Manchester United's Harry Maguire talks win over Lyon, looks ahead to Premier League Summer Series
The Premier League Summer Series is returning to the United States in 2025, with the second edition of the pre-season tournament bringing world-class soccer and a Premier League matchday experience to three iconic locations from July 26 to August 3.
World Sport's Patrick Snell caught up with Harry Maguire who began by reflecting on that momentous goal against Lyon and looked ahead to bringing smiles stateside.
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2 hours ago
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Arne Slot gave telling response to Thomas Frank compliment as Tottenham appointment nears
Tottenham is closing in on the appointment of Thomas Frank as the club's new manager after parting ways with Ange Postecoglou last week. Spurs took the decision to move forward without the Australian manager, despite the club winning its first piece of silverware since 2008 by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final last month. Ultimately, Tottenham's league form cost Postecoglou his job, as the North London outfit finished in 17th position after losing 22 of its 38 Premier League games. Advertisement Spurs has identified Frank as the man to replace Postecoglou, and the Danish coach is somebody who Liverpool boss Arne Slot has a lot of respect for. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Florian Wirtz medical, Milos Kerkez talks, Darwin Nunez future READ MORE: How Liverpool should spend $171M if Florian Wirtz transfer collapses After Frank described Liverpool as "the best team in the world" in January, Slot said: "His (Frank's) opinion means something to me because he has shown at Brentford how well he has done for so many years without spending crazy amounts of money." Frank's exact quote about Liverpool was: 'We just played City and Arsenal and now Liverpool, in a short amount of time. For me they're a level above the two teams. They're complete. Advertisement 'Their work ethic, the way they track back, are good indicators. They're so good all over the pitch. Such a threat going forward. These are really, really good. It's the best team in the Premier League and the world. They're huge favorites to win it (the title)." While Slot had some kind words to say about Frank in January, the soon-to-be new Spurs manager was not alone in receiving praise from the Reds' head coach: Slot also showered the axed Postecoglou with praise ahead of Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final meeting with Tottenham earlier this year. 'They (Tottenham) have always been a certain brand of football for me and have a certain identity," Slot said. "I think Ange Postecoglou gives them that identity back completely. Ange is doing great work over there. I hope this is seen a bit more. I also hope, hope, hope that he wins a trophy. 'I'm completely a fan of his team for the Europa League because people always talk about trophies and that it's so important. For his brand of football and his style, it is so much more important and if he can combine that with winning something that would be so good for football in general because people can stop talking about it's too attacking or whatever. How on earth can you play too [much] attacking football?'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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How Liverpool should spend $171M if Florian Wirtz transfer collapses
Liverpool's pursuit of Florian Wirtz seems to be heading in the right direction — but the longer the transfer saga drags on, the twitchier Reds fans will get over whether the German is actually destined for Anfield. Advertisement It's been several weeks now since it emerged that Wirtz had decided that he wanted to join Liverpool over Bayern Munich, and the Merseyside club has been working on wrapping up a deal ever since. Wirtz confirmed his excitement at the prospect of joining Liverpool last week, but given the sums involved — the attacker could become the third most-expensive player of all time — there is a risk of the transfer breaking down until the deal is officially confirmed. READ MORE: Darwin Nunez transfer deadline emerges thanks to Viktor Gyokeres' snub READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Florian Wirtz medical, Milos Kerkez talks, Darwin Nunez future Advertisement If, for whatever reason, the transfer doesn't end up going through, the Reds will have to look elsewhere for alternative targets. Similar players to Wirtz There are few players in world soccer who can hold a candle to Wirtz in his position, and all of them would cost an absolute fortune — but Liverpool is willing to spend an absolute fortune on Wirtz, so the likelihood is that the Reds would also be willing to do exactly that to sign another player of the German's caliber. Of the world's attacking midfielders, only Jude Bellingham — who was previously linked with Liverpool — has a higher market value ($205 million) than Wirtz, according to Transfermarkt, and there is little chance of him leaving Real Madrid this summer. Liverpool is continuing to work on a deal for Florian Wirtz -Credit:2025 Ralf Ibing - firo sportphoto Bayern's Jamal Musiala and Wirtz are both valued at $160 million, and while a move for Musiala is also unlikely, the prospect of him moving on could increase if Wirtz ends up joining Bayern. Advertisement Cole Palmer and Martin Odegaard are among the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League but there is no chance Liverpool would be able to convince either Chelsea or Arsenal to part with either player. Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze could be more attainable, while RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons has been linked with Liverpool in the past and the Reds could turn their attention to him. READ MORE: 3 Harvey Elliott landing spots after Liverpool midfielder's transfer hint READ MORE: Arsenal should've seen Martin Zubimendi twist coming with Xabi Alonso advice before Liverpool snub Other squad areas that require strengthening If Liverpool ends up pivoting from Wirtz to someone like Rogers, Eze or Simons, the club would save a significant amount of money on the transfer fee that they look set to spend on Wirtz, and that extra money could be put towards strengthening in other areas of the squad. Advertisement Liverpool has already signed a new right-sided player in Jeremie Frimpong, but a left-back — specifically Milos Kerkez — is also on the agenda. The Reds could also look to strengthen in the center of Arne Slot's defense amid the uncertainty over the futures of Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Opposite of Postecoglou' - what could Spurs expect from 'chef' Frank?
"I probably won't be at Brentford forever," Thomas Frank told BBC Sport in January when asked about his ambitions. "I will maybe walk into another club." That club could be Tottenham Hotspur, who finished 17th in the Premier League table - seven places below Brentford - but will play in the Champions League next season after winning the Europa League. Advertisement Spurs have closed the door on the Ange Postecoglou era and are bidding to replace him with the Dane who established Brentford in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship in 2021. Frank, 51, is the second-longest-serving current manager in English football's top-flight behind Manchester City's Pep Guardiola. "It is just a question of time," said six-time Premier League-winning boss Guardiola last September, when asked if he was surprised Frank, appointed by Brentford in 2018, had not been offered a bigger job. Frank did not play football professionally but has overseen 152 Premier League games - winning 54, losing 60 and taking 200 points from a possible 456. Advertisement Of the 54 managers to take charge of 150-plus games in the Premier League era, Frank ranks 29th for points per game (1.32). During his Brentford reign, Frank has spent £254m on players and received £183m in sales - a net spend of £71m. Tottenham have spent £961m on transfers since 2016-17, according to data. Frank, who has been described as the opposite of Postecoglou for his adaptability, would be Tottenham's fourth permanent manager since 30 June 2021. Nuno Espirito Santo lasted just four months, Antonio Conte 16 months and Postecoglou, despite ending the club's 17-year wait for a major trophy, has been sent packing after two years. Advertisement "There's much more pressure at Tottenham than there is at Brentford, because of the expectation - and the manager has to handle that expectation," Chris Sutton, a Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95, told BBC Sport. 'Heat on Frank straight away' Frank's boundless energy and motivational skills have got the very best out of Brentford, who are planning for a fifth consecutive season in the Premier League despite one of the smallest budgets. He has built a reputation for producing teams full of strong characters with no egos, and has helped the likes of Ivan Toney, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa become better players - as well as many others. Advertisement Often described as a 'great human', Frank built strong relationships and socialised with his players and staff - including his love of padel - and has been praised regularly for his motivational skills. Brentford midfielder Christian Norgaard told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Thomas is very personal with the players. "He cares a lot about how we are and how we feel. It's a very important quality for a manager to have. "Not every manager has it, and the ones that do seem to have more success. He's definitely a leader and someone who guides us. He's done a fantastic job in the years that I've worked with him at Brentford." Advertisement Managing Brentford feels a very different proposition to managing Spurs though - moving from a club with consistently one of the lowest budgets in the division, to one full of high-paid, high-profile players. Sutton described Tottenham's decision to part ways with Postecoglou as "madness", and added: "That is how things work at the club that Frank is walking into." He also also believes Spurs are taking a gamble on a manager who has no experience in the Champions League. "Thomas Frank has done a brilliant job at Brentford, but this is a whole different kettle of fish," said Sutton. Advertisement "Because of the expectation at Tottenham, Frank won't get time to get his feet under the table. He will be under pressure from the off. "Postecoglou has just won them their first major European trophy for 41 years and has gone. So already you have to wonder what does Frank need to do this season to keep his job? "The aim for Frank will be to keep them in the Champions League, and whether that is by making the top four or five, that is not going to be easy. "That is a big ask for this squad, to compete on both fronts. We know this Tottenham team is better than 17th place, because they finished fifth in Postecoglou's first year, but other Premier League teams have improved since then." Tottenham recorded the league double over Brentford in 2024-25, defeating the Bees by an aggregate score of 5-1 [Getty Images] 'Frank is the opposite of Postecoglou' Brentford finished 2024-25 with more points than Tottenham (56 compared with 38), more goals (66-64) and fewer goals conceded (57-65). Advertisement In addition, Mbeumo (20), Wissa (19) and Kevin Schade (11) scored 50 goals between them after Frank was forced to adapt following the departure of Toney - 36 goals in 83 top-flight appearances for the Bees - to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. There have been many different versions of Brentford though since Frank first took charge. High-possession football, more counter-attacks, more percentage football - Frank has played them all, leading to many seeing him as one of the game's more adaptive coaches. From attacking flair and bravery, to at times being more pragmatic, what will Spurs look like under Frank? "It's a surprisingly difficult question to answer because he's a really flexible manager," said football tactics writer Alex Keble. Advertisement "He will automatically adapt his tactics to whoever the opposition is, a bit like Unai Emery at Aston Villa. "In many ways he's the opposite of Ange Postecoglou, who is famously wedded to one idea. "There's a statistic - what Opta call 10+ - referring to the number of passes and sequences [in one move]. In 2023-24 Brentford registered 245. In 2024-25 that figure was 325. "That tells you as time has gone on, Frank has wanted to play a more possession-based game. There's certainly plenty of counter-attacks, fast transitions and plenty of highly choreographed long balls forward - direct football." Advertisement Who are the Tottenham players who could benefit from the arrival of Frank, a manager who pays great attention to stats? "You can certainly imagine Dominic Solanke linking with Wilson Odobert in a way Wissa and Mbeumo interact," added Keble. "Defensively, Tottenham are least like Brentford. Would Frank look at the Spurs squad and think 'I can't play Brentford football here?'" Spurs fans struggled to buy into the brand of football under recent managers Jose Mourinho and Conte. Will they take to the Frank style? "I think the way he played at Brentford was quite balanced - they had different ways of playing, depending on the opposition," added Sutton. Advertisement "His Brentford team played good football at a high intensity, but ultimately fans take to managers when they win games, and that is it. "I do think he has got different strings to his bow, but it will be interesting to see what Tottenham do recruitment-wise this summer." Former Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy is another to praise Frank's flexible approach. "They had a great intensity and physicality about them," Murphy told BBC Sport about Brentford last season. "They vary their game as well as any other team in the Premier League." 'Collaborative' and 'curious' - what is it like to play for Frank? Frank, praised for his methodical detail, has likened managing in the Premier League to being a head chef in a high-end restaurant. Advertisement "The chef needs to be able to cook the food himself," said Frank. "He's got 20 other chefs doing all these things for him so he's leading all these many chefs through his vision, his recipes and they are maximising every little detail. "But he knows how the perfect outcome should be." His profile has rocketed since he arrived in England in 2016, being appointed Brentford's assistant head coach under Dean Smith. Despite not playing professionally he has ended up in the Premier League after starting his coaching journey with the under-8s of his hometown club Frederiksvaerk. Advertisement He progressed to become coach of Denmark at various youth levels until 2013, when he was offered a first-team coaching role at Danish Superliga giants Brondby. Former striker Lee Rochester Sorensen, who was part of the Denmark Under-17s side, said: "He was always looking to improve and had a plan for every step of the way. "Thomas always had a plan A, B and C, making it clear what was needed through the four phases of play, from our goalkeeper to our attackers - he'd tell us how to press our opponents and the reasons why." Ex-Brondby midfielder Martin Ornskov enjoyed Frank's collaborative approach during their time together at the club. Advertisement "There were times when he'd discuss solutions with us during games," he said. "Far from seeing it as a weakness, I saw that as a strength. "I knew he'd be liked as a person and could evolve as a coach, but to work in the Premier League without having the experience or being a big name was a huge test. "But the thing about Thomas was he was always so curious about football - he lived for the game. I saw a different coach at the end of my three years with him." After Frank Lampard left his role as Chelsea boss in 2023, Frank invited the former England midfielder to watch Brentford train. Advertisement "When you see someone like Thomas and how diligent he is and how well he speaks, you understand he has put thousands of hours into viewing, observing, working out his way, his approach to people," Lampard, now boss at Coventry City, told the Football Daily podcast. BBC Radio London commentator Phil Parry added: "Thomas Frank as a manager is exceptionally gifted, as a person he's great - he's an exceptional coach and leader. "He also accepts he is the head of something that is very important. He stands on the shoulders of other giants who make that thing tick." Chris Sutton was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Advertisement
