This has been my hardest season
Leicester manager Amandine Miquel says this season did not allow her to show her abilities as a manager amid a campaign of "struggle" in the Women's Super League.Miquel took charge last summer, and has kept them in the WSL albeit while fighting against relegation throughout.The Foxes are currently one point short of their total from last season with one game to go, at home to West Ham on Saturday.Asked if this campaign has allowed her to show her best as a manager, Miquel said: "No I don't think it has. I have had all struggles you can have in your life, in one season."But people will look at the table, not in context. Just not being relegated is good enough, given everything we had to deal with. Hopefully we have a chance to start fresh next season, as a real first season."Miquel, who joined Leicester from Reims for her first job outside of her native France, has had to deal with significant injuries and a lack of goal threat which saw the Foxes score just three times in their first 11 league matches.Asked if this has been her hardest season as a coach, Miquel said: "Definitely. When you have to really struggle hard to get a starting 11 with no offensive players, it makes you think even harder on how to manage in that time. Any hard season is when you learn a lot."Miquel however also wanted to focus on the positives of this season, including an improved defensive record which has seen Leicester concede 10 fewer league goals than in 2023-24.But she said there would be plenty of change to come this summer in the transfer window, although she is not yet sure of her budget as she aims to extend Leicester's stay in the WSL."It's going to be a long transfer window, we must be calm and take our time to find right fit for positions," she said. "We do not know what squad we will have left, and the budget is not completely decided."I will spend my holiday in my office in Leicester to make sure we do not miss out on the right player."
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EXCLUSIVE How glum Louis Tomlinson's 'hard stares' at Sam Thompson displayed the depths of their 'playground mentality' just moments before TV star revealed he was out of Soccer Aid match
Sam Thompson declared he would not be able to compete in Soccer Aid on Sunday on doctor's orders, moments after he put on an animated display during training on Friday despite a horrendous calf injury. But anyone could see things were pretty awkward between him and One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson, with Louis giving Sam what appeared to be a 'hard stare' and looking glum and uncomfortable. Sam, 32, previously insisted there are 'no hard feelings' after his ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott moved on pretty quickly with singer Louis, 33, following their split in December, and the new couple have been inseparable since going public in March. But body language expert Judi James believes there is a 'playground mentality' to Louis and Sam, despite their public front - with fans noting there wasn't a single handshake or friendly moment that took place between them. While it's highly commendable that the pair honoured their commitment to children's charity, Unicef and turned up for two days of training, Judi told MailOnline that while Sam appeared well integrated with the other players, smiling and happy, Louis seemed more 'glum' and separate. She said: 'There seems to be more of a playground dynamic growing from the body language here. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Sam seems to be very much part of the core group, sitting central and being the center of their attention while Louis walks by looking glum at times and rather peripheral to the social interaction. 'As the guys club around Sam, who looks deep in the discussion, Louis seems to glance over with a rather hard-looking stare. 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This Morning host Alison Hammond was keen to know how he's been since his injury, asking: 'Have you recovered, how are you doing?' Sam replied: 'I'm still very sore, still got the torn calf, however I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this. During an appearance on Friday's episode of This morning, the 32-year-old confirmed the devastating news that he won't be taking part in the charity match this Sunday (15 June) 'We've still got the management team of England, we've got Vicky McClure, Tyson Fury, who's stepping into some new shoes and Harry Redknapp... 'But also because I'm not going to be able to run around, you've also got me, part of the management team. Come on baby!' Dermot said: 'So you can't play this year obviously because you're literally falling apart. 'So is that right? you're not going to play but you're part of the management team?' Sam said: 'Yeah I came here with high hopes and went to see Gary the physio and I can kick a ball from a standing start, but when it comes to like general chaos of playing competitive sport there's just no way. 'I cant really run properly so yeah. They were very kind and said we still want you to be a part, so I get to go on the dark side with Tyson Fury.' Later on in the episode Sam returned to speak to Alison and Dermot live from the pitch and was alongside actress Bella Ramsey, Paddy McGuinness and Strictly's Gorka Márquez. Sam said: 'Bella, this is your first time at soccer aid, what're your initial thoughts?', to which she said she was 'loving it'. Paddy said: 'Once you're here and you find that everyone is just so lovely, its a really nice vibe and its just magic to be part of.' Sam also touched upon his decision to step away from the pitch, saying: 'I actually will be on the sidelines, Bella I don't know if you're aware of this, I am an England coach now. 'Gary has told me I cant play, which i found quite outrageous as well ... but I will be on the sidelines with Tyson Fury. 'I'm also tiny so I don't know if I'm going to be able to get into his ear.' Louis and Sam finally came face-to-face at Soccer Aid training on Thursday in an awkward meet-up. It remained quite the awkward encounter when Louis and Sam had to train beside one another on the pitch, and tried to avoid eye contact while mingling with their other celebrity teammates. The pair tried to not draw attention to themselves as they kept to their own devices, although at one point, they were briefly spotted sharing a glance as 'showboating' Sam gave him a smile. Judi James also shed some light on the little interaction they had on Thursday, admitting their efforts to avoid each other's gaze only acted as an 'attention-magnet'. Judi told how that Sam's behaviour suggests he's keen to be seen as 'anything but a loser in love', while Louis appears more 'introverted'. 'There probably was scope for these two guys to connect with a hug or a handshake, no matter how cursory, but they chose to perform a non-verbal 'ignore' of the situation, with Sam being Zara's ex while Louis is very much her current,' she said. 'The problem with ignoring a very obvious situation is that is tends to then act as an attention-magnet, so the presumed goal of not upstaging the charity becomes a bit of a problem.' Judi told how Sam's body language saw him 'showboating' as he looked determined to be on jovial terms and wanted to avoid being seen as 'a loser in love', compared to Louis' more introverted state. 'Both guys present as 'good' guys here though even though their lack of eye contact or other form of greeting tends to lend an air of drama to the event,' she went on. 'They each appear to have adopted contrasting states. Sam's body language puts him in an attention-seeking mode, showboating with a wide smile and animated gesticulation, while Louis appears more introvert, watching the action with a grin rather than instigating it himself. 'Sam's behavior suggests he's keen to be seen as anything but a loser in love here. His body language looks actively upbeat, confident and excited, suggesting he's moved on since the end of his relationship with Zara. 'Louis appears watchful and interested but there's no outward sign of anything competitive or of open resentment from the two men who are both known as nice guys.' Commenting on the moment the two men caught eyes and shared a brief smile, Judi said Sam was sending the more 'active communication' while Louis still remained 'impassive'. It looks like Sam sending a more active communication across while Louis stands in a more impassive pose with his hands on his hips, watching,' she added. 'Sam's partly raised hands and his what looks like a qualifier smile with his upper lip raised, pushing his cheeks up while his mouth falls open looks like a gesture of friendly sporting bravado. 'He seems to have his bicep 'aimed' at Louis to create a message of physical strength here while his hand is curled into a loose fist. 'If there's a friendly but competitive feel to Sam's pose it's not pinged back by Louis, who looks relaxed and unbothered here.' Zara moved on quickly with Louis after her split from Sam, with the smitten couple having been spotted on a string of loved-up outings and holidays since their romance was made public in March. Sam and Louis were spotted trying to avoid each other during the training session but the singer was caught giving the TV star a lingering stare while on the pitch as Sam glanced back. The pair were seen having a kick about with their fellow players wearing the same blue football kit. Louis appeared visibly awkward as he stood directly behind a cheerful Sam - although it's not known if the pair have interacted with each other behind cameras. But it seems that Sam and Louis will still be keeping their distance from each other in the changing rooms as they have separated spaces. As Sam arrived at the training day, he put on a brave face for photos, while beaming Louis was captured arriving and making his way on to the pitch. And Zara showed her support for her new boyfriend Louis the night before, as she cooked the pair a 'creamy salmon pasta for dinner', as she captured the plate with the singers guitar noticeably in the background. The new couple have enjoyed a loved-up getaway at his home in LA and to Costa Rica together after Louis flew his new flame out to the island first-class. Meanwhile, Sam has moved on with Love Island beauty Samie Eilshi, 25. After their blossoming romance was confirmed when they shared a steamy kiss in Mayfair last month, speculation of a split grew after Samie was noticeably absent from Sam's highly-publicised challenge for Soccer Aid last week. Such rumours have since been squashed however, with their romance reportedly going from strength to strength as they 'love spending time together on their days off', a source close to the couple told MailOnline. Beaming Louis was captured arriving and making his way onto the pitch He couldn't wipe the smile off his face Louis got some tips off of Jill Scott Sam trained alongside the opposition team and his best pal Tony Bellew The session was held out Champneys Tring Sam and Zara confirmed they had ended their relationship in January after more than five years together (Pictured October 2022) During an episode of their podcast Staying Relevant's last month, Pete Wicks, 37, teased Sam about the prospect of the potentially awkward encounter between him and Louis. The TOWIE star asked his co-host: 'You're really going through it with the whole f****** body and dieting and training loads. Is that for Soccer Aid?' But, not dropping the subject, Pete then asked: 'Any kind of people in there who you're looking forward to playing with?' 'Loads,' Sam laughed: 'Tom Grennan. I'm really looking forward to playing alongside Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury's the manager. I can't wait'. Pete joked: 'I mean that's gonna be f****** amazing. Make sure you get him on side though because you may need him in your corner in case you fall out with anyone. Not that you will but just in case there's any rivalries or anything. 'You know, you have to train together and it's a lot, you know when you're kind of in close quarters with someone like that. All sorts gets brought up. Anyway...' Elsewhere singer Tom Grennan showed off his muscular physique in a fitted white T-shirt and blue denim jeans as he arrived for Soccer Aid training. Meanwhile former goalkeeper Joe Hart beamed as he posed for photos ahead of the game and Strictly star Gorka Marquez also arrived. Last week, Sam suffered a calf injury on the first day of his gruelling 260-mile Soccer Aid challenge for Unicef. Sam feared his legs will be the reason he won't be able to take part in the football game after his challenge last week - but it seems he is all ok to play as he arrived at training Louis was pictured checking out the training grounds It comes after Sam revealed he will be at Soccer Aid as he shared a new Instagram snap on Thursday after suffering a string of agonising injuries Sam gave a heartbreaking update on whether he will be able to play in Soccer Aid after suffering a string of agonising injuries during his charity challenge The Made In Chelsea star has since moved on with Samie Eilishi (pictured last week), 25, after the couple were snapped sharing a steamy kiss last mont Pete Wicks teased Sam about Soccer Aid 'rivalries' during a recent episode of their podcast In a clip posted to Staying Relevant's TikTok account, Pete asked Sam: 'You're really going through it with the whole f****** body and dieting and training loads. Is that for Soccer Aid?' Despite the TV personality fearing his legs will be the reason he won't be able to take part in the football game and insisting he is doing everything he can, it seemed Sam might be able to play some of the game as he took part in training. On Tuesday, Sam shared another update, he wrote: 'Trying to get those legs right for soccer aid!! I WILL play a part [laughing face emoji].' Sam laughed and assured he's 'loving it' but 'no, it's not' for the game, to which Pete continued: 'Are you sure it's not for Soccer Aid? How are you feeling? You're playing again. Must be really exciting.' He added: 'How do you feel about the line up? Do you think you've got a strong team?' Awkwardly laughing, Sam replied: 'Got a really strong team'. Louis will join the likes of Tyson Fury, Jill Scott, Grennan and Paddy McGuinness in the star-studded squad, while Wayne Rooney will step out of retirement as one of the managers. Sam may now have more time to pursue his romance with Samie, who recently opened up about their relationship for the first time. Sam first met Samie, who appeared on Love Island in 2023 and returned to the All Stars series this year, through his presenting role on Aftersun. Samie spoke about the blossoming relationship for the first time during an appearance on the Chloe Mediumship podcast. The show is hosted by a psychic medium and in the episode, the beauty revealed how she's previously had negative gut feelings in past relationships. She explained: 'I've had gut feelings with guys before. I've had a couple of relationships where I've known it was never it. Like this is gonna come to an end, I'll have something telling me every day it's coming to an end, this isn't for you. 'You put it to the back of your mind and then you start noticing the chaos increase. It's like the universe saying I'm gonna blow you both up if you just do not separate. Then I'm like if I only I listened all those months ago when I got that first message.' Then, host Chloe asked: 'Obviously, you don't have to talk about it too much but the guy you're currently speaking to, do you have that gut feeling? Like do you think it's gonna be really good?' Keeping her cards close to her chest, the former Love Islander replied: 'There's been no bad stuff at the minute so yeah I suppose it is all positive right now. It's early days.' Pete hilariously parodied Sam's ex Zara McDermott's famous 'you can!' moment from Made In Chelsea as he supported him on his mammoth challenge last week Sam couldn't hide his emotions after he battled through a calf injury last week to complete his mission for Unicef and Soccer Aid The reality TV star travelled more than 260 miles from London to Manchester over a five day period, raising £1.5million for Unicef in the process Read More BREAKING NEWS Sam Thompson breaks down in tears as he FINALLY completes his gruelling Soccer Aid challenge Zara and Louis sparked relationship speculation at the start of this year before going public in March, three months after MailOnline revealed Zara and ex-boyfriend Sam had parted ways. Despite his heartache over Zara moving on so quickly, sources close to Sam exclusively told MailOnline at the time he holds no grudges against Louis over the new romance. A source close to the star said: 'Sam has no hard feelings towards Louis, that's for sure. 'As far as he's concerned, Louis is Zara's new man and he's just got to accept it. 'He's a positive guy and will just move on from this, throwing himself into work and getting stuck into the exciting projects he's got coming up. 'Obviously he was sad when their relationship broke up and, like anyone, when your ex moves so quickly it's tough. And if he was both angry and devastated, that would be understandable. 'But he's not sitting around wallowing in self pity, far from it.' This year's Soccer Aid for Unicef match airs on the evening of Sunday 15 June on ITV1 and ITVX from Old Trafford, Manchester.
