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      West Ham’s James Tarkowski pursuit hits bump as Burnley ask for £27m transfer offer to be DOUBLED

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      WEST HAM will have to almost double their opening bid to stand any chance of landing James Tarkowski from Burnley.
      The Hammers first offer was believed to be in the region of £27million for the Clarets’ England defender.

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      West Ham will have to almost double their £27m opening bid to sign James Tarkowski from Burnley

      Leicester and Crystal Palace have also been monitoring the former Oldham man but he is highly-rated at Turf Moor.
      The Lancashire club noted that Bournemouth got £40m from Manchester City for Nathan Ake – and believe their man is worth considerably more.
      In any case, Sean Dyche is in no rush to sell the 27-year-old, who has spent the last four years with him and formed a formidable partnership with Ben Mee.
      Meanwhile fellow centre-back Ben Gibson is relieved his Turf Moor nightmare is over after joining Norwich on a season long loan.

      The Clarets joint record signing was unable to force his way into the reckoning and grew increasingly frustrated at his lack of opportunites.
      Gibson said: “It’s been a really, really tough two years, I won’t hide from that.
      “I’m someone that wears my heart on my sleeve and not someone who sits comfortable and is happy to sit on the bench.

      “I want to play football, that’s why I got involved in the game.

      “That’s what we all dreamed of doing when we were young.
      “I had that opportunity and I felt I was quite successful, but I feel that got taken away from me, as such.”

      Ian Abrahams questions West Ham’s ‘perplexing’ decision to sell fan favourite Grady Diangana More

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      Raheem Sterling should have been given captain’s armband before his England winner.. he is Southgate’s Mr Dependable

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      RAHEEM STERLING should have been England’s captain when he scored their late winner in  Reykjavik on Saturday.
      When Harry Kane was substituted, he blundered by handing the armband to Eric Dier instead of the Manchester City wideman.

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      Raheem Sterling scored the winner for England against IcelandCredit: Rex Features

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      Raheem Sterling celebrates after scoring from the spot in the Nations LeagueCredit: AP:Associated Press
      But it did not matter. Everyone could see that Sterling was leading Gareth Southgate’s ten men as they laboured towards victory.
      And with Kane looking leggy and rusty in Iceland, there is every chance Sterling will skipper his country against Denmark in Copenhagen tomorrow night.
      After Southgate was let down by one experienced City player in Kyle Walker, he saw Sterling take the responsibility by taking the fight to Iceland and then stepping up to take the 91st-minute spot-kick which earned the most unconvincing of victories.

      As the manager says, Sterling could easily have stayed in Jamaica, where he had been partying with Usain Bolt, having finished City’s Champions League campaign just three weeks ago.

      Yet he flew home in time to beat quarantine rules and make himself available for this Nations League opener.
      And Southgate said: “I can’t speak highly enough of him. It would have been very easy to have another few days on the beach, not report in, get himself right for his club at the beginning of the season.
      “His mentality the whole week has been exceptional. He’s  desperate to be here, desperate to play, desperate to stay on.
      “I thought he carried the fight when we went down to ten men, he took the responsibility of the penalty.

      “I thought he showed outstanding character throughout. His desire to succeed is exceptional. He’s just been relentless. His hunger to score, his hunger to win things, his hunger to drive himself, you really can’t underestimate it.
      “It has a massive impact on everybody around him and has taken his game to another level.”
      When England last played  Iceland, in their Euro 2016 humiliation, Sterling was struggling to establish himself at international level and copped a vast amount of flak, much of it over the top.
      Yet still aged only 25, Sterling is a match-winner and an inspirational senior pro for both club and country — a former Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year, with 57 caps and 11 goals in his last 12 England appearances.
      Asked whether Sterling should have taken the armband when Kane was replaced by Mason Greenwood in the 78th minute, Southgate admitted: “Yeah, he should. That was just in the midst of coming off the pitch.
      “But I hadn’t seen it, I was busy getting instructions to try to reshape the team at the time but, yes.”

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      England skipper Harry Kane was subbed against Iceland and may not start against DenmarkCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Kane has had a limited training schedule according to Gareth SouthgateCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Southgate admits it will be tough for Kane to start against Denmark and also believes that players from the Manchester sides, who played competitive football more recently for their clubs, were fresher than the rest of the England squad.
      So there is every chance Sterling will captain the side for the second time tomorrow — after doing so against Holland in last summer’s Nations League semi-final, when Kane was rested.
      Southgate added: “I think the most important thing will be to assess what gives us the freshness but keeps enough experience, to keep the balance of the team right. Energy will be key.
      “The decision when we were down to ten, we needed the energy and the legs to press from the front and Harry’s had such a limited training schedule we were going to be asking too much of him to continue to press, hold the ball up and be the goal threat.
      “We felt the three quick forwards, with Raheem, Danny Ings and Mason Greenwood, was the best way to see the game out.”
      England’s attacking rustiness was forgivable, with Jadon Sancho disappointing — although Southgate is adamant the Borussia Dortmund forward is coping well with the speculation over a possible £100million transfer to Manchester United.

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      Kyle Walker was sent off after picking up two bookingsCredit: AP:Associated Press

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      Joe Gomez gave away a late penalty but Iceland failed to equaliseCredit: Reuters
      But what was far less forgivable for the England boss was Walker’s sending off for a reckless challenge when he was on a yellow card, as well as Joe Gomez gifting Iceland an injury-time penalty, which was skied by Birkir Bjarnason.
      No wonder England’s coaching staff were so concerned about their lack of central-defensive depth that there was serious debate about recalling Harry Maguire after he appealed against his convictions in a Greek court.
      Yet one positive was that England had won without a Kane goal for just the third time under Southgate — and the Three Lions chief says his team are no longer so reliant on the Tottenham centre-forward.
      He said: “Harry is a supreme goalscorer and is critical to the way we play.
      “Equally, we have some other tremendous threats, with Raheem in particular.
      “There’s Jadon, Mason Greenwood coming through, Marcus Rashford at home, Phil Foden, who I thought had a really good debut in really difficult circumstances and Mason Mount will score goals as well.
      “The nice thing is we won’t be leaning just on Harry. Goals can come from elsewhere.”

      England manager Gareth Southgate says every precaution is being taken to prevent coronavirus after Raheem Sterling case More

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      Eddie Nketiah body transformation as Arsenal kid bulks up for new season in bid to earn starting spot under Mikel Arteta

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      EDDIE NKETIAH is seriously pumped for the new season.
      The Arsenal whizkid spent lockdown bulking up to cope better with the Premier League’s physicality.

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      Eddie Nketiah shows off the match-ball after overpowering Kosovo U-21s with a hat-trick for the Lion cubsCredit: Instagram @england

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      Arsenal academy product Eddie Nketiah is hoping to take his England U-21 form and more muscular presence into the PremCredit: Kosovo Football Federation
      And he was far too strong for the Kosovo defence on Friday as he hit a ten-minute hat-trick to help the England Under-21s to a 6-0 romp.
      Now the striker is ready to flex his notably bigger muscles when the top flight resumes this weekend.
      Nketiah, 21, said: “During lockdown, I worked really hard on getting bigger and better on the ball. I’ve used the time well and it’s good people can see the hard work.
      “It’s something I wanted to do. As you go through the levels, it gets a lot harder physically so to be able to show your technique, you need that  strength to cope with it.

      “It’s nice to show that off a bit on the pitch.”

      They’re very demanding parents…trying to get the best out of me. It’s great to have that support.
      Eddie Nketiah

      Beefed-up Nketiah says  his parents played a huge role in his home work-out routine during the three-month lockdown.
      He added: “They made sure I was eating the right food and had the right gym equipment.
      “They’re very demanding parents who are always trying to get the best out of me. It’s great to have that support.”

      Nketiah’s treble in Pristina was his second in the current Euro qualifying campaign after his October hat-trick against Austria at Stadium MK.
      If he manages another against the Austrians in Ried im Innkreis tomorrow, he will surpass Alan Shearer’s record haul of 13 Lion Cubs’ strikes.
      This season, the striker wants to take his lethal international form into the Premier League.

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      Nketiah, pictured here in 2017, has bulked up in a bid to earn a regular Arsenal spot Credit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Londoner Eddie Nketiah started the Community Shield for Arsenal against Liverpool at Wembley last weekCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      In Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he has a club team-mate who can teach him the art of scoring. Nketiah, who managed two Prem goals last term, said: “Pierre has a great range of finishing and excellent movement in and around the box.
      “I’m always looking to see what I can add from his game into mine. He’s a very approachable guy.
      “I’ve had a good campaign for the 21s. Whenever I get an opportunity I take it as if it’s my last.
      “For my club this  season I can get a lot more goals and assists. I have a lot more to give.”
      Nketiah  has featured heavily under boss Mikel Arteta, coming on in last month’s FA Cup final triumph against Chelsea and starting the Community Shield win over Liverpool.

      That was after a difficult loan spell at Leeds in the first half of last season, where he was largely restricted to sub appearances by Marcelo Bielsa.
      Yet his 17 league games for the Whites meant he still won a medal for Leeds’ Championship title, taking his trophy haul to three this summer.
      He added: “I’ve added three titles to my cabinet, which is a great feeling.“It gives me the hunger and drive to want more.”

      Sol Campbell, Ray Parlour, Robert Pires and Ashley Cole reassemble the iconic Invincible Arsenal squad to talk football and play together once more More

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      Mesut Ozil handed Arsenal lifeline and may feature against Fulham in Prem opener after ruling out transfer exit

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      MESUT OZIL has been thrown an unlikely Arsenal lifeline after playing his first game in six months for the club.
      The German playmaker was a surprise starter in Saturday’s final pre-season friendly against Aston Villa.

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      Mesut Ozil put himself in contention to face Fulham on Saturday by starting in Saturday’s 3-2 friendly defeat at home to Aston VillaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      German playmaker Mesut Ozil is back in Arsenal’s plans after boss Mikel Arteta left him out for six monthsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And now he is in with a chance of being involved in this week’s opening Premier League game at Fulham as Mikel Arteta considers all his options.
      Ozil, 31, did not feature in any of Arsenal’s 13 games of the season after football came out of lockdown and didn’t even make the subs’ bench for the final ten.
      But Arteta is resigned to the out of favour German seeing out the final year of his Emirates contract.
      And he is looking at ways to keep Ozil involved rather than having him picking up his £350,000-a-week wages without contributing to the squad.

      Arsenal enjoyed notable success against Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in their final five games of last season by playing with three at the back.
      But he wants to play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 against the Premier League’s lesser lights, which is why Ozil was given a run-out during the 3-2 defeat at the Emirates over the weekend.
      He was part of a notably strong starting line-up which also included Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alex Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe in attacking roles.

      But Arteta is now looking to trim his squad after the summer signings of Willian, Gabriel Maghalaes, Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares.
      Dani Ceballos has also extended his loan from Real Madrid while Willliam Saliba, Mohamed Elneny and Emile Smith Rowe have all returned from loan.

      That leaves Arteta with a bloated first team squad of 31 players and only Henrikh Mkhitaryan so far offloaded after his contract was cancelled.
      Now the club are working overtime to get more players off the payroll.
      And they are willing to consider offers for Elneny, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torrerira, Hector Bellerin, Sead Kolasinac, Rob Holding, Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi and Calum Chambers.

      Sol Campbell, Ray Parlour, Robert Pires and Ashley Cole reassemble the iconic Invincible Arsenal squad to talk football and play together once more More

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      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua spotted on nights out with estranged wife of Man City star Riyad Mahrez

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      BOXER Anthony Joshua has been spotted on nights out with the estranged wife of Man City ace Riyad Mahrez, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
      Heavyweight champion Joshua, 30, and 26-year-old Rita have been seen together twice in the past few weeks at a shisha bar and also at a party at a mutual pal’s pad.

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      Man City ace Riyad Mahrez and estranged wife Rita, 26Credit: Splash News
      They first met last December when Joshua invited Rita to join him and pals at their table in a VIP section of the Tape nightclub in London’s Mayfair. Joshua is said to have “backed away” when he realised she was footballer Riyad’s missus.
      Recently, Joshua and Rita have been seen with friends at The Hart Lounge shisha bar in Southgate, North London.
      And last night a source said: “Rita’s mad keen on AJ. She thinks they can be a couple.
      “She’s in touch with him via his circle of friends and loves going out with them, although she really only has eyes for AJ.

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      Anthony Joshua has been spotted on nights out with RitaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “She’s been telling people about him, although he has held her at arm’s length.”
      Another source said: “AJ has been on nights out where Rita is there. He’s ultra-cautious about her. He fears she’s targeted him for publicity as she’s trying to launch a music career.”
      Rita, living in a £2million mansion in Buckinghamshire, separated from Algerian star Riyad, 29, with whom she has two children, last year.
      Watford-born Joshua is single. He split from dancer Nicole Osbourne in 2016 and they have a son, JJ, four.

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      AJ is said to have ‘backed away’ when he realised Rita was footballer Riyad’s missusCredit: PA:Press Association

      He told The Sun in May that finding love now would be tricky as it would mean having to change his ways.
      He said: “I don’t know how easy that would be.”
      A spokesman for Joshua said: “Anthony doesn’t personally know Mrs Mahrez and has no wish to, now or in future. He’s disappointed that she or people around her have tried to use his name to generate publicity.”

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      Rita, living in a £2million mansion in Buckinghamshire, separated from Algerian star Riyad, 29, with whom she has two children, last yearCredit: Getty – Contributor

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      Talking about Rita, a source said: ‘He fears she’s targeted him for publicity as she’s trying to launch a music career’Credit: PA:Press Association

      Anthony Joshua calls out Tyson Fury saying he has the worst fashion sense
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      in Soccer

      Brighton boss fears ‘middle class’ structures are blocking minority talent

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      HOPE POWELL  fears ‘middle class’ structures in women’s football are blocking new black and ethnic minority talent.
      The Brighton women’s boss made history by becoming the first black female manager of an England side when she was Lionesses chief.

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      Hope Powell believes hybrid football centres could help unearth more talented black and ethnic minority playersCredit: PA:Press Association
      But Powell believes the current structure at grassroots level is limiting access for aspiring footballers from minority backgrounds.
      She said: “The representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic players on the pitch isn’t as great at the moment.
      “I couldn’t really tell you the numbers, but it is all about opportunity.

      “There are some real challenges in order to make sure that girls’ football, and the women’s game, has a far enough reach so more players with potential can play it.

      My concern is the game is becoming a little bit middle class with the structures.
      “The local grassroots game is so important to access.”
      Powell’s comments came after the Telegraph revealed black  footballers make up an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of Women’s Super League players.
      It says this percentage is incredibly low, considering the number of black and non-white stars in the Premier League.

      BAME players account for roughly a third of footballers in the men’s top flight.
      Powell believes having more training centres in diverse areas and affiliated with top clubs could help the women’s game unearth more talent.

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      Hope Powell’s Brighton side face Birmingham in their first game of the new Women’s Super League seasonCredit: Rex Features
      And the Peckham-born boss admits she was fortunate 40 years ago — when a  football coach spotted her potential as  a kid.
      Powell, 53, said: “I was playing at a very young age and fortunately there was a local club where I lived.

      For some who can just about afford to feed their family, they might not be able to afford to send their young daughter to our wonderful training centre, because it’s an hour away
      Hope Powell

      “The reason I managed to get to training is because the guy who was a coach went out of his way to take me home.
      “At Brighton, we’re a tier-one club for finding regional talent in girls’ football. To be able to get to us can be a problem for players’ parents who can’t afford to drive, or put their kid on a train.
      “For some who can just about afford to feed their family, they might not be able to afford to send their young daughter to our wonderful training centre, because it’s an hour away.
      “I know that from my own experience as a kid. When you have got less money, it’s hard.
      “Hybrid centres would be a help. Our club may be based in Brighton, but that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t have a centre based in Peckham, for instance.
      “I think there needs to be more work on that, but then it’s finances as well.”
      Diversity and race equality in the game is always a major talking point.
      In June, Manchester City and England star Raheem Sterling led calls for more management opportunities for black stars.

      The Premier League and PFA are funding a scheme this season for six BAME players to be put on a 23-month coaching placement at EFL clubs.
      Powell, whose Brighton side face Birmingham today, hopes this helps.
      She added: “I guess the argument would be it makes you more ready for an opportunity which would be a good thing.”

      Fans return to English football for first time in six months as Brighton host Chelsea in friendly at Amex stadium More

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      David Moyes facing crisis at West Ham after board sold prospect Grady Diangana against his wishes

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      DAVID MOYES is facing the biggest battle of his West Ham reign after being overruled by the board over the sale of Grady Diangana.
      The Hammers boss wanted to keep the highly rated academy graduate but owners David Sullivan and David Gold went ahead and agreed an £18million deal with West Brom.

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      Grady Diangana has signed for West Brom against David Moyes’ wishesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      David Moyes is left to pick up the pieces at an angry London StadiumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The transfer has sparked all-out civil war at the club, with captain Mark Noble and other senior stars voicing their anger on social media.
      More than 70,000 West Ham fans have taken to Twitter and agreed with them.
      The Hammers suffered an embarrassing 5-3 defeat at home to Championship outfit Bournemouth on Saturday.
      It will leave them making final preparations for a new campaign with the owners more unpopular than ever.

      And staff at the club are now praying that prize asset Declan Rice will not be next to follow Diangana out of the door.
      Diangana, 22, spent last season on loan at West Brom but Moyes hoped to use him in a team of young and hungry players.

      Noble tweeted: “As captain of this club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left. Great kid with a great future.”
      The post was liked by team-mates Rice and Issa Diop.

      Midfielder Jack Wilshere went a step further by urging Diangana to “go and do your thing at a club that respects you”.
      Fans have also criticised the reconfiguration of some seats at their London Stadium home, which is supposed to make it more like a traditional football ground and improve the atmosphere.

      Grady Diangana scores screamer of a goal in West Ham training More

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      EFL clubs beg Premier League to save them from ruin after coronavirus nightmare

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      EFL clubs have pleaded with the Premier League to save English football from collapse.
      Despite months of talks, the top flight is yet to agree a package of further financial help for lower league sides facing bankruptcy because of Covid-19.

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      EFL clubs are urging the Premier League to save teams in their divisions at risk of collapse Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      And EFL clubs are warning that the end of Government furlough arrangements after October, combined with huge falls in matchday income even when fans return, will bring the crisis to a head.
      The Premier League has already forwarded its usual solidarity payments but that money will not last most clubs very far into the autumn.
      Phil Wallace, owner and chairman of League Two Stevenage, said: “All we’re doing is kicking the can down the road. Eventually, you run out of road.

      “Without a bailout, I don’t see what the outcome can be other than clubs going into bankruptcy.”

      Even if some fans are allowed back into Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium from October, it’s likely that the maximum crowd will be 1,500 – combined to last season’s average of 3,500.
      That would mean a fall in income of £30,000 to £40,0000 per home game, even before loss of secondary spend at food and drink outlets and other revenue streams was taken into account.
      Simon Hallett, owner of League One Plymouth, recognises that a number of Premier League clubs are also facing significant financial challenges.
      But Hallett said: “Eventually the elastic snaps and clubs run out of cash.

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      Financial aid packages for lower league sides are yet to be agreed on by football chiefsCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      “At that point, if there are still no fans, it’s inevitable some will be very close to going bust.
      “It’s about the preservation of the English football pyramid. I don’t want to get misty-eyed and romantic about it.
      “But the great glory, I think, of English football is the football pyramid.
      “You can still have the dream that you start off playing in the park with a pub team and you end up in the Football League.
      “If you want to preserve that, some kind of financial help to ease us over this crisis is going to be necessary.”

      It’s a big discussion. But clubs have got to be there to have that discussion. Come 2021, they might not be.
      Phil Wallace

      Stevenage and Plymouth are fortunate that they have multimillionaire benefactors like Wallace and Hallett to support them – for now at least.
      But many other clubs will be teetering on the brink of extinction unless something changes soon.
      Wallace, like Hallett, accepts that lower league clubs are often guilty of financial mismanagement.
      But he insists English football’s proud tradition of having 92 or more professional clubs can be preserved and a wider discussion is needed about the distribution of money across the game.
      Wallace said: “Why can’t we sustain this number of clubs?
      “It’s important to have a healthy pyramid, but you have to balance that and walk that line between clubs wasting money, overspending and doing all the stupid things that clubs do.
      “It’s not as easy as I’m going to give you money. You have to convince me that there’s a good working model that can be adopted.

      “If we change things, and redistribute in a fairer way, it’s not wasted.
      “It’s a big discussion. But clubs have got to be there to have that discussion.
      “Come 2021, they might not be.”

      English football ‘will cease to exist as we know it’ due to coronavirus crisis, warns Huddersfield owner More