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      in Soccer

      Paul Pogba is a huge talent but never learnt to live with the fame… now his career could be over

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      LIVING with fame is hard for some footballers. With Paul Pogba it is a revolving ordeal.Now just as we thought the Frenchman was settled with Juventus, that headline writers here could stop trying to find rhyming nouns with the Frenchman’s strange (to us, anyway) surname, up he pops again.
      Paul Pogba has tested positive for testosterone and his career could be overCredit: Rex
      This time with an alleged offence that could end his football career.
      The World Cup winner is reported to have had a positive test for testosterone, a drug that has been taken illegally for years in helping build muscle and bone mass.
      Sylvester Stallone uses it and look where it took him. Maybe Stallone and many other testosterone replacement therapy users also rather liked the idea of its association with increased aggression, violence and sex drive.
      For Pogba, if correct, it would appear to have been aimed at extra zip.
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      Whether the Italian authorities noticed a difference in his performances in matches for Juventus is doubtful but someone discovered evidence for a possible long-term red card.
      Pogba’s second time at Old Trafford was a mockery of his then-world-record transfer of £89million, paid in 2016.  His agent, the late ingrate Mino Raiola, was paid at least £27m by Juventus for his part.
      I’m reasonably sure he wasn’t from Mars but sometimes his colourful haircuts made me wonder what David Bowie would dream up for him.
      There were times when he could rule a match and on £15m a year so he should.
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      Pogba could be banned for up to four yearsCredit: EPA
      Karren Brady says Pogba has struggled to deal with fame and notorietyCredit: Getty
      United fans will judge whether he was good value. He did play three times for them as a lad in 2010-11 and 236 games with 39 goals in the six seasons after he returned from Juventus.
      United were rewarded with two trophies and a variety of upsets in and out of the dressing room.
      Because, by then, Pogba, such an independent spirit that in various times he fell out with Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho could be named alongside the world stars of football.
      He had been directed towards that target by his mother whose marriage split up soon after the family moved from Guinea to east Paris.
      Young Paul was a huge talent and the temptations to move from Le Havre boys’ team to one of the biggest clubs in the world were sufficient for him to sign at 16. Le Havre contested it but eventually went away.
      I suspect Pogba is not as self-confident as he appears. Karren Brady
      I suspect Pogba is not as self-confident as he appears. Surrounded no doubt by hangers-on and chancers, threatened with extortion by one of his twin brothers, kidnapped, often injured and derided, it would be surprising if he did not feel cornered by his notoriety.
      It says a good deal that he has never branched out from the only two clubs for which he has ever played.
      Fame is no protection, nor are yes-men as other stars discovered… from Paul Gascoigne to George Best to Diego Maradona.
      The glamorous lifestyle did not hide the weaknesses, controversy chasing them through the post-football years. Will Pogba go the same way? Now 30, he could be banned from playing for two to four years.
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      This is how he feels: “Sometimes I was just by myself thinking: ‘I don’t want to have money anymore. I just don’t want to play anymore. I just want to be with normal people, so they will love me for me — not for the fame, not for the money’.”
      It’s heart-breaking. More

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      in Boxing

      Oscar De la Hoya’s life outside ring is a disaster, from Olympic lie and mum beating him to failed relationships

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      OSCAR DE LA HOYA has finally come clean and admitted he blatantly lied about one of boxing’s most heart-wrenching stories.Two years before going to the 1992 Olympics, the Golden Boy told the American media in a tear-jerking interview that his his 38-year-old mother Cecilia, who was dying of cancer, made him promise to return from Barcelona with the gold medal.
      Oscar De la Hoya celebrates at the 1992 OlympicsCredit: Getty
      De la Hoya with his world middleweight belt in 2004Credit: AP:Associated Press
      And when the handsome 19-year-old fulfilled that dream and arrived back in the US with the gong hanging from his neck, millions fell in love with him.
      De la Hoya became an instant celebrity and President George H Bush gushed: “He has not only brought home the gold medal, he has brought honour to his mom’s memory.”
      Sadly, it turns out Oscar made up that highly emotional conversation between mother and son.
      That will come as a great shock to all those who idolised him and embraced that touching tale.
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      In fact his Mexican mother used to physically abuse him – she constantly beat him as he grew up in the tough neighbourhoods of  East Los Angeles.
      De la Hoya made it clear he wasn’t going to sugar-coat anything as he bared his soul in a three-hour HBO documentary of his life shown on Sky.
      He was obviously relieved to take the opportunity to unburden himself of a 30-year secret  by telling the truth about his mother.
      Biting his lip to stop himself breaking down the Golden Boy admitted: “I was driven by a lie. It happened – emotion took over and it just caught fire.
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      “The world fell in love with my story – I embraced it and just held on to it. When you are lying you are caught up in this web.
      “My first thoughts of my childhood? Being afraid, pain. crying, anger. I hated it when she hit me – it was the worst. I never had the courage to tell my mother I loved her – I wish I did.”
      De la Hoya, was one of the greatest fighters of his generation  winning 11 world titles in six weight divisions – from super-featherweight to middleweight.
      He was the most popular fighter since Muhammad Ali, who generated $750 million in PPV revenue yet he said: “I didn’t live up to my potential in the ring  – I could have given a lot more.” 
      Early in his career I went to see him at his Big Bear altitude training camp in California’s San Bernardino mountains and like everyone else I was captivated by the bi-lingual young man’s charm and electrifying charisma.
      Unfortunately his brilliance in the ring wasn’t matched by his lifestyle outside the ropes, which was an unmitigated disaster.
      Oscar said “I was 24 years old, making $15-20 million a fight – I was living the American dream. You start to separate yourself from the world. But I ruined good things all my life.”
      My first thoughts of my childhood? Being afraid, pain. crying, anger. I hated it when she hit me – it was the worstOscar De la Hoya
      Beautiful women threw themselves at him – a former Miss USA  was one of several partners who bore him six children. 
      He didn’t meet one of his sons until the boy was sixteen and Oscar admitted: “I didn’t know how to be a parent.”
      Inevitably he became addicted to alcohol and cocaine and he spent time in rehab on several occasions.
      But perhaps his  biggest shock moment came when he was photographed cross-dressing – wearing make-up, high heels a wig and a fishnet body stocking – in a picture which appeared on the front page of the New York Post.
      Men like De la Hoya are envied for their wealth and fame but the reality is so many who come from the world’s back streets haven’t a clue how to handle it.
      Oscar ended  with a moving but telling  appraisal of the time when he was America’s darling.
      He said “The Golden Boy – it’s all f******   bull****, that’s all it is. Nobody really loves me – I am just a commodity. It’s time to live in reality.”  
      De La Hoya was married to Puerta Rican singer Millie CorretjerCredit: Getty
      Golden Boy is now married to Holly SondersCredit: Getty
      For the record, the other outrageous boxing porkie was Muhammad Ali ‘s revelation that he threw his Olympic gold medal in the Ohio river in disgust when he was refused service in a restaurant in segregated Louisville when he returned home from  Rome in 1960.
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      Years later Bundini Brown, Ali’s cornerman laughingly said “Oh yeah – the white honkies really fell for that one.”
      The medal was actually lost in a house move. More

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      in Soccer

      Troy Deeney: Poch’s Tottenham were one of the best teams I EVER faced… but NOBODY will be scared of Spurs any more

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      MAURICIO POCHETTINO’S Spurs were not only a fine footballing team, they were a big, nasty, intimidating bunch to play against.They might never have won a trophy — though they came close to both the Premier League and Champions League — but they were one of the best teams I ever faced.
      Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham will not be scary anymoreCredit: Alamy
      Harry Kane was one of the last remaining links to the Pochettino era but the strong identity that team possessed had disappeared long before his departure.
      From Jose Mourinho to Nuno Espirito Santo to Antonio Conte, Tottenham lost their positivity, energy and aggression.
      Back in the day, you’d be facing Mousa Dembele, a wonderfully-gifted player but also a massive unit who would not be afraid to use his physical strength.
      Moussa Sissoko would often stick one on you, the centre-halves Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen were big and mean.
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      Kyle Walker loved a tackle and Danny Rose would delight in lifting opponents off their feet and ditching them in the stands.
      You lined up against them in the tunnel and they looked like a side not to be messed with — most were over 6ft, including Kane. You also knew they were a team who would never be outrun.
      I just can’t imagine opponents fearing them like that any more.
      Kane’s Bayern Munich move leaves Spurs without a genuine centre-forward — and that is something they must resolve before deadline day.
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      Harry Kane had a goal and assist on his Bayern Munich Bundesliga debutCredit: Reuters
      That is not going to be easy with just two weeks left in this window and with selling clubs knowing they have £100million burning a hole in their pockets.
      I find it hugely surprising that Spurs haven’t already bought a striker this summer because Kane was always likely to leave this year, or next at the very latest.
      But with Spurs, there never seems to be any long-term planning or strategy any more — that’s why they were overtaken by a small, brilliantly-run club like Brighton last season.
      Newcastle replaced them in the ‘Big Six’ and it could be a long way back for Ange Postecoglou.
      The obvious ready-made replacement for Kane would be Ivan Toney, if only the Brentford striker wasn’t banned until the New Year for breaking betting regulations.
      Harry Kane was one of the last remaining links to the Pochettino era but the strong identity that team possessed had disappeared long before his departure.Troy Deeney
      Toney is outstanding but would Spurs be prepared to strike a deal now for someone who can’t play for half of this season?
      My old Watford team-mate Richarlison led the line in Tottenham’s opener at Brentford and the team showed some decent signs in that 2-2 draw.
      But Richarlison is not a centre-forward, it’s simply not his natural position. He is a left-winger who can cut inside and score goals.
      I don’t remember him ever playing through the middle during his season at Watford.
      And although he had some success filling in there for Everton, you will never see the best of Richar in that role.
      That visit to Brentford was Postecoglou’s first competitive game in charge.
      There were some encouraging signs that he wants Spurs to get on the front foot and dominate games, like they used to do under Pochettino, but rarely since.
      New captain Son Heung-min was far from his best against BrentfordCredit: Getty
      Richarlison also has a point to prove at SpursCredit: Getty
      But too often Richarlison and Son Heung-min, who both prefer to operate as wide-left attackers, occupied the same positions.
      They were creating overloads but when the ball got into the box, either there was nobody there, or the ball fell to the ‘wrong’ players.
      And, yes, I know that Emerson Royal scored Tottenham’s equaliser but the full-back is hardly going to get double figures this season.
      I was surprised that Richar only scored one Premier League goal in his debut campaign for Spurs last season.
      But they have a genuine player there as long as he is able to operate in his best position.
      He arrived at Watford from Brazil six years ago as a 20-year-old who barely spoke any English — but we taught him all the right swear words and he had great fun learning.
      Richar is a great character to have in the dressing room.  His only fault is sometimes he seems to want it too much and can get too wound up on the pitch.
      I just can’t imagine opponents fearing Spurs any more.Troy Deeney
      But I don’t want to see him playing centre-forward for much longer.
      Spurs face Manchester United on Saturday and watching Erik ten Hag’s men struggle to their season-opening victory over Wolves was much like seeing Postecoglou’s team at Brentford.
      Marcus Rashford — just like Richarlison — is a wide-left player filling in at centre-forward and it was a frustrating night for him on Monday.
      While Spurs are missing Kane, United were the club that most people expected to sign the England captain.
      Instead, Ten Hag brought in the striker he wanted — the unproven Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund, 20, who is now currently out injured.
      Read More on The Sun
      At least United have found a sense of identity under Ten Hag and perhaps we will be saying the same about Postecoglou’s Tottenham before too long.
      But if either club are to make forward strides this season, they need a proper goalscoring centre-forward. More

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      in Soccer

      Karren Brady: If anyone still says women’s football is a second rate version of men’s they should think again – and hard

      by

      ENGLAND’S appearance in the Women’s World Cup final places it among our great international sporting triumphs.Win it against Spain on Sunday and the MBEs are practically guaranteed — and perhaps more.
      England’s women’s team is set for the World Cup Final against SpainCredit: Rex
      Boss Sarina Wiegman has worked wonders with the LionessesCredit: Alamy
      The fact we haven’t had such a triumph since Sir Alf Ramsey roamed the planet makes it a certainty that Lionesses coach Sarina Wiegman will become the Netherlands’ most famous expat since Vincent van Gogh.
      And anyone who asks who VVG played for should bite their own ear off.
      Wiegman earns £400,000 a year which is less than a few elite male footballers receive for a week.
      England’ men’s manager Gareth Southgate is on £5million annually.
      Read More on Football
      Tosh to the cash.
      Already European champions, our women players have proved themselves major athletes, enjoying their football and their success.
      Every woman in the England party has earned her fame.
      The Women’s Super League has already improved and professionalised the game here beyond the wildest dreams of 13 years ago, when it was founded.
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      No one should underestimate women’s football, insists Karren BradyCredit: Getty
      Average attendance last season had doubled from 2021-2022, reaching well over 5,000 a match — about 500 fewer than League Two and nearly 2,000 more than the National League.
      But women’s football is becoming so hot that numbers should increase greatly this season and a few WSL clubs might even get close to breaking even.
      That should bring smiles of relief to accountants because financing before the expected boom is costly, in the case of West Ham more than £1m of losses a year for our WSL team.
      Players are bound to be paid more, too.
      At present, Chelsea’s Sam Kerr, scorer of Australia’s only goal against England last Wednesday showed why, in a touch and 25-yard strike, at about £470,000-a-year is the highest paid player in the woman’s game. She may shortly be overtaken.
      Manchester City’s 5ft 4in Lauren Hemp, renowned for her impish humour, is paid about half the Kerr sum but in Australia she displayed touches at pace that are going to be worth a good deal more. Other English stars will also be boosting their bank accounts.
      No doubt the commercial world is prepared for a selling bonanza in boots and strips and, just as obviously in scarves, hats, tracksuits, trainers, and maybe even tattoos.Karren Brady on the Lionesses’ success
      While Saudi Arabia is hardly likely to start a women’s professional league, there are any number of countries with excellent leagues, the US, Canada, France and Germany among them, soon to be joined by Australia.
      Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Kiera Walsh and Rachel Daly are among the England contingent playing overseas where the rewards are at least as high as at home. And their value is soaring, too.
      No doubt the commercial world is prepared for a selling bonanza in boots and strips and, just as obviously in scarves, hats, tracksuits, trainers, and maybe even tattoos.
      There will also be plenty of payments for endorsements, TV and public appearances. And in a reverse wash from all of this positivity, agents will thrive.
      This rebooted game is an attractive prospect for any talented female player, so much so that should any newcomer think women’s football is a second rate version of the men’s game they should think again. And think hard.
      It’s football, plain and simple.
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      It’s also noteworthy that woman footballers don’t hide their sexual orientation as the men so guardedly do, setting a far better example that it’s OK to be who you are, and love who you want and feel safe and confident in being who they are.
      Yes, Viva the Lionesses and viva the woman’s game. More

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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.
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      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”.
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      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.
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      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.
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      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