The greatest firefighter in the world can’t save Leeds from their own mistakes
Two games down, one point earned, two fixtures remaining. Sam Allardyce’s task at Leeds United was never going to be an easy one, and now looks harder still despite doing what he had hoped for prior to hosting Newcastle United on Saturday - namely getting some type of result. An eventual 2-2 draw only scratches the surface of a match of a madness, on the pitch and beside it. Three penalties, two scored; one fan, confronting Eddie Howe; deflected goals, missed chances, one comeback and then another. The build-up to the game had been faux-dominated by the touchline presence of Newcastle’s assistant, bizarrely; Jason Tindall might have made tongue-in-cheek headlines ahead of kick-off but this fixture was only ever likely to be about what Allardyce could get out of his players, instead. And, it’s fair to note, he got plenty out of them. Hard work, an energetic start, good organisation through the centre of the park, runners up in support of the forward: it’s likely Allardyce feels he saw enough of his own instructions carried out to have warranted a victory for his team. Except, there’s another side to Leeds. The reason they were fun to watch at first, and then a nightmare. The reason they are in the Premier League relegation zone with two left to play. They are a team of absolute madness, of chaos and ill-advised decisions, and it is this more than anything related to Newcastle’s own quality which meant the three points didn’t stay at Elland Road. Leeds have had three very different managers with very different approaches in the last couple of seasons, even before Allardyce’s appointment. His is a routine and obvious one: plug gaps in double-quick time. Make the team difficult to beat. Scrape points to survive; in other words, perform his firefighting routine but with even less room to manoeuvrethan usual. An easy job description, but a supremely difficult job. And that would be in the normal course of events. But this is Leeds. This is a team built on instinct and adventure, on emotion, on trying to learn new coaching and tactical instructions every few months this season. All of that combined has only added to the chaotic nature of the squad, which is already a mentally brittle one which lacks composure or control. How else to explain a match in which not losing is of paramount importance, yet a team still manages to give away two penalties, miss one of their own and receive a red card between them? That’s even without going into the minutae of the game. Weston McKennie could have conceded another spot-kick for an aerial barge. Junior Firpo could have been dismissed long before he actually was. Then there’s the off-pitch comments from the boss himself. It’s tough to know what the real gameplan here from Allardyce was, and whether or not it worked. Comparing himself to Pep Guardiola and the like was never likely to be more than a sideshow, and he says it worked as it relieved pressure from his players. So would they otherwise have been beaten by more goals in that match than they were? Allardyce didn’t match, or out-coach, Guardiola. His team didn’t earn a shock result as a consequence of being freed from scrutiny. And another game later, they’ve brought even more focus back on themselves as a result of further poor decision-making. Even so, it’s hard not to make a case that a step forward was still taken against Newcastle, not just because of the point earned, but because they started the match in positive fashion and ended it by earning a point they looked to have thrown away themselves. Getting more men ahead of the ball and into the area was a notable alteration. The use of McKennie further forward, the aggressive stepping out of defence when needed, the quick switches through midfield - these all benefited Leeds during the match. But the madness didn’t this time. The silly challenges, the unnecessary aggression in non-threatening positions, the wasted moments of panic in the final third - Leeds cannot afford them any longer. For Allardyce, a pragmatist with little rope right now, it might simply be a case of not having certain players in the team is the only way to fix it in the time he has. Some of this is already happening: Illan Meslier has been removed from the side. Firpo will now be forced to follow suit through suspension. Results have to come and while Allardyce looks to have put a few elements in place which can help secure them, Leeds’ own habit of shooting themselves in the foot is not one he has time to rectify. Individual sacrifices, rather than cultural turnarounds, will need be the order of the day if they are to survive. Read More Ex-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa gets new coaching job Police charge Leeds fan with assault over Eddie Howe confrontation Fan confronts Howe in technical area during Newcastle’s draw at Leeds Leeds keep chaotic season alive with late draw against Newcastle Leeds vs Newcastle LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Leeds win over Newcastle would leave Allardyce ‘50 per cent’ sure of survival
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Tesla discussed incentive scheme for auto sector with Indian officials - source
NEW DELHI Tesla Inc asked how it could take part in domestic incentives in India related to car
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Football rumours: PSG weighing up new bid for Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva
What the papers say Paris St Germain are looking into making a fresh bid for Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, according to the Daily Telegraph. After this season the 28-year-old, who scored twice against Real Madrid on Wednesday, will have two years left on his contract. The fee is expected to be £70million. The papers continue to discuss Declan Rice‘s future. The Telegraph says Arsenal are preparing a £92m offer for the West Ham midfielder – which would be a club-record transfer – while the Daily Mirror reports Bayern Munich are also interested in the 24-year-old England international. Elsewhere, Jurgen Klopp is “desperate” to keep James Milner at Liverpool, the Mirror reports, adding that the 37-year-old midfielder has been offered a coaching role at Anfield. Brighton and his former club Leeds are said to be interested in signing Milner. Metro reports via Italian publication Il Mattino that Manchester United have moved a step closer to signing Napoli defender Kim Min-jae after agreeing personal terms. The 26-year-old only joined the club last summer in a £17m deal from Fenerbahce. Social media round-up Players to watch Martin Odegaard: 90min reports the 24-year-old Arsenal and Norway midfielder is set to sign a new deal with his club. Albert Sambi Lokonga: The Daily Express says the 23-year-old Arsenal midfielder could be interested in a move to Burnley to be reunited with his former Anderlecht manager Vincent Kompany. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
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Pension reform defiance brings new blood to French trade unions
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Show must go on for a Ukrainian director drafted for war ahead of opening night
The show must go on
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Royal Mail Plunges to £1 Billion Loss After Fight With Union
Royal Mail reported an operating loss of £1 billion ($1.25 billion) after the beleaguered delivery service endured a
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Rachel Weisz opens up about suffering miscarriage for first time
Rachel Weisz has revealed that she suffered a miscarriage in the past, while speaking about her new series Dead Ringers. The actor, 53, discussed the negative reaction to scenes of childbirth and baby loss in the show. Weisz plays twin gynaecologists in the series, which is gender-reversed remake of the 1988 horror of the same title. Speaking to Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel of The News Agents podcast, Weisz, who is married to fellow actor Daniel Craig, said she was “surprised” by the reaction, adding: “I was just telling this story about the female experience and it didn’t seem to have been like heightened or overdramatised. “Women had miscarriages, I’ve had a miscarriage, so you suddenly see blood coming out of your body and these are just all part of a female experience of being alive.” Weisz, a mother-of-two who prefers to keep her personal life out of the public eye, did not offer further details about when her miscarriage occurred. She continued: “I think we’re not used to seeing any of those things being represented cinematically or fictionally. So maybe this is breaking some new ground, this show.” The Favourite star also gave her thoughts on US anti-abortion activists who believe in the death penalty. “Both ends of life have different rules, it is very strange,” she said. “Children have to be born but there’s going to be no free healthcare for them. There’s no free schooling for children under the age of five. “And now every day, there seems to be more and more of a chance that you might get shot by an assault rifle at school. You can take life at the end of life; the government can choose to say you deserve to die. But at the beginning of life, a woman has no choice. How do you rationalise that?” Last month, the actor addressed the graphic birthing scenes in the first episode of Dead Ringers, describing them as “beautiful”. Speaking on BBC’s Woman’s Hour, she said: “[Writer Alice Birch] and I were really interested in showing birth in the first episode. I think we felt like it was something we don’t often see. “We’re incredibly used to seeing violence and people being killed, death, blood surrounding that. We’re almost immune to that at this point. For me, it’s a beautiful moment. It’s something we’re really interested in showing.” Weisz shares 16-year-old son Henry with former partner Darren Aronofsky and four-year-old daughter Grace with husband Craig. She married Craig, 55, in 2011 in an intimate ceremony in New York with just four guests in attendance. The James Bond star also has a daughter from his previous marriage to Fiona Loudon. Read More Grandmother praised for refusing to babysit daughter’s newborn unless she’s paid $20 an hour Denise Welch recalls losing ‘sense of reality’ from post-natal depression: ‘The most terrifying thing’ Chrissy Teigen praised for thanking team of four nannies in Mother’s Day tribute Grandmother praised for refusing to babysit daughter’s newborn for free Teenagers with obesity should be offered weight loss drug, say experts Women urged to check blood pressure – here’s what you need to know
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EasyJet Sees Summer Boost With Fares on the Rise
EasyJet Plc said it’s benefiting from higher ticket prices heading into the peak summer season as air travel
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How Thailand’s Election Winner Used TikTok to Eke Rare Progressive Triumph
Thailand’s election-winning Move Forward Party had a TikTok advantage: while all the country’s big parties used social media
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Aide to embattled Republican George Santos resigns: ‘You never took one point of professional advice’
Naysa Woomer, the communications director of embattled representative George Santos, resigned and accused him of failing to take even “one point of professional advice". “With respect for my colleagues, the people of New York, and most importantly, myself, I am honoured to tender my resignation,” Ms Woomer said in her resignation email, according to Scripps News. "Unfortunately, you never took one point of professional advice given." Ms Woomer's resignation came after she was caught on tape bashing Mr Santos as "not a good person". "I actually hope he does [get kicked out of Congress],” she was recorded saying by the O’Keefe Media Group. “He’s not a good person, sorry,” she continued. Ms Woomer had previously worked for GOP Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker and representatives Ryan Costello, Thomas Massie, and Tim Huelskamp. Her departure comes amid a string of negative developments for Mr Santos, who was indicted on 13 counts, including fraud and money laundering, last week by the Department of Justice. Mr Santos on Wednesday narrowly survived Democrats’ move to expel him from Congress, with the Republicans voting largely along party lines, 221-204, to the ethics panel. The freshman member of Congress has been charged with embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds, and lying about his finances. He has denied the charges and has pleaded not guilty. The Long Island representative has also been facing multiple calls for his resignation after admitting to a plethora of lies on his resume, starting from his high school to college and employment. Representative Robert Garcia introduced a resolution in February to expel Mr Santos, something the House has only done twice in recent decades. He sought to force a vote on that resolution under a process that left three options for Republicans: a vote on the resolution, a move to table, or a referral to committee. House speaker Kevin McCarthy chose the third option, much to the chagrin of Democrats who described it as a “complete copout”. Mr Santos on Wednesday compared Congress to the film Mean Girls and compared himself to Cady Heron, the protagonist portrayed by Lindsay Lohan. Mr Santos spoke on the Macrodosing podcast and was asked what Congress was like. “Have you ever watched ‘Mean Girls’?” Mr Santos asked the interviewer. “That’s Congress in a nutshell. There is a mean girl there.” “I don’t come from a political background,” Mr Santos said, despite the fact he ran for Congress in 2020 and lost before he mounted his successful campaign in the Long Island district in 2022. Read More AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’ George Santos says Congress is like ‘Mean Girls’: ‘I’m Cady’ George Santos expulsion coming before House as Democrats force vote Effort to expel Santos falters as Republicans vote to send measure to Ethics Committee George Santos bizarrely compares himself to a Mean Girls character AOC heckles George Santos after Congress votes on his future: ‘Resign! Resign bro!’
1970-01-01 08:00
Top Abu Dhabi Wealth Fund Taps Manulife Exec for US Real Estate
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5 of this summer’s hottest swimwear trends
Holiday season is here – and when it comes to packing for summer getaways, swimwear is of the utmost importance. Whether you’re jetting across the globe or staycationing in the sunshine, a stylish swimsuit or two-piece is a must-have – and there are plenty of incredible pieces to choose from this season. From vintage-inspired prints to bold colours and figure-flattering shapes, these are the five key swimwear trends to know about now… 1. Retro florals The groovy Sixties and Seventies fashion trend spills over into beachwear with flower-powered swimsuits and bikinis. Amp up the vintage vibes by teaming yours with cork wedges, a floppy sun hat and a crochet cover-up. Orla Kiely X Regatta Seagrass Passionflower Swimsuit, £27.95 (was £40) Ted Baker Telisea Cut Out Detail Bikini Top, £45; Tiffnei Bikini Bottoms, £40 2. Barbie pink After what feels like years of anticipation, Greta Gerwig’s live-action Barbie film lands in cinemas right in the middle of vacation season – on July 21 – and the all-pink-everything trend is still going strong. With a plethora of pink swimwear on the high street – everything from string bikinis to sporty suits, in every shade from pastels to fuchsia – everyone can live their best Malibu Barbie life this summer. SimplyBe Crinkle Plunge Swimsuit and Scrunchie, £32.40 Reign Studio Rosa Fuller Bust Bikini Top Fuchsia Pink, £50; Rosa High Waisted Bikini Bottoms Fuchsia Pink, £32 Monsoon Lace Trim Bikini Top with Recycled Polyester Pink, £40; Lace Trim Bikini Bottoms with Recycled Polyester Pink, £35 3. Bandeau After several seasons of lingerie-inspired multi-strap swimwear that leaves you, more often than not, with very weird tanlines (we’re blaming Love Island), minimalist styles are back. Strapless swimsuits and bikinis are sleek and chic. Mix and match block colour separates for a sporty look or make a style statement with a printed two-piece. Seafolly On Vacation Clip Back Bandeau Bikini Top in Azure/Multi, £55; Seafolly On Vacation High Waist Bikini Bottoms in Azure, £65, John Lewis & Partners Jets Australia Oia Sunset Bandeau One Piece, £177 And/Or Shirred Bandeau Bikini Top Blue, £24; Side Shirred Bikini Bottoms Blue, £18, John Lewis & Partners 4. Ring details Bring vintage glam to your poolside look with a ring-detail bikini or bathing suit. Tap into the Seventies trend with paisley or marble print, or go au naturel in caramel and coffee tones. Very Lucy Mecklenburgh Ring Detail Halter Neck Bikini Top in Orange, £18; Ring Detail High Waisted Bikini Brief in Orange, £15 Peacocks Womens Brown Leaf Print One Shoulder Control Swimsuit, £24 5. One shoulder Asymmetrical designs combined with cut-out detailing make for one of the sexiest swimwear trends of the year – and it’s a look celebs and fashion influencers are loving. Go for Grecian glam with a white one-shoulder bikini or jazz it up with a colourful print. Boux Avenue Java Textured Crop Bikini Top White, £25; Java Textured High Waist Bikini Briefs White, £20 Matalan Be Beau Multicoloured Wiggle One Shoulder Swimming Costume, £21 Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Teenagers with obesity should be offered weight loss drug, say experts Harry and Meghan ‘not contacted by royal family’ after car chase in New York Women urged to check blood pressure – here’s what you need to know
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