This claim appears far-fetched. The emissions associated with the construction of permanent new stadiums could be understated by a factor of eight.
“The quality and environmental integrity of the carbon credits that have been announced is questionable and projects are highly unlikely to generate credits that will counter-balance emissions.”
Weighty issue
WEIGHTLIFTING has been warned it faces the Paris Olympics boot — ahead of elections to run the world body
Candidates from Russia, Thailand and Egypt are ineligible to stand next month because their countries have had six or more doping violations since 2016.
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Russia’s Maxim Agapitov has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to be reinstated.
In a letter to the International Weightlifting Federation, IOC sport director Kit McConnell warns: “This electoral congress is a critical opportunity for real change and new culture.
“The IOC will continue to closely monitor the situation. The outcomes will be taken into account in its review for potential inclusion of weightlifting in the programme of Paris 2024.”
Money-maker
THIS summer’s Women’s Euros will be worth around £54million to the nine host cities.
FA chiefs say they are on target to sell 500,000 tickets for the tournament, which kicks off at Old Trafford on July 6.
Accountants EY estimate the massive economic windfall from 96,000 overseas visitors.
FA women’s football director Dame Sue Campbell said: “We want to deliver a record-breaking tournament and leave a tangible legacy. I’m confident we can do both.” More

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