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      Keown says Sunday’s North London Derby is most important EVER… as he never thought Arsenal could fall so far behind

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      MARTIN KEOWN cannot remember a more important North London derby than tomorrow’s because he never expected to see Arsenal so low.
      The former Invincible warns patience is beginning to wear thin at the Emirates and believes a massive spending spree is required this summer to stop the rot.

      Martin Keown believes Sunday’s derby is huge for Arsenal as they’ve fallen so far behindCredit: PA:Press Association

      But he believes that Mikel Arteta is the right man to turn things around even if results have not been anything to get too excited about.
      Keown made 449 appearances for the Gunners and won three League titles and three FA Cups during a Highbury career which spanned 21 years.
      So it pains him to see the team currently languishing tenth in the Premier League table and seven points adrift of bitter rivals Spurs.
      Keown cannot even contemplate the prospect of defeat by Jose Mourinho’s team at the Emirates tomorrow and admits: “I don’t know if I can remember a more important derby game.

      “Nobody expected Arsenal to be this low because they are the third most successful club in England and steeped in history.
      “There has to be a level of patience with Arteta and they have to back him in the summer to let him put more pieces into the jigsaw puzzle.
      “But they won’t wait forever because there are too many good teams ahead of them and I can’t see them making it into the top four this season.
      “They are seven points behind Spurs so this is a huge part of the season for them and they have got to win these games.

      Keown is an ambassador for the FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football AwardsCredit: Jed Leicester for The FA

      “Arteta is in a results business and when you lose to Spurs the fans are on your back so this weekend it’s all about beating the rivals to keep people on board and look to the future.”
      Keown compares the current situation to Arsenal to the one which Arsene Wenger inherited when he took over from Bruce Rioch back in 1996.
      He says: “That first big summer under Arsene when he brought in Marc Overmas, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka made a massive difference.
      “Those arrivals gave a real boost to the core group of players who were already there and had won trophies in the past.
      “Now we are looking at a parallel situation and this summer is going to be huge because they’ve got a lot of work to do to bring in the calibre of player they need to make the team competitive in the Premier League again.
      “Ten senior players have left the club this season which has been quite a turnaround.
      “He’s cleared out a lot of baggage from the Wenger and Unai Emery eras because Ozil, Mustafi and Sokratis have gone and Toreira, Guendouzi and Kolasinac have gone out on loan.
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      “That’s a lot for a young manager to take on board and he’s been quite direct in making those big decisions.
      “But now he’s freed up the space in his squad and he can’t make any mistakes in the transfer market. He needs to bring in four of five this summer and the quality of player has to be absolutely top-drawer.”
      Yet Keown insists it is not all doom and gloom at the club which remains so close to his heart.
      Speaking as an ambassador for the FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards, he says: “The young players are the strength of this team. Smith Rowe and Saka have been outstanding and Tierney looks nailed on.
      “I like Gabriel and Partey because they are more physical so one by one the pieces are very slowly dropping into place.
      “Arteta is a supremely intelligent coach and he has that innovation on the pitch, but I’d like to see things go a bit quicker.
      “I don’t like to see Smith Rowe’s pathway being blocked because I thought he was magnificent in that central position and then suddenly Odegaard came in and I didn’t want to see that.

      Keown knows what it takes to succeed in a clash against SpursCredit: Reuters
      “I also feel a bit annoyed that we’ve not seen much of Gabriel Martinelli because I think he’s an immense talent and if he’s fit enough to sit on the bench I’d like to see more of him on match days.”
      Keown participated in many stormy North London derbies and was even sent-off during a fiery 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane in 1999.
      So it really hurts him to look at the current table, even if Spurs aren’t exactly setting the Premier League alight either.
      He says: “Tottenham have gone above Arsenal in terms of consistency and they reached the Champions League final.
      “But they’ve started to fall away in the past year or so and nowe the two teams are in this arm wrestle.
      “No-one is disputing the size of Spurs or the quality of their group but if you want to be a big club you’ve got to win trophies and they haven’t done that since 2008.
      “So it will be interesting to see what Mourinho offers tactically on Sunday because he wants to sit deep and beat teams on the break but he’s almost been forced to become more creative because people have been so critical of his approach.”
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      Nothing gave Keown greater pleasure than beating Tottenham and there were plenty of occasions when he silenced the noisy neighbours.
      He recalls: “We beat Tottenham 9-0 when I was in the youth team and 6-0 when we won the Combination League.
      “Those results resonated around the whole club because everyone was so worked up about beating them and those results were a statement for the future.
      “When I was an apprentice during the 1980 we all got fed up hearing about Tottenham and the magnificent football they played with Glenn Hoddle.
      “At the time it was always ‘boring Arsenal’ but then Arsere Wenger came in and suddenly everything changed.
      “We took away their style and we were winning trophies and I’ve never seen anything like Sol Campbell’s first game for us back at White Hart Lane because suddenly we had everything the Spurs fans wanted.
      “My first derby was in 1985 when every other match was called off because of the weather and the undersoil heating at Highbury wasn’t working.

      A win for Arsenal will be huge to revive their European hopesCredit: Reuters
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      “I’d waited all this time to play in front of 54,000 people but the pitch was like an ice rink and all I could think about was not slipping over.
      “I think it ended as a draw because no-one could stay on their feet long enough to put the ball in the net.
      “I didn’t actually get onto the pitch in my final derby when we won the League at White Hart Lane in 2004.
      “I was just about to go on as sub when Robbie Keane scored a 90th minute penalty to make it 2-2 and the boss said ‘Martin, let’s leave it’.
      “That was a pity because I was 37 at the time and it would have been nice to do a little victory jig at White Hart Lane.”
      Arsenal legend Martin Keown is launching nominations for the 2021 FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards. To nominate your grassroots hero, go to www.mcdonalds.co.uk/awards

      Mikel Arteta slams Arsenal stars and warns them to stop taking unnecessary risks More

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      How ‘drugs kingpin’ linked to boxing and Tyson Fury is now planning to move into football

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      SITTING on a scruffy trading estate in a Lancashire village, the office of the MTK football agency seems a world away from the glitzy Premier League.
      Now it aims to grab a slice of the £500million spent each year on agency fees — and while company director Danny Vincent is a complete unknown, the founder of the business’s parent company, Daniel Kinahan, is certainly not.

      Tyson Fury with Daniel Kinahan

      Known as “Big Dan” by Tyson Fury, Kinahan made his name in the ­boxing world — and is also a ­notorious figure in his native Dublin.
      He has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime boss — despite never having been convicted of any criminal offence.
      Kinahan, 43, has been labelled a senior figure in organised crime by Ireland’s high court, while a 2009 diplomatic cable sent to the Pentagon by a US Embassy described him as a “suspected international drug-trafficking figure”, resulting in him being banned from entering the US.
      And police in Ireland suspect the Kinahan cartel — founded by his convicted drug-smuggler father Christy, who is now living in Dubai — has made at least £1billion selling narcotics globally.

      MTK Football’s director Danny Vincent, 36, was surprised when The Sun called last week at his £200,000 home just a stone’s throw from Aintree racecourse.

      Kinahan has been accused by Irish police, courts and media, as well as the BBC’s Panorama, of being a drugs kingpin and organised crime bossCredit: Refer to Caption

      The building where MTK Football is registeredCredit: .
      The tattooed Liverpool FC fan was unprepared for questions — despite his company’s links with Kinahan.
      Vincent, who counts Kinahan’s cage- fighter pal Darren Till among his shareholders, claimed he knew ­nothing about the alleged crimelord.
      He said: “I’ve got nothing to do with that. I work with Darren Till.”

      When pressed again about Kinahan, he said: “No, no — it’s bang out of order knocking at my door.”
      Prior to that, Vincent had admitted to our reporter that MTK Football had no clients, adding: “We have only just started out. This is mad — I’m not used to all this.”
      While Vincent may claim not to know Kinahan, The Sun understands the alleged mobster is already on first-name terms with dozens of ­Premier League players and even a club chairman.

      Amir Khan called Kinahan ‘one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met’Credit: Reuters
      That is because Kinahan has been plotting his move into the world of football for at least five years, from his base in Dubai.
      One well-placed source connected to multiple Premier League players revealed: “Kinahan has been planning this for years. He has been getting close to players and close to agents.
      “He has got to know lots of them while living in Marbella and more recently since he moved to Dubai.
      “Both destinations are playgrounds for footballers and underworld figures ­— and those worlds collide in high-end restaurants, bars and clubs.
      “He will definitely end up representing top-level players at some point.”
      Kinahan’s blueprint for success is the world of boxing, where he has acted as an “adviser” to Tyson Fury ahead of his £400million fight with Anthony Joshua.

      Danny Vincent, director of MTK Football, outside his homeCredit: .
      He founded MTK Global in 2012 and the firm now has more than 250 fighters on its books.
      In 2017 he claimed to have stepped away from the company, but he recently admitted he is still heavily involved in the fight trade.
      The source said: “It’s harder to find a boxer not linked to Kinahan than one who is. He dominates the boxing world and everyone knows it.”
      Kinahan operates in the shadows and is not registered with the British Board Of ­Boxing, or the Football Association, leaving them powerless to regulate him.
      In 2007, Kinahan and his ­younger brother Christy Jnr were held by police in Spain on suspicion of drug-smuggling. He was not charged. His father — known as “the Dapper Don” — is said to have passed on control of the cartel’s narcotics and money-laundering operation to him in 2016.
      Prior to moving to Dubai — where his dad and brother also live — he is alleged to have helped the cartel to amass a ­ fortune from drug-trafficking.
      Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau filed a high-court ­affidavit describing how ­Kinahan managed and ­controlled the day-to-day operations of the gang.

      Lee Byrne, Troy Parrott and Dele Alli
      Police forces in three ­countries currently want to question him. And in 2016, Kinahan was the intended target of an horrific shooting in Dublin’s Regency Hotel.
      Six gunmen from the rival Hutch gang, including one dressed in drag and others disguised as police officers, stormed in with AK47 assault rifles during a boxing weigh-in.
      They murdered alleged cartel enforcer David Byrne and seriously injured associate Sean McGovern — but Kinahan escaped.
      After a BBC Panorama documentary investigated his links with both boxing and organised crime last month, he said in a statement: “There is no evidence or proof against me. I have said repeatedly I have no criminal record anywhere in the world.”
      Despite the allegations, sports stars appear to love him. Last month Amir Khan called him “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” while Tyson Fury and Billy Jo Saunders respectfully call him “Big Dan”.
      A respected boxing source told The Sun: “The boxers that he represents absolutely love him because he treats them like kings.
      “And all the people who support him will always say thwaat he hasn’t been convicted of any crimes, so why shouldn’t he be involved in boxing?”
      But another source from the fight world urged more caution.

      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money
      The source, who has met Kinahan on several occasions, said: “He is very intelligent and very dangerous. He is comfortable knowing that you know of his reputation.
      “He pushes and probes you and sizes you up. It’s disconcerting and very difficult to deal with.” And while the Premier League and the FA may hope that Kinahan’s new ­football venture never gets off the ground, The Sun can reveal that he is already embedded at the game’s top table.
      Kinahan has curried favour with dozens of players owed millions by a rogue watch-dealer who disappeared with their money.
      Players from clubs including Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Burnley, Leeds and Middlesbrough were all fleeced after handing over up to £250,000 on the promise of being sold rare Richard Mille, Philippe Patek and vintage Rolex watches.
      The jeweller, who cannot be named for legal reasons, failed to deliver the goods to around 30 footballers, agents and other watch-traders despite pocketing the cash.
      Unable to get their money back after he went bankrupt, several stars turned to Kinahan, who agreed to help.
      A source said: “If you’re owed £250,000 and someone gets it back for you, you’ll like them no matter what their alleged past is.”
      Kinahan has also helped out when players have got into trouble in Dubai.The Sun was told that when a Premier League stalwart got into an altercation while on holiday there, “Kinahan sorted it out”.
      But while Kinahan and his ­associates are happy to court ­players for business, they will not tolerate disrespect.

      One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.
      Source

      The source said: “One England star p***ed off some of Kinahan’s gang in a nightclub and, shortly after, his watch was stolen. They are not to be messed with.”
      Links between Kinahan’s associates and young football stars have already begun to emerge.
      Spurs and England star Dele Alli and Troy Parrott, an Irish clubmate of his at Tottenham, were spotted in pictures taken on a winter break in Dubai with Lee Byrne, son of Liam Byrne, a key associate of Kinahan.
      Liam Byrne was previously named in court as being at “the very top tier” of organised crime in Ireland, and a “close and trusted associate and lieutenant of Daniel Kinahan”.
      So how will Premier League managers and owners ­handle the situation if, or when, a player signs to MTK?
      The reality is that the clubs may never know who they are dealing with. A source said Kinahan has been wooing a top-level football agent who has more than 150 ­players on his books.

      “Kinahan won’t start representing a player,” said the source. “He’ll just go and buy an agency and absorb it. And bang, he’ll be into football in a big way.
      “But no one will ever know because the Kinahan name will never appear on any paperwork.”
      But as he looks to expand his influence into the world’s most popular — and richest — sport, it is clear that Kinahan is not someone who can be ignored.

      Eddie Hearn says he was ‘a little surprised’ by the uproar over Daniel Kinahan being praised by Tyson Fury
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      England ace Kyle Walker shells out £40,000 for a guard dog after raids on footballers’ homes

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      MANCHESTER City ace Kyle Walker has shelled out £40,000 on a Doberman guard dog after a series of raids on footballers.
      The England defender, 30, has named him Apollo, after Rocky’s boxing rival-turned-pal.

      Kyle Walker has paid £40,000 for Apollo the Doberman to guard his home

      Kyle Walker wants protection after a number of footballers were targeted by thievesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      A source said: “He’s still in training but is coming to the end. For Kyle this will be money well spent.
      “He’s determined to protect his family at all costs — and Apollo can help.
      “He will be trained to react to certain keywords only the family will know.
      “He’ll guard the front door, but also carry out perimeter checks inside and out on a regular basis.

      “His sole purpose will be to protect them all.”
      Walker lives in Cheshire, where robbers with machetes this week burst into the home of Everton reserve keeper Robin Olsen, 31, who was with his wife and kids.

      The home of Olsen’s Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti, 61, was also raided last month in Merseyside.
      Walker approached Leicestershire-based Chaperone K9, which has supplied dogs to fellow stars including Man United’s Marcus Rashford and City’s Raheem Sterling.

      Walker’s teammate Sterling said of his guard dog: “Okan is a true blessing. Love him to bits.”        

      Raheem Sterling loves his own Doberman called Okan

      Jesse Lingard also has a pet Doberman protecting his home

      Love Island’s Scott Thomas gets a new Doberman puppy
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      Juventus chief Agnelli wants to kill Prem with crackpot plans – let’s hope they work as well as Ronaldo transfer

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      JUVENTUS chairman Andrea Agnelli is bidding to be leader of the charge of the rich brigade.
      One of his crackpot notions is that Champions League teams should not be permitted to buy and sell players among themselves.

      Agnelli’s Juventus crashed out of the Champions LeagueCredit: EPA

      Another from this latter-day Lord Snooty proposes that they should be allowed only to negotiate transfers with the small fry of below-the-stairs divisions.
      This measure, I suspect he believes, would guarantee lower wages for top players, smaller transfer amounts, limit the degree of player poaching and check the power of agents.
      It has a sniff of the medieval and it is no surprise he endorses the brainwave that one or two of our Big Six  Premier League clubs have a free pass to the Champions League on the back of historic past performances in Europe.
      Under the proposed system, if say Liverpool finished down the table they would still be granted a place in the Champions League instead of the club that finished fifth, all because of the way the proposed coefficient points are calculated based on historic performances.

      Should that team be Everton, a possible scenario this season,  Merseyside might erupt in civil war.
      As chairman of the European Club Association and an executive member of Uefa, Agnelli says an agreement of a new format for the Champions League is close.
      He has suggested the PL should reduce the number of teams who play in it as he thinks 20 clubs is too many as it unsettles “competitive balance”.
      Tell that to Sheffield United who won at Old Trafford. Or West Brom who have drawn with all four of England’s Champions League representatives. This is the reason the PL is the best league in the world.

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      Agnelli has a number of plans to help the rich get richerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      It’s competitive, great to watch and  unpredictable which is why there would be a heck of a rebellion over that.
      So, is there a cunning plan at Uefa to cut the Premier League down to size — and in more ways than in number of clubs?
      A fifth or even sixth English team in their league competition, along with the extra number of matches, ten rather than six in the qualification stage, would  further enrich the competing clubs in that competition and weaken the attraction of the Prem.
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      And size of attraction equals size of TV money.
      And then there’s our League Cup. It could well be a victim. The financial effect would be particularly felt in the EFL, which as Crystal Parish chairman Steve Parish points out, would be a huge financial loser.
      EFL chairman Rick Parry agrees it would be catastrophic and he might ask himself if he was clever as he thought when he was an early plotter of Project Big Picture.
      At least there is  compensation in that Agnelli’s plans have been known to come adrift. Some of the most recent won’t survive mockery: A TV subscription for kids to watch the final 15 minutes of games. I ask you.
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      He approved of Juve paying £100million to Real Madrid and a wage of £28m for Ronaldo expecting the then 33-year-old’s brilliance to prolong Juventus’ nine-season hold on the Serie A title and improve chances of winning a third Champions’ League.
      Currently they are third in Serie A and went out of the Champions League on Tuesday after a 30-yard Porto free-kick winner passed through Ronaldo’s legs.
      An embarrassing defeat but I can’t help smiling.

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      Wayne Rooney starring in intimate biopic featuring his professional AND personal life

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      WAYNE Rooney has filmed a biopic celebrating his 20-year career in football — including some of his off-pitch exploits.
      The ex-England captain, 35, has done a series of interviews alongside wife Coleen, 34, for the Bafta-winning team behind the Amy Winehouse and Ayrton Senna documentaries.

      Wayne and Coleen pose with their four sons

      Unseen footage, as well as some of Wayne’s most memorable goals and footballing highlights, will be shown.
      Famous faces including David Beckham and Gary Neville will provide commentary and insight.
      It will also go into detail on the ups and downs of his life — both personal and professional.
      A production insider said: “It’s going to be a wonderfully powerful and inspiring look at Wayne’s career — how he went from unknown boy wonder to national captain, and England’s greatest- ever goal scorer.

      “But it also offers a rarely seen look at the man behind the player. He will likely be asked about marital mistakes he’s made in the past, drink driving, and the time he was arrested in the US.

      Wayne Rooney poses for a booking photo at Loudoun County Adult Detention Center after being arrested by the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority PoliceCredit: Handout – Getty

      Jenny Thompson made headlines in 2010 when she bedded married England football player Wayne Rooney while working as a vice girlCredit: Instagram

      The film is subject to a bidding deal between Netflix and Amazon PrimeCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun

      “It is made clear he’s a fantastic dad, and loving husband — but he holds his hands up to previous lapses in judgement. Wayne will, of course, also have a say in what gets signed off.”
      The film is subject to a bidding deal between Netflix and Amazon Prime.
      Wayne’s spokesman said last night: “No decisions have yet been made on what content is or isn’t part of the movie, so people will just have to wait until its release.”

      Wayne Rooney is greatest Man Utd centre forward I’ve seen at club, insists ex-team-mate Gary Neville
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      Craig Dawson could soon be playing in Champions League with West Ham… and that’s no surprise to old Watford team-mates

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      CRAIG DAWSON could be playing Champions League  football next season — and there seems to be a lot of  surprise about that fact.
      But not from those of us who played with Craig at Watford.

      Troy Deeney has praised the quality of Craig Dawson, who is on loan at West Ham from WatfordCredit: Rex Features

      Since he broke into the West Ham side just after Christmas, the Hammers have gone from strength to strength, and you cannot see him losing his place.
      Craig is a solid bloke, a family man, a brilliant pro and a defender who simply loves defending — something of a rarity in the Premier League these days.
      He can play too, he has a lovely pass in him and has always had goals in his locker. A centre-half scoring four goals in a dozen games, as Craig has done, can do wonders for any team.
      Yes, he was relegated at Watford last season, as he was during his previous Premier League campaign with West Brom — but nobody was blaming Craig for us going down.

      When West Ham signed him, I wasn’t surprised. David Moyes values a down-to-Earth pro with a strong work ethic and that is Craig to a T.
      Like me, he played non-league and lower-league football, with Radcliffe Borough and Rochdale. When you’ve come up through that route, commitment and workrate are virtually guaranteed.
      You look around West Ham and you see a lot of people – like Craig – who are proving doubters wrong.
      Moyes himself had seen his reputation take a battering ever since he left Everton for Manchester United. But he is a fine manager.

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      Dawson has become a key player under West Ham since breaking into the team after ChristmasCredit: Rex Features
      You watch West Ham and you see a team unit, with a proper framework, everyone knowing their jobs and working hard for each other.
      Within that framework, those West Ham players are able to express themselves but if they don’t put in the hard yards, they don’t get into a David Moyes team.
      A midfield three of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Jesse Lingard is never going to get out-run.
      I am so happy for Jesse. I know him fairly well and I know he has been through a really tough time. He gets pelters on social media for the most innocuous things and people seem to have him wrong.
      He is a talented boy, a World Cup semi-finalist with England and an FA Cup-winning goalscorer with Manchester United.
      But to go on loan to West Ham, having not played Premier League football for a year, then to hit the ground running as he has done, tells you a lot about his character. He has given Moyes’ team a whole new dimension.
      Rice is some player – he can tackle, he plays really good forwards passes, takes free-kicks, penalties, corners from either side.
      West Ham did well to keep him with Chelsea keen, and it’s important they continue to do so because there will always be interest from other clubs.
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      Dawson has chipped in with three goals in 12 Premier League games this campaignCredit: AP:Associated Press

      West Ham midfielder pairing Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice have starred this campaignCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Declan is one of the nicest and funniest kids in football. On the pitch or off it, he always has a witty one-liner. He is a player, and a man, that West Ham can build a club around.
      He’ll have learned a lot from Mark Noble – who at, 33, has announced that next season will be his last as a player.
      One-club men like Noble are virtually non-existent in the modern game.
      I’m sure he could have moved and earned more money elsewhere but he loves that club.
      I hope he gets guards of honour everywhere he goes next season. We won’t see his like again.
      And then there’s Michail Antonio, who may not be a 20-25 goals a season striker but is someone that no defender will enjoy playing against – another great team man, his strength, speed, stamina and intelligence are top-notch.
      There are good players and good people everywhere at West Ham which is why it is so encouraging to see them still in the conversation for a Champions League place so late in the season.
      I’ll also put a word in for Paul Nevin, one of Moyes’ backroom staff.

      Jesse Lingard has thrived at the London Stadium after joining on loan from Manchester UnitedCredit: EPA
      You’ll know Stuart Pearce and Kevin Nolan but you may not know Paul – he’s the mixed-race guy you will often see alongside Moyes.
      I’ve got to know him through some of the ‘diversity in football’ work I do and he’s such a good coach and a bright bloke. He isn’t showy or mouthy but when he speaks, people listen.
      Oh and I’ll even put in a good word for West Ham’s owners – David Sullivan and David Gold.
      They owned my club, Birmingham, when I was a kid and they are far more appreciated now than they were at the time – given the mess the club are in under their current ownership.
      They did a very decent job with the Blues, we had some good times, and if it hadn’t been for their ‘kids for a quid’ initiative at St Andrews, I would never have been able to afford to go and watch football like I did.
      I do still think West Ham are massive underdogs in the race for the top four but if they can pull off a result at Manchester United on Sunday, then we may have to re-think that.
      And everyone at Watford would be happy to see Craig Dawson lining up with that Champions League anthem playing next season.

      KOP HIT RED WALL
      WE all know Liverpool have had a traumatic time with injuries and they have clearly suffered through the loss of the atmosphere at Anfield, during their horrible run of six straight home defeats.
      But it feels as though that group of players have hit the wall and maybe people shouldn’t be entirely surprised.
      This is a club which waited 30 years to celebrate the title, but never got to celebrate it properly.
      Jurgen Klopp’s players didn’t even get to relax and reflect on their success during a proper summer break either. People can under-estimate that.
      With games coming so thick and fast, lockdown is not a good time to be trying to get out of a slump – no chance for team bonding sessions or anything like that.
      Sure, Liverpool’s reversal of fortunes has been extraordinary – but then these are extraordinary times to be living through.

      West Ham vs Leeds as it happened More

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      Arsenal can’t afford sloppy mistakes like against Olympiacos and Burnley when they face Tottenham’s fab front four

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      ARSENAL will be in big trouble if they shirk their defensive duties against Tottenham’s front four.
      I think Jose Mourinho has the most potent attacking force in Europe right now.

      Arsenal cannot afford to make sloppy errors against TottenhamCredit: Enterprise News and Pictures

      The Gunners were punished in successive gaves against Olympiacos and BurnleyCredit: BT Sport

      Mikel Arteta favours playing out from the back, like Manchester City but I don’t think he has the players to pull it off.
      The Gunners got caught out against Olympiacos and Burnley doing that.
      Recently Mourinho has employed Gareth Bale, Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Lucas Moura in what is effectively a 4-2-4 and they all have a very good press.
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      This attack thrashed Burnley and Crystal Palace, scoring eight goals. So Arteta’s defenders have to do two things: communicate and not allow themselves to be dragged out of position.
      It is vital they talk to one another.
      Arteta has good defenders but I’m not convinced there is a communicator among them.
      Kane will drop into the No 10 role and, as a centre-back, you can’t be tempted to follow him because that leaves space behind.

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      For me, Kane is the dream centre-forward.
      He has five goals in his last four games, while also providing two assists.
      And I reckon Spurs’ talisman can do it against Arsenal to bag the North London bragging rights.
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      Mikel Arteta slams Arsenal stars and warns them to stop taking unnecessary risks More

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      Valerien Ismael has Barnsley dreaming of Premier League return after unbeaten run eclipsing likes of Man Utd and Chelsea

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      WHEN Valerien Ismael took over at Barnsley his target was to avoid relegation.
      But after seven wins in a row and a draw from their last eight games – they are on the second best unbeaten run in the country – they travel to Bournemouth today sitting in a play-off spot.

      Barnsley are on the second best winning run in the country

      Valerien Ismael has got Barnsley fans dreaming of a fairytale return to the Premier League

      And this incredible run of form has got fans dreaming of playing Premier League football next season.
      The Tykes have only been in the top flight for one season in their entire 134-year history after Danny Wilson famously led them there 24 years ago.
      Ismael told SunSport: “The main focus was to reach 50 points as soon as possible and we now have 58.
      “We want to see how many we can get before the international break in three games time. Then we can see what we can reach this season – can we go for more?”

      Barnsley were seconds from dropping into League One last season until Clark Odour’s dramatic stoppage-time winner at Brentford.
      And when Ismael took over from Gerhard Struber in late October, the Tykes were struggling again – having failed to win in their first seven league games.
      But the French coach has won 17 of his 28 Championship matches in charge with a 3-4-3 formation and an intense pressing game.
      Ismael said: “We’ve done it step by step. The first aim was to implement the philosophy then get results and then get them consistently. When you do that, you climb the table.

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      Daryl Dike and Alex Mowatt have been key figures in Barnsley’s run
      “We did it in December by winning six games out of eight and, even in January when we lost three in a row, the performances were brilliant.
      “So we didn’t lose confidence or faith in the way we play football. We believe this is the right way.”
      Ismael, 45, is proving to be one of the bright up-and-coming managers.
      And he revealed how he settled and believed in his philosophy after his last match in charge of Wolfsburg four years ago – despite the fact it cost him his job.
      He said: “Management is difficult. It takes time to adapt and know exactly what you want.
      “When you fail, it’s not a mistake – it’s normal. You must find a solution, a new way to play and your philosophy.
      “In Germany in my last game at Wolfsburg we played 3-4-3. We lost 2-1 against Werder Bremen but it was a brilliant performance.
      “From there, I knew what I wanted and with more experience am clearer in my mind what I want to see.”
      Ismael moved to Austria last season and made great waves at LASK.

      Barnsley loan signing Daryl Dike celebrates his stunning winner against Birmingham
      He led them to their first-ever Champions League play-off and, after losing to Club Brugge, managed them in their first-ever appearance in the Europa League – where they topped their group which included Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Rosenborg.
      They eventually lost to Manchester United in the last 16.
      He said: “LASK was the breakthrough for me because that gave me confidence.
      “It was good to see everything I believed and trusted in could be taken to the next level and now we’re doing it successfully in England too.”
      The January transfer window was massive for Barnsley. Not only did they keep their best players, they signed strikers Daryl Dike and Carlton Morris.
      USA ace Dike, 20, already has three goals in six starts since his loan move from MLS club Orlando City – including an absolute belter against Birmingham – while Morris has four goals from three starts since joining from MK Dons.
      Ismael said: “They’ve taken us to the next level and now we’re getting rewards of being able to keep our key players.
      “That is a new thing for Barnsley. If you can work with consistency and continue to develop the guys, you can reach something.”
      A big part of Barnsley’s success has been the fitness levels.
      Ismael understood the importance of that when he won the Bundesliga title in 2006 as a player at Bayern Munich under Felix Magath.
      But the German boss flopped when he managed Fulham – unable to save them from Premier League relegation before struggling in the Championship.

      Felix Magath was a “special manager” but Ismael says you cannot coach like he did now
      Ismael said: “You build your own mentality and philosophy as a coach while looking at what made a manager like that special.
      “But the way Magath managed you cannot do now. You have to be close to your players and communicate your ideas.
      “We had strong fitness work with Magath where the aim was to destroy you!
      “In training now, the purpose is to prepare the guys so they’re fresh to give 100 per cent in games.
      “Back then, we were so tired but the quality was so high in the squad.
      “That is not the way – especially in the Championship where you have 46 games in a season – and because of the pandemic are playing three times a week.
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      “You have to give players the room to recover – not just the body but the mind.”
      Ismael – who also won the Bundesliga as a player with Werder Bremen in 2004 – has always felt he had unfinished business in English football.
      As a young player, he was unable to make an impression after Crystal Palace bought him for a then club-record £2.75million from Strasbourg in January 1998.

      Valerien Ismael failed to make an impression as Crystal Palace’s recording signing in 1998

      Terry Venables gave Ismael an early insight at Crystal Palace into working with a top coach
      Aged 22, he only made 13 appearances as the Eagles were relegated.
      But he got an early insight into what makes a good coach by playing for former England boss Terry Venables.
      He said: “I was too young to make that move and shouldn’t have done it in January either.
      “But it was a new experience for me to work for such a big manager like Venables.
      “I took a lot of experience from him. In training you felt the attitude and experience he had – it was good to see that.”
      There is no doubt that if he gets Barnsley promoted, it will be a football miracle.
      So what is Ismael’s ultimate ambition as a manager?
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      He said: “To be known for the way I play football. It’s important when people are talking about the manager, they can say that was the right way to play.
      “If you think about Pep Guardiola, you think that’s the right way to play football.
      “When they play this football, they reach titles and for me this is the most important thing – to implement my way to play.”

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