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Lewis Hamilton to pick NFL legend Tom Brady’s brain at meeting after worst weekend of F1 career
by Philippa Kaur 25 April 2022, 20:20
LEWIS HAMILTON will meet with NFL legend Tom Brady in America next week, where you can be sure the Brit will be seeking some career advice.
Quarterback Brady is a guest of Mercedes sponsors International Watch Company at the upcoming Miami Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton has endured a difficult season and will seek out NFL legend Tom Brady at the Miami Grand PrixCredit: Splash
Brady, who has won a record seven Super Bowls, is set to be in attendanceCredit: The Mega Agency
Brady, dubbed American football’s GOAT, announced in February he would be retiring — saying he was not willing to “make that competitive commitment” to be the best.
But last month the 44-year-old, who has won a record seven Super Bowls, performed a U-turn and will continue playing for Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he wrestles with the concept of what to do next.
Unexpectedly, fellow seven-time champion Hamilton now finds himself at a very similar career crossroads.
The Mercedes star’s 13th-place finish in Imola on Sunday was probably his worst-ever weekend in Formula One.
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Stories.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-h98a3b{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(236,245,247,1);-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-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;}GOT LEW’S BACK .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;}Hamilton offered ‘protection’ by Wolff after nightmare start to F1 season
Sure, he’s had other bad weekends. But based on the performance of his car, and excluding retirements and accidents, it is the most disappointing — especially as new team-mate George Russell drove the same car and finished fourth.
Hamilton, 37, still has over 18 months to run on his contract.
Both he and Merc boss Toto Wolff said in Imola they plan to tough out the slump — and that walking away is not on the agenda.
However, at this stage it cannot be ruled out.
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Only last week, Hamilton confirmed he was stumping up cash to support a bid to buy Chelsea.
It also did not sound like he was willing to be a silent partner, unveiling plans to improve the club’s diversity and inclusivity programme and work with the local community.
He is clearly looking to make the next step in his career.
Back in 2013 when he agreed to join Mercedes after a big regulation change, like we have had this year in F 1, we all questioned his motives.
The difference now is, Hamilton is nearing the end of his career — and only he can judge if he has the same “competitive commitment” Brady mentioned.
In 2013, Hamilton knew that he needed F 1 — and F 1 also needed him.I don’t know if that remains the case.
THROWING WEIGHT AROUND
IT has been suggested that Sky F1 broadcasters have been throwing their weight around in the paddock.
So perhaps it was no surprise to see their roving reporter Ted Kravitz giving American radio station SiriusXM’s Chris Medland a forceful hurry-up.
Kravitz gave Medland a little bit of a playful kick as he tried to speed along his grid interview with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen. Kravitz did later apologise.
OVER-EXCITED
l SPARE a thought for Moto3 rider Sergio Garcia Dols who was so excited with his victory last weekend in Portugal that he drove into his own boss.
Spaniard Garcia Dols raced into the pits to celebrate but was travelling too fast and rode straight into his team.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
ANOTHER weekend and another scare for the MotoGP legend that is Marc Marquez.
The eight-time world champion suffered a nightmare highside in Mandalika last month, which saw the return of the double-vision that has plagued him.
And the Spaniard, 29, had another accident in Portugal on Sunday, albeit at a slower speed than the nasty spill that landed him on his head.
The Honda Repsol rider busted the visor on his helmet during the wet FP3 session — but after checks he was given the green light to continue qualifying.
Marquez, who went on to finish sixth, said: “With wet and cold conditions, it’s easy to make mistakes — like nearly everybody did.
“But I didn’t expect to crash there because I was not pushing a lot.’’
Marc Marquez had another scare at the weekendCredit: Getty More
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in Soccer
Everton relegation would represent the most thorough clusterf*** in Premier League history
by Philippa Kaur 25 April 2022, 19:21
SO IT’S come to this for Everton Football Club.Their supporters have descended into a raging online debate with followers of Newcastle, over whether they are about to become the biggest club ever relegated from the Premier League.
Frank Lampard faces the prospect of leading Everton to their first season outside the top flight since 1954Credit: PA
Now there is a special meeting room in Hell reserved for football supporters to argue about the “bigness” of their clubs for all eternity.
But in this particular context, the reverse-bragging and one-downmanship provide magnificent comedy.
“Ours will be a bigger balls-up than yours,” . . . “No we’re bigger than you, ipso facto we stuffed it up more royally.”
This ruck was sparked by boyhood Evertonian Jamie Carragher claiming on Sky that if the Toffees remain in the bottom three, they would become the biggest club ever relegated from the Prem.
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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;}TOFF LUCK .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;}Gordon hits out on Twitter as Lampard slams referee over Everton penalty denial
While former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness making a counter-argument for the “bigness” of Toon.
But Newcastle’s two relegations under Mike Ashley were the minor miscalculations of a tightwad owner who hoped to spend the minimal amount possible to ensure finishing at least 17th.
Everton’s majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri has scatter-gunned more than half a billion in transfer fees.
Yet Frank Lampard named a starting line-up for Sunday’s Merseyside derby which read every bit like a relegation team and played with the ambition of one.
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As Everton ended up with 17 per cent possession, midfielder Allan made ONE completed pass in 73 minutes — and that was the kick-off to start the match.
And, yes, Allan is an actual Brazilian international. And, yes, Michael Keane really is a £36million England defender. And Alex Iwobi genuinely did cost £38m.
And, yes, another initial £40m was shelled out on Richarlison in a £50m deal. And, no, he really doesn’t even stand upright very often.
To those of us old and wrinkled enough to remember the days before the Premier League, Everton sliding into the drop zone so late in the season held a certain “wow” factor.
If the Goodison club do drop into the Championship, it will feel pretty seismic.
That’s based on the Toffees winning titles in the 1980s and the longevity of their 68-year top-flight status.
Everton could go down with £50m striker Richarlison up frontCredit: Reuters
But to younger supporters, Everton’s historic “bigness” barely resonates.
Would the Premier League be a poorer competition without them next season? Hardly.
For my money, the West Ham squad relegated in 2003 — which included Paolo Di Canio, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, David James and Trevor Sinclair — was the most gifted group ever to take the plunge.
And Leeds United’s demotion the following season, amid a financial meltdown and just three years after they had reached a Champions League semi-final, was the swiftest and most stunning demise.
But if we wisely ignore debates about the “bigness” of respective clubs, it is nigh-on impossible to argue against Moshiri’s six years at Everton representing the most thorough clusterf**k in Premier League history.
The details of this extraordinary shambles have been aired here before.
Since Moshiri arrived, Everton have paid fees of more than £20m on 18 players, a list which doesn’t even include the signings of England’s all-time record scorer and a former World Cup Golden Boot winner.
Did Lampard properly consider all this before he took the gig?
Lampard has won just three out of 12 Prem games with Everton – and set up against Liverpool with 11 behind the ballCredit: Reuters
Or the impressive list of managers who have tried and failed under Moshiri?
The only consolation is that nobody really regards you as a failure for long when you fail at Goodison.
Carlo Ancelotti and Ronald Koeman began the campaign as managers of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Roberto Martinez is in charge of Belgium, ranked the best international team in Europe.
And Rafa Benitez is still adored by supporters of two of England’s grandest clubs — Liverpool and Newcastle. Marco Silva is about to win the Championship in style at Fulham.
And Sam Allardyce will never be short of offers — having turned down the chance to relegate Everton at Burnley.
With six games to go, Everton could still scrape their way to survival — and the fact they held out for 62 minutes at Anfield suggests a certain grit.
But in the very real scenario that they fall through the trapdoor, then fans of Newcastle, Leeds and West Ham should pipe down and allow Everton their moment of perverse glory.
Theirs would be the biggest car crash the world’s biggest league has ever known.
And it really doesn’t get much bigger than that.
RICE WORTH 400K
DECLAN RICE is a world-class player, wanted by Manchester United and Chelsea, and could earn around £400,000 a week at either of those clubs.
He is undoubtedly West Ham’s most important player, as they stand on the brink of Europa League glory and a game-changing qualification for the Champions League.
Declan Rice is a transfer target for Manchester United and ChelseaCredit: EPA
Rice is effectively under contract until 2025 — and is yet to agree a new deal offered by West Ham worth around half of his market value.
West Ham’s owners might claim that offering Rice closer to £400,000 a week would break their “wage structure”.
But nobody who has ever met Rice would describe him as a prima donna and no team-mate could reasonably quibble if he earned two or three times as much as them.
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Rice is exceptional. So make an exception of him, money-wise.
If not, West Ham’s golden era could fall apart. More
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Five stars new Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag could target from South America after several transfer successes at Ajax
by Philippa Kaur 25 April 2022, 10:05
IS Erik ten Hag the right man for the Manchester United job? Or will it prove too big for him?Might he find himself cut down to size, and end his spell at Old Trafford as Six Hag? It is a possibility.
Erik ten Hag could look towards the South American transfer target to change new club Man Utd’s fortunesCredit: Getty
The challenge is huge, but so too is the promise shown, especially at Ajax. And one part of the mix has been his development of players from South America.
Argentine defenders Lisandro Martinez and Nico Tagliafico have been brought over the Atlantic and given sound service.
Perhaps even more impressive has been Brazilian winger Antony.
He was very raw when he joined the club from Sao Paulo, a left footed figure who favours the right wing, and was often slowing down the play by cutting back inside.
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Tan Hag has developed him with the ball and without to the extent that Antony is pushing hard for a place in the Brazil side – and might even be one of the coach’s transfer targets in his new job.
Assuming that ten Hag is open to the idea of bringing over more players from South America, who might he -and United – be looking at?
This is a brief look at a few players who could be ten Hag targets.
Central midfield is an area that the club are believed to be keen to strengthen.
Fred might be much maligned, but the team always seem to operate better when he is present.
And there is a similar type of player currently making a big impression in Brazil – Palmeiras midfielder Danilo, who turns 21 this week and who has already won the Copa Libertadores, South America’s Champions League, on two occasions.
Quick, left footed, dynamic, Danilo is a midfield motor who probably offers more in the final third of the field than Fred.
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Had it not been for his club’s appearance in February’s Club World Cup, Danilo might have joined Arsenal in the last transfer window. There could now be an opportunity for United.
If not, then Joao Gomes of Flamengo is a possible alternative. Also 21, Joao Gomes is right footed, and not as creative as Danilo.
But under former QPR, Swansea and Leicester boss Paulo Sousa, he is coming on quickly, taking on responsibility as a midfield ball winner with excellent lung power.
He needs to calm down a little, but his presence on the field is considerable.
From the same generation comes an interesting midfielder from Argentina, Enzo Fernandez of River Plate.
He stands out for his range of passing.
As a teenager he was loaned out to the interesting Defensa y Justicia club, and bossed the midfield for them when they won the equivalent of the Europa League, the Copa Sudamericana, in 2020.
Recalled by River, he has made himself so important to the team that he has already been called up to Argentina’s senior squad.
He is a little restricted to the right foot, a possible problem in the more compact midfields of Europe, but he is useful in all phases of play – winning the ball, opening up the pitch with his passing, and finishing from the edge of the area.
And yet another 21 year old midfielder has been making a big impression over the last few weeks – Franco Zapiola of Estudiantes in Argentina.
Palmeiras’ Danilo, left, in action with Flamengo’s rising star Joao GomesCredit: Reuters
Santos teen star Marcos Leonardo is another talent ten Hag may be watching closelyCredit: Reuters
He is being handled gently, often brought off the bench. But there is something special in his left foot.
A move at this stage might be premature, but he is certainly one to watch.
And with the team in need of freshening up its strikers, it may well be worth ten Hag keeping his eye on Marcos Leonardo of Santos.
The Brazilian, who turns 19 next week, has been thrown in the deep end in a club with a wonderful recent record of youth development.
Financial problems have meant that his first team chances have come early.
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Understandably, Marcos Leonardo is inconsistent – but as a squat, little penalty area operator, there is enough in him to bring back the occasional memory of Romario – a player who started his European adventure in ten Hag’s Holland before being chosen as the world’s best player in 1994.
Romario’s last great game in Europe was for Barcelona against Manchester United.
Maybe in the future Marcos Leonardo might do something similar in a red shirt. More
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in Boxing
Ultimate showman Tyson Fury claims he’s ready to ‘leave the crowd wanting more’… but nobody believes him
by Aurelia Butler 24 April 2022, 19:45
IT WAS the circus showman Phineas Taylor Barnum who coined the phrase: “Always leave them wanting more.”And Tyson Fury, whose mastery of theatrics and cabaret is second only to his command of a boxing ring, might just be a man after Barnum’s own heart.
Nobody believes that Tyson Fury is finished with boxing just yetCredit: Getty
After outclassing Dillian Whyte, the Gypsy King spoke colourfully about his career and consistently referred to it in the past tense — steadfast in his claim that the brutal uppercut which dispatched his opponent would be the last punch he ever throws as a pro boxer.
Nobody in the room truly believed him. Not even promoter Frank Warren, who played along with the script.
Everybody knows that while Fury is a fascinating talker, he often seems to change his mind twice in the space of a single sentence.
It’s possible that in Fury’s hyperactive brain, he genuinely believes he is done with boxing.
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He claimed he would become only the second world heavyweight champion after Rocky Marciano to retire undefeated.
At 33, Fury is a year older than Marciano when the American called time on an unblemished 49-fight pro career.
Lennox Lewis, the last undisputed world heavyweight champion, quit at the top but he was almost 38 and had beaten the lot.
Likewise the undefeated Floyd Mayweather and Joe Calzaghe.
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And then Carl Froch, who quit after throwing a devastating knockout punch to defeat George Groves in front of a Wembley full house.
But none retired so soon after reaching their zenith and with such obvious big-money fights in the pipeline.
Fury versus Oleksandr Usyk would be a fascinating clash of two genuine noble artists — but the Brit knows full well that a great big man should always overcome a great little ‘un.
And while Fury versus Anthony Joshua no longer holds much mystery — Fury would probably defeat him as comfortably as beat Whyte — it would still be the greatest money-spinner in British boxing history.
The risks of a fighter as gifted and elusive as Fury being seriously hurt by Usyk or Joshua seem remote.
Of course, the annals of full of great champs who took one fight to many — the greatest of all, Muhammad Ali, the most glaring example.
It is rare for greats in any sport to call it a day and stick to that decision when everyone knows there are more riches to be earned.
Bjorn Borg, who quit tennis aged 26 after winning 11 Grand Slam singles, is often quoted as that rarest of beasts.
But even the Swede made a failed comeback nine years later, playing with a wooden racket and never looking more than a living museum artefact.
The competitive drive is so great in any truly world-class sportsman that even a heartfelt announcement of retirement is usually followed by a U-turn.
The smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd proves overpowering.
It feels ludicrous for Fury to quit now, after his Deontay Wilder trilogy confirmed him as the most complete boxer of his generation.
He wants “his Mayweather money” by fighting a mixed martial artist or two and will still get to show off his flamboyant showmanship in the pantomime world of WWE.
The heavyweight division, indeed the British sporting landscape, would feel empty without him.
But maybe his showman’s instinct is attracted by the mystique of leaving them truly wanting more. More
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in Soccer
Forget Red Bull Leipzig’s rise to the European elite, Rangers’ resurrection has been even more spectacular
by Philippa Kaur 23 April 2022, 22:17
ON THURSDAY the hipsters will be falling over themselves again to kiss the backside of everything to do with RB Leipzig.Fawning over and flattering the German outfit they all salute as the textbook example of how to build a modern-day club.
Rangers have made a deep run in the Europa League this seasonCredit: Willie Vass
The Scottish side face RB Leipzig in the semis on ThursdayCredit: Reuters
They’ll work into an eye-fluttering lather at Leipzig’s journey from the fifth tier to challenging at the Bundesliga summit.
And they will try to convince us what a heartwarming and honourable ten-year fairytale it has been should they lift their first European trophy.
There is every chance, too. After all, they are hot favourites to win the Europa League ahead of this week’s semi-finals.
Those chai latte-sipping, goatee-bearded types may be right. We could see the next stage of an incredible footballing journey in the days ahead.
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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;}HELP US OUT .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;}Rangers make SPFL fixture plea amid Celtic pile-up after Europa League heroics
But the most remarkable win wouldn’t be one that sends them into a frenzy. Because although Leipzig — backed by soft drink giant Red Bull — have come from the basement, so too have the team in their way.
And in Rangers’ case, they haven’t done it backed by the untold millions of a global company, which sponsors major sporting events and teams around the world.
Yes, it has been a stunning rise for Leipzig, from winning the NOFV-Oberliga Sud — Germany’s fifth tier — in 2010 to the Bundesliga in 2017.
They have had huge successes, reaching the last four of the Champions League two years ago and developing the likes of Naby Keita and Timo Werner.
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Yet while they were on a money-no- object route to the top, so were Rangers. Only having to count every penny — certainly in the early days — as they did so. The original club may date back to 1872 but the current version has just over a decade of history, thanks to financial chaos, liquidation and a restart in Scotland’s Division Three.
It was a resurrection which, after a few businessmen saved them from disappearing altogether, saw a lot of players do just that.
And as they set off in the fourth tier in 2012, pretty much any money spent came from the fans’ pockets at the turnstiles.
But what numbers flooded in. Their first league game at Ibrox, against East Stirling, was in front of almost 50,000. The numbers hardly dropped thereafter.
While they were able to spend more as they climbed the ranks, it has never been silly money, and last year they stopped what most felt would be a Celtic stroll to a tenth title in a row.
Amid talk of European Super Leagues and moneybags giants trying to run the show, Rangers have shown what can be done. Yet rarely are they spoken of as a textbook example. Rarely is their journey hailed in the same raving way as Leipzig’s.
If some of the so-called elite had a fraction of the initiative and drive that has taken Rangers back to the top, maybe they wouldn’t be in the mess they’re in.
So if anyone tries to tell you what a story it will be if Red Bull make next month’s final in Seville, put them straight. The Blue Bull would be even better.
Rivals do not give a dross
THE contrast in Manchester and Merseyside could not be greater.
As City and Liverpool fans savour their finest teams in the modern era, United and Everton suffer the worst.
Watching your biggest rivals slug it out for silverware, while your own side serves up a pile of dross every week is tough enough. Even if it has got to the stage where you expect it.
Yet what really hurts at Goodison and Old Trafford is how little the men putting them through it seem to actually care.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, United fans knew they’d never win the title. A good Cup run was the best hope. But while the talent may have been missing, at least the effort never was.
Manchester United were hammered 4-0 by rivals Liverpool on Tuesday nightCredit: Rex
And when it came to playing City or Liverpool, regardless of league placings, it was a right old battle. All points were hard-won, the losers always devastated.
Likewise with Everton. Their Stanley Park rivals may have been kings of Europe, but any derby win came with a bruised shin or bloodied nose.
Again, everyone knew what it meant.
And as much as the fans hurt, they never doubted that the players weren’t doing likewise.
It didn’t soften the blow but somehow made it more bear-able. You were all in it together.
These days, though, that has gone. It is the name on the wage slip, not the one on the badge which matters. Not just for these two, of course, but this week has highlighted it.
Back in the day, if you couldn’t match your rivals for talent, at least you would for effort. Sometimes it meant players crossed the line but it was almost expected by both sides.
Yet now there is more chance of a bit of passion on Songs of Praise than from those in an Everton or United shirt.
Two proud clubs. Two proud sets of fans. Two lots of couldn’t-give-a-toss players.
Maybe the stinging criticism United, coached by Ralf Rangnick, have copped this week will inspire Everton to put in a performance at Anfield today. But you wouldn’t hold your breath.
Pog won’t take lead
A DAY after the Anfield debacle, and we were told Paul Pogba is “increasingly likely” to leave Old Trafford.
In terms of a shock, it was less predictable than Liverpool’s win or the fact Pogba has almost certainly now played his final game for the club.
Yet as much as Manchester United supporters will wave him off with two fingers pointing straight into the air, his will be one of THE great unfulfilled Premier League careers.
Paul Pogba is set to leave Manchester United this summer when his contract is upCredit: AFP
Brilliant with Juventus, a World Cup winner for France, Pogba should have been known as one of the finest midfielders to ever grace the field of play in England and for United.
In terms of talent, the Frenchman is right up there with the likes of Old Trafford greats Paul Scholes, Bryan Robson, David Beckham and Co.
When it comes to attitude, application and effort he’s also in a different league.
Only, this time, he is right down at the bottom.
THE Against The Odds documentaries on ITV have been compelling.If you haven’t seen the ones on jockeys Rachael Blackmore and, especially, Guy Disney hunt them down.
But the next, on Derby- winner turned trainer Johnny Murtagh is on another level, as he speaks about his battle with alcohol as well as his glory days.
Johnny Murtagh — Creating Belief is on Thursday May 5 at 9pm.
WHEN Middlesbrough keeper Luke Daniels caught a backpass from Sol Bamba, Huddersfield were fuming when referee Darren England showed a yellow.
They insisted Daniels merited red as he stopped a certain goal, even though a booking and indirect free-kick were correct, because it was a technical offence.
Which proved one thing above all else — there are still plenty of footballers who don’t know the rules. More
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Freddy Rincon brought fun and artistry to Colombian football and died far too young at 55
by Philippa Kaur 18 April 2022, 07:20
WEST Germany had won both of their first two World Cup group games at Italia 90, and with their place in the knock out rounds guaranteed, they were not at full tilt against Colombia.Even so, the Germans had no intention of being bamboozled by the Colombians, who gave them the run around for almost all of the ninety minutes.
The late Freddy Rincon with his best mate Carlos ValderramaCredit: AFP
Freddy Rincon was a star of a brilliant Colombia sideCredit: AFP
Colombia were constructed around the talent of central midfielder Carlos Valderrama, a frizzy haired footballing musician.
He was a player who always had the ball – and never had it.
Go to close him down, and suddenly the ball had vanished, transformed into a rabbit, or, more likely, at the feet of his lieutenant, Freddy Rincon.
Like a giant cat playing with a ball of wool, Rincon brought fun and artistry to the game.
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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;}REAL LEGEND .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;}Wake held for Freddy Rincon as thousands pay respects to Real Madrid hero
With two minutes to go, entirely against the run of play, West Germany took the lead.
This was bad news for Colombia.
They only needed a draw. Now they were facing elimination. Valderrama and Rincon changed priorities.
Instead of their bewildering sequence of flicks and tricks, they now went direct.
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The two of them conjured up a move that undressed the German defence, and Rincon slipped in the goal that took Colombia into the knock out stage for the first time.
It was a highpoint in a glorious career – and of a life cut short too soon when he died last week in a traffic accident.
Rincon was a key part of an exuberant Colombia side that, by their own account, came of age in a 1-1 draw at Wembley against England in 1988.
Their goal came from centre back Andres Escobar – whose own goal against the USA in the World Cup six years later was to have such tragic consequences.
Freddy Rincon’s wake attracted many mourners, including fans and ex-team-matesCredit: Reuters
A wake was held for Freddy Rincon on Saturday after his sad death this weekCredit: AFP
The pressures of USA 94, and of being placed among the favourites by Pele, were too much for a team representing a country that was wallowing in the chaos of the drug cartels.
Outside the pressures of the tournament, they were a truly great team.
Argentina had never lost a World Cup qualifier at home until Colombia swept them aside with a 5-0 win in Buenos Aires.
In France 98 it was England who brought the curtain down on a great Colombian generation.
By then they were a team in decline. But Rincon was not a player in decline.
He still had much to offer, and reinvented himself in Brazil, in a deeper role.
No longer the rampaging attacking midfielder, he was now the holder, sitting in front of the centre backs and distributing the ball with quality.
In the Club World Cup of 2000, Manchester United were torn apart by the talent of Vasco da Gama’s Romario and Edmundo.
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In the final against Corinthians, Rincon ensured there would be no repeat.
He positioned himself between the two strikers, ensuring they could not combine, and gave his side the platform to win the game and claim the title.
Freddy Rincon has gone far too young, at the age of 55.
But he will live on in the hearts of all those who love their football with a refined touch. More
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Karren Brady: Twenty years on from Bend It Like Beckham women’s football is making its own legends
by Philippa Kaur 15 April 2022, 21:14
THE FILM Bend it Like Beckham was of historic importance to English football.It left its mark as surely as a muddy boot on a goalpost.
Bend It Like Beckham inspired major change and evolution in footballCredit: Alamy
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes leads the revolution in women’s footballCredit: EPA
Two decades ago it told the story of “Jess” Bhamra, a Manchester United-loving young girl from a traditional Sikh family who plays football against her parents’ wishes, highlighting misogyny in sport.
It stirred women’s interest in our game — so much so that, 20 years after the film’s release in April 2002, 3.4million women now play football, as reported by the FA.
The growth is phenomenal.
The Bend It phenomenon freed women’s imagination in a way perhaps that The Beatles did 40 years earlier, although the effects were very different.
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Instead of screaming hysteria, girls were drawn to team competition, to companionship, to fitness and to the skills that came as easily to them as to the boys.
The FA and other agencies, driven by the sudden, overwhelming interest at schools and in classes run by good coaches, are doing an exceptional job.
A few males may still laugh at women playing what they call “our game” and that prejudice lingers among men who should know better.
Kenny Shiels, the Northern Ireland women’s team coach, only this week described women footballers as “more emotional” than men — a comment made even more absurd by Atletico Madrid’s antics against Manchester City on Wednesday.
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Leading clubs having gradually, even grudgingly, accepted they have a major part to play in the advancement of the women’s game. They are now as switched on to it as floodlights.
At the moment this is a costly business. I do not know of a single WSL team that breaks even, let alone makes money, but it’s not always about money.
At West Ham we call ourselves United Women and that’s just perfect. Unity is all.
There are rewards, too. We reached the final of the Women’s FA Cup three years ago and today we are in the televised semi-final against City.
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady says women’s football will go on reaching new heightsCredit: Getty
Professional football is broadening all the time and if women have had difficulties in being taken seriously, the crowd prejudice against ethnic players was, and sometimes still is, shocking. Bend It was also important because the star is Sikh. This made it a double coup.
In the five years after Bend It was first shown, the percentage of black, Asian and minority ethnic professionals in England rose from 22 per cent to 33 per cent and today the figure stands at 50 per cent.
However, there are only ten British Asians who represent no less than 7.5 per cent of the population.
That’s one great big hole in the canvas. The other is the lack of black managers.
I am sure this will change. It is beginning to among women because several clubs have appointed top managers in women’s football.
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One of them, Emma Hayes, has won four championships, four FA Cups, been runner-up in the Champions League and been voted FIFA Best Coach while at Chelsea.
Women’s football is making its own modern legends. I hope the next 20 years progress as much as the last 20. More
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Lights went out in the tunnel and we were jumped… you couldn’t even see who was punching who, remembers Troy Deeney
by Philippa Kaur 15 April 2022, 19:53
THERE was something very old school about that brawl in the tunnel after Manchester City’s Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.And it was impressive to see an old pro like Scott Carson in the thick of it all, ‘offering out’ an Atletico defender.
Tempers flared between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid on WednesdayCredit: Getty
At least one Atleti player appeared to spit at the City group as on-field scraps carried on up the tunnelCredit: Twitter
Troy Deney enjoyed seeing the aggro – and was reminded of scraps he has witnessed in his careerCredit: The Sun
Scott, like me, will be able to remember the days when a bundle in the tunnel was far more commonplace than it is now.
And I think it said a lot about City’s togetherness that their third-choice keeper, who knows he is never likely to play, is so fully involved with getting stuck in on behalf of his team-mates.
It made me suspect that they might go on and win the Treble, with that sort of team spirit.
Atletico looked like a team who knew City had better players than them and had set out to try to bully them.
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It looked quite cowardly the way Diego Simeone’s men targeted smaller players like Phil Foden rather than some of the bigger lads.
And while I’m no ‘Mr Squeaky Clean’, I have certainly never spat at an opponent as at least one Atletico player appeared to do.
But on and off the pitch, City showed they are no pushovers.
Especially when you’re away from the prying eyes of cameras, plenty can go on in the tunnel — before and after matches.
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To be honest, I found Pep Guardiola’s team more intimidating in the tunnel than any other opponent.
It’s not because they are aggressive — nothing like Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira trying to psych each other out before those classic Manchester United v Arsenal clashes.
That sort of stuff doesn’t bother me.
You line up in the tunnel against Burnley, and they’re all at least 6ft 2in and big units and they’re yelling out: “Let’s ’ave it”… and I’m fine with that.
I never thought I was going to have a nice, cosy afternoon gliding past Ben Mee anyway.
But when you line up against someone like Kevin De Bruyne and before the match he’s smiling, totally chilled — “Hello Troy, how are the kids?”… now that is intimidating.
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The guy’s about to metaphorically go to war with you and he’s whistling a happy tune because he’s basically saying: “I’m so good at football that I’m not even going to break sweat against you.”
It’s the same with Liverpool, City’s opponents in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley today.
I can remember Sadio Mane smiling at me in the tunnel, telling me to look after Ismaila Sarr, my Watford team-mate, who plays for Senegal with Mane.
He was saying what a good boy Sarr is, and seemingly totally blase about the actual match.
You line up in the tunnel against Burnley, and they’re all at least 6ft 2in and big units and they’re yelling out: “Let’s ’ave it”… and I’m fine with that.Troy Deeney
That is far more unsettling than an opponent roaring at me or trying to make themselves look physically imposing.
In terms of post-match scraps, I can remember a couple of full-on incidents in my Watford days.
When Paul Ince was managing Blackpool, they nicked a late winner against us.
Ince had played for Inter Milan and spoke Italian — or at least he knew the swear words — and he’d apparently said something offensive to a couple of our Italian lads in their native tongue.
It all kicked off and fists were flying. I actually played peacemaker.
Kevin de Bruyne and Sadio Mane are happy to chat casually in the tunnelCredit: AFP
Deeney had to play peacemaker after a bust-up with BlackpoolCredit: Action Images – Reuters
It’s about the only interaction I’ve ever had with Ince — who was a great England captain — and I was telling him: “It’s like this, is it? Really? Or are we going to try to be grown-ups instead?”
The worst one I remember came when one of my team-mates made a bad tackle on an opponent who’d just come back from a year out injured.
We were winning comfortably, so it was probably an unnecessary challenge, and I could sense how angry the other side were.
I knew the team-mate in question was physical on the pitch but wouldn’t have fancied any aggro off the pitch and so, as captain, I made a point of trying to physically shield him as he went off.
De Bruyne and his City mates are more likely to wind you up by being so infuriatingly coolTroy Deeney
The old tunnel at Vicarage Road was very tight and we had to walk past the away dressing room to get to our own.
On this occasion, someone turned the light out in the tunnel and we were jumped on in the dark.
There were about 20 blokes involved and that scrap was quite nasty.
It was pretty much pitch black, so you couldn’t tell who was throwing punches against who!
That sort of thing was pretty common when I started out at Walsall but there aren’t so many of those sort of characters in the game who are keen to get physical.
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