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      in Motorsport

      Ben Hunt: Verstappen’s F1 clean sweep isn’t a shoo-in as Norris and Co show the pack are catching up at Silverstone

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN was victorious again and Red Bull maintained their 100 per cent win-rate for the season.But don’t switch off yet, the others are definitely catching up.
      Lando Norris put his foot in the door of Max Verstappen’s title charge by coming second at the British GPCredit: Getty
      Max Verstappen sealed Red Bull’s 11th win in a row and is still the title favouriteCredit: Rex
      OK, it may already be too late in the title race for Verstappen has a whopping 99-point lead.
      But there was something, even in Red Bull’s 11th consecutive win, that makes me think we could see a driver from a different team on the top-step of the podium at the next race in Budapest.
      Red Bull started the season strongly with a car design that has proved to be best out of the box — as they usually do.
      I have asked their rivals and there is ZERO suspicion of any foul play with regards to the design — which in itself is unusual for F1 as team’s do enjoy pointing an accusing finger.
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      Yet we have now reached the point of the season where the teams have had time to copy that design and produce their own version of it.
      Consequently, it was no surprise to see McLaren’s Red Bull-inspired car design perform so well at Silverstone.
      Others will follow suit soon.
       Aston Martin and even Mercedes would be foolish not to put engineering pride to one side and copy Red Bull’s homework.
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      It was interesting to hear Lando Norris keep expectations in check after impressive back-to-back results — fourth  in Austria and second at Silverstone — on two very different tracks.
      He usually has a terrible poker face but they will again be in the mix in Budapest at the Hungarian GP, as will Mercedes after a difficult two races.
      Verstappen has been winning  by a good 25+  seconds yet, at Silverstone, that was cut to just 3.7sec.
      Red Bull boss Christian Horner has always maintained that convergence would happen over the course of the season as the other teams make up ground.
      And we also need to factor in the limited development Red Bull now have by virtue of the rules that cut the allotted wind-tunnel time depending on where you finish in the championship.
      The other element to consider is the further reduction as punishment for breaching last year’s cost cap.
      The gap in lap time between Verstappen and the rest is closing. 
      While it is too late to change the outcome of this year’s championship, it does bode well for the competitiveness for 2024.
      Pitt’s lost the plot
      FILMING for the new Formula One film started at Silverstone and we were told to hold back on the details so as not to spoil the plot.
      So it was a bit of a surprise to hear Brad Pitt say this in a TV interview with Sky F1.
      When asked about his character Sonny Hayes, movie star Pitt said: “So he has a horrible crash, kind of craps out and disappears and is racing in other disciplines.
      “His friend, played by Javier Bardem, is a team owner.
      “They’re the last-placed team — 21st and 22nd on the grid. They’ve never scored a point.
      “They have a young phenom played by Dansom Idris.
      “He brings me in as a kind of ‘Hail Mary’ and high jinks ensue.”
      Lew-dunit
      ACTOR Damian Lewis is well used to playing a baddie on screen — but boy did he murder the national anthem at Silverstone on Sunday.
      He sounded like a shoddy Elvis tribute act.
      Read More on The Sun
      Four’s to be reckoned with
      CHANNEL 4 has extended its deal with Sky to show Formula One action by three years to 2026.
      The agreement shows the British GP live and delivers a highlights package of all the other races. More

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      in Soccer

      I’ll be beaming with Brummie pride as Grealish plays in Champions League final… and Bellingham may be next

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      THERE will be a great deal of Brummie pride for me in seeing Jack Grealish playing in a Champions League final.Even though Jack is an Aston Villa man — and their former captain to boot — and I’m a lifelong Birmingham City fan, it’s great to see him thriving at the very highest level.
      Jack Grealish is on the verge of winning the TrebleCredit: Getty
      Jude Bellingham could be next as he nears a transfer to Real MadridCredit: AP
      In Grealish and Jude Bellingham — ‘one of our own’ for us Bluenoses — my home city has two genuine world-class players and that is wonderful to see.
      Jack has really come alive in his second season at Manchester City.
      I kept hearing about him being overpriced last season. His £100million price tag was repeatedly used as a stick to bash him with — but that has all gone quiet now.
      It looks as if Jack feels he belongs at City now and I can see him being a regular starter for the club and England for three or four years at least.
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      At Villa, he was the main man. Everything went through him but now he has learned how to be a real team player.
      He makes goals, scores goals and tracks back to put in a defensive shift too.
      You can see when he celebrates goals how much he is a part of it, how he has bought into that team ethic.
      I know Jack well, he’s a cracking kid from a nice family and he has worked hard to get to the top of the game.
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      You used to hear about him getting into scrapes off the field but, at 27, he’s grown up and learned lessons. You don’t hear those stories about him any more.
      He is clearly a lad who still likes to enjoy himself — but he is doing that in the right way and at the right times now.
      City chief Pep Guardiola has really developed him — much like he has done with other English talents, like John Stones and Kyle Walker.
      They have all improved and become so adaptable under him.
      Phil Foden is the one who is missing out on starts now.
      A few months ago, at the World Cup, the nation was crying out for Phil to start but now he can’t get a regular game for City and that is largely because Jack’s form has been so good, he’s become undroppable.
      I can’t see any other outcome other than a City win against Inter in Istanbul — it would be a massive shock if Guardiola’s men do not complete the Treble.
      Inter are a decent team but they are simply not at the same level and their route to the final was a bit freakish, they haven’t beaten any of the really major teams.
      I’d love to see Grealish play a starring role in the biggest game of his life so far.
      He’s got the sort of crowd-pleasing quality where you can imagine him playing for Real Madrid one day.
      And 19-year-old starlet Bellingham is likely to be heading just there this summer. Can you imagine two Brummies at the Bernabeu?
      Read more on The Sun
      For now, though, there is nowhere better to be than City.
      They’re the best team in the world and I expect them to prove it in Istanbul. More

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      in Soccer

      Tony Adams: Arsenal’s squad has peaked… they may NEVER hit this level again

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      MIKEL ARTETA worked wonders to get Arsenal into second place considering the players he had at his disposal.But when a manager has massively over-performed and raised a club’s expectations so high, there’s often a fallout if the level of improvement isn’t maintained the following season.
      Mikel Arteta saw Arsenal’s title bid crumble as they gave up a big lead on Man CityCredit: Reuters
      Arsenal legend Tony Adams fears the Gunners might not be able to challenge againCredit: Getty
      And when that happens, he’s often gone by Christmas.
      Now I am not for one minute suggesting that the Gunners are going to be getting rid of Arteta, but I do fear that this could be as good as it gets for them.
      Talk of Arsenal bottling the title race was nonsense because they played to their absolute maximum and came up just short of the best team in the world.
      No one expected them to finish so high but the downside to all that is where do they go from here?
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      I hate to sound like a prophet of doom, but I do believe that a lot of this team has already peaked.
      It was possibly the best season that many of them will ever have. I don’t think they’ll get to that level again.
      They’re definitely not going to challenge Manchester City next season and without serious recruitment this summer it will be a struggle for them to finish runners-up again.
      City’s B team is better than any other Premier League side and we know that Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea will all be much stronger next time out.
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      So if Arsenal want to push on from here, they have to sign four big, experienced leaders this summer.
      Declan Rice could certainly be one of those, but if I’m going to spend £100million on one player, I want a Jack Grealish type of player who is going to give me goals and assists, not a holding midfielder.
      The problem is that Arsenal want players who are already acclimatised to English football and they’re always going to be overpriced when you buy from your Premier League rivals.
      Ben White cost £50m and we still don’t know if he is meant to be a centre-half, a right-back or a central midfielder.
      Arsenal need another centre-half, a striker, a midfielder and a winger. And they all need to be better than the players they already have.
      They have spent more than £400m on new signings since Arteta was appointed in 2019 but none of them were players City would have wanted.
      I am not for one minute suggesting that the Gunners are going to be getting rid of Arteta, but I do fear that this could be as good as it gets for them.Tony Adams
      They’ve always fished in the pool of second dibs, but you don’t catch the serial champions without recruiting the same elite level of player.
      Unfortunately I don’t think they have the cash to buy everything they need this summer and that’s why I fear they have already missed their window of opportunity to win the title.
      I was talking with George Graham the other day and he said this Arsenal team has no resilience. They had a technical leader but no physical leaders to stand strong in the games that really mattered.
      There wasn’t enough experience in the camp from top to bottom.
      I also don’t think there are enough people in the backroom staff challenging the manager like me and Joe Jordan did when we worked with Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth.
      Arsenal handed the title to City with two games to spare after a horror run of resultsCredit: Getty
      Legend Adams is worried about Arsenal and Arteta’s futureCredit: Louis Wood
      Arteta said that none of his players had reached their peak and denied that they ran out of steam.
      Well, sorry Mikel, but I have to disagree on both counts. Mentally, physically and emotionally, they ran out of resources when some lost form and others were ruled out by injury.
      I get the impression that Arteta didn’t have much faith in his back-up players and so he picked the same team week after week when some of them were crying out for a rest.
      Every time I won the league with Arsenal, we always had magnificent back-up players sitting on the bench.
      David O’Leary,  Ian Wright, Martin Keown, Sylvain Wiltord, Freddie Ljungberg, Gilberto Silva, some of the greatest players in the club’s  history, all served as understudies at one point or another.
      There’s no one of that calibre currently waiting in the Emirates wings and that’s why they couldn’t sustain their title challenge all the way to the finishing post.
      Of course they’ll regret not snatching the title when it was up for grabs because a lot of things went their way in terms of going unbeaten in all of their London derbies and so many other big clubs messing up.
      Someone said to me the other day that the 84 points Arsenal finished with would have been enough to win the title in some previous eras.
      City’s B team is better than any other Premier League side and we know that Newcastle, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea will all be much stronger next time out.Tony Adams
      But that’s totally irrelevant because awesome City have raised the bar so much higher and are turning it into a one-team league.
      They are so dominant that it’s becoming boring, so at least we should thank Arsenal for giving them a run for their money.
      And while I get the opportunity, I also want to put on record that the supporters have been absolutely magnificent.
      I played my entire career at the Highbury Library and George always used to tell us that we couldn’t rely on the crowd to get us going. But the Ashburton Army and the North London Forever anthem means the Emirates is a proper stadium for the first time since we’ve been here.
      It wasn’t so long ago that there was a pretty toxic atmosphere at the home games but now it’s an absolute joy to attend.

      So we might not be as good as City on the pitch, but at least our fans are better than theirs.
      And that’s got to be something worth celebrating, hasn’t it? More

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      in Motorsport

      Ben Hunt: Red Bull CAN be ‘Invincibulls’ and win EVERY race this term as Verstappen turns F1 season into procession

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      CHRISTIAN HORNER says there is no way his Red Bull team can win every race this season — but I’m not too sure.After Max Verstappen’s dominant win in the rain-hit Monaco GP on Sunday, I asked him whether he felt it was achievable to win all the remaining 16 races having already wrapped up the first six.
      Red Bull superstar Max Verstappen could win every single F1 race this seasonCredit: Rex
      “You are trying to get me to do an Arsene Wenger here aren’t you?” he replied, with reference to the former Arsenal manager, who guided the Gunners through the 2003-2004 Premier League season without a single defeat.
      Wenger’s side, whose record was 49  games  unbeaten, are known as ‘The Invincibles’.
      But Horner is definitely in with a great chance to make his own, shall we call them, ‘Invincibulls’.
      His point is that in F1 racing there is “so much jeopardy” — pointing to the weather in Monaco and highlighting that the “competition is so strong”.
      Read More on F1
      But really, Red Bull and 25-year-old driver Verstappen were a class above everyone else involved last weekend.
      Verstappen mastered qualifying, and while the rain did make some drama, he had pulled out such a huge gap over Fernando Alonso, it was not what you could call close.
      Where I do agree with the Red Bull boss is that Monaco needs changing if it wants to retain its place on the F1 calendar.
      Yes, there is all the history and it clearly appealed to the TikTok generation of ‘influencers’ who were chauffeured and ferried into the Principality with their mobiles at the ready.
      Most read in Motorsport
      But the reality is, with F1 having dull races in Azerbaijan and Miami in the two GPs before this, they needed to have some exciting racing, but there wasn’t any until the rain — and that was only due to human error.
      Horner said: “The problem we have is the cars are so big now that all venues have to evolve a little.
      “I think it would be great if there was just one area where we could create a bit of space for an overtake.
      “I’m sure with the creativeness there is, and the amount of land they’re reclaiming [from the sea around Monaco], there’s got to be the opportunity to squeeze in a bigger braking zone.
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      Verstappen could emulate Arsenal’s legendary Invincibles’ recordCredit: PA:Press Association
      “Maybe they can extend the circuit? If there is an opportunity to add another kilometre and a hairpin, that would be phenomenal.
      “It is something maybe to contemplate when you think of the next 20 years of Monaco. You don’t want to see it left behind.”
      I guess the same can be said about his rivals.

      CHEEKY Christian Horner pinched Toto Wolff’s electric scooter as the two battled through the crowds in Monaco.
      While the Mercedes boss was stopped for selfies, Red Bull supremo Horner seized the chance to nick his ride.

      WHILE the Monaco GP was in danger of being a dullard, the Indy 500 was a thriller – even if it was a bit like banger racing.
      There were crashes after crashes bringing out the red flags – I was wondering if it would ever end.
      Eventually Josef Newgarden was crowned the winner and clinched the first prize worth around £2.5 million.

      ORGANISERS of the Isle of Man TT race have introduced a new safety management system for this year’s race.
      Six riders were killed last year and changes have been made including digital red flags screens, more fast-response vehicles and a redesigned Race Control building.
      Practice for this year’s race kicked off yesterday and there will also be an additional Riders’ Briefing midway through qualifying week.
      Read More on The Sun
      CELEBRITY chef Wolfgang Puck has devised a menu for Aston Martin’s VIP guests.
      Fittingly, the Austrian-American honed his skills at Monaco’s prestigious Hotel des Paris, which overlooks the circuit. More

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      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton defends F1 Miami GP glitz… but why should it be treated any differently to Silverstone and Co?

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has leapt to the defence of F1’s pre-race razzmatazz, saying it is good new things are being tried to attract fans.A number of drivers were critical of the introductions from rapper LL Cool J at Sunday’s Miami GP, while music producer will.i.am conducted an orchestra on the grid.
      Lewis Hamilton believes new ideas to attract new fans are a good thing for the sportCredit: Splash
      will.i.am conducts an orchestra ahead of the Miami Grand PrixCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      It was over-the-top and a few drivers complained about standing around in the heat for too long — and fans blasted the stunt as tacky.
      But Hamilton, 38, said: “It is cool the sport is continuously growing and evolving and not doing the same stuff.
      “They are trying to do things to improve the show. I mean, I grew up listening to LL Cool J and now he’s there.
      “You look over and you have will.i.am, who is an incredible artist. I thought it was cool.”
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      I actually like the idea of a driver introduction. Fans rarely get to see them without their crash helmets on.
      Plus, I don’t really get the fuss when it is made part of the schedule. The drivers cannot complain they did not know it was happening.
      But if this is to be a new part of the show, then it needs to be applied to all races.
      As Fernando Alonso pointed out in his post-race comments, why should Miami fans be treated any differently to those in Mexico City or Silverstone?
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      F1 needs to engage more with the spectators and give drivers a profile, and this is a good opportunity to do that.
      I’m less a fan of the ridiculous song and video from will.i.am and Lil Wayne which F1 have commissioned.
      Called “The Formula” it features laughable lyrics such as “you a small fry, need ketchup, fall behind or you can catch up” — but then it is not aimed at me.
      As for the whole Miami GP experience? It seems as though organisers learned from the previous year and made substantial changes to enhance the event, which was a 90,000 sell-out on both Saturday and Sunday, so they must be doing something right.
      Mitch Clemence had a memorable Miami Grand Prix — but do not worry if you have not heard of him.
      An ESPN camera crew quizzed six fans at the race how they thought the “rookie” would do. Four of the six predicted a good performance for the completely bogus name the crew had made up.
      NICE JOB
      ALEX ALBON left his mobile phone in Nice airport before flying to the Azerbaijan GP.
      The Williams driver found a friend to fly from the UK to Nice and then back again to retrieve it.
      His phone was then put on the F1 charter flight to be reunited with its owner in Baku.
      Alex Albon managed to get his phone backCredit: EPA
      BRAKING BRAD
      THERE was lots of talk about the new F1 film with Brad Pitt — who is learning how to race at the track used by the French Grand Prix.
      I await the cliffhanger ending where we sweat for four hours while FIA stewards investigate a minor rules breach then decide the winner.
      MIAMI HEAT
      RACE bosses could install floodlights to beat Florida’s heat by turning the Miami GP into a night race.
      Miami Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel, who also oversees the race, said: “Obviously at this time of year, the weather’s a little unpredictable.
      “The breezes have helped a lot this year but last year was unseasonably hot.”
      TICKING OFF OVER
      DAN TICKTUM has cooled his row with Formula E rival Jake Dennis.
      The two clashed at the Sao Paulo E-Prix, where Dennis labelled his fellow Brit a “plonker” for punting him out of the race.
      Speaking at the Monaco E-Prix, Ticktum said: “It is not as beefy as the internet is making out.
      “We are both grown men — and we don’t really want to have these feuds any more.
      “It is in the past, I made a mistake, that’s it, I want to move on.”
      CAN’T BE TOP MAN
      FABIO QUARTARARO has ruled out the chances of Toprak Razgatlioglu joining MotoGP because “he knows” he can’t win.
      The Turkish World Superbike rider recently tested for Yamaha but the team were underwhelmed, reducing the likelihood of him swapping series.
      Yamaha ace Quartararo said: “I don’t think he will come. He is a rider who wants to win and, for me, he knows that if he comes here he can’t do it.
      “So I think he prefers to fight in Superbike.”

       - COLIN   TURKINGTON reached a victory milestone at Brands Hatch with his 64th career win.
      It moved the four-time British Touring Car champ, 41, into second spot on the all-time winners’ list — passing Matt Neal but behind Jason Plato’s 97 wins. More

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      in Soccer

      It’s testament to the utter shambles in 10 years since Fergie’s exit that this will be a season of progress for Man Utd

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      TEN years on from the announcement of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, the state of play with Manchester United’s squad is as follows:An under-performing goalkeeper, who is costing goals and can’t play confidently with his feet.
      So far Man Utd have come nowhere near replicating the glorious reign of Sir Alex Ferguson from 1986-2013Credit: PA
      Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge could yet be the best post-Fergie campaign for the Red Devils amid a battle to take over the clubCredit: Getty
      An £85million club captain who is currently fifth-choice centre-half.
      An over-priced £85.5m one-footed, one-trick pony and another winger who cost £73m and cannot get a regular place in an average team.
      The midfield lacks dynamism, the full-backs lack attacking threat, the entire team lacks goals and the ability to win away from home.
      And even the defining masterstroke of Erik ten Hag’s first season — fumigating the dressing-room by bombing out Cristiano Ronaldo — basically boils down to this: He has replaced one of the greatest footballers of all time with Wout Weghorst.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      It is a testament to the utter shambles of the last decade that this will still be a season of progress for England’s most famous football club.
      If United stagger over the line into fourth place ahead of a sprinting Liverpool and, in the far less likely event that they complete a Cup double by defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, it might even be the club’s best post-Ferguson season.
      Yet still we could stage a fascinating debate over the most shambolic defeat of their campaign — the historic 7-0 hiding at Anfield, the 6-3 evisceration by City, the 4-0 first-half collapse at Brentford.
      Or the tossing away of a two-goal lead to lose 5-2 on aggregate to the weakest Sevilla team in years to exit the Europa League.
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      Which shows how staggeringly far the mighty have fallen, how United continue to suffer from ten years of dismal player recruitment and how desperately they need the wretched Glazers to get out of the club ASAP.
      Ten Hag got lucky at West Ham on Sunday, where a 1-0 defeat  flattered them.
      He might easily have suffered a serious trouncing at the hands of the old ‘Chosen One’ David Moyes and added another entry to that list of complete humiliations.
      The Hammers should have had a penalty for handball.
      And after he disastrously conceded Said Benrahma’s pea-roller, David de Gea was lucky that a Michail Antonio effort was disallowed when the Spaniard was feeble in dealing with a cross.
      De Gea is out of contract this summer and if Ten Hag is serious about wanting to keep him, then the Dutchman presumably feels he is simply too short of long-serving senior pros, with the petulant Bruno Fernandes already a clearly unsuitable on-field captain.
      Although he already has too many struggling high-profile players to know what to do with — Harry Maguire, Antony and Jadon Sancho among them.
      United haven’t seriously challenged for either the Premier League or Champions League since Ferguson left and they do not look like doing so any time soon.
      Their only hope is a successful takeover and yet even that public auction has been an embarrassing muddle.
      There is no guarantee of any resolution, and even if there is, the Glazers may linger like a bad smell under Jim Ratcliffe.
      There are big question marks over the futures of Harry Maguire and David de GeaCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Or there will be serious questions asked about Sheikh Jassim, the Qatari royal who is absolutely not funded by the Qatari state which has made such a celebrity circus out of Paris Saint-Germain…
      Ten Hag is a good coach — probably the most suitable of all United’s six post-Ferguson bosses.
      Had it not been for injuries to centre-backs Lisandro Martinez, perhaps United’s best post- Ferguson signing, and Raphael Varane, United would surely have held off Liverpool with some comfort.
      Their home form remains pretty solid and three of their remaining four fixtures are Wolves, Chelsea and Fulham at Old Trafford.
      United should be back in the Champions League, they might still end up parading two Cups, welcoming new owners and capturing Harry Kane this summer.
      And still you can’t imagine them challenging City any time soon.
      PEP’S POSER
      PEP GUARDIOLA was fuming that Erling Haaland didn’t take Manchester City’s late penalty against Leeds — instead leaving it to Ilkay Gundogan.
      He missed his hat-trick attempt before Sam Allardyce’s side made it 2-1 to set up an unnecessarily nervy finale.
      When Haaland ceded spot-kick duties to Riyad Mahrez in the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield  United a fortnight earlier, Guardiola claimed he’d left it up to the players to decide.
      Firstly, Guardiola must sort out this weird oversight before the greatest test of City’s Treble bid against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu tonight.
      Secondly, imagine how many goals Haaland might score if he was actually ruthless.
      BARRACK ‘N FORTH
      AT St James’ Park, seated directly behind the dugouts, you can appreciate the extent of the earache handed out to fourth officials.
      On Sunday, Anthony Taylor spent the vast majority of the 90 minutes being harangued by Newcastle assistant  Jason Tindall (the chief irritant), Eddie Howe, Mikel Arteta and his No 2 Steve Round.
      And for what? Do these men believe that Taylor will say: “I didn’t make that decision.
      I have no authority to overturn that decision. But, as you’ve moaned so much, I’m going to overturn it anyway.” 
      MUST PICK FIK
      FIKAYO TOMORI is heading into a Champions League semi-final with AC Milan against city rivals Inter, aiming to join a select band of Englishmen to  contest a European Cup final with a foreign club.
      Only Kevin Keegan, Laurie Cunningham, Chris Waddle, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves have achieved this before, and nobody for more than 20 years.
      Given the paucity of decent English centre-backs, the absence of Tomori from Gareth Southgate’s squad is looking weird.
      EUROPE’S NO SPUR
      TOTTENHAM’S mini-revival under caretaker-caretaker-boss Ryan Mason might well earn them seventh place in the Premier League and a spot in the Europa Conference League.
      While West Ham have embraced that third-tier competition — as would Brighton, Aston Villa and other clubs — Spurs will, with some justification, consider it beneath them.
      The next permanent boss might wish Spurs had stuck with the last caretaker, Cristian Stellini, trashed the rest of this season and missed out on Europe altogether.
      CAUSING A STER
      FOR a stretch of time, Raheem Sterling was frequently booed by England fans while playing for his country.
      Yet he ended up as Gareth Southgate’s best player when the Three Lions reached their first major final in 55 years at the last Euros, in 2021.

      Chelsea fans are now booing Sterling but, under Mauricio Pochettino next season, he is well capable of changing minds at  Stamford Bridge.
      If ever there was a player who thrives on being under-appreciated, it is Sterling. More

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      in Soccer

      Let’s raise a glass to Celtic boss Postecoglou.. don’t be surprised to see him an impact this side of Hadrian’s Wall

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      IT WAS a storm in an egg cup, or perhaps a whisky glass, but Celtic’s probable fifth treble in seven seasons has the other half of Glasgow itching with frustration.And there can be few scratchers north of the border more aggravated than Rangers manager Michael Beale, 42, who has already been rendered title-less as another Hoops monopoly of big trophies plays out.
      Ange Postecoglou’s CV is nothing to sneer atCredit: Getty
      He is on course to win the treble with CelticCredit: Kenny Ramsay
      His counterpart five-and-a-half miles away, Ange Postecoglou, brushed off Beale’s comment that the Greco-Australian was a lucky man to have had handy transfer cash.
      “Not luck but know-how” was an Aussie reaction the late Shane Warne, God bless him, would have been proud of. I am sure the Greeks had a phrase for it, too.
      Under-estimating Ange has been a common reaction throughout his 25 years of management.
      But get this for a CV: Two titles in the old National Soccer League with South Melbourne; two in the A-League with Brisbane Roar, yet another in Japan’s J League with Yokohama F Marinos.
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      And then, a badge really to boast about, guiding Australia to 2015 Asian Cup glory.
      With the Roar, he once went an impressive 36 games undefeated. Eat your heart out, Pep.
      There isn’t a name Aussies can’t transform into a single syllable so Angelos soon became Ange to his mates in Melbourne.
      He was five when his family, penniless and jobless settled there in 1965. A defender with the features of a warrior, he was to become a one-club player and Aussie international.
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      Postecoglou, 57, has led Celtic to the title and won the league cup twice in his first two seasons with the club, dominating Scottish football as Manchester City threaten to do in England.
      But where Celtic are set to be champions for the 53rd time, no English club has the satisfaction of nearing an equivalent domination — Manchester United leading on 20 from Liverpool’s 19.
      Now whether being emperor of a small kingdom is more satisfying than being president of a big one, the fact is that Celtic are minor players in modern football.
      The national team are only beginning to shrug off the air of useless braggadocio that settled over it in the past two decades.
      In Glasgow pubs, they still tease Sassenachs about the 3-2 win against England, 1966 World Cup winners a year earlier.
      And the triumphs of Robert the Bruce, seven centuries ago.
      All bar Celtic and Rangers struggle to attract attendances of more than 20,000.
      Billionaire owners are not to be found and television contracts are tiny compared with those in England.
      Sky recently signed to pay Scottish football £150million-a-year from 2025, while the company’s current contract with the EFL is £119m-a-season, but is likely to be increased because there is a probable new rival.
      Chicken feed compared with the Premier League champions, who will earn £176m from TV money this season alone.
      There are still advocates of the admission of the two Old Firm clubs to the English structure, although these tend to fall foul of arguments about the level of entry.
      The Ibrox capacity is just over 50,000 and Celtic Park is around 60,000 so the possibility will always be attractive to some — the SNP  Government probably not.
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      And so with the odd exception — Rangers under Steven Gerrard in 2021 — Celtic have a recent record of domestic dominance that looks set to continue.
      Postecoglou’s feats around the world suggest he would make an impact this side of Hadrian’s Wall and, no, this is not a new defensive strategy. More

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      If Sam Allardyce had stayed at England, I’d have been a Three Lion.. he’s the man to grab Leeds players by the balls

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      I’M more painfully aware than any other footballer that Sam Allardyce lasted only one match as England manager.That’s because, if Big Sam had been around to name a second England squad, I knew I would have been in it.
      Sam Allardyce can inspire Leeds to safetyCredit: PA
      Big Sam would have called Troy Deeney up to the England squadCredit: Getty
      Back in 2016, I was in good form for Watford in the Premier League and after Sam’s first match in charge against Slovakia, he’d phoned my club and told them I would be called up to face Malta and Slovenia in World Cup qualifiers.
      I can remember it well, we were due to play Burnley and I was told that as long as I didn’t have a stinker, I’d get my first England call-up that week.
      But the very next day, Sam quit as England manager after being caught in a newspaper sting.
      It was harsh that the FA felt he had to go but, I tell you what, I’d have paid him good money for him to stay in that job for at least another few weeks!
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      I’ve had a better career than I ever expected when I started out, so there are no complaints from me — but to have represented my country would have been a crowning glory.
      Despite that disappointment, I’ve always felt very grateful that Sam rated me highly enough to play for England — and I’m delighted to see him back in football at Leeds after a two-year absence.
      I know a lot of people laughed when, during his first press conference, he claimed he was “up there” with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
      I didn’t find it funny. I thought it was brilliant and I was buzzing for him. This is a self-confident man with an excellent CV to back up his words.
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      If I was a Leeds player, I’d be thinking, “This bloke believes he can get us out of jail, I’m all in”.
      My old Watford boss, Javi Gracia, lasted just 70 days in charge at Elland Road.
      He is a thoroughly good man who was dealt a bad hand at Leeds.
      That is a squad which needs to be grabbed by the balls and there is no one better to do that than Big Sam. I think he can keep them up.
      Leeds have four matches to play and the first two are against Manchester City and Newcastle.
      But the final two games, at West Ham and at home to Tottenham, are definitely winnable and a couple of victories will probably save them from the drop.
      Their midfield is the worst part of Leeds’ team — and there are other bad parts — because they seem to keep signing bang-average American midfielders.
      Likewise, striker Georginio Rutter, who joined in a £35million deal and has yet to score a goal.
      One of the few exceptions is Willy Gnonto, who should have started more games.
      If Leeds go down, the Italian winger is one of the few players who would get a decent Premier League move in the summer.
      Big Sam will rely on lads like Adam Forshaw, Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper — if fit — to shore things up.
      You can certainly say Sam’s brand of football is very different to Marcelo Bielsa’s high-energy attacking template.
      But I disagree with most Leeds fans, who seem to think Bielsa is a great manager. The Argentinian is a short-term boss whose sides lose a lot of exciting matches — but still lose them.
      After his first half-season in the Prem, teams started to suss Leeds out and a lot of his players got injured because they were burnt out.
      If Sam gets the couple of wins Leeds need, then I think he should stay on next season and make that team difficult to beat.
      Most players love managers like Sam because there is no bulls**t.
      It’s funny how Premier League clubs keep appointing managers from all over the world and yet, when the chips are down, they turn to tried-and-tested men like Sean Dyche, Roy Hodgson and Sam.
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      He has seen it all before and will take the air of panic out of the situation at Elland Road.
      And he certainly knows a good player when he sees one — but I would say that, wouldn’t I? More