List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Tottenham have no intention of interviewing Julian Nagelsmann over the vacant managerial role, the PA news agency understands. Nagelsmann has been heavily linked with the post since his shock departure from Bayern Munich at the end of March. The 35-year-old was in the running for the Spurs job in 2021 before Bayern swooped in at the time to secure the services of one of the most highly sought-after young coaches in world football. When Antonio Conte left Tottenham soon after Nagelsmann’s dramatic exit from the Bundesliga champions, it was anticipated the German coach would again be in the mix for the vacancy at the Premier League club. Speculation has rumbled on since but while Tottenham have great respect for Nagelsmann, they will not be meeting or interviewing him for the role and he is not a contender, PA understands. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The Jacksonville Jaguars will play a big part in the massive college football rivalry between Georgia and Florida going forward.While it remains to be seen if Georgia will continue to play Florida down in Duval County, there will probably be at least a home-and-home sprinkled in due to the Jacks...

Tottenham are expected to complete the permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski this summer, the PA news agency understands. The Sweden forward moved to Spurs from Juventus on an initial 18-month loan in January of last year and enjoyed a strong finish to the 2021-22 season. Kulusevski has struggled for form this season and reports in Italy this week suggested there were doubts over his long-term future at Tottenham. When Kulusevski joined from Juve, an obligation for Spurs to make the transfer permanent for 35million euros at the end of this campaign was inserted should Tottenham qualify for the Champions League this term. Tottenham’s difficult season means a top-four finish is no longer attainable, but the option to sign Kulusevski for 35million euros (£30m) remains and it is understood the club are still set to secure the services of the attacker on a long-term deal. Spurs acting head coach Ryan Mason admitted he was not involved in any talks over what the future holds for Kulusevski but backed the 23-year-old to bounce back from a tough campaign. A hamstring injury sidelined the former Atalanta player for a large chunk of the first half of the season but he has only scored twice in 34 appearances where he has been in and out of the starting line-up. “The general feeling is that Deki is a Tottenham player so those conversations, like many other conversations about other players, will come at the end of the season,” Mason said. “I love Deki as a player. I think he’s got so much room to grow and be a top, top player, even though he already is a top, top player. “At the same time when you play for a club like this, I feel it’s important that you feel you have to earn the shirt in every moment. “Naturally when you play for a club like this there’s competition. At the moment, last week, you could see he was on the bench but he came on and helped the team get the result. That’s important.” Kulusevski has scored seven goals and provided 15 assists in 54 appearances for Spurs overall.

Redraft fantasy football leagues are months away, but it's never too soon to start thinking about dynasty and who you should be eyeing for your team.Whether it's a startup or your fifth year in a league, you always need to be thinking about the future of your team and how you can impro...

Promotion places are still to be decided in the Football League as the ever-entertaining play-offs begin. Four teams in the Championship, League One and League Two will bid to finish the season strongly as they vie to be elevated to the next tier. Wembley will again host all three play-off finals across the late May bank holiday weekend. But to get to those showpiece dates, the 12 remaining clubs in contention for promotion will have to survive two-legged semi-finals that always seem to deliver drama. Here’s everything you need to know: When are the play-offs? The play-offs begin on 12 May with the first leg of the League One semi-finals, and conclude with the third tier’s final at Wembley on Monday 29 May. Who has qualified for the play-offs? In the Championship, the teams who finished third, fourth, fifth and sixth will compete for the final promotion place to the Premier League. They are: Luton, Middlesbrough, Coventry and Sunderland. In League One, it is the finishers in that same spread from third to sixth: Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Bolton and Peterborough. League Two, meanwhile, awards an extra automatic promotion place, meaning the fourth to seventh-placed clubs progress to the play-offs: Stockport County, Carlisle United, Bradford City and Salford City are the quartet. How can I watch it? All of the play-off action will be live for viewers in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports. Subscribers can stream every game via the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. Championship play-off schedule: Semi-final first legs: Saturday 13 May, 5.30pm BST: Sunderland vs Luton (Stadium of Light, Sunderland) Sunday 14 May, 12pm BST: Coventry vs Middlesbrough (Coventry Building Society Arena) Second legs: Tuesday 16 May, 8pm BST: Luton vs Sunderland (Kenilworth Road, Luton) Wednesday 17 May 8pm BST: Middlesbrough vs Coventry (Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough) Final: Saturday 27 May, 4.45pm BST League One play-off schedule Semi-final first legs: Friday 12 May, 8pm BST: Peterborough vs Sheffield Wednesday (London Road, Peterborough) Saturday 13 May, 3pm BST: Bolton vs Barnsley (University of Bolton Stadium) Second legs: Thursday 18 May, 8pm BST: Sheffield Wednesday vs Peterborough (Hillsborough, Sheffield) Friday 19 May, 8pm BST: Barnsley vs Bolton (Oakwell, Barnsley) Final: Monday 29 May, 3pm BST League Two play-off schedule Semi-final first legs: Saturday 13 May, 7.45pm BST: Salford City vs Stockport County (Moor Lane, Salford) Sunday 14 May, 7pm BST: Bradford vs Carlisle (Valley Parade, Bradford) Second legs: Saturday 20 May, 12.30pm BST: Stockport County vs Salford City (Edgeley Park, Stockport) Saturday 20 May, 3pm BST: Carlisle United vs Bradford City (Brunton Park, Carlisle) Final: Sunday 28 May, 1.30pm BST Read More Vincent Kompany planning ‘smart’ recruitment for promoted Burnley EFL clubs agree record £935million broadcast deal with Sky Sports Milan derby creates thrilling sensory overload that shows how football should be On this day in 2013: Wigan celebrate FA Cup win with shock victory over Man City A closer look at this season’s play-off contenders as promotion battle resumes Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney join jubilant fans as Wrexham enjoy promotion party

Notre Dame could be switching it up with apparel companies sooner rather than later.Notre Dame is single, and wants to mingle.Well, sort of. The iconic college football brand is in the final year of its apparel deal with Under Armour. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reported their exclu...

Ryan Mason believes Harry Kane is right to highlight Tottenham’s lost values in recent seasons. Spurs travel to eighth-placed Aston Villa on Saturday knowing victory will virtually secure them a place in the Europa Conference League next season with hopes of a top-four finish long gone. It is a far cry from Tottenham’s best years under Mauricio Pochettino when they were regularly in the Champions League and one of the best clubs in the country. Kane has taken part in various interviews during the past week where he has spoken about the club losing the values they had under Pochettino and how he is determined to restore a strong culture and environment despite uncertainty over his future with only one year left on his contract. “Yep, absolutely I am fully with him on that 100 per cent,” Spurs’ acting head coach Mason responded when quizzed on Kane’s comments. “We can talk a lot about players but I think the environment, culture, it’s everyone, everything, the small details. We have to have many people driving that, not just one or two people. It has to be driven from within. “I agree with him because I was part of probably the change in setting new standards and a new culture within this place. “You can spend years trying to build something but at the same time it doesn’t take long to lose it. “Thankfully for us we still have many, many good people within these walls who know and feel what good looks like and probably more importantly want that as well. It is something we absolutely strive for. “It is important, it’s vital and it’s crucial that everyone who comes in here is pulling in the same direction and want the same things. I think that goes for every single football club as well. “We need that. Every club needs that, we need that. I agree with him. “I am happy that he has said it because he is one of the people I want to drive it because he is important to us, in terms of his stature at this football but also his understanding that there’s many people that can contribute as well.” Harry is still a Tottenham player and we are still focused on him achieving more great things for this football club Ryan Mason With speculation rife over Kane’s future, fans have taken comfort in his recent comments seemingly suggesting he would be at Tottenham next season. Last month, chairman Daniel Levy revealed his hope for Kane to have a statue outside the stadium one day, but Mason admitted it was premature for now. “I think that is probably a question to answer when he is not playing here because then you can recognise and appreciate the work he has done,” Mason admitted. “Right now it is probably a bit premature because the reality is, Harry is still a Tottenham player and we are still focused on him achieving more great things for this football club. Hopefully he can do that. “Our focus is on Harry until the end of the season – like it is for every player – and then we realise at the end of the season there are some decisions to make for different people and players.” Meanwhile, Mason called for punishment to be handed out to the spectator at last weekend’s home match against Crystal Palace who allegedly racially abused Son Heung-min. He added: “If there is anyone stepping out of line, they need to be punished.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Roy Hodgson ready for first meeting with former transfer target Gary O’Neil Eurovision Song Contest has disrupted Man City’s schedule – Pep Guardiola Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal focus to be on title charge instead of player futures

Erik ten Hag is back where he started. In one respect, anyway. The Dutchman lost his first two games as Manchester United manager and has lost his last two. He inherited a team in the Europa League, went on a marathon run in the Europa League and, suddenly and despite a run of 30 matches that produced 63 points, could face next season in the Europa League. Talk of the title at Old Trafford has given way to worry about Liverpool – if not from Ten Hag. But the pain of finishing fifth would be exacerbated if United are leapfrogged by their enemies. Ten Hag left West Ham on Sunday sounding rational. “If you look at the table we have everything in our hands,” he said. They do. Win three of their last four games and Liverpool’s results become irrelevant. Three of those four matches are at Old Trafford where United are unbeaten in the league since August, dropping just six points. None of their remaining opponents are in the top nine, and United have a lone defeat to bottom-11 sides this season; it was, though, that most recent outing, at West Ham. United are the team who first had and then lost momentum. They are the side who seemed relentless during the lengthiest fixture list in Europe this season until they now look like running out of steam. They were the squad who seemed transformed under Ten Hag and now appear reliant on overworked, potentially exhausted individuals as faultlines in the group have become more apparent. They may need Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford to drag them over the line. Fernandes is 54 games into his season, Rashford 53 into his. Factor in international commitments and the Portuguese is up to 63 appearances already. There is a sense that exertions are taking their toll. United have only won one of their last six games in all competitions, though a penalty shootout triumph against Brighton has also taken them into the FA Cup final. They have three goals in six; three in 584 minutes. They have lost their way later in matches, giving up 2-0 leads to Sevilla and Tottenham, conceding a 99th-minute winner to Brighton. Ten Hag built a team with a new spine but it has been fractured and frayed. They can count the cost of Sevilla’s visit to Old Trafford; the loss of two goals was accompanied by the loss of two centre-backs, with Lisandro Martinez’s season over and Raphael Varane sidelined ever since. Take each out and United are less secure, less confident, less capable of playing out from the back. It has felt a reversion to the problems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bequeathed: Harry Maguire had a harrowing outing in Seville and, partly because of suspension and injury, has not started since. Victor Lindelof has at least been decent as a deputy; United have only conceded in the last three games because of individual errors, though Luke Shaw’s late handball at Brighton and David de Gea’s almost inexplicable inability to save Said Benrahma’s tame shot at West Ham cost two points. But De Gea has had twin terrible nights in the last month, following his disastrous night in Seville. Now there seems a soft underbelly. Further forward, the relief of seeing players making swifter-than-expected recoveries from injury has given way to questions if they were rushed back when neither has regained form. Christian Eriksen was excellent against Nottingham Forest but has been more subdued since. Rashford scored one and made another against Spurs but has otherwise had five fruitless outings since returning in the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Which has assumed a greater importance, given the way he carried United through winter, through an inspired run of 18 goals and four assists in 19 games. It makes it a still greater indictment of his teammates that United only have 49 league goals and could yet end up with their second lowest in the Premier League era, ahead only of Louis van Gaal’s self-defeatingly dull team of 2015-16. A tally of 98 in all competitions at least sounds healthier but others have scarcely eased the burden on Rashford: Anthony Martial has no goals in his last eight outings, Wout Weghorst none in 12, Antony one in 14, Jadon Sancho one in 17. The supporting cast have offered too little support. Finishing is a problem for a team struggling to end the season in style; they have underperformed their expected goals in ten of their last 11 league games. The need for a striking signing was apparent long before Weghorst descended into utter ineffectuality, but United’s budget could depend in part on qualifying for the Champions League. And when one route was closed off, it felt less of a blow than it may now prove to be. United were shocking against Sevilla, providing the latest addition to a series of terrible displays that have punctuated their season. But they were six points ahead of Tottenham and 12 clear of Liverpool then. A top-four finish still appeared overwhelmingly likely. Now the gap to Jurgen Klopp’s team is down to one and it has been downgraded to just probable. Ten Hag has placed great faith in United’s bouncebackability: every time after August they suffered a setback, they had an immediate response. Until they lost at Brighton and then at West Ham. Now it is Wolves, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham amid the danger that, after a season that has offered grounds for optimism and plenty of evidence of improvement, the league table could make talk of progress look an illusion. Read More Is Vinicius the best player in the world right now? 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Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson will meet Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil for the first time at Selhurst Park on Saturday – but revealed the two nearly crossed paths years ago at Craven Cottage. O’Neil, 39, played for nine different clubs during his senior career and hung up his boots in 2019 before joining Liverpool as under-23 assistant manager the following year. Hodgson, 75, recalled being so impressed by O’Neil that at one point the midfielder was seen as a potential Fulham target. “I have a lot of respect for him, I don’t know him,” said Hodgson, who managed the Cottagers from 2007-2010. “I remember him well as a player, and he was even on our radar several times at Fulham as a potential signing, so I should be pleased to meet him for the first time on Saturday.” Hodgson’s 12th-placed side are now mathematically safe and will be playing Premier League football again next season, while O’Neil’s Cherries are a point away from doing the same. In a season marked by the most manager sackings in top-flight history alongside one of the most unpredictable relegation battles in recent memory, O’Neil’s campaign feels like an anomaly. Initially hired on an interim basis following the departure of Scott Parker – who previously expressed a lack of faith in Bournemouth’s Premier League calibre – O’Neil was handed the permanent position after a impressive 11 game-run that saw his side go unbeaten in his first six. Like Palace, Bournemouth found themselves embedded in the relegation conversation earlier this year, but unlike ex-Eagles boss Patrick Vieira – and multiple other managers now looking for work – O’Neil was able to sustain his employers’ confidence. The first-time Premier League boss, who was born in the same neighbourhood where Palace train, rewarded that faith by steering the Cherries out of the drop zone and into 14th, nine points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining. That leaves them just one point behind Hodgson’s Eagles heading into Saturday’s contest, sparking calls from some corners for manager of the season consideration. Hodgson said: “It’s a fantastic achievement. There’s no question about it. I think everyone in football recognises the difficulty of the task that Gary’s had and really appreciates and respects the enormous job he’s done in confronting that task. “I’m certain that the people of Bournemouth Football Club must be absolutely delighted with him. He seems to have got a good relationship with the players on the field, they’re definitely doing what he is asking of them.”

Pep Guardiola admits the Eurovision Song Contest has given him a headache as he looks to keep Manchester City’s treble bid on track. The Premier League leaders face a crucial trip to relegation-threatened Everton on Sunday, three days before they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. City boss Guardiola would have preferred the Goodison Park clash to be played on Saturday but, with Eurovision taking place in Liverpool city centre that day, that could not be sanctioned for security reasons. That means Real, who are out of contention for the LaLiga title and are in action on Saturday against Getafe, will have a day’s rest more than City heading into Wednesday’s encounter. Guardiola said at a press conference: “My thought is just Everton, no more than that. “Eleven months working for the Premier League, I don’t want to be distracted for Madrid because I won’t have time. “Well, not much, because we play Sunday – thank you so much. I don’t understand it, but I don’t want to fight for that any more. “We have to adapt to it. It doesn’t matter, I don’t fight any more the schedules. “In the end we can’t play Saturday because of Eurovision or something like that in Liverpool and we don’t have enough bodies to handle two important events sometimes. “OK, you have to adapt. What can I do? We’d prefer to play Saturday to be able to prepare but it is what it is. “I’m pretty sure the Premier League want to help the teams. I don’t think they make it uncomfortable.” Unlike Real, City will not want to ease up over the weekend as they look to keep Arsenal at bay in the title race. City go into the weekend fixtures with a clear advantage, leading the Gunners by a point with a game in hand. They could face a tough challenge against an Everton side fighting for survival and who claimed a significant victory by thrashing European hopefuls Brighton 5-1 in their last outing. Real defender Dani Carvajal has suggested the intensity of City’s fixtures could benefit the Spanish side – who drew 1-1 with City in Tuesday’s first leg – but Guardiola is confident his players can stand up to the challenge. He said: “Every player is ready to play and give his own absolute contribution. Everybody will be so important, we have a lot of games and everyone is ready Pep Guardiola “I thought a lot about a substitution in the Bernabeu. I decided on players on the bench that are so dynamic – Phil (Foden), Julian (Alvarez), Riyad (Mahrez). “But in the moment we didn’t need that, we didn’t need a player to increase our rhythm. “But everybody will be so important, we have a lot of games and everyone is ready.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal focus to be on title charge instead of player futures Sean Dyche admits decisions on players can not be made until end of season David Moyes admits there is ‘good chance’ Declan Rice will leave West Ham

Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to put talks of their future on the back-burner and focus on their Premier League title charge. The Gunners head into the weekend a point behind leaders Manchester City having played a game more and with Europe-chasing Brighton travelling to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. While Arteta’s side have been in fine form this season, there are a number of issues outstanding heading into the summer. England pair Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka are believed to be close to signing new deals while Reiss Nelson is out of contract and Granit Xhaka has this week been linked with a move back to Germany. But Arteta batted away questions on the future of some of his key players on Friday and is keen for focus to remain solely on the challenge for a first league title in 19 years. “Obviously where we are with each individual is probably different in terms of timing but the clarity is there,” he said of deals for players that may be in the offing. “We have communicated to each of them what the intentions are and we are trying to get that done as quickly as possible but respecting and not losing any focus on what is the real deal right now. “The moment there is anything to announce with any individual, we will do that as a club like we always do. It’s not the moment to talk about that.” While the deals for Saka and Ramsdale are all-but finalised, Nelson could yet leave for free in the summer. Xhaka has been linked with a move away – with Bayer Leverkusen reportedly chasing his signature – but Arteta would not be drawn on the future of the Switzerland captain. “As you can understand I’m not going to be replying to certain stories,” he added. “I’m extremely happy with Granit, I think he is having an incredible season, probably the best season he has had at the club and we are really happy to have him.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche admits decisions on players can not be made until end of season David Moyes admits there is ‘good chance’ Declan Rice will leave West Ham Man City boss Pep Guardiola focused on Everton rather than Champions League semi

Everton manager Sean Dyche accepts retaining their Premier League status will put a “different viewpoint” on his plans for the squad. Monday’s surprise 5-1 win at Brighton has raised hopes they can extend their top-flight stay into a 70th successive season as it moved them out of the relegation zone. A number of players are out of contract in the summer – including long-serving captain Seamus Coleman whose season was ended by a knee injury a fortnight ago – but no decisions can realistically be made until they know which division they are playing in. “There are some outlines that I’ve been speaking with Kev Thelwell (director of football) about, a way forward, but at the end of the day it still comes down to what is happening now,” said Dyche ahead of Sunday’s daunting visit of Premier League leaders Manchester City. “When I got here the noise was about Everton being done. We’ve obviously shown we are not done and there is more life in what we are doing. “That does change things. Being in the Premier League is a different viewpoint, that’s the first concern. “But there are some background chats about what is needed because you have to continue. “It’s a fluid business, one that I’m used to. You are always fluid thinking anyway, it’s not about an exact thought. “It’s about different scenarios with players, player contracts, ways the club is operating, ways they are looking to operate. “Ultimately this season it is about getting past this situation and growing for the future.” Coleman has undergone successful surgery on his knee injury but Dyche was non-committal on the 34-year-old defender’s future at the club. “Seamus did have an operation and it has gone well. All being well he should be fit for next season,” added Dyche. “I will be speaking to him ongoing. He is well in the loop where he sits at this football club.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live David Moyes admits there is ‘good chance’ Declan Rice will leave West Ham Man City boss Pep Guardiola focused on Everton rather than Champions League semi Kevin Sinfield set for ‘incredible’ day at inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon