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The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Luke Shaw says Man Utd have ‘no stragglers anymore' as he praises Ruben Amorim
Luke Shaw fully supports Ruben Amorim's demanding approach as the Manchester United head coach seeks to transform what the defender admits has at times been a 'toxic' environment. The 30-year-old is the longest-serving player at Old Trafford having joined from Southampton in 2014 for what was at the time a world-record fee for a teenager. Shaw has experienced plenty of down moments among the positives during his time at United, with Amorim the fifth different permanent manager the England international has worked under. The left-back said the whole squad needed to consider whether they were good enough to play for the club after May's Europa League final loss to Tottenham and feels standards have been raised in pre-season. 'It's not hard to see from the outside what it's been like,' Shaw told reporters on their US tour. 'A lot of the time I've been here over the last few years, it's been extremely negative. It can be quite toxic, the environment, it's not healthy at all. 'We need an environment that's healthy, that's positive, that's got good energy and happiness. 'I think when you have all those things, you feel free, and you express yourself more on the pitch.' Shaw says Amorim has the full backing of United's squad as the head coach demands 100 per cent in everything. 'His mentality, his demands – he's extremely tough on the group,' Shaw said. 'He leaves no stone unturned, and I think there's no stragglers in this group anymore. I think everyone has to put the team first. He's made that very clear. 'I think he's picking players on how he feels will be best for the team and that's his choice. 'Us as players, we're fully behind him and fully behind his ideas and what he wants to implement in this team. 'We feel like a real team, especially this pre-season. Since I've been back, the group is so together and that's something we need to keep, to make us more of a family and everyone all together and we're all driving in the same direction.' United finished 15th last season and are currently taking part in the Premier League Summer Series in America. Amorim's side beat West Ham 2-1 in New Jersey at the weekend and are taking on Bournemouth at Soldier Field in Chicago on Wednesday evening local time, before facing Everton in Atlanta on Sunday.
The Guardian
17 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Super League expansion may put vital partnership with Sky Sports in jeopardy
Super League's long-term partnership with Sky Sports that bankrolls the sport could be jeopardised by plans to expand the competition to 14 teams next season. The existing 12 Super League clubs voted in favour of expansion earlier this week following the recommendations of a strategic review led by the Rugby Football League chair, Nigel Wood, but the Guardian has learned that the plan has yet to be endorsed by their broadcast partner. Under the terms of the current deal, Sky broadcasts every Super League game live, but it is understood that the cost of televising an extra game across 27 rounds next year would be around £500,000. The Guardian has been told Sky is reluctant to pick up the additional cost for matches it did not buy in a tender process that concluded almost two years ago, and has no intention of increasing its rights fees to support two extra clubs. Sky's three-year deal to provide exclusive live coverage of Super League enters its final 12 months next season, and while there is no suggestion of the broadcaster terminating that contract, senior sources have indicated that the expansion could affect negotiations over future deals. RL Commercial officials are understood to have been locked in discussions with Sky since the vote on Monday about what expansion means for the existing contract, and have yet to receive the reassurances they are looking for. Sky has been Super League's broadcast partner since the competition launched in 1996 and around 170 games will be shown live this season, but the value of the contract has dropped significantly in recent years. Officials who were present at the meeting at Headingley that approved expansion have privately admitted that one of their big concerns was how the broadcaster would react to the decision, as well as how the extra games will be financed. Super League clubs are receiving a total of £21.5m from Sky this year compared to £40m in 2021. The comparison with other sports is also alarming, with their £21.5m rights fee less than Sky pays to televise just three Premier League games, while the broadcaster is investing around £20m a year in the Women's Super League from next season in rights fees and production costs. Sky's declining financial backing for rugby league is a major concern for the sport as it prepares to enter the final year of its TV deal, particularly given the limited interest from elsewhere and how reliant rugby league is on its income from the Sky Sports contract. TNT Sports made a speculative offer for the current rights, but it has since spent £200m on a new five-year deal for Premiership Rugby so may not bid again. IMG, the sports marketing agency that manages the grading process which determines Super League membership, are currently leading a tender process for the next broadcast cycle beginning in 2027. Sky declined to comment, but one source at the broadcaster said that rugby league was fighting for its future. In another complication, Sky also broadcasts Australia's National Rugby League, which has held talks about buying a 33% stake in Super League but made clear it sees it as a 10-team competition. Sources in Australia have indicated expansion to 14 teams effectively kills any hope of direct investment into Super League in the near future. With no additional TV money forthcoming following expansion, the Super League clubs have also yet to decide how the extra two teams will be funded next season. A number of clubs are understood to have argued strongly that they will not accept a cut in their own central payments from the Sky deal. Some Championship clubs vying for promotion as part of expansion plans have indicated they would be willing to enter the competition with no central distribution for one season in 2026. Such a move would expose newly promoted clubs to potential financial risk, as well as raise further concerns about the Super League's competitiveness. Financially-troubled Salford were thrashed 82-0 by St Helens at the start of the season, and have conceded 50 points on two more occasions. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion As reported by The Guardian, Hull FC and Hull KR voted against expansion in a meeting at Headingley on Monday, while Wigan abstained amid confusion over the criteria to be used by the RFL panel who will select the two extra teams for next season's competition.
BBC News
17 minutes ago
- BBC News
'I'm over Isak - I'm lining up Sesko'
Newcastle fan contributor Matty Renton says he is ready to move on from Alexander Isak and is focused on the potential arrival of Benjamin explains: "If we get that Isak money, there is no excuses - we have no PSR or FFP problems for a few years. We can rebuild, get Champions League ready and go again."Find more from Matty Renton at The Magpie Channel, externalSign up for news notifications on your club
