Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper saw growth in his side as they rallied to beat Sheffield United late on. Forest looked like being held by the Blades after Taiwo Awoniyi’s third-minute opener was cancelled out by Gus Hamer’s delightful strike shortly after half-time. But Chris Wood, whose loan move from Newcastle was made permanent in the summer, came up with the goods in the 89th minute when he headed home to seal a 2-1 victory and get his side’s Premier League campaign up and running. Cooper does not think his side would have won that fixture last season and praised his side’s mentality. “The last sort of 30 minutes of the game I thought we were by far the superior team, played high up the pitch, played good football, and created real dangerous moments in the game,” Cooper said. “We took the game to try and win it. Of course we were by far the better team, of course we deserved to win, but I really liked the attitude of the team in getting over the line and getting the goal late on. “I’m not sure we win that game last year at times, especially at the start of the season. It reminded me a little bit of (the 3-2 home defeats against) Fulham and Bournemouth, so hopefully that is a bit of growth in the mentality of the team. “I really liked how we stuck to the task, there was only one team who deserved to win tonight. “We took our foot off the pedal and gave Sheffield United a chance in the game. I am really glad we regrouped and did what we did in the last 30 minutes.” The Blades have now lost their opening two games on their return to the top flight after two seasons away. But they may feel hard done by as, after overcoming a chastening first 30 minutes, they competed well and had chances to take the lead when the score was 1-1. Paul Heckingbottom’s side are a work in progress after their preparations for the season were hit by the sale of star players Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye, meaning recruitment is still going on. The Blades boss is confident players will come in, but knows the current situation is hurting their chances. “I just feel for the players a little bit because they deserved more this,” he said. “If you sign players in June or July, you have two or three months with them by the end of August. If you sign them in August you are looking at September, October into November before you are really happy. “It is something I have prepared for. I wish we weren’t doing it in the Premier League, but it can’t scare us, it can’t be an excuse. “There is a commitment to get the players in, we will get them in, but it’s tough. “It’s tough recruiting, we could go and get one tomorrow, but it wouldn’t be the one I want. I am playing my part in that, part of my brief is to develop players and make money for the club as well. “I have to believe in a player and he has to be able to come and add. We will get them, I just wish we had them. “But it’s no one fault, we can’t control when clubs come and take our players. Circumstances have meant we have been vulnerable.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Manchester United’s new-look midfield must click quickly – Erik ten Hag Big transfer fees no guarantee for Chelsea starting spot – Mauricio Pochettino Ange Postecoglou promises to bring Spurs fans joy after Nick Cave inspiration

The Israeli military on Monday said it struck hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza

LONDON UK investors backed money market funds in May at the fastest rate since the country's failed 'mini-budget'

As Sarina Wiegman admitted she is willing to twist rather than stick, England are still in a position where they are needing more than that. The Lionesses go into their second match of the Women’s World Cup against Denmark looking to rediscover their goalscoring form and lift the mood that was left rather flat by the opening 1-0 win against Haiti on Saturday. There are lots of reasons not to panic. It is true to say that the opening games in tournaments are rarely easy, and that the Lionesses also laboured to a 1-0 win over Austria to kick off the Euros last summer. Wiegman’s teams are typically slow starters, with her Netherlands sides winning 1-0 in their first matches at both the 2017 Euros, which they won, and the 2019 World Cup, where they reached the final. While Denmark are considered to be England’s toughest test of Group D, Haiti, led by their 18-year-old star Melchie Dumornay, were also stronger opposition than anyone was expecting, playing a high-tempo match that the Lionesses did not seem ready for at this stage of the tournament. But England won, and should Haiti go on to trouble China and Denmark, that result will undoubtedly be viewed in a very different context. Yet England’s form must also be viewed within the context of how they arrived at the World Cup. With Georgia Stanway firing England’s winner against Haiti from the penalty spot, the Lionesses have now not scored from open play in their last three games – or a span of 367 minutes going back to Ella Toone’s opener against Brazil in the Finalissima at Wembley. For a team blessed with attacking options, and who scored 80 goals in 10 games in qualifying, there has been an alarming drop-off in their creative output. There had been a general acceptance that the goals would come should England continue to get into the right positions, but against Haiti, the chances dried up as the Lionesses struggled to find control. To some, changes are not just an option, they are required. Wiegman said afterwards that they needed more “ruthlessness” in their attack. Now, the manager is being asked if she will bring the same approach to her team selection. “That I’m more likely to make changes doesn’t have to do with that,” Wiegman said. "I want to make changes. What we do is approach every game, and then when we get ready for that game we see who is fit and available, and then we make decisions [as] to what we need to start with. And then we decide whether we are going to start with the same 11 or maybe make some changes." For England, it’s a chance to reset and start again. For a manager who famously named the same starting line-up in every game at the Euros last summer, it would almost be an admission from Wiegman that England aren’t where she would want them to be. There was an expectation that the side named against Haiti would be the strongest the Lionesses could put out, but that still left Lauren James and Rachel Daly on the bench and England’s performance suggested that both were missed. It would not be a surprise to see James start, and if Wiegman was to shake things up then starting the Chelsea forward in the No 10 role teased against Portugal in England’s send-off game could solve some of their creative issues. Against Haiti, the Lionesses struggled at times to move the ball through Kiera Walsh and out to Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly on the wings. James, with her ability to turn and drive on the ball, providing an easy option, is able to bypass that. The 21-year-old’s relaxed style and confidence can also settle England in a match where they will expect to dominate possession. Toone, who started alongside Stanway and Walsh in midfield, has looked lost in the role she has been asked to carry out. Bringing in James in midfield and asking Stanway to sit closer to Walsh is also likely to bring a greater sense of control, after Walsh was at times marked out of the Haiti game by Dumornay, taking away England’s tempo and rhythm. There could also be a change up front, with Alessia Russo unable to do enough to nail down her place ahead of Daly, who was another surprise omission from the opener after finishing last season’s WSL with the golden boot. If “ruthlessness” is what Wiegman wants, then Daly carries a clinical ability and an instinct to meet the service from Hemp and Kelly. Russo appears a more natural fit for the impact role off the bench; neither Daly nor James offered the same improvement as substitutes that Russo and Toone managed at the Euros last year. The threat of Denmark captain Pernille Harder will be a familiar one for centre-backs Millie Bright and Jess Carter, as well as the rest of the Lionesses side, after the forward’s three successful years with Chelsea. Denmark will sit deep and look to frustrate England, leaving Harder as a lone raider up front. It should be a serious examination of Bright after the captain looked rusty in what was her first appearance since March. Wiegman doesn’t want to compare the World Cup to the Euros, her team has changed since then and this is a different challenge, but after last summer’s 1-0 win against Austria came the 8-0 annihilation of Norway, and the moment their campaign really found its spark. How England would want something similar now. Victory would take them to the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages and while the Lionesses insist that it’s results over performances that matter, England could really do with a lot more. Read More Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Nigeria stun Australia after USA deny Netherlands in thriller Darts, colouring in and 1,000 bags of Yorkshire tea: Inside the Lionesses’ World Cup den Women’s World Cup schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup LIVE: Today’s results and latest news Sarina Wiegman hints at changes as England prepare to face Denmark Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today

The start of the men's World Cup skiing season was delayed for a second time on Sunday over "heavy snowfall" at the cross-border...

MOSCOW A Russian court on Tuesday fined Zoom Video Communications 115 million roubles ($1.18 million) for operating without

Pat Narduzzi is being Pat Narduzzi again. This time he is blaming Penn State head coach James Franklin entirely for the reason why his Pittsburgh Panthers don't play the Nittany Lions any more.

Catcher Andrew Knizner was activated from the 10-day injured list by the St. Louis Cardinals, who optioned first baseman Luken Baker to Memphis and returned right-hander James Naile to the Triple-A farm team

LITTLETON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2023--

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni has met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the G20 summit

By Gloria Dickie Lion and leopard populations in Zambia's Kafue National Park are showing signs of a modest

Two pioneering scientists who created the technology behind life-saving Covid-19 vaccines have won the Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology.