
Anthony Joshua is back and reveals defiant edge needed to take down Deontay Wilder
It was at a quarter to midnight that Anthony Joshua turned out the lights on Robert Helenius. Several minutes later, they finally came back on. The right hand came out of nowhere, hidden behind a pair of feinted jabs, and it turned the tide on a wave of boos in the O2 Arena, after the crowd had seemed to turn on Joshua. The Briton, 33, has been accused for some time now of being gun shy, but when he finally found the trigger on Saturday, he throttled it. It was killer instinct, coupled with god-given power, that allowed Joshua to rise through the sport quickly and impressively despite his late start. The ‘sweet science’ side of the game seemingly only appealed to him after he was stunned by Andy Ruiz Jr, and "AJ" employed elements of that approach in their rematch to construct a smart, safe performance and win on points. 'Safe' may just be the key word there, however, and it does hint at the downside to Joshua trying to add another string to his crossbow; that development also seemed to indicate a fear of letting loose – of risking ending up in a firefight. His interest in that tact increased after his first loss to Oleksandr Usyk, in which the Briton was discombobulated by the southpaw’s speed, angles and invention. Joshua tried to adapt in their rematch, but - although he improved upon his previous showing - he was outboxed again. It was only on the microphone, after the bout, that he let go. Similarly, it was only after the final bell in April, when Joshua had laboured past Jermaine Franklin, that there was any threat of a fight breaking out. On Saturday, Joshua was able to have his cake and eat it. For six rounds he probed patiently, to the audible frustration of the London crowd, but in the seventh round he finally produced the kind of one-shot KO that fans had craved all week, since Helenius was announced as Dillian Whyte's replacement. In the first round, Joshua found the timing of his jab quickly, to his credit. He varied its destination well, while his crosses and hooks were out of range for the time being. As the rounds progressed, however, those shots began to land intermittently, with Helenius more than once eating right crosses with his back to the ropes – a sign of what would ultimately prove his downfall. As early as the third round, fans had begun to whistle – then boo – but all the while Joshua kept working, refusing to force a finish. It could be argued that Joshua should have been more adventurous, mind you, but he was intent on taking his time. The lancing jab was still working to good effect, bloodying Helenius's nose badly. In the fifth, Joshua knocked the Finn, 39, off balance with a well-timed counter left hook, just as Helenius seemed to be growing in confidence, output and accuracy. But in the sixth, the boos resumed and reached a quite startling level, accompanied by one shout of: "AJ, what are you f***in' doin'??" Biding his time, it seemed, and in the next round he decided the time had come. Joshua jabbed low, then high, with neither shot landing but neither intended to. Behind those feints, Joshua hid a hard right cross, slung onto Helenius's chin, which sent the Finn lolloping sickeningly to the mat. Joshua walked away at once, knowing the job was done. Then, in a moment of defiance and with a glimmer of his old swagger, he turned and added a crotch chop, as the crowd around him finally used its voice to support the face of British boxing. “People need to leave me alone, let me breathe a bit. I’ll see you again soon, hopefully two more times this year, I need to stay busy,” Joshua said, before taking a shot at his rivals. “My back’s gone, I’m carrying this heavyweight division to the top.” Joshua, yet again to his credit, stayed to embrace those changeable masses in the O2 for more than half an hour. He has been accused of holding a grudge or two in his time, but he was quick to forgive on this night. Regardless of whether the Deontay Wilder fight is next for Joshua, the merit of this win should not be overlooked. Fans might actually cherish Joshua's come-up – that bewitching batch of knockouts against lesser foes – more than most of the fights in his two world-title reigns. When all is said and done, fighters leave fans with memories and highlights packages, and this victory over Helenius was a long-awaited, much-needed addition for Joshua. In winding back the clock, Joshua might just have found himself again. Read More Joshua vs Helenius LIVE: Boxing result and reaction after AJ delivers brutal knockout It’s time to stop taking Anthony Joshua for granted Campbell Hatton: ‘I used to have my nappy changed on the ring apron!’ Glove row put Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius in late doubt Anthony Joshua focused only on Robert Helenius amid Deontay Wilder speculation Anthony Joshua weighs in ahead of bout against Robert Helenius
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Harry Kane’s future and uniting Spurs dressing room – tasks for Ange Postecoglou
Tottenham have ended their long search for a permanent head coach by appointing Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou, who won five major trophies in two seasons at Celtic, including this season’s domestic treble, faces a tough task to quickly turn Tottenham’s fortunes around. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the 57-year-old’s in-tray. Resolve Harry Kane’s future The most pressing issue awaiting Postecoglou in his first job as a Premier League head coach is the future of Kane. The England captain has one year left on his contract and has been linked with a possible summer move to a host of Europe’s leading clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Postecoglou will want Kane to stay, but will also want assurances. The 29-year-old is either all in and stays, or opts for a new challenge and generates funds to help Tottenham rebuild their squad. Whatever Kane decides, Postecoglou will need a speedy decision. Unite the dressing room None of Tottenham’s near 30-man first-team squad are out of contract this summer, but plenty of departures can be expected. Postecoglou’s predecessor Antonio Conte publicly criticised his players’ team ethic and anyone lacking in that regard will have no place in the former Australia head coach’s squad. He must quickly work out who he can trust to fully commit to his principles and methods and try and move on those he does not. Unity and spirit were the bedrock for Celtic’s success under Postecoglou and he will want to lay the same foundations at Tottenham. Win over doubters Postecoglou was not top choice for the majority of Tottenham’s supporters and there will be plenty of scepticism among those who had called for the return of Mauricio Pochettino, while the likes of Arne Slot, Roberto De Zerbi and Luis Enrique were also reported to be on the club’s list of targets. Postecoglou must win over the doubters and reconnect the players with a disgruntled fanbase. He did just that at Celtic where he first took charge in a toxic environment, but can his blueprint for success in the Scottish Premiership transfer to the English top flight? Director of football key Tottenham have been without a director of football since the resignation of Fabio Paratici in April and the club will now prioritise that key appointment in readiness for a busy summer ahead. Feyenoord’s general manager Dennis te Kloese has turned down the role and, while filling the vacancy falls under chairman Daniel Levy’s remit, Postecoglou could well be involved in the process and will definitely want to strike an instant rapport with whoever takes on the job. The Australian has a clear philosophy for possession-based, high-energy football and the project will only work if the two parties are aligned. Top-four challenge European football has eluded Spurs for the first time since 2009-10 and they can ill-afford to miss out for a second successive season in their bid to retain their status as a ‘Big Six’ club. Postecoglou must overhaul the playing squad, galvanise a dispirited dressing room and bed in his backroom staff – what role, if any, for fans’ favourite Ryan Mason? – all in time to launch a Champions League challenge with the same brand of football that has thrilled Celtic fans for the past two years. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tottenham appoint Ange Postecoglou as head coach on four-year contract Ashes major talking points as Australia gear up for first taste of ‘Bazball’ Steph Catley signs new Arsenal deal
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Euro 2028: Will host nations get automatic qualification?
Euro 2028 will be played across the UK and Ireland after Uefa announced the hosts following a meeting of it’s Executive Committee on Tuesday morning. The UK and Ireland bid delegation included a presentation from the five Football Association leaders and Wales’ former captain Gareth Bales with six football youth ambassadors on hand to explain how they will support the development and diversity of the game around their local communities. It was a formality that the UK and Ireland would be awarded the tournament after Turkey’s withdrawal left them as the only remaining bid for Euro 2028. However, not all the host nations are guaranteed to be participating in their home tournament. Usually, staging a major tournament means the hosts automatically qualify for the competition but with Euro 2028 being spread across an unprecedented five nations that is likely not going to be the case for this edition of the European Championship. In its bid guidelines, Uefa says: “In case(s) of more than two joint-host associations, the automatic qualification of all the host teams cannot be guaranteed and shall be subject to a decision to be made in conjunction with decisions concerning the qualifying competition.” Basically, as the UK and Ireland bid has more than two hosts Uefa will decide if all five should qualify automatically. They are unlikely to offer more than the two automatic places already in place so, in theory, three of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could miss Euro 2028 entirely. But is there a way all five nations could still qualify? Yes. The teams can qualify for the tournament through merit, making it through Uefa’s qualification rounds as though they were not hosting the tournament. The English FA has already informed Uefa that they will be rejecting an automatic qualification spot for England. Of the five nations involved in hosting Euro 2028, England are the most likely side to successfully make it through qualifying which also leaves the automatic spots open for two of the other sides. The FA also believes playing competitive qualifying games would provide the team with better preparation for the tournament than a series of friendlies in the build-up, something which Euro 2024 hosts, Germany, are currently struggling with. There is also talk about all five teams going through qualifying with the possibility of two ‘backstop’ qualification spots available for those who may miss out. In that case, the highest-ranking nations who failed to qualify would go through or the two sides that come closest to qualifying. However, this approach is said to have some reservations within Uefa about offering a ‘backdoor’ entry to nations who have failed to qualify, as well as its potential impact on the normal qualifying process. As it stands, qualifying through merit seems to be the only guarantee of all five host nations featuring at Euro 2028 but time and compromise may lead to other avenues being explored. Read More Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin... The Euro 2028 final should be staged anywhere but Wembley Sunak says jointly hosting Euro 2028 will deliver ‘massive boost’ to economy Euro 2028 venues: UK and Ireland name 10 stadiums as Anfield and Old Trafford miss out FA reveal tournment plans after UK and Ireland confirmed as Euro 2028 hosts UK and Ireland confirmed as joint hosts of Euro 2028 How Fifa and Uefa turned choosing tournament hosts into a ‘stitch-up’
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