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      Kai Havertz finally ready to deliver for Chelsea and silence doubters after £62m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen

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      KAI HAVERTZ is finally ready to deliver for Chelsea and silence those who questioned his £62MILLION price tag.
      The German winger has been boosted in particular by his part in Monday’s 2-0 win over Everton which locked his team into the Premier League top four.

      Kai Havertz is finally hoping to get his Chelsea career going after a tough startCredit: Getty

      Havertz had to overcome coronavirus and adapt to English football but now feels more settled.
      He said: “It wasn’t easy to come here. Everything was new. Seven months ago I came. Now it’s time to perform. I know that.
      “I know many people have doubts about me. I just try to keep working. A performance like this will give me confidence.
      “The first seven months were not easy for me but you have to keep working and I did that.

      “I think it was a good performance from me, but you cannot say this after one performance.
      “You have to be strong in the next few matches as well and that’s my goal. I will try to improve.”
      Ex-Bayer Leverkusen starlet Havertz, 21, has struggled to find a natural place in the team but as a makeshift centre-forward he put pressure on the Toffees and played a part in both goals.
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      He said: “I played like a false nine and that’s good for me. I like to have freedom on the pitch.
      “I think we can do a lot better — our goal is the Champions League, and I think there will be some tough matches coming.
      “I think 11 games without a loss is very strong — but we can keep on going.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      The Blues have four days to recover before going to Leeds but captain Cesar Azpilicueta, 31, reckons they have cracked the punishing routine of playing twice a week.
      He said: “From the striker to the goalkeeper the team is working very hard. Everyone is doing their dirty job.
      “I’m happy because you need that effort in the Premier League.”

      Chelsea star Kai Havertz tests positive for coronavirus and will miss Champions League clash with Rennes More

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      Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer HAS got mean side and will rap players if they need it, reveals captain Harry Maguire

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      HARRY MAGUIRE reckons people are misguided if they think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is too much of a Mr Nice Guy.
      There is a perception among some outside the club that boss Solskjaer does not have the tough edge to drive Manchester United back to the top.

      Harry Maguire has revealed Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can be toughCredit: Getty

      But captain Maguire claims that is simply not the case.
      The England centre-back, 28, said: “I feel he’s done brilliantly — he’s very cool and calm.
      “But he’s also got the side of him where he can turn when he needs to and when the players need a little telling-off.”
      Solskjaer made Maguire captain in January last year after Ashley Young’s departure to Inter Milan and the pair have a good relationship as they plot a course for United to get back to winning trophies.

      Maguire explained: “We’re close. We speak a lot before training and before games.
      “I give my ideas to him on how I feel the group is and the mentality of the team.
      “Also what we can improve on and where we can go as a club — and he’s exactly the same.
      “I’m doing everything I can to be a successful captain.

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      “Obviously the main thing is to start lifting trophies and start winning football matches on a more continuous, consistent basis. I really demand a lot.”
      The Three Lions defender’s tough mentality comes from when he was a youngster playing football with his two brothers.
      He said: “We had a very competitive childhood in the garden, kicking each other all the time — and digging up my dad’s turf!
      “My mum wasn’t too happy. But my dad was a footballer himself, who played in non-league and he just loves his football.
      “The football was always on the TV and we grew up with it.
      “Everything we did was so competitive, whether it was football or without it.

      “Losing hurts. It hurts a lot now, it hurt when I was a kid as well. It’s hard to bounce back from losing but you also get that with more experience.”
      That losing feeling is not something United have had of late.
      They have been defeated in just one of their last 17 games and ended Manchester City’s incredible 21-match winning run on Sunday with a 2-0 derby victory at the Etihad.
      Next up it is AC Milan tomorrow at Old Trafford in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie.
      Maguire was thrilled when the draw matched his team against another of the great names in European football.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      He added: “When I was growing up, AC Milan were a massive club.
      “The San Siro is an iconic stadium, so when we got drawn and people told us about who we got, it was an exciting tie.
      “It’s going to be a great match to be involved in and a great tie to play in.”

      Guardiola and Solskjaer are caught in a heated touchline exchange More

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      Christian Pulisic looking at Chelsea transfer exit this summer unless he gets more game time amid Man Utd interest

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      CHRISTIAN PULISIC will look to quit Chelsea this summer unless he gets proper game time.
      The American attacker has yet to start a single Premier League game under Thomas Tuchel, his former Borussia Dortmund boss.

      Christian Pulisic will look to quit Chelsea if Thomas Tuchel doesn’t give him more actionCredit: Reuters

      And Manchester United are among a host of clubs who are watching unsettled Pulisic’s situation closely.
      He only played a minute of Monday’s 2-0 win over Everton and has come off the bench six more times.
      His only start came in the Blues’ 1-0 FA Cup win against Barnsley a month ago — and he was subbed off in that.
      Now the £58million signing from Dortmund is growing increasingly impatient.

      And 22-year-old Pulisic is even now prepared to take a pay cut on his £150,000-a-week wages to secure regular first-team action.
      Pulisic was one of Frank Lampard’s stars after football came out of lockdown last season, scoring 11 goals in what was his debut campaign.
      But he has since struggled with a string of injuries and managed only two goals before Tuchel replaced axed Lampard.
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      Tuchel has not started Pulisic in a Prem game since taking over at ChelseaCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Asked about Pulisic this week, German Tuchel said: “I can say nothing but good things about him.
      “Maybe his biggest problem is I know him from Dortmund and he started only in cup games.
      “But I know what impact he can have in the last 20 or 30 minutes.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      “He was a bit unlucky in the last few games. It isn’t a lack of trust or quality — it is just he will have to be patient.”
      Yet Pulisic does not want to be a back-up player under Tuchel.
      And he has told his advisors that he is keen to leave if his situation does not improve.

      Tuchel yells out the nickname of Chelsea captain Azpilicueta wrong before Pulisic steps in to correct new boss More

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      Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa in-line for shock England call-up with Gareth Southgate impressed by young defender

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      ASTON VILLA’S Ezri Konsa could be 90 minutes away from a dramatic England World Cup call-up.
      Gareth Southgate or one of his leading scouts will be at St James’ Park to take a final check on the central defender against Newcastle on Friday.

      Aston Villa star Ezri Konsa is in-line for an England call-up this monthCredit: Getty

      The 23-year-old is set to be fast-tracked into the squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
      Southgate will name his squad a week tomorrow, going into those three key clashes.
      The England manager has been impressed by Konsa after watching him star against Leicester and Leeds recently.
      The Londoner was a World Cup winner with England’s Under-20s in 2017 and has won seven caps at Under-21 level.

      But the £12million bargain buy from Brentford also qualifies for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola through his parents.
      He could even play for Portugal as he qualifies for citizenship and play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
      Liverpool and Spurs have both been linked with Konsa but Villa will be determined to hang on to their emerging star.
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      Meanwhile, crocked pals Jack Grealish and James Maddison face a huge challenge to prove their fitness to Southgate, with the pair both battling to make their team’s games this weekend.
      Grealish has missed Villa’s last four games with a leg injury, while Maddison’s troublesome hip injury has sidelined him for the same amount of games.
      SunSport understands the pair are sweating to make their respective fixtures against Newcastle and Sheffield United as they frantically try to convince Southgate of their match readiness.

      Aston Villa v Wolves as it happened More

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      Arsenal set to fight Fifa in court over £33k fine after inserting clause in Chuba Akpom and Joel Campbell transfer deals

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      ARSENAL are set to fight with Fifa at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
      We can reveal the North London club have appealed against a ruling by the governing body which saw them handed a £33,000 fine — and the case will be heard next Tuesday.

      Arsenal are set to fight Fifa over the sales of Joel Campbell and Chuba AkpomCredit: Getty

      It relates to sell-on clauses they agreed when selling players.
      Obviously, it is not the fine bothering Arsenal, but the principle.
      In 2018, they sold Chuba Akpom to Greek side PAOK and Joel Campbell to Frosinone in Italy.
      Sell-on clauses were inserted into both deals stating PAOK would give the Gunners 30 per cent of any future fee for Akpom — but 40 per cent if he was transferred to a British club.

      With Campbell it was 20 per cent to another side, but 30 per cent if sold back to Britain.
      Akpom subsequently joined Middlesbrough last summer for £2.75million while Campbell is now playing in Mexico for Leon.
      The FA and Premier League said no rules were broken but Fifa ruled the clause was illegal.
      They claimed it amounted to third party ownership because it gave Arsenal power to influence transfer deals at another team.

      One reason Arsenal may be appealing is a fear impending cast-offs will be sold back to Premier League rivals at a profit.
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      AFTER a few technical issues earlier in the season, the EFL’s iFollow streaming service is becoming increasingly popular.

      Nearly 6,000 Ipswich fans, a League One away record, paid to watch the loss at Gillingham, Paul Cook’s first game in charge.
      And 4,000 Bolton fans bought £10 passes for the draw at Bradford.

      LIVERPOOL legend Steven Gerrard has helped Rangers end their ten-year wait for a title.
      And it’s ironic that a former EVERTON manager Walter Smith played a major role by becoming a mentor to Gerrard.
      Smith, 73, won the Scottish title ten times along with 11 domestic cups in two spells at Ibrox.
      And Gerrard has taken mental notes each time the pair have spoken after Premiership matches.
      It seems certain that Gerrard will lead Rangers into the Champions League next season but after then, he will return south at the first opportunity.
      And probably towards the Merseyside area.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      BRENTFORD are advertising on their website for a non-executive director to join the club’s board.
      The Championship side want to become the UK’s most inclusive club and are encouraging applications from under-represented groups.
      The big issue now is what division they are in next season.
      If the Bees are promoted, they will happily give Peterborough an extra £1million, on top of the £6.5m they paid for Ivan Toney last year.

      Rio Ferdinand urges Arteta to treat Arsenal team like cheating girlfriend he can’t ‘trust’ More

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      Liverpool fans can look forward to Anfield’s famous European nights… in Uefa’s new third-tier Europa Conference League

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      THE good news is that Liverpool supporters could very soon be experiencing those famous Anfield European nights again.
      Jurgen Klopp’s team need to climb only one place in the Premier League table to qualify for the inaugural staging of Uefa’s third-tier tournament, the Europa Conference League.

      Liverpool could still find themselves playing in Europe… the third tier, that isCredit: Reuters

      Then the Kop could be sucking the ball into the net as their Red Men take on Honka of Finland or Georgian second division side FA Gagra, winners of the David Kipiani Cup, or whoever finishes fourth in Luxembourg this season.
      And it gets more glamorous still with a final in Tirana, Albania.
      Will Klopp fancy such ignominy? And will Mo Salah?
      Who knows what happens when a mighty footballing empire seemingly turns to dust in ten weeks?

      There is no true precedent. From champions of England, Europe and the world to six straight home defeats and being told you don’t want it enough by Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed.
      ‘This means more,’ is Liverpool’s corporate motto. ‘Unity Is Strength,’ read the banner trailed by some Scouse Biggles over Anfield on Sunday — as Fulham went about proving as much.
      Unity is strength, unless it is about Premier League politics, at which point Liverpool cosy up with Manchester United and try to carve things up to their own benefit — but we digress.
      Yes, there’s been a defensive injury crisis and, yes, Klopp’s team selection against Fulham was weird when a win was desperately needed. But where is the workrate and unity which made this team so great, so recently?

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      It reminds you of an old Half Man Half Biscuit line, parodying You’ll Never Walk Alone — ‘When you walk through a storm, you get wet’.
      Now even the pom-pom-wielding former Liverpool players on TV have taken the gloves off, Jamie Carragher referring to Klopp’s team as ‘mentality midgets’.
      And Salah, still the Premier League’s leading scorer (17), has slackened off as badly as anyone.
      Without skipper Jordan Henderson and defensive general Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool need their best player to lead by example.
      Yet there was the Egyptian dawdling outside his 18-yard box, allowing Mario Lemina to score Fulham’s winner.

      This after the tantrum which followed his substitution against Chelsea, which led to a cryptic ‘full stop’ tweet from his agent.
      And that after a rare interview with a Spanish newspaper, in which Salah pointedly moaned about not being made captain for a Champions League dead rubber against Midtjylland.
      Was that interview designed to prick up ears at Barcelona and Real Madrid?
      If so, it was done without much knowledge of the financial situations at either of Spain’s skint super clubs.
      Salah is 29 this summer and may quite reasonably feel he has achieved all he can at Liverpool. But where next in the current financial climate?
      Is he hoping for some musical chairs at Paris Saint-Germain? Joining the Premier League vets competition, Serie A? Or maybe Klopp’s old friends at Bayern Munich?
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Talking of Bayern, there have been comparisons drawn between Liverpool’s skydive and Klopp’s final season at Borussia Dortmund in 2014-15.
      Having won back-to-back Bundesliga titles and lost a Champions League final to Bayern, Klopp’s side hit an injury crisis and fell into the relegation places before a late revival saw them finish a distant seventh.
      But Klopp is adamant we are not seeing history repeat itself — despite defeatist noises regarding Manchester City — who, like Bayern of 2015, are a financial powerhouse overseen by Pep Guardiola.
      Many at City feared Guardiola had lost his mojo last year and we’ve all seen how that has turned around.
      So Liverpool’s owners will not yet be wondering whether it is too early for Steven Gerrard.
      The Rangers manager may have merely romped home in a two-horse race in Scotland but Klopp is currently eighth in a six-horse race in England.

      There are some serious questions to ask of Jurgen Klopp in recent gamesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Still, there are serious questions to ask of Klopp. Why defend with a high line when you have little pace or quality in central defence?
      How has a player as good as Thiago Alcantara joined a team as good as Liverpool and looked so bad? What on Earth has happened to Sadio Mane?
      And, chiefly, how has a manager famed for his motivational powers and his workaholism, presided over a team which looks downright lazy at times?
      Surely, Klopp’s outstanding three-year run, including back-to-back Champions League finals and 196 Premier League points over two seasons, make him bulletproof — at least until he has some fit senior central defenders.
      But Klopp made seven changes for that Fulham game, prioritising a Champions League tie against RB Leipzig, such is his apparent concern that the Germans could overhaul a 2-0 deficit in neutral Budapest tomorrow.
      Still, a new European adventure may soon be on the cards. Although even the fourth-best team in Luxembourg might now fancy their chances at Anfield.

      Liverpool v Fulham as it happened More

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      Cavani and Bailly demand answers over Man Utd futures as Solskjaer lines up summer transfer spree

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      EDINSON CAVANI and Eric Bailly are demanding answers from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with their Manchester United futures in doubt.
      Uruguay striker Cavani, 34, is keen to stay at Old Trafford next season but has not received any assurances from the Red Devils hierarchy.

      Edinson Cavani wants to stay at Man Utd but is yet to receive assurances from club chiefsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Eric Bailly wants honesty over his playing time at the clubCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      While frustrated centre-back Bailly wants ‘honesty’ from boss Solskjaer over his first-team status.
      United, second in the Premier League after Sunday’s 2-0 derby triumph over leaders City, are looking to bring in a new striker and defender this summer.
      Cavani, who is considering a return to South America with Boca Juniors in Argentina, wants to know how a new frontman would impact on his role at the Theatre of Dreams.
      The striker joined United in October as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain on a deal until the end of the season.

      His £9million-a-year contract has a one-year option with both parties able to trigger the extension.
      That means Cavani, who has scored seven goals this season, could walk away if he wishes.
      United are expected to open talks with Cavani but he has grown frustrated that it has taken Boca’s interest of a £3million-a-year offer to begin discussions.
      Bailly, who was left on the United bench for the Etihad triumph, is also a disgruntled figure at United.

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      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a big summer of transfersCredit: Rex Features

      And the Ivory Coast defender, 26, had told team-mates how he does not believe he is getting equal treatment from the Old Trafford boss.
      A dressing room source told SunSport: “Eric doesn’t feel he has any trust from Ole and he thinks that’s unfair.
      “He wants the coach to have confidence in him and back him up but he feels he isn’t being protected at all and that hurts.”
      SunSport understands Bailly’s problems with Solskjaer date back to last season’s Europa League semi-final defeat to Sevilla when he was left out of the side in favour of Victor Lindelof.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      The ex-Villarreal defender had an ankle injury earlier in this campaign and he feels Solskjaer used that knock as an excuse to omit him even when he returned to fitness.
      Bailly is due to enter the last year of his United contract this summer although he had been offered a 12-month extension.
      He was part of the defence that kept a clean sheet at Crystal Palace on Wednesday but then was not in the squad against City.
      That has only increased his belief he is being pushed towards the exit door for no reason, while the suggestion that he might be injury-prone could have consequences if he is forced to seek a new club.
      The source added: “From Eric’s point of view, he thinks he will only play now if Lindelof is out, irrespective of how he plays.

      “But he thinks that is the easy option and that Solskjaer can do it because he doesn’t like to kick up a fuss or start knocking on the manager’s door to ask questions.
      “If he was left out because he was making mistakes he would understand it but that’s not the case. Eric just wants to feel appreciated by the manager and the club.”
      Meanwhile Solskjaer is hopeful that Marcus Rashford could be available for Thursday’s Europa League last 16 first leg clash with Milan.
      Rashford limped out of the Manchester derby win and had a scan on the damage yesterday.
      But results suggest he is suffering only from bruising on his ankle as opposed to ligament damage meaning he does not face a long–term absence.

      Solskjaer says Marcus Rashford is set for a scan after injuring ankle when sprinting back to help defend in win over Man City More

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      FA launch inquiry into Neil Warnock’s blast at officials after Middlesbrough’s defeat at Swansea

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      THE FA have launched an investigation into Neil Warnock’s explosive post-match blast at officials.
      Middlesbrough manager Warnock slammed referee Gavin Ward for a number of decisions in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Swansea.

      Neil Warnock faces an FA probe for his comments over ref Gavin WardCredit: Rex Features

      Middlesbrough left-back Marc Bola reacts to having his goal disallowedCredit: Alamy Live News

      Warnock also accused Swansea of benefiting from  decisions because manager Steve Cooper’s dad Keith was a former top-flight official.
      The FA are aware of Warnock’s comments and will seek his observations before deciding whether to issue a charge.
      Warnock’s attack on Ward came after he disallowed Marc Bola’s strike,  with Yannick Bolasie adjudged to have fouled Jay Fulton in the build-up.
      After Boro levelled, Ward then awarded the Welsh side a penalty deep in injury-time for a George Saville foul on Jake Bidwell, which Andre Ayew converted from the spot.

      Warnock, 72, said: “They are all heroes, they all want the celebrity status.
      “It’s wrong. My lads have been let down by a team of officials who weren’t good enough today. It’s not right.”
      Warnock added: “I don’t know if it’s Cooper’s dad whose influencing this?
      “He must have all the numbers. But, joking apart, they can’t keep having decisions like that.”

      It comes just days after Warnock agreed to stay in charge at Boro for at least another year.
      STAYING AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR
      The only older boss in professional football is Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson, 73.
      Having held talks with Boro owner Steve Gibson last Wednesday, Warnock said: “It wasn’t really in doubt.
      “I’ve enjoyed my time here and achieved what I wanted to so far. 
      “Steve is as big a supporter as he’s ever been, and he told me – you’ve not seen anything until you’ve seen a full Riverside.
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      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      “It’ll be great to have the fans back when we can – that’s what we all want and it can’t come quick enough.
      “You can see a light at the end of the tunnel, but let’s be careful until we get there. 
      “I think we can all look forward now – at my age you know you’re not staying on to make up the numbers and I thrive on success, and that’s what I’ll be striving for.”

      Neil Warnock in X-rated rant at referee at Middlesbrough youth game vs Leeds just 24 hours after Brentford loss More