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The Irish Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Simon Power targets European return as St Patrick's Athletic host his former club Sligo in crucial clash
Simon Power is determined to help St Patrick's Athletic get back into Europe next season KNOW HOW Simon Power targets European return as St Patrick's Athletic host his former club Sligo in crucial clash FOR Simon Power, playing in Europe was one of the big draws when it came to signing for St Pat's last December. Now, his only aim is making sure that he can look forward to it again next year. Advertisement 2 Simon Power of St Patrick's Athletic is determined to help his club get back into Europe next season 2 St Pat's host Power's former club Sligo Rovers at Richmond Park on Sunday St Pat's host Power's former club Sligo Rovers at Richmond Park this evening looking for a victory to push closer to the top three and European football next season. This year's Conference League journey appears imminently over after Thursday's 4-1 first-leg loss to Besiktas in the third round in Tallaght. But Power insisted that playing on the continent in 2026 now has to be the focus. He said of Sligo's visit: 'It's a massive game because we want to get back in the European spots for next year. Advertisement "We have to climb back up that ladder and gain points and we're looking to do that on Sunday. 'Every League of Ireland player wants to be playing European football. That was a major pulling factor for me signing here in the first place as I knew the quality in the squad. 'With Stephen Kenny coming in — I worked with him previously at Ireland Under-21s and he was a major pulling factor. 'We'll be looking to do that as we back ourselves. We'll have gained invaluable experience from this European campaign and we want to take that into the league now. Advertisement 'Games will be coming thick and fast and we have to dust ourselves down after Thursday and focus on Sunday. "We need to be picking up more points week in, week out and we can't really be settling for one point here. Benjamin Sesko is paraded around Old Trafford after completing £74million transfer 'All we want to do is win every single game and hopefully we can start that against Sligo.' And if Pat's — who won nine in a row to end last season, climbing from eighth place to third — are to make Europe again, Power will likely have a big role in them doing it. Advertisement After injury problems earlier in the season following his arrival from Sligo, the 27-year-old has been a regular recently. He admitted: 'It was a bit of a risk for me coming here in the first place with the wingers we have. 'I didn't want to come in and just be happy with sitting on the bench. 'I've worked hard and bided my time to get in the team but I'm playing week in, week out now and I'm really enjoying it.' Advertisement And even on a tough night on Thursday, Power was one of the standout performers. TURKISH DELIGHT Ex-Chelsea man Tammy Abraham's hat-trick and an earlier goal from his fellow former Premier League star Joao Mario, previously of West Ham, had the Turkish big guns cruising at the break. But Power scored the Saints' consolation goal in the second half when they gave a better account of themselves against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's star-studded side. He added: 'I was delighted to score but it's bittersweet. We're disappointed with ourselves that we conceded four goals as we wanted to stay in the game for as long as possible. Advertisement 'Look, we did ourselves proud in the second half. 'They didn't score and we beat them in that half and gave something back to the fans, beat them 1-0 in the second half. So there are some positives.'
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
English Premier League team-by-team guide: The title challengers, key signings and players to watch this season
Arsenal Manager: Mikel Arteta Player to watch: Bukayo Saka Transfers in: Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Christian Norgaard (Brentford), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting Lisbon), Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia) Is Viktor Gyökeres the final piece of the puzzle for Arsenal ? Mikel Arteta has built a strong defensive side that is difficult to beat, led by the outstanding William Saliba, but they struggled for goals last season with midfielder Mikel Merino having to deputise upfront after injuries. In steps new signing Gyökeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting Lisbon, and he makes them serious title contenders, although they may need Martin Odegaard back in top form to unleash the beast up front. READ MORE Prospects : Title challenge Aston Villa Manager: Unai Emery Player to watch: Youri Tielemans Transfers in: Yasin Ozcan (Kasimpasa), Zepiqueno Redmond (Feyenoord), Marco Bizot (Brest), Modou Keba Cisse (LASK) Aston Villa put their eggs in the Champions League basket last season, reaching the quarter-finals and had a chance to qualify for the competition again until the last day. The repercussions of failing that objective, after taking on highly paid loans of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, have been seen in their quiet transfer activity this summer, with concerns over breaching Financial Fair Play rules. The Villains are a settled side under Unai Emery, but may struggle to reach the heights of previous seasons with others improving around them. Prospects: Challenge for Europa League Bournemouth Manager: Andoni Iraola Player to Watch: Antoine Semenyo Transfers in: Eli Junior Kroupi (Lorien), Adrien Truffert (Rennes), Djordje Petrovic (Chelsea) The biggest positive for Bournemouth was keeping their coveted manager Iraola, who was linked with a move to Tottenham. His high-intensity pressing style has made them a difficult outfit to play against. Losing young stars Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez to Liverpool were big blows, but the quality of clubs they went to is a testament to the quality of the Cherries' scouting team. Prospects: Mid-table Keith Andrews has taken over as Brentford manager from the highly regarded Thomas Frank. Photograph: John Walton/PA Brentford Manager: Keith Andrews Player to watch: Caoimhín Kelleher Transfers in: Michael Kayode (Fiorentina), Romelle Donovan (Birmingham City), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Antoni Milambo (Feyenoord), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Kyrie Pierre (Aston Villa) More Irish attention than ever will be on Brentford as Keith Andrews takes over as manager from Thomas Frank, and Caoimhín Kelleher joins captain Nathan Collins in the first team. Unfortunately, it will be a tricky assignment for Andrews with their star forward Bryan Mbeumo joining Manchester United, Christian Norgaard moving to Arsenal and Yoane Wissa linked with a move away. Frank's departure leaves big shoes to fill and Andrews would be happy with mid-table consolidation. Prospects: Battling relegation Brighton and Hove Albion Manager: Fabian Hürzeler Player to watch: Kaoru Mitoma Transfers in: Tommy Watson (Sunderland), Yun Do-Young (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Charalampos Kostoulas (Olympiacos), Diego Coppola (Verona), Nils Ramming (Eintracht Frankfurt), Olivier Boscagli (PSV), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Sean Keogh (Dundalk), Kofi Shaw (Bristol Rovers) Brighton have created an effective model of selling on their stars for big money to richer clubs and then signing the next big thing to replace them, allowing them to move to bigger teams again. If you haven't heard of a new Brighton signing, assume they were signed for a good reason. Sadly, it looks like the club is moving on from Evan Ferguson , who departs on loan to AS Roma. Prospects: Mid-table Burnley Manager: Scott Parker Player to watch: Kyle Walker Transfers in: Bashir Humphreys (Chelsea), Jaidon Anthony (Bournemouth), Marcus Edwards (Sporting Lisbon), Zian Flemming (Millwall), Max Weiss (Karlsruher SC), Quilindschy Hartman (Feyenoord), Axel Tuanzebe (Ipswich), Loum Tchaouna (Lazio), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Jacob Bruun Larsen (VfB Stuttgart), Lesley Ugochukwu (Chelsea), Martin Dubravka (Newcastle) Burnley were remarkably good defensively in the Championship last season, conceding just 16 goals in 46 games. That is the sort of grit that makes them more likely to stay up than recently promoted teams. A lot of that though was based on outstanding young goalkeeper James Trafford, who has left for Manchester City, which is a huge blow to survival. Irish interest will be on captain Josh Cullen in midfield on his return to the Premier League. Prospects: Battling relegation Chelsea Manager: Enzo Maresca Player to watch: Cole Palmer Transfers in: Dario Essugo (Sporting Lisbon), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), Liam Delap (Ipswich Town), Mamadou Sarr (RC Strasbourg), João Pedro (Brighton), Jamie Gittens (Dortmund), Jesse Derry (Crystal Palace), Jorrel Hato (Ajax) Chelsea are the recently crowned champions of the world, which despite the cynicism for the Club World Cup was no mean feat, comfortably beating Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final. It showed the ceiling for a team on which owner Todd Boehly has spent more than a billion euro since arriving. Cole Palmer was outstanding in that final and the arrival of João Pedro from Brighton looked to have unlocked extra possibilities in attack. Maresca's side are surely looking to progress to a title challenge but may find it tough with the top three teams all strengthening. Prospects: Champions League places Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Crystal Palace Manager: Oliver Glasner Player to watch: Eberechi Eze Transfers in: Walter Benitez (PSV Eindhoven), Borna Sosa (Ajax) Crystal Palace finished in their favourite league position, a cosy 12th without threatening relegation or the upper echelons of the league, but more importantly won the FA Cup, the first major trophy in their history. The gloss from that cup win will sustain for a long time and another comfortable mid-table finish would be acceptable, although if they keep players such as Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze, they might have ambitions of more. Prospects: Mid-table Everton Manager: David Moyes Player to watch: Jake O'Brien Transfers in: Charly Alcaraz (Flamengo), Thierno Barry (Villarreal), Mark Travers (Bournemouth), Adam Aznou (Bayern Munich), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Chelsea) Everton went back to their roots last season in hiring Moyes, their most successful manager this century, and he proved to be a hit, easily avoiding relegation. It was important, too, as it meant they will be in the Premier League for their first season at a new ground, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, replacing Goodison Park. Moyes is good at getting the best out of average players, but mid-table would be a good showing again for the Toffees, where Irish goalkeeper Mark Travers joins Séamus Coleman and Jake O'Brien at the club. Prospects: Mid-table Fulham Manager: Marco Silva Player to watch: Alex Iwobi Transfers in: Benjamin Lecomte (Montpellier) Fulham have been quiet in the transfer market this summer, with backup goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte the only arrival. It is not as though significant changes were needed, as they proved to be a solid side last season, threatening to finish higher than 11th. They will be happy Liverpool went for Milos Kerkez for left-back instead of their player of the season Antonee Robinson, but fans of the club with the most expensive season ticket in the league, at £3,084 (€3,556), would prefer to see a few new faces. Prospects: Mid-table Leeds United Manager: Daniel Farke Player to watch: Daniel James Transfers in: Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Jaka Bijol (Udinese), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Lille), Louis Enahoro-Marcus (Liverpool), Sean Longstaff (Newcastle), Anton Stach (Hoffenheim), Lucas Perri (Lyon) The last six promoted teams to the Premier League have got comfortably relegated and it is a while since a promoted team made the noise that Leeds did in 2020/21 under Marcelo Bielsa, when they finished ninth on 59 points. Despite winning the Championship last season, it is hard to see Leeds making anywhere near the same impact this time and they will struggle to stay up, although the pace and trickery of Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto will give defences something to think about. Prospects: Battling relegation Florian Wirtz of Liverpool in action in preseason. Photograph: Kenta Harada/Getty Liverpool Manager: Arne Slot Player to watch: Mohamed Salah Transfers in: Jeremie Frimpong (Leverkusen), Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen), Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), Freddie Woodman (Preston), Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt), Will Wright (Salford) Liverpool have flashed the cash this summer from a position of strength as champions, with several arrivals, most notably young German star Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a club record transfer, where the hope is he will replace the creativity of the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have signed new contracts, and if they manage to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle, the possibilities are endless. But on a human level, the impact of the tragic death last month of Diogo Jota on a grieving squad cannot be known. Prospects: Title challenge Manchester City Manager: Pep Guardiola Player to watch: Erling Haaland Transfers in: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves), Marcus Bettinelli (Chelsea), Rayan Cherki (Lyon), Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), Sverre Nypan (Rosenborg), James Trafford (Burnley) Uncertainty has reigned over Manchester City for a while now with the 115 charges for financial breaches from the Premier League looming large. Spending has continued, however, for the Abu Dhabi-owned club, with talented new signing Rayan Cherki hoped to be the next Kevin De Bruyne. Last season, they fell apart when Ballon d'Or winner Rodri ruptured his cruciate ligament. If he can get back to full fitness and form then they should be in the mix for the title. Prospects: Title challenge Manchester United Manager: Ruben Amorim Player to watch: Bruno Fernandes Transfers in: Matheus Cunha (Wolves), Diego Leon (Cerro Porteno), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) It is hard to imagine how it could get any worse for Manchester United in the Premier League than last season, where they had their fewest points in a top-flight season since relegation in 1973/74. Erik ten Hag was sacked early on and results didn't improve under Ruben Amorim , who is on borrowed time to make a bright start this season. The Red Devils' response has been to overhaul a malfunctioning attack this summer, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo signed up and Benjamin Šeško joining as their latest big-money number nine. Prospects: Challenging for Europa League Newcastle United Manager: Eddie Howe Player to watch: Sandro Tonali Transfers in: Antonio Cordero (Malaga), Anthony Elanga (Nottingham Forest), Seung-soo Park (Suwon Bluewings), Aaron Ramsdale (on loan from Southampton) Newcastle are back in the Champions League, but the last time they combined European football with the Premier League they finished seventh. Howe's style requires hard running, which he will get from Anthony Elanga, who should fit in well after his move from Nottingham Forest. But their feeling about the upcoming season will be dependent on what happens with wantaway star striker Alexander Isak, who is crucial for adding finesse to their physical intensity and almost impossible to replace. Prospects: Challenging for Europa League Nottingham Forest Manager: Nuno Espírito Santo Player to watch: Murillo Transfers in: Igor Jesus (Botafogo), Cherif Yaya (Rio Ave), Jair Cunha (Botafogo), Dan Ndoye (Bologna), Angus Gunn (unattached) Nottingham Forest upset the odds last season, sitting in third place for more than three months, before fading badly with two wins in their last eight games to finish seventh. It was still good enough for European football qualification for the first time in 29 years, but it would not be a surprise to see them regress to the mean, even if they have fended off interest from Spurs for Morgan Gibbs-White. New Brazilian signing Igor Jesus should suit Espírito Santo's style and provide competition for striker Chris Wood. Prospects: Mid-table Granit Xhaka of Sunderland. Photograph: Ed Sykes/Getty Sunderland Manager: Régis Le Bris Player to watch: Granit Xhaka Transfers in: Enzo Le Fee (Roma), Habib Diarra (Strasbourg), Noah Sadiki (Union Saint-Gilloise), Reinildo Mandava (Atletico Madrid), Chemsdine Taibi (Club Brugge), Simon Adingra (Brighton), Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen), Robin Roefs (Sunderland), Marc Guiu (on loan from Chelsea) Sunderland's glorious return to the Premier League was supposed to be broadcast by the Netflix documentary Sunderland 'Til I Die in 2018, but instead it ended up showing their relegation to League One. The Black Cats have battled back, which is the least the fans deserve, with more than 30,000 attending matches in the third tier. The signing of outstanding Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka gives them a far greater chance of survival. Prospects: Battling relegation Tottenham Hotspur Manager: Thomas Frank Player to watch: Micky van de Ven Transfers in: Luka Vuskovic (Hajduk Split), Kevin Danso (RC Lens), Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich), Max McFadden (Leeds), Kota Takai (Kawasaki Frontale), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham), João Palhinha (on loan from Bayern Munich) Tottenham are a difficult team to judge after they finished an abject 17th in the Premier League last season but managed to win the Europa League and get into the Champions League as a result. The poor league form cost Ange Postecoglou his job, and it is up to new manager Thomas Frank to bring the European form to the league. Mohammed Kudus has arrived from West Ham and has potential to go to the next level, while Irish interest will be piqued when St Patrick's Athletic's 17-year-old star Mason Melia joins the club in January. Prospects: Challenging for Champions League places West Ham United Manager: Graham Potter Player to watch: Jarrod Bowen Transfers in: Jean-Clair Todibo (OGC Nice), Daniel Cummings (Celtic), El Hadji Malick Diouf (Slavia Prague), Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton), Callum Wilson (unattached) West Ham were mediocre last season, with Julen Lopetegui losing his job with the Hammers in 14th place, and Potter arriving to limited impact, finishing in that same position. Their transfer activity so far has done little to suggest they will do any better than mid-table. They have been boosted by the not-guilty verdict on their prized asset Lucas Paquetá for a long-running spot-fixing case. With him and forward Jarrod Bowen firing, they should be too good to get dragged into a relegation battle. Prospects: Mid-table Wolverhampton Wanderers Manager: Vitor Pereira Player to watch: Jorgen Strand Larsen Transfers in: Fer Lopez (Celta Vigo), Jorgen Strand Larsen (Celta Vigo), Jhon Arias (Fluminense), David Moller Wolfe (AZ Alkmaar) Wolves recovered from a horrible start last season to finish well clear of the drop, a recovery which included an important six-game winning streak where Jorgen Strand Larsen on loan scored six goals. The run earned him a permanent move and manager Pereira will hope his goals will be enough to avoid a relegation battle as the club deal with losing two key players – Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri. Ireland defender Matt Doherty is there for his 13th season at the club. Prospects: Battling relegation
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Former Man Utd star Brandon Williams set for return to football after 14 months with medical booked
Where there's a Will Former Man Utd star Brandon Williams set for return to football after 14 months with medical booked FORMER Manchester United star Brandon Williams is closing in on a transfer to a Championship club as he bids to rebuild his career. Williams, 24, has been without a club for more than a year following the expiration of his contract at Old Trafford. 2 Brandon Williams is set to sign for Hull after the Championship side won the hunt for the 24-year-old Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 Williams has been without a club for a year following the termination of his Man Utd contract Credit: Kenny Ramsay But he is now in line to join Hull after the Tigers won the hunt for the Mancunian amid interest from rivals in the second tier and overseas, according to the Daily Mail. A trial with the club piqued interest after his form and attitude left key personnel impressed. And the report adds that Williams now has a medical booked in at the East Yorkshire club next week. The full-back broke through at United at the age of 19 and went on to make 51 appearances for the club in all competitions. However, the Carrington graduate spent the final two years of his United contract on loan at Norwich and Ipswich before he was released to end a 16-year association with the Red Devils. Off the field he was also dogged by personal issues, including being found to have been driving erratically on the A34 when he crashed his Audi A3 in a horror 99mph crash. Williams avoided jail for the 2023 incident, which had come after he was caught with a balloon in his mouth, following a guilty plea to dangerous driving and driving without third party insurance. He was handed a 14-month sentence, suspended for two years, and banned from driving for three years in May of this year at Chester Crown Court. Williams spoke candidly about his career when appearing on Ben Foster's Fozcast podcast, revealing how he had struggled to get out of bed on some of his "dark days". He added in the April chat: "It hurts me watching football now because I just want to be there, I just want to play. Unemployed ex-Man Utd star Brandon Williams opens up on 'dark' times after axing "I miss being in a team, I miss being on the coach, I just think it's that thing where it gets too much for somebody sometimes." Williams, who has represented England at U20 and U21 level continued: "Maybe I needed that break, just take everything in to reset." If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
