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      Jose Mourinho reckons Tottenham are turning into ‘intelligent c****’… like he demanded in X-rated Amazon team talk

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      JOSE MOURINHO reckons Spurs are turning into the ‘intelligent c***s’ he wants them to be.
      He turned the air blue in Tottenham’s fly-on-the-wall documentary last season.

      Jose Mourinho believes Spurs are turning into ‘intelligent c***s’Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      And eight months on from his X-rated teamtalk, Mourinho is happy with their progress, saying: “We are improving as a team, that is not in doubt.
      “The concept of what the team needs and the type of mentality we need in the team, which is something I have been very, very clear about, we are improving step by step.”
      Tottenham have demonstrated perfectly their new ruthless, streetwise side in the last three Premier League games — a sensational run that took them to the top of the Premier League table.
      Mourinho’s team have beaten Manchester City and Arsenal, and drawn with Chelsea, all without conceding a goal and with less than 40 per cent possession in each game.

      The Special One was seen telling his players they were a ‘very nice group of guys’ who needed to become ‘intelligent c***s’ on the pitch.
      The City win was hailed as a tactical masterclass but Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp, pundits for Mourinho’s former employers at Sky, criticised Tottenham for having a negative approach against bitter-rivals Arsenal.Mourinho could not care less.
      The Tottenham boss said: “I’m not going to be the pundit of the pundit.

      Tottenham are firmly in the title hunt after a flying start to the seasonCredit: Getty – Pool

      “They are professional. I was a pundit but not professional.

      “I was a pundit on my free time as a manager when I didn’t have a job.
      “It was something I enjoyed and something that helped me to respect people’s opinions, so I’m not going to comment on that.”

      Jose Mourinho says he prefers his benched players to leave the pitch after a number of them did exactly that More

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      George Baldock commits future to Sheffield United after agreeing contract until 2024 which includes pay-rise

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      GEORGE BALDOCK  pledged his long-term future to Sheffield United after agreeing a new deal with a wage boost  until  2024.
      Baldock, 27, has been a Premier League regular for Chris Wilder — playing 11 times this term — and seen off rivals for his position, so the Blades were desperate for him to stay at Bramall Lane.

      George Baldock’s new deal will keep him at Sheffield United for the next four yearsCredit: Sportimage

      His club persuaded him to commit to two more years with his old deal due to end in the summer of 2022
      Baldock’s agreement to a new contract will come as a welcome relief to the Wilder’s Premier League strugglers who are currently bottom in the top-flight. 
      The Buckingham-born defender, whose team will play Southampton, helped the Blades win promotion to the Prem in 2019. 
      Their winless run so far this term is a far cry from their impressive form last season with the Blades finishing ninth.

      But the former MK Dons ace, who was a summer transfer target for Wolves, says he has enjoyed his “best years’’ at Bramall Lane.
      And the defender, who made 40 appearances for Sheffield United last season, is confident the Blades can bounce back. 
      Baldock told the club’s website: “I still believe we will get out of the situation we’re in and I’m absolutely delighted to sign a new deal.
      “We’ve got a good group in the dressing room, many who know what it takes to get out of these sticky patches, albeit not in the Premier League.

       “I’m certainly full of confidence that we can put things right.
      “We all need to take individual responsibility on the pitch in the key moments, we’re not doing enough at the minute, but we’re fortunate that we have an opportunity to turn things around. 
      “I’ve had the best years of my career by far with the Blades.

      George Baldock was linked with Wolves earlier this seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press

      “I’ve got a good relationship with the fans and I love living in the city, so now it’s about sorting out what’s happening on the pitch.”
      Sheffield United, who have collected just a point from 11 games, have some potentially tricky fixtures before the end of 2020. 
      These include visits from Manchester United and Everton and a bottom of the table clash with Burnley.

      Sheffield United’s Sander Berge takes on intensive workout in training More

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      Harry Winks could quit Tottenham for transfer abroad in January to keep his England Euro 2021 dream alive

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      HARRY WINKS could move abroad for a way out of Tottenham next month to keep his Euro 2021 dreams alive.
      England midfielder Winks has found himself out in the cold in Jose Mourinho’s Premier League squad this season – threatening his place in Gareth Southgate’s side next summer.

      Harry Winks may be forced to look abroad after falling out of favour at Spurs

      That has left the 24-year-old with no choice but to consider a move away from North London – when the transfer window opens in January – in a desperate search for regular games.
      A number of Premier League clubs are monitoring his situation, but SunSport understands there are also clubs in Spain and Italy who have now registered an interest.
      The style of play in both LaLiga and Serie A would complement Winks perfectly, and would also help his development as a player in a way which would satisfy Three Lions boss Southgate.
      And a loan move to the continent may interest Spurs more than a deal with a Premier League club, to avoid the potential of strengthening a rival.

      Winks started the first three league games of the season, but since then he has made just one sub appearance in the competition and even found himself out of the matchday squad completely on occasions.
      And though he started the Europa League win over Royal Antwerp on Thursday he was hooked just before the hour.
      Mourinho accepts he cannot keep everyone happy and has suggested there may be some who would prefer to leave in January if they feel they need more game time.
      Winks and Dele Alli are thought to be among those he would be open to leaving, and should Spurs indicate they would be willing to strike a deal then a number of teams will make a move.

      Alli is also exploring other avenues and has been linked with PSG after seeing himself fall so far down the pecking order he was not even used as one of the FIVE subs against Antwerp and instead went to fetch a warmer coat.
      Despite becoming an outcast under Mourinho, Alli was named as one of FIFPRO’s 55 best players in the world, ahead of the release of their annual world XI.
      The former MK Dons star made the cut for the first time despite starting just five games since March in 2020.

      Jose Mourinho comments on the performance of Winks, Dele and the rest of his players More

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      England ace John Stones made my life hell after World Cup fame went to his head, says ex Millie Savage

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      ENGLAND ace John Stones’s ex has told how he callously dumped her, saying: “I’m done. I don’t feel free and I don’t love you anymore.”
      Millie Savage, mum to their daughter, three, said: “The last two years have been hell and it is ongoing. I wouldn’t want to put anyone through this. He has been an a***hole.”

      Millie Savage has told how she was cruelly dumped by John StonesCredit: Paul Cousans – The Sun

      She says the England ace made her life hell after World Cup fame went to his headCredit: Darren Fletcher – The Sun

      Stones started dating beautician Olivia Naylor weeks after he and Millie split

      John Stones’s devastated ex says World Cup fame went to his head — adding: “I thought we’d spend our lives together but I feel he’s become a bully.”
      Millie was left heartbroken when their relationship crumbled after the England ace’s heroics in summer 2018.
      The couple, who met when Millie was 14 and have a daughter, three, split in November that year.
      Weeks later she got an Instagram message from a mystery sender revealing that the £175,000-a-week Man City defender, 26, had started secretly dating Olivia Naylor.

      Millie, 27, added: “You see these girls in the nightclubs who throw themselves at footballers.
      “John has moved on with one of those girls and I feel bullied ever since by his wealth and power.
      “Footballers are treated as gods and John bought into it wholeheartedly after the World Cup. He let fame get into his head.
      “For footballers the rules of normal life become blurred.

      I feel bullied by John’s wealth and power
      Millie Savage

      “We are just mortals to them, but in reality it is like looking after a child who has no concept of how the real world works.
      “I put my hopes to one side and supported him throughout his career. I kept him grounded.”

      Millie and Stones were childhood sweethearts – they’re pictured at their prom in 2010
      Millie and Stones met at school in South Yorkshire. She was a devoted presence as he moved from Barnsley to Everton before joining City for £47million in 2016.
      A year later she gave birth. And at the 2018 World Cup in Russia the couple were pictured hugging in the stands after England beat Sweden 2-0 to reach the semis.
      MARRIAGE TALKS
      Millie added: “Before the World Cup John was just John. He was lovely, polite. He’d speak to people and was just daft.
      “We were like an old couple, we’d walk the dogs. We weren’t showbizzy.”
      Millie said she noticed a change in his behaviour after the tournament. He partied more with teammates and started drinking at home.
      Millie said he once returned from a casino at 7am and threw money at her.

      Before the World Cup John was just John. He was lovely, polite.
      Millie Savage

      Then in November he walked out leaving her in tears. Millie recalled: “We heard Rio Ferdinand had got engaged to Kate Wright.
      “I said, ‘That’s nice to see’. John knew I’d always wanted to marry.
      “We’d been together for years. I’d become a Stones. I asked why it hadn’t happened. He just didn’t want to know.
      “We came home and went through our normal routine. Later that night I said, ‘Look John, I know it annoys you when I bring up marriage but you’ve got to understand it from my perspective’.

      She was a devoted presence in his life as he worked his way up from Barnsley to CityCredit: Getty

      Millie gave birth a year before the 2018 World Cup in Russia

      The couple were pictured in the stands after England’s 2-0 win against Sweden

      Millie says she noticed a change in him after the tournamentCredit: Getty
      “He refused to answer then replied, ‘Look Millie, I’m done. I’m not happy. I don’t feel free and I don’t love you anymore’.”
      Stones left their Cheshire home and stayed in a flat at City’s training ground, as we reported.
      Millie said: “I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had no income, no money of my own.
      “Some people may think I was daft but I gave up everything for him when he signed for Everton and he asked me to go with him.”
      After laying out his feelings, Stones — a starter in last night’s 0-0 Manchester derby — told Millie how he saw his future without her.
      She added: “He said, ‘I’ll always look after you. I want us to get on, but this is my house’.
      “Straightaway I knew what I was going to have to deal with. He left me there crying and that was it.”
      Soon after Millie received the mystery Instagram message titled: “Must Open, About John.”
      It read: “Hi Millie, Please be with a family member or friend when you open this.
      “I’m so sorry you have to find out this way and hope you can understand my reasoning for wanting to be anonymous with all the mess and publicity around the situation. You need to speak to John about Olivia Naylor.

      The couple, pictured in 2013, had even spoken about marriage before the shocking split

      They were all smiles as they took their last picture together

      Millie was left with nothing as she had given up everything to support himCredit: Paul Cousans – The Sun
      “He has had a baby to her this Christmas, and she talks about how they are biding their time for now but they will be together once he has settled with you financially.
      “It has been weighing on my conscience as it is so wrong what the pair of them have done.
      “I hope I’ve done the right thing to inform you as it is hard to know what’s best in these toxic situations. All I can say is keep your chin up. X.”

      I couldn’t believe what was happening. I had no income, no money of my own.
      Millie Savage

      Beautician Olivia’s baby was born a month after Stones left Millie — but the child is not his. We reported on his new relationship in March 2019.
      Millie added: “It’s like a Jeremy Kyle episode. John denied knowing Olivia at first but later said they’d known each other long before the World Cup.
      “He told me, ‘Olivia is ten times the woman you’ll ever be’. And after everything I gave up for him he rang to say, ‘If it wasn’t for you, I’d have done better’.
      “I think back to when he hugged me at the World Cup. We were elated — but it’s been cheapened.
      “I suspect he thought Olivia’s baby was his, so he left suddenly in November because he knew he was living off borrowed time. The thing is, it’s not his.”
      Millie stayed in their home but became aware that Stones was accessing CCTV via a phone app.
      Millie recalled: “During the Covid lockdown he was sending messages about my comings and goings. I was creeped out. I felt like I was being constantly watched.”

      Game over for couple

      2006: John Stones meets Millie Savage while a pupil at Penistone Grammar School, South Yorkshire.
      2008: The two begin dating.
      AUGUST 2016: Stones signs for Manchester City from Everton for £47million, a then-world record fee for a defender.
      DECEMBER 2016: Stones has a tattoo of Millie’s face inked on his arm after claims he cheated on her with events organiser Jessica Peaty.
      APRIL 2017: The couple celebrate the birth of their daughter.
      JULY 2018: Millie flies to Russia to support Stones at the World Cup.
      NOVEMBER 2018: The couple split.
      MARCH 2019: The Manchester City ace is reportedly seeing former beautician Olivia Naylor.
      NOVEMBER 2019: Stones has the tattoo of Millie removed from his arm.
      MAY 2020: Millie accuses Stones of watching her on home CCTV.

      Now Millie is trying to move on with her lifeCredit: Paul Cousans – The Sun
      As The Sun on Sunday reported, Stones was spoken to by cops but not suspected of committing any offence.
      After the CCTV incident, Millie said: “John told me he wanted to move into our home with Olivia and her baby and that I’d have to leave.
      “It felt like he was kicking me out. I left in September with nothing. I couldn’t take a thing with me.
      “I walked out of that house as it was when John and I lived together.
      “The same curtains we chose, the bedding, the job lot. I mean, what kind of woman would want to move into the ex’s home?”
      Millie has moved to a new home paid for by the star where she can stay until their daughter turns 18.
      But she ran up legal fees of around £45,000 following the split and said: “To me he’s an a***hole who is trying to control me. All I’m trying to do is move on and be the best mum I can be.
      “Fame got too much for him when he went to City then the World Cup.
      “Everyone there has reached out to me because they’re in utter shock at his behaviour.
      “I want to see him succeed. Yes, he’s done wrong to me but at the end of the day he’s my child’s father. Whatever the present feelings between us I can never take that away from him.”
      A source close to Stones said: “John is a devoted and loving father and his priority has and always will be the welfare and total privacy of his daughter.

      “He denies and refutes the version of events described and has always gone above and beyond since his break up with Millie to protect his daughter.
      “He has now been in a happy relationship for almost two years and is moving on with his life.
      “He is saddened that Millie has taken this route for herself and their child. He won’t be making any comment.”

      Police speak to Man City’s John Stones after ex Millie Savage fears she’s being monitored on CCTV
      GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk More

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      Liverpool fear Diogo Jota will be out for TWO months after £45m star picked up knee injury against Midtjylland

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      LIVERPOOL fear Diogo Jota may be crocked for TWO MONTHS.
      The £45million forward injured his knee in Wednesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw at Midtjylland.

      Diogo Jota could be sidelined for two months through injury for LiverpoolCredit: Getty Images

      And reports in his native Portugal claim he could be out until mid-February.
      That would be a huge blow for Kop boss Jurgen Klopp.
      The German coach is already managing an Anfield injury crisis.
      Jota, 24, has made an immediate impact since September’s switch from Wolves.

      The star has scored nine goals in 17 appearances.
      But if the injury is as serious as feared, he could miss as many as 13 matches.
      And those include both Premier League games against title rivals Spurs and home clashes with Manchester United and Manchester City.
      Klopp said: “Diogo got a knock.

      “We have to wait to see how it is.”
      Liverpool travel to West London on Sunday to take on Fulham.
      They then welcome Spurs to Anfield on Wednesday for the top of the table clash.

      How Virgil van Dijk compares to the rest of the PL’s defenders

      Diogo Jota was passed up by Portuguese club for just £2,000 seven years before his dream £45m Liverpool move More

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      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer adamant Man Utd troublemakers have been booted from club and Paul Pogba isn’t one of them

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      OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER says he has got rid of the Manchester United troublemakers —  and Paul Pogba was not one of them.
      Solskjaer revealed he managed stars in his two years at Old Trafford who refused to train and play but refused to name any.

      Paul Pogba has not been a Manchester United troublemaker, says Ole Gunnar SolskjaerCredit: Rex Features

      Pogba, 27, and his agent have been agitating to force a transfer — but Solskjaer says the Frenchman has never refused to play or train.
      Solskjaer said: “This is a team game and Paul is part of this team.
      “He’s very focused on contributing. He’s got the hunger and appetite to play and wants to play.
      “He wants to train and he trains.

      “There’s been other players refusing to train and refusing to play — they’re not here anymore of course — but Paul’s not once done that.
      “He’s just focused on performing when he gets a chance.
      “That’s the good thing about Paul. He’s got the quality and the desire to do well.”
      Despite this week’s elimination from the Champions League after defeat at RB Leipzig, the United boss added: “I feel we’re getting better and better and looking more like a Manchester United team I want, with fast attackers, a dynamic.

      “We have good players and individual quality that can create magic out of nothing — that’s always been at Manchester United.
      “We can see more of the penetration and consistency everyone says we don’t have.
      “We have won the last four in the league, which has become a good run, and hopefully that continues.”
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta given dreaded vote of confidence by Gunners chief executive Vinai Venkatesham

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      ARSENAL chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has given under-fire boss Mikel Arteta the dreaded vote of confidence.
      The Gunners have endured their worst start to a league season for 38 years — with Arteta’s position questioned by supporters after less than a year in the role.

      Arsenal manager has ‘extraordinary experience’ and remains ‘absolutely driven to succeed,’ says chief executive Vinai VenkateshamCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Vinai Venkatesham believes Mikel Arteta and Edu will form an outstanding management teamCredit: Getty – Contributor

      A bad run over the Christmas period could see fans lose patience with the 38-year-old.
      But Venkatesham, who oversaw Arteta’s arrival at the Emirates last December, believes the Spaniard  — along with technical director Edu — have the makings of a great double act for the future.
      Venkatesham said: “I think with Mikel we have got a number of things.
      ⚽ Read our Arsenal live blog for the latest news from The Emirates

      Here’s how Arsenal could line-up at home to Burnley on Sunday evening
      “I think you have got an individual who has extraordinary experience in the Premier League across his time at Arsenal, Everton, Man City and then back at Arsenal.
      “The team he has formed with Edu, and also his technical staff, is really, really strong.
      “You have got a guy who is absolutely driven to succeed. We’ve got a really, really powerful individual.”
      Arteta’s 15th-placed Gunners host third-bottom Burnley on Sunday night, having lost six of their first 11 Prem games.

      The Spaniard has openly admitted his main worry is their scoring record of just ten league goals, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on just two and Alexandre Lacazette three.
      Meanwhile, Arsenal target Dominik Szoboszlai has reportedly decided to join RB Leipzig in January.
      The Hungary midfielder, 20, seems sure to leave Austrians RB Salzburg after they exited the Champions League at the group stage.

      Eddie Nketiah shows what he is made of at Arsenal training More

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      Frank Lampard hails ex-Chelsea chief Carlo Ancelotti and reveals Italian bought a round hours after getting sacked

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      CARLO ANCELOTTI made a lasting impression on Frank Lampard — by getting a round in hours after being sacked by Chelsea.
      It was last orders for manager Ancelotti in May 2011 in a corridor at Goodison Park where the two men will meet again tonight.

      Frank Lampard takes on his former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti on SaturdayCredit: AFP

      The axing of the genial and successful Italian remains the most baffling of the nine men to get the boot from owner Roman Abramovich during his 17 years in charge.
      Lampard said: “He had a very laid-back demeanour about him which I appreciated. But beneath that was a hard edge, that was very evident.
      “I didn’t crave too much conversation with my manager, I just wanted to do my job but with him I always felt comfortable when I was having those one-on-one conversations.
      “I’ve got specific moments in my time with him that I remember. One was the evening that he left the club and he actually came and had a couple of beers with us in The Plough over the road in Cobham.

      “Another time I was with Andrea Pirlo in Vancouver and we all had dinner together in an Italian restaurant and it was a fantastic evening.
      “I have such high regard for him. He has the personal touch, he got it nailed.
      “And the great thing is that he is straight with it. He is honest in everything he does and that is very refreshing.”
      Ancelotti was sacked after a 1-0 defeat as Chelsea finished second in the league but trophyless — unthinkable in those days.

      Lamps managed fourth place without a cup in his first season in charge which means there is added pressure now in his second campaign. 
      Ancelotti won the Premier League and FA Cup Double the year before he was axed  and inspired Lampard to ultimately be Chelsea’s greatest goalscorer with 211 goals.
      Lampard said: “I remember that season because I did not start very well.
      “Carlo came in and we played in a diamond formation with me at the top of it, which on paper may have looked right but I was finding it difficult.
      “My game was fluid and I wanted to get my chance to arrive in the box. I went quite a few games without getting a goal — and remember having an honest conversation with Carlo.
      “He was very open with me and I remember being really impressed, not just because it meant my position changed slightly and I managed to start playing better but just how he handled what was a tough period for me.
      “From then on the season went from strength to strength, so he got a tune out of the whole team.”

      Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has 16 goals for club and country this seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
      One of Lampard’s key themes is hard work — which is why he admires Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin who has 16 goals for club and country this season having come through the ranks at Sheffield United.
      Lampard said: “To speak about an opposition player is a bit different but what I do respect about Calvert-Lewin is that it feels like a career that he has really worked for.
      “That sounds simple but it is not a straightforward pathway.
      “Not everyone gets in their first team at 17 or 18 other than the Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen types of the world.
      “Others have to find different ways and he has shown himself, last season and particularly this season, consistently he’s an all- round striker.
      “Every part of his game is a real threat.
      “When I look at him as an opposition striker, who has quite rightly got into the England team and he has settled into that, he is a major threat to us.”
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

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