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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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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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Southampton considering sacking ALL of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s backroom staff but boss could survive despite shocking form
by Philippa Kaur 24 May 2022, 22:47
KEEP an eye on Southampton as some major changes are in the pipeline.Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is fighting to keep his job after the club ended the season with five losses and a draw, finishing 15th in the Premier League.
Ralph Hasenhuttl or his coaching staff could be sacked by Southampton after their dire runCredit: Reuters
The club’s new majority owner Dragan Solak and former Brentford director of football Rasmus Ankersen are demanding changes.
Option one is to sack Hasenhuttl, who has been at the club for four years.
The second choice is to keep the Austrian but get rid of his backroom staff.
Hasenhuttl is famous for having a huge ego and is happy to take all the credit when Southampton win — do not forget when he broke down crying on the pitch after beating Liverpool 1-0 in January 2021.
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But after defeats, the Austrian is more than happy to point the finger at his team.
If Southampton are to make a change they need to do it soon.
Also, former RB Leipzig boss Hasenhuttl has used a hybrid version of Ralf Rangnick’s pressing tactics — and this has been employed right down to the youth team.
So if a new manager does come in at St Mary’s, a big decision will have to be made on whether to change the club’s entire philosophy.
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FIFPro, the global union for professional football players, is having its European conference in the stunning seaside town of Budva in Montenegro.
But one nation’s representative will be missing.
The Ukrainian delegate is not allowed to leave his country as he is over 18 and under 60, so he could be called up to the front line on any given day to fight against Russia.
FIFPro is also angry with Ukraine’s football clubs as they have released all of their overseas players to return home during the war.
However, the clubs have retained the players’ registrations, stating the stars are on ‘extended leave’.
This means teams are demanding money for the players this summer.
WATFORD have broken with tradition by securing a young, English manager in 39-year-old Rob Edwards from Forest Green.
Yet his annual wage is £300,000, which is small when you consider the Championship boss average is between £500,000 and £700,000.
Unbelievably, one option discussed by Hornets owners, the Pozzo family, before moving for Edwards was Bristol Rovers’ Joey Barton.
KELLY SOMERS is one of the rising stars of broadcasting and works for various outlets including the BBC.
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So it is a surprise Somers has been axed by Premier League Productions, who produce content for football fans around the world.
Although the thirst for Premier League football globally has never been greater, PLP are getting rid of lots of staff as part of a major cost-cutting exercise.
Rob Edwards landed the Watford job after Joey Barton was consideredCredit: Reuters
Kelly Somers has been let go by Premier League Productions despite excelling for the BBCCredit: Getty More
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Man City and Liverpool will go to the wire like when West Ham beat Man Utd in 1995 – whoever wins will have earned it
by Philippa Kaur 21 May 2022, 20:00
IF YOU held a vote on the most memorable end to a season that Sergio Aguero moment would win it by a mile.But I’m pretty sure what would be second — the amazing day in 1995 when my West Ham side drew with Manchester United and Blackburn won the title at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Man City are chasing the Premier League title on the final day of the seasonCredit: Reuters
Blackburn Rovers won the title at Anfield in 1995 after West Ham held Man Utd to a 1-1 draw at Upton ParkCredit: Rex
Everyone thought Liverpool would roll over to make sure Kenny Dalglish won the league with Rovers, while no one gave us a prayer against United.
It was my first season at West Ham and after being at the bottom all season, we’d turned it around and got out of trouble a few weeks earlier.
So the fact we had nothing obvious left to play for, and Liverpool could stop their big rivals, meant there were loads of conspiracy theories about.
In the end Blackburn DID win the league but not because of any half-hearted or dodgy performances.
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Liverpool came from behind to beat them but we drew with United, so Kenny was champion after all — and no one could question either game.
It proved that not only is the Premier League the best in the world but also the fairest. And that’s not something you could say 100 per cent about every country out there.
I bring it back up because there have been a few nudges and winks going into the final day this time, with so much up for grabs at both ends of the table.
But the great thing about the Premier League, about the entire English game, is that anything you win has to be earned.
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When we played United all those years ago, there probably weren’t even many of our own fans who gave us much of a chance.
The one thing they did know, though, was that we’d give it a damned good go.
They wouldn’t expect or accept anything else and, to be honest, all that talk was pretty annoying.
United at Upton Park was always a massive game. They were THE club to beat and it was never a problem getting the players up for it, whatever was at stake.
So there was no way anyone was already on the beach and although we needed our keeper, Ludek Miklosko, to have an absolute blinder, we got what we deserved.
United were hammering away at our goal, knowing they only needed a point to be champions.
Paul Ince trudges off the pitch after West Ham held them to a famous 1-1 draw on the final day of the season in 1995Credit: Rex
But Ludek had one of those days, we hung on and Kenny won the league at his old club — even though Blackburn had lost in the last minute.
We were just relieved we’d stayed up and, fair play to Alex Ferguson, he had a glass of wine in my office afterwards, even though he was so choked.
Me and Fergie were two of the last old-school managers who’d have a drink after games, and quite often you’d get a knock on the door telling you the players were on the coach.
If you’d lost, you would say, ‘Let them wait . . . and there’s no fish and chips on the way home’, which was a big thing back then.
I seem to remember Fergie stayed for a couple of glasses! It was an unbelievable day, but not for the reasons some had suggested beforehand, even though that will never stop some people having their own theories about things.
Today is no different. They all expect Steven Gerrard to have a right go at City, because if Villa get a result it opens the door for Liverpool.
Sir Alex Ferguson saw his team lose out on the titleCredit: Rex
But there are others who think Wolves will roll over at Anfield because they’ve got nothing left to play for. Which is absolutely rubbish, for sure.
And at the bottom there’s plenty of that as well. Will Brentford be 100 per cent on it against Leeds? How hard will Newcastle go at Burnley?
Well, I tell you something — whatever happens at either end won’t be down to anyone having a day off. That’s what makes this league the best.
For the record, I think both City and Liverpool will win because they’re the top two teams in the world, never mind this country, which means the title stays in Manchester.
As for who joins Norwich and Watford in the Championship? I can see it being decided by goal difference — and if I’m right, that means Leeds are going down.
But the one thing I can say with total confidence is whatever the outcome, it will only come after a hell of a fight.
BRAVE JAKE FIRST CLASS
AFTER Jake Daniels came out as the first openly gay professional player in this country, I am sure many others will follow suit.
It was a very brave decision and will go down as one of the defining moments in football history. He’s got my total admiration because it can’t have been easy.
Jake Daniels came out as gay this weekCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
The dressing room can be a pretty brutal place at times, even if views have obviously changed a lot for the better over the years.
There will have been plenty of gay footballers in the past who kept quiet because of how society was back then, and the way Jake spoke was both impressive and very mature.
I don’t think being gay would ever affect anyone’s chances of making it or not. It certainly shouldn’t, anyway.
People should be judged on one thing and one thing alone: whether you’re good enough. Nothing else really comes into it.
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Jake will always be remembered for the courage he showed in making his announcement, and rightly so.
I really hope that one day people look back on him for the fantastic career he’s had as well. More
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Jake Daniels has become an overnight icon for bravely coming out – the Blackpool starlet is a credit to football
by Philippa Kaur 20 May 2022, 20:00
MANY a football follower has been overcome by back-page boredom from the same old story of Gareth Bale’s constant squabble with the people who run Real Madrid.In Wales and among some Spurs supporters, his name evokes floods of admiration for his burning pace and sublime goals.
Blackpool starlet Jake Daniels, 17, came out this week
To others, his conviction of mistreatment at the Bernabeu has become a bore on two legs.
Bale is as good a player as Britain has produced this century but something or someone went haywire — mostly I suspect Zinedine Zidane — who, right or wrong, made no secret of his disdain for the player’s attitude.
Clashing personalities happen between even the best managers and players.
Zidane was wrong to have let his disappointments affect his judgment but he and the fans must have been irritated by the story that Bale never bothered to learn more than a smattering of Spanish in his nine years with Real.
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Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Read More on Jake Daniels.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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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-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);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-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);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-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}’ALL TOGETHER’ .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;}Jake Daniels leaps to Blackpool captain’s defence after homophobic tweets
Bale says he knows enough to get by. But Real fans were only too happy to believe that the long-hitting golfer thought more of his clubs than his club.
Four times a Champions League winner with Real, Bale might shortly make it five without kicking a ball.
He and his agent made his unhappiness public and it seems the player fell out of love with football — except when it is played by Wales.
In the principality, he’s revered as a sort of mixture of a young Tom Jones, Nathan Cleverly and Michael Sheen.
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Now up pops real life as a contrast.
No one outside a small coterie in Blackpool knew much about Jake Daniels, who speaks English very well, thank you.
He used it to great effect this week when the 17-year-old stated publicly that he was homosexual. No agent necessary.
Not since Justin Fashanu in 1990 has a pro footballer come out while still playing — and I dare say others have probably been put off by the possible reaction among fellow players or crowds.
Attitudes have changed since then, thank goodness. Daniels will not, I hope, be taunted for his personal life but — having been bold enough to make a statement — I am sure his mettle will not fail him should there be hard times.
Some oafs might well chance a few shouts or even a terrace chant but, equally, I think they will be quickly silenced by fans who value decency and fair play.
Jake became an overnight icon in a sport that suffers more than it should with the spoiled-star persona of a few players. So here’s a further example for consideration.
Mark Noble, twice Jake’s age, is a strong leader and an all-action player who is not afraid to speak his mind.
He’s about to retire at West Ham — and does so with crowd affection still ringing in his ears.
Mark has made a record 549 first-team appearances since — in the wisdom of youth — joining us in 2000, always his favourite club.
He can and has been a fearless critic and his character always shone through, never more so than in his rejection of the possibility of winning an Ireland cap, for whom he distantly qualified.
Some proper Irish lad, he said, had more rights and a greater need.
I’m sure that Noble and Bale will support Jake Daniels in his decision to lead a campaign in a way that might not be as vital as Greta Thunberg’s on climate change — but is still helping change the climate in a serious way. More
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Harry Kane could be last of a dying breed after he stayed at Tottenham and all but secured them Champions League
by Philippa Kaur 19 May 2022, 19:42
IT MIGHT not have been what he wanted, but Harry Kane is still one of their own.And in the week that football paid tribute to one-club legend Mark Noble at West Ham, it is becoming increasingly likely that Kane could become the last of that dying breed.
Harry Kane could yet reap the rewards after he ended up staying at Tottenham last summerCredit: Alamy
Because Erling Haaland’s imminent arrival at Manchester City has effectively closed Kane’s last escape route from Tottenham.
And the way things are going for him, that’s not quite the disaster it might have seemed last summer.
It was exactly a year ago today that Kane told Sky’s Gary Neville that he was ready to leave Spurs.
But that move never materialised after chairman Daniel Levy priced him out of the market with a demand for £150million.
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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-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);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-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);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-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}CONT ME IN .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;}Kane hints he’ll SNUB Utd transfer to stay at Spurs… thanks to Conte
And now that City are out of the running, only Manchester United, Chelsea and maybe Newcastle are rich enough to match Levy’s valuation.
Yet with Spurs just one point away from a Champions League return, why would Kane want to leave Antonio Conte’s upwardly mobile side for any of those three?
United are a complete basket case at the start of a massive rebuilding process — and could yet be playing in the Europa Conference League next season.
Maybe if they had appointed Mauricio Pochettino they might have stood a chance.
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But now? Forget it.
Kane made it abundantly clear that he would never sign for Chelsea when they came in for him last summer… and that was before it all fell apart at Stamford Bridge for sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich.
And all the oil in Saudi Arabia isn’t going to turn Newcastle into top-four contenders during Kane’s remaining few football years.
Yet barring a dodgy lasagne against rock-bottom Norwich on Sunday, Spurs are all set to secure qualification for the competition which Kane yearns to be competing in again.
They have the best stadium in Europe, magnificent training facilities and a world-class manager in Conte.
Antonio Conte is starting to make real strides as boss at SpursCredit: Getty
And while they might not be about to topple City and Liverpool any time soon, they are shaping up to become a third major English power next season.
If that is going to happen they will need to strengthen their squad with the quality signings demanded by Conte.
But they also need to keep the volatile Italian on board after his threats to walk away if he doesn’t get his own way.
That is something which Levy absolutely cannot allow to happen after the disastrous decision to appoint Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo last summer.
Many people attributed Kane’s slow start to the campaign to him sulking about the breakdown of his dream move to City.
But don’t forget he had just been hit for six by England’s heartbreaking penalty defeat at the European Championship final at Wembley.
So returning to work with the charisma-free Nuno was never going to inspire a player who had dared to dream.
And it was only when Conte pitched up in North London in November that Kane properly sparked into life.
Up to that point he had scored just one Premier League goal all season.
Now he has 16, as well as eight assists, ten FA Cup, League Cup and European goals and another 11 for England.
His partnership with Son Heung-Min is bordering on the telepathic, with the duo responsible for 60 per cent of all Tottenham’s goals this season.
Kane and Son Heung-Min are key to Spurs’ successCredit: Reuters
They are the reason they are about to beat Arsenal to fourth place, because no striker at the Emirates has managed more than four Premier League goals so far.
The noise generated during last week’s North London derby was like nothing I have heard at a football stadium without a rock band playing there.
Those Spurs fans can sense that something special is stirring along the Seven Sisters Road.
And Kane might want to think twice about leaving them just when they are shaping up for some long overdue glory, glory.
Stop, Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP has complained that the 40 medals which Liverpool received for winning the FA Cup final are not enough to go around everyone involved in their success.
But when you take away the 31 players who were involved in their six Cup ties, that still leaves nine for Klopp and his backroom team.
And if you are going to reward absolutely everyone who contributed, you’d need a medal for the Anfield box office manager, the press officer, social media team, kit manager and the assistant to the assistant masseur.
They have to draw the line somewhere — so can I suggest James Norris, who played one minute of the third-round win against Shrewsbury?
Or maybe Melkamu Frauendorf, who had nine minutes in the same game.
Bale-ing out
NO s*** Sherlock moment of the week arrived with the announcement Gareth Bale will not be renewing his £650,000-a-week deal with Real Madrid.
It is pretty difficult to be out in the cold in the Spanish capital — but that’s what the injury-prone Welshman has managed these past four years.
And as Real boss Carlo Ancelotti puts the finishing touches to his preparations for next week’s Champions League final, it’s a fair bet Bale does not figure in his plans to beat Liverpool.
For the Madridistas can’t wait to see the back of the £86million winger, 32, and he can’t wait to see the back of them.
But if Wales win their World Cup play-off against Scotland or Ukraine in June, Bale must shelve thoughts of retirement and find another team to keep him in shape for Qatar in November.
Let’s hope they have a decent golf course nearby.
Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid this summerCredit: Getty
No Christ redeemer
CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel threw Andreas Christensen under the bus when he revealed that the defender asked not to play in the FA Cup final.
Then he twisted the knife by admitting it was by no means the first time that the Danish international had pulled out of a game at the last minute.
But Chelsea feel no loyalty to Christensen after the way he negotiated to leave them for Barcelona as a free agent.
So perhaps Tuchel’s questioning of the player’s mental toughness is his way of saying he won’t be that much of a miss next season.
Film Vard to believe
BACK in 2016 reports first surfaced of plans to make a Hollywood film of Jamie Vardy’s life.
Even more incredible were rumours that Zac Efron was approached to portray the Leicester striker . . . with Meghan Markle as his wife!
But now it seems that it’s the Vardys who could be heading for La La Land after their car-crash libel action against Coleen Rooney.
Because there was no whodunnit involved in this Wagatha Christie case . . . it was Rebekah Vardy’s account.
And if the Rooneys haven’t had their fill of legal drama, Wayne might now like to consider suing the court artist who has drawn him looking like an extra from Lord of the Rings.
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