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      Nick Pope says Jordan Pickford is England’s No1 despite NEVER conceding for Three Lions and rival being axed by Everton

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      NICK POPE admits he is some distance behind England number one Jordan Pickford.
      The Burnley keeper will make his fourth senior appearance tonight against Ireland and has yet to concede a goal.

      Nick Pope says Jordan Pickford is England’s No1 despite never conceding for Three LionsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Boss Gareth Southgate has already claimed that no other keeper is ‘seriously’ challenging Pickford even though he was dropped for one game by Everton.
      Pope, 28, said: “I think it’s fair to say Jordan is number one at the minute.
      “If you look at the last 25, 30 fixtures, he’d have played probably 28 of them.
      “So, a person with that sort of record in the national team, I think, deserves to be called number one, he has earned it. It’s not happened overnight.

      “I think I’ve done quite well for England in those three games. No goals is always a massive bonus for a goalkeeper and you can’t ask for much more in terms of goals against.
      “But I don’t think I’ve been overly tested in all the games either so I don’t think I’m walking round thinking I’m the best goalkeeper in the world.”
      Pope also admitted that keepers have to accept stick when it is flying around.
      Asked about the criticism handed out by England keeper Martyn Margetson, Pope smiled.

      He said: “I’ve not seen it to be honest. I’ll have to have a look later.
      “Generally, you know when you’ve made a mistake and can feel or know if you’re in a good run of form or a bad run. I think that’s just part of being a goalkeeper.
      “You’ve got to have thick skin, be brave and have a big character to get through those moments, come through the other side and ride mistakes, put performances together and start the cycle again of being in good form.
      “I think it’s just part and parcel of being a goalkeeper. Your goalkeeping coach is there and if you want criticism from anyone, or advice or pointers, it’s your goalkeeping coach.
      “They’ve been underneath a crossbar, they’ve been in that position themselves and want only the best for you.”

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      Mason Mount refuses to apologise for not being Jack Grealish but Gareth Southgate’s solid England star has no reason to

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      MASON MOUNT refuses to apologise to the nation for not being Jack Grealish.
      And frankly, why should he?

      Mason Mount refuses to compare himself with ‘unbelievable’ Jack GrealishCredit: Rex Features

      Instead he heaped praise on his ‘world-class’ England team-mateCredit: Rex Features

      The Chelsea midfielder has been beating off fierce competition to hold down regular starting places for club and country.
      But while the clamour grows for Aston Villa skipper Grealish to start for England, Mount has become the scapegoat – a target for social-media criticism and abuse.
      Where Grealish is an eye-catching entertainer, Mount is a solid citizen and an excellent team man.
      Yet Mount is adamant that he does not consider ‘world class’ Grealish as a rival and insists the two men can start in the same team, as England prepare to face the Republic of Ireland tomorrow, before Nations League clashes with Belgium and Iceland.

      The Chelsea player is more than capable of operating in a deeper midfield role, with Grealish tending to play wide.
      And Mount, 21, said: “I’d never look at it as a rivalry. We are two different players, we can play in different positions and we do different things.
      “We are two team-mates who play for the same country. We want to do the best for each other, the team and the country.
      “I look at the way he’s been playing this season, he’s been unbelievable.

      How England could line-up based on current form

      “Everyone’s always going to have an opinion but we have a massive focus on our own games.
      “We all know what Jack can do, he’s a world-class player that can create and score goals and that’s what we need in any England team.”
      Mount claims he has never been a regular social-media user and considers himself immune to the trolls.
      And he has refuted suggestions that he is a ‘teacher’s pet’ to either Gareth Southgate or his Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.
      Mount said: “No not at all. I’m a player that wants to do their best for the team and work hard. And maybe people take that the wrong way.
      “When you join England, you’re with world-class players and you want to show what you can do. That’s my focus and I’ve never felt like that (a teacher’s pet) really.
      “I really don’t look at social media much so it doesn’t bother me.
      “I think the most important people in your life are going to help you, so I listen to them. That’s what I’ve always done.
      “I’m very headstrong and I don’t really let too many things get to me.”

      No matter which players come in, I will always be up for the battle
      Mason Mount on competition for places

      Mount, who netted England’s winner against Belgium last month, says he is more than happy to play in a deeper ‘No 8’ role.
      He said: “When you’re in a higher position you can’t really show off your passing ability. I’ve definitely got longer passing in my locker and you can bring out more when you’re playing in that No 8 position.”
      Mount broke through at Chelsea last season, along with fellow homegrown youngsters Tammy Abraham and Reece James, after the club suffered a transfer ban.
      And that trio remain regular starters at Chelsea, as well as members of the England squad, despite Lampard’s summer spending spree which saw Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech arrive at Stamford Bridge to threaten Mount’s place.
      Mount said: “The whole of my life, being at Chelsea, you’ve got to compete against players coming in from all over Europe.
      “Chelsea is a club where even at a young age, they’re bringing in players they’ve spotted from different countries so you’re always competing throughout the ages.
      “It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting off in the Under-8s or you’re in the first-team and I think that’s the beauty of the club where the competition is so high and it brings the best out of the players.
      “I’ve gained that competitiveness and willingness to keep working and keep getting better. That’s been brought out of me from a young age.
      “So no matter which players come in, I will always be up for the battle.”

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      Best England XI on current form sees Pope replace Pickford and Sancho over Sterling, according to data

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      GARETH SOUTHGATE is under pressure to shake up his England starting XI to include in form players.
      And data revealed today by SunSport shows Nick Pope should come in to replace Jordan Pickford and Jadon Sancho should start ahead of Raheem Sterling.

      England’s most in form starting lineup

      The Three Lions host the Republic of Ireland in a friendly on Thursday night before two Nations League games against Belgium and Iceland.
      And data from Carteret Analytics shows which players should start for Southgate based on current form.
      Players have been picked to fit into Southgate’s preferred 5-2-3 wingback system.
      Data from players’ last six matches has been used to project their level of performance in upcoming games.

      And this method has thrown up some surprises.
      Southgate has faced many calls to replace Pickford and stats as far back as September show Burnley stopper Pope should replace erratic Everton goalie Pickford.
      And the today’s data also suggests Southgate should make that change.
      Pickford’s Toffees team-mate Michael Keane would also be axed in place of Tyrone Mings whose Aston Villa are currently flying.

      CARTERET ANALYTICS DATA EXPLAINED

      At Carteret Analytics we have developed the quantitative analysis utilised to good effect in investment banking for trading strategy, portfolio optimisation, derivatives pricing and hedging, and risk management by our sister corporate finance firm, Carteret Capital – and applied it to football.
      In particular, our work provides an objective measure of how good a football player really is – removing all the subjective noise and opinions.

      Southampton’s in-form star James Ward Prowse was included in the original XI.
      But having withdrawn with a hamstring problem earlier today, the Saints man is replaced by another Villa ace – Jack Grealish.
      Further up the field, Sancho starts in place of out of form Sterling despite criticism of his own Borussia Dortmund form.
      Sancho’s Dortmund team-mate Jude Bellingham was called up for the first-time as Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold also pulled out injured but he does not make the data driven team.
      England chiefs are still waiting to see where the Iceland game will take place following the UK Government’s new Covid-19 travel ban on non-UK citizens arriving from Denmark due to a new coronavirus strain.
      Iceland are set to play Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday — the same day England travel to Belgium — before flying to London.
      The FA are locked in urgent talks with Government officials to force a U-turn and allow the Icelandic team to play at Wembley in eight days’ time.

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      England could face Iceland in GREECE to avoid automatic 3-0 Nations League loss following Denmark travel ban

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      ENGLAND may have to play in GREECE to avoid forfeiting their Nations League game with Iceland.
      Iceland are due to play their penultimate game in Denmark on Sunday.

      England may have to play in Greece to avoid forfeiting their Nations League game with IcelandCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      But with Denmark having been taken off the UK’s “travel corridor” countries following the spread of Covid-19 to the nation’s mink population, it means Iceland’s players would have to quarantine for 14 days after entering this country.
      That raises the prospect of Uefa granting Iceland a 3-0 win for England’s failure to fulfil the fixture.
      The FA are engaged in emergency talks with the Government to see if dispensation can be made for Iceland in terms of bio-secure travel.
      Forfeiting would end any chance Gareth Southgate’s men have of overhauling Denmark and Belgium to finish top of the group and make next year’s Finals.

      England would still be a top seed for next month’s 2022 World Cup qualifying draw, as that will be based on Fifa world rankings, with the Three Lions certain to stay in Europe’s leading 10.
      A number of club matches in the qualifying rounds of Uefa competitions were decided by walkovers after Covid outbreaks.
      But European chiefs devised a way out of potential issues in August.
      Uefa announced that four countries – Cyprus, Greece, Hungary and Poland – had been confirmed as official “neutral venues” for matches that could not be played as intended because of Covid restrictions.

      Currently, however, only Greece is on the UK travel corridor list, making it the most likely venue if the game cannot be played at Wembley.
      Another option, which has been suggested to Uefa, would be for Sunday’s game in Denmark to be switched to Greece, allowing Iceland to travel to London without any restrictions.
      A decision is expected in the next 48 hours.

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      Ibrahimovic admits he was ‘trying to irritate people in Sweden’ with Insta post that sparked international return hopes

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      ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has insisted he was simply trying to wind up the people of Sweden when hinting at an international return.
      Not since 2016 has the AC Milan striker pulled on his country’s shirt although some fans hold out hope of a comeback.

      It appeared that the 39-year-old was open to the idea in a recent Instagram post.
      Putting up a picture of himself in a Sweden shirt, he captioned the image: “Long time no see.”
      However, Ibrahimovic has remarked that he was merely out to annoy people with his cryptic post.
      He told Sky Sport Italia on Sunday: “No, I was just trying to irritate people in Sweden.”

      Having hung up his international boots in 2016, there was talk of Sweden’s record goalscorer returning for the 2018 World Cup.
      That did not come to fruition and, with the Scandinavian side qualified for the summer’s Euros, similar rumours are expected to sprout up.

      What does the Swedish media do? They attack me, because they cannot accept that I am Ibrahimovic. This is about racism.
      Zlatan IbrahimovicJanuary 2018

      Although he is not entirely popular back home with fans of ex-club Malmo furious with his decision to buy a stake in rivals Hammarby last year.
      In January 2018, Ibrahimovic, whose parents emigrated from the Balkans, declared that ‘racism’ was behind Swedish media attacks on his character.

      He told Canal+: “What does the Swedish media do? They defend me or do they jump on and attack me? They still attack me, because they cannot accept that I am Ibrahimovic.
      “If another player would do same mistake I do, they would defend him. But when it comes to me, they don’t defend me.
      “This is about racism. This is about racism. I don’t say there is racism but I say there is undercover racism.
      “This exists, I am 100 percent sure. Because I am not Andersson or Svensson. If I would be that, trust me, they would defend me even if I would rob a bank. They would defend me, I tell you.”

      Zlatan Ibrahimovic is on stunning form for AC Milan this seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Ibrahimovic, who has 62 goals in 116 appearances for his country, is certainly in good enough nick for the competition.
      The striker’s run of scoring in every Serie A game he has played in continued on the weekend with a 93rd-minute header to rescue a point against Hellas Verona.
      Despite missing a couple of weeks with coronavirus, he has bagged eight goals in the league to help Milan top the table.

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      England’s Nations League clash in doubt with entire Iceland squad banned from entering country

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      ENGLAND’S Nations League clash with Iceland is in danger of being called off after the government’s travel ban on anyone entering the country from Denmark.
      And Premier League clubs are now almost certain to stop some of their stars linking up for international duty to avoid losing them for a fortnight when the season resumes.

      Three Lions’ boss Gareth Southgate faces a headache, with the Iceland match in doubtCredit: Reuters

      Iceland could be forced to miss their scheduled Nations League clash with England at Wembley on November 18Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      In a major development, the government’s new ban on arrivals from Denmark includes ALL elite sportspeople who had otherwise been exempt from restrictions.
      That means the entire Iceland squad will be denied entry to Britain for their Wembley clash with the Three Lions on November 18.
      Iceland face Denmark in Copenhagen three days earlier, so they fall victim to the updated rules.
      The government say they are now in conversation with the FA over the impact of the new requirements but insist they will not review the guidelines for at least a week.

      That leaves England and boss Gareth Southgate with a major headache – and fearing their third match of the international break will not go ahead.
      Since sport resumed in the midst of the pandemic, elite competitors had been exempt from any quarantine controls because they were working in a secure environment.
      That is not the case with the Denmark guidelines as the Department of Transport said: “Unlike other travel to the UK, there will be no exemptions to this quarantine policy. ”
      The rushed decision on Denmark also causes a huge problem for Premier League clubs who have players due to represent the country over the following fortnight.

      Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel, Andreas Christensen of Chelsea, Tottenham’s Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Southampton defender Jannick Vestergaard are all part of the Danish squad due to link up on Monday.
      As they are residents in the UK, they will be allowed back into the country but must self-isolate for 14 days, meaning they would all miss three top-flight games.
      Fifa rules issued at the start of the pandemic made it clear clubs will be able to withdraw their players from international duty if there is a risk of coronavirus infection.
      The Prem have made it clear UK rules still have to be complied with if the Elite Sport exemption does not apply.
      That leaves clubs with no option but to block their players leaving.
      PREM HEADACHE
      And it could impact other sides in the division, with Denmark hosting Sweden in a friendly on Wednesday before facing Iceland and then Belgium in the Nations League.
      Sweden have called up Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof, Everton keeper Robin Olsen and Newcastle’s Emile Krafth for the game.
      And if they visit Denmark they too will be subject to the fortnight quarantine when they arrive back in the UK.
      Clubs already follow new Prem rules for all players returning from international duty amid fears testing is not as stringent overseas.
      Anyone arriving back in the country will have to provide a negative Covid-19 result before they are even allowed to resume training with their clubs.

      That means some are likely to be met and tested at the airport so the results can be returned in enough time for them to train before the games once the league season resumes.
      Some might not touch down until well into Thursday November 19, and it can take up to 48 hours before results finally arrive back at clubs.
      It leaves managers potentially not knowing until matchday itself if they can select players that weekend.

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      Aaron Ramsey withdraws from Wales squad to face USA, Ireland and Finland after suffering injury in Juventus win

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      AARON RAMSEY has pulled out of the Wales squad with a thigh injury as the Dragons’ problems pile up after the Ryan Giggs bombshell.
      The Wales manager has stepped down for these three matches as he looks to clear his name following his arrest on Sunday night.

      Aaron Ramsey is out of international dutyCredit: EPA

      Gareth Bale is back in the Wales squadCredit: PA:Press Association

      But he had already picked his squad for the November international games and was able to bring on loan Tottenham star Gareth Bale back.
      The 31-year-old was unfit for the October matches so his return will be a much needed boost for his team-mates and stand in boss Robert Page.
      But Giggs would have been looking forward to calling on his two key men – Bale AND Ramsey – for the first time in 12 months.
      The Juventus midfielder, 29, was initially named in the squad but had to drop out after sustaining a muscle injury in his Italian team’s win over Ferencvaros on Wednesday night.

      Ramsey will be unavailable for the fixtures against USA, Republic of Ireland and Finland.
      The FA Wales decided against putting Page in front of the media to explain his selection – in light of the events of the last few days.
      And the timing of all this is disastrous for them as they are on the brink of winning their Nations League group – and securing a World Cup play-off spot.
      Giggs is currently on bail after being arrested on suspicion of assault and actual bodily harm against his girlfriend on Sunday evening.

      The 46-year-old denies all the charges against him and has said he will co-operate with the police investigation.
      But it was mutually agreed to stand him down for these matches – and it will be the end of March by the time the squad meets again after this.
      An internal enquiry into what has gone on is likely to be held by the Welsh FA later this month.
      But unless the charges against Giggs are completely dropped he faces a battle to get his job back – despite the good work he has done over the last three years.
      Giggs had been forced to revamp his goalkeeping department due to injuries to Wayne Hennessey and Stoke’s Adam Davies.
      Owain Fon Williams of Dunfermline – one of the Euro 2016 squad, is recalled along with Newport’s Tom King.

      Wales boss Ryan Giggs has stepped down for these three matches as he looks to clear his name following his arrest on SundayCredit: PA:Press Association

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      England’s Nations League clash with Belgium moved from Brussels to Leuven due to 10pm Covid-19 curfew

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      ENGLAND’s Nations League clash away to Belgium has been moved to Leuven due to 10pm curfew restrictions in Brussels.
      Gareth Southgate’s side head there on November 15 but will now play at the Den Dreef in Leuven instead of the King Baudouin stadium.

      England’s upcoming clash with Belgium has been switched from BrusselsCredit: Getty – Pool

      The country’s capital has a 10pm-6am curfew amid the coronavirus pandemic, leading to the game being switched 45 minutes away.
      A statement confirmed: “The Belgian FA was forced to change the venue for these games as a consequence of the Covid-19 related curfew in Brussels, which starts at 10pm local time. 
      “With a match kicking off at 8.45pm local time this would be impossible to meet.

      “Therefore the FA opted for Leuven which also hosts Belgium’s U21 and women’s internationals. In Flanders curfew starts at midnight to 5am.”
      Roberto Martinez’s team will now play all three matches next month in Leuven – the first time they have played outside their capital since 2017.
      Belgium take on Switzerland in a friendly on November 11 before the England game.
      The Red Devils will then play Denmark in their final Nations League game.

      Belgium will be looking for revenge after falling to a 2-1 defeat to the Three Lions at Wembley on October 11.

      Romelu Lukaku gave them the lead but goals from Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount sealed a comeback victory for England.
      Southgate’s men were beaten by Denmark in their next game.
      England are currently third in their Nations League group on seven points behind Denmark on goal difference with Belgium top with nine.

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