Latest news with #FootballDaily
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Football's equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire
YOU SHALL NOT PASS Like The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, just when you think the football season has finally been wrapped up and you're waiting for the closing credits to roll, along comes another clatter of matches to leave you in serious doubt that this hamster wheel of ours will ever stop turning. In recent weeks the climactic (and often anticlimactic) battles have been fought, the subsequent coronations have been staged and now in what seems like the perfect time for a nice refreshing break in which to recuperate, recalibrate and prepare for the nonsense that is the Club World Cup, Football Daily finds itself forced to contend with the football equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire that is the latest international break. Oh to be Frodo, sailing off into the unknown of the Undying Lands. Advertisement While Football Daily likes to think it has its finger firmly placed on the football pulse, it behoves us to admit that we'd completely forgotten that England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all due to play this weekend. And it is a good thing the respective governing bodies of all five teams were not similarly absent-minded for fear they might have been forced to spend the coming days scouring the bars and beaches of Ibiza trying to find players willing to represent their national sides in their imminent double-headers. Truth be told, a quick trawl of any random beach in the UK would probably yield enough decent English players to see off Andorra in Saturday's World Cup qualifier but that hasn't stopped Thomas Tuchel's latest squad selection for that game and a subsequent friendly against Senegal being taken very seriously indeed. Predictably overwrought has been some of the wailing and handwringing over various inclusions and omissions from a 26-man group that is ostensibly in Barcelona to take on a ski resort. In Liechtenstein, Wales host similarly exalted opposition in the first game of their qualifying double-header that concludes with a trip to Belgium, but you can be sure Craig Bellamy will not be taking the minnows lightly. Famously intolerant of international teammates who didn't pull their weight during his time as a player repeatedly failing to qualify for major tournaments – or simply colleagues refusing to sing – Bellamy has brought the intensity of 10,000 TV dramas starring Stephen Graham to his role as head coach. 'From his first meeting you could tell how much he wanted to achieve here – big things – and straight away he wanted to drill things into us,' trembled Swansea's Ben Cabango of his gaffer, who has yet to taste defeat as Wales boss. 'I feel like he's not laid off that one bit. We're not here for a large amount of time so it's quite intense when we are here.' Proceedings are likely to be considerably less intense in the other camps, with only friendlies looming in the short-term for all three nations. The big news from an Ireland camp preparing for summer kickabouts with Senegal and Luxembourg has been the tardy arrival of Caoimhin Kelleher due to him having to cough for the doctor at Brentford, while Northern Ireland have recalled Kelleher's former teammate Conor Bradley for their games against Denmark and Iceland, after he missed the last international break through knack. And finally, having just checked to see if Steve Clarke is still the manager of Scotland, we can reveal that he very much is and will be hoping his side can avoid the potential embarrassment that comes hand in hand with friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein, before an eminently winnable qualifying campaign that kicks off in September. Now you know as much as we do, so make like Frodo and go away. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE Join a mystery guest from 8pm BST for hot Nations League semi-final updates from Germany 2-1 Portugal. QUOTE OF THE DAY 'We had a backpack with snacks and we played around on our phones to kill time. The lights were on all the time and the sitting position was uncomfortable, so sleeping was almost impossible. That made it physically and mentally difficult' – Neal Remmerie explains how he, along with fellow Belgian TikToker Senne Haverbeke, spent 27 hours in an Allianz Arena bog before watching the Bigger Cup final for free. 'We looked carefully at which security guard was paying the least attention,' whooped Remmerie. 'While on the phone and with food in our hands, we just walked on, and suddenly we were inside.' FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS I've just read your recent article regarding the York City owner's push for three promotion places from the National League to League Two (yesterday's Football Daily). I wanted to write in full support of her position – and to thank you for highlighting this vital issue. As a supporter of Dorking Wanderers, a club that finished sixth this past season and fell short in the playoffs, I can say with confidence that many clubs and fans across the National League share her view. The idea that a team finishing sixth or seventh – often 15 to 20 points behind second or third place – can leapfrog into the Football League while stronger teams miss out is increasingly hard to justify. You questioned whether York's owner would feel the same if her club finished seventh. I genuinely believe she would, as would many other club owners, including the management at Dorking. This isn't just about individual clubs – it's about fairness, progress, and ensuring that ambition is matched by opportunity. The National League has become increasingly professional and competitive, and its clubs deserve a pathway that reflects that. I hope the EFL takes note of this growing movement. Thank you again for covering this important topic – and please keep the conversation going' – Stephen Parrott. It's probably worth pointing out that the 3UP campaign is supported by all 72 clubs in the National League, including the North and South leagues, of which my team, South Shields, is part, although we certainly weren't troubling the playoff contenders this season just gone' – Phil Gibson. I'm sure I will be one of 1,057 pedants to point out that in the 2021-22 National League North season, Brackley Town finished second on 87 points, seven points ahead of the side that finished third and a whole 21 points ahead of the team that actually ended up being promoted through the playoffs. The name of the side in question … York City' – Andy Riddell (and others). Forget 3UP (yesterday's Football Daily), I've long thought 8UP to be the answer. A straight eight up and down across all divisions. It would take real commitment to spend 10 years in the same tier. Loads of different teams to play each year and different grounds to visit. You'd have an interest in matches through to the end of the season. And it would level the financial playing field nicely with so many teams yo-yoing. What's not to like?' – Dave Lambley. Advertisement If you do have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Dave Lambley. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. RECOMMENDED LOOKING Daniel Melamud has curated a collection of lovely images taken by some of the most respected snappers in the game. Do check out this selection. THE RIVER-SIGHS Michael Carrick has been hailed as part of a new breed of astute young manager almost as long as his tenure as Middlesbrough manager, which has ended after the best part of three years in the job (a lengthy spell by Championship standards). Boro announced Carrick's passage through the door marked Do One after a poor run-in that resulted in a 10th-placed finish. Carrick took Boro to fourth place and the playoffs in 2023, where they were beaten in the semis by Coventry, but they dropped back to eighth a year later. Failure to improve on that in the past 12 months means Carrick joins a number of Noughties England luminaries facing tricky times in management. He is followed out of the Riverside by his assistants Jonathan Woodgate (another Noughties England mainstay) and Graeme Carrick. 'We'd like to thank Michael, Jonathan, and Graeme for all their hard work and unwavering commitment. We wish them all the very best for the future,' blah-blahed a club statement as Boro seek a Premier League place for the first time since 2017. NEWS, BITS AND BOBS Millie Bright will not play for the Lionesses at Euro 2025. The defender has withdrawn from possible selection as 'it is the right thing for my health and my future'. Bright's withdrawal follows the international retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, the latter of whom confirmed her news after England's 2-1 Nations League defeat in Spain. Boss Sarina Wiegman is at least confident that Lauren James will be fit for the tournament. Advertisement Elsewhere in the WNL, Scotland drew 1-1 in the Netherlands, but Wales got a 4-1 hiding at home against Italy. 'The first half felt like a punch in the face,' sighed manager Rhian Wilkinson. 'Let's be clear, that was not a performance that I expect from this team.' Lucas Paquetá's spot-fixing trial has ended but West Ham have been left unhappy at having to wait up to eight weeks for a verdict. Stop us if you think that you've heard this one before … Manchester City are going on a spending jag. The first man in? Tijjani Reijnders of Milan, the Dutch attacking midfielder costing an agreed fee of €55m. Meanwhile, following Kevin De Bruyne's departure comes news that Scott Carson, the reserve goalie who has played 108 minutes and won 11 trophies, could also be doing one. Andrée Jeglertz, the Swede who will lead Denmark at Euro 2025, is in line for the Manchester City Women's top job. Advertisement Sheffield United are to be the lucky losers after Blackburn's withdrawal and remain in WSL 2 next season. Liverpool want Milos Kerkez. Bournemouth want £45m. Will Crystal Palace escape the bind that might deny the Eagles a first proper European tilt next season? John Textor, largest shareholder but also owner of Lyon, is trying to flog his shares in Palace to ease passage into Bigger Vase. 'All of the UK knows that I don't have decisive influence over Palace,' he roared. Liam Manning has done one from Bristol City to take over at Norwich. And Rio Ferdinand thinks that Manchester United's failings have made him a laughing stock. 'It's sad, man. I'm on TV, I've got to talk about this stuff. Everyone can take the mick out of me,' he wailed. 'I'm a meme sometimes on social media [disgraces] because of my team. So it's hard, man, I'm doing punditry in the worst possible time in Manchester through this terrible moment.' STILL WANT MORE? Thomas Müller, Patrik Schick, Vincent Kompany and Leipzig's 'scumbag football': all part of Andy Brassell's review of the German season. Advertisement Jacob Steinberg picks over why Jadon Sancho is back at Manchester United, after the end of his sale and return move to Chelsea. What next? Ben McAleer looks at the Premier League players who could possibly to with moves to reboot their careers. Get these bookmarked if you haven't already: our men's and women's summer transfer interactives. And this week's Knowledge investigates British players conquering Europe's top five leagues, late-career goalscoring centurions and huge gaps between league titles, among much else. MEMORY LANE Winding the clock back to 4 June 1997: Paul Scholes, 22, beams after scoring his first England goal, in only his second senior international, as Italy are beaten in Nantes. Scholes also laid on the other for his strike partner that evening, Ian Wright, as England ended up winning Le Tournoi, the warm-up event for the 1998 World Cup. Scholes has described his England career as an overall disappointment, but their performances in France that summer got everyone back home excited. Wright, knacked that following season, missed the World Cup. Only Mick Channon played more times for England without being selected for a World Cup or European Championships squad. These days, Scholes and Wright occasionally find themselves still paired up, reminiscing across Gary Neville's kitchen island on that show you see all over social media disgraces. JACKSON RETURNS!
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Football's equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire
Like The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, just when you think the football season has finally been wrapped up and you're waiting for the closing credits to roll, along comes another clatter of matches to leave you in serious doubt that this hamster wheel of ours will ever stop turning. In recent weeks the climactic (and often anticlimactic) battles have been fought, the subsequent coronations have been staged and now in what seems like the perfect time for a nice refreshing break in which to recuperate, recalibrate and prepare for the nonsense that is the Club World Cup, Football Daily finds itself forced to contend with the football equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire that is the latest international break. Oh to be Frodo, sailing off into the unknown of the Undying Lands. While Football Daily likes to think it has its finger firmly placed on the football pulse, it behoves us to admit that we'd completely forgotten that England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all due to play this weekend. And it is a good thing the respective governing bodies of all five teams were not similarly absent-minded for fear they might have been forced to spend the coming days scouring the bars and beaches of Ibiza trying to find players willing to represent their national sides in their imminent double-headers. Truth be told, a quick trawl of any random beach in the UK would probably yield enough decent English players to see off Andorra in Saturday's World Cup qualifier but that hasn't stopped Thomas Tuchel's latest squad selection for that game and a subsequent friendly against Senegal being taken very seriously indeed. Predictably overwrought has been some of the wailing and handwringing over various inclusions and omissions from a 26-man group that is ostensibly in Barcelona to take on a ski resort. In Liechtenstein, Wales host similarly exalted opposition in the first game of their qualifying double-header that concludes with a trip to Belgium, but you can be sure Craig Bellamy will not be taking the minnows lightly. Famously intolerant of international teammates who didn't pull their weight during his time as a player repeatedly failing to qualify for major tournaments – or simply colleagues refusing to sing – Bellamy has brought the intensity of 10,000 TV dramas starring Stephen Graham to his role as head coach. 'From his first meeting you could tell how much he wanted to achieve here – big things – and straight away he wanted to drill things into us,' trembled Swansea's Ben Cabango of his gaffer, who has yet to taste defeat as Wales boss. 'I feel like he's not laid off that one bit. We're not here for a large amount of time so it's quite intense when we are here.' Proceedings are likely to be considerably less intense in the other camps, with only friendlies looming in the short-term for all three nations. The big news from an Ireland camp preparing for summer kickabouts with Senegal and Luxembourg has been the tardy arrival of Caoimhin Kelleher due to him having to cough for the doctor at Brentford, while Northern Ireland have recalled Kelleher's former teammate Conor Bradley for their games against Denmark and Iceland, after he missed the last international break through knack. And finally, having just checked to see if Steve Clarke is still the manager of Scotland, we can reveal that he very much is and will be hoping his side can avoid the potential embarrassment that comes hand in hand with friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein, before an eminently winnable qualifying campaign that kicks off in September. Now you know as much as we do, so make like Frodo and go away. Join a mystery guest from 8pm BST for hot Nations League semi-final updates from Germany 2-1 Portugal. 'We had a backpack with snacks and we played around on our phones to kill time. The lights were on all the time and the sitting position was uncomfortable, so sleeping was almost impossible. That made it physically and mentally difficult' – Neal Remmerie explains how he, along with fellow Belgian TikToker Senne Haverbeke, spent 27 hours in an Allianz Arena bog before watching the Bigger Cup final for free. 'We looked carefully at which security guard was paying the least attention,' whooped Remmerie. 'While on the phone and with food in our hands, we just walked on, and suddenly we were inside.' I've just read your recent article regarding the York City owner's push for three promotion places from the National League to League Two (yesterday's Football Daily). I wanted to write in full support of her position – and to thank you for highlighting this vital issue. As a supporter of Dorking Wanderers, a club that finished sixth this past season and fell short in the playoffs, I can say with confidence that many clubs and fans across the National League share her view. The idea that a team finishing sixth or seventh – often 15 to 20 points behind second or third place – can leapfrog into the Football League while stronger teams miss out is increasingly hard to justify. You questioned whether York's owner would feel the same if her club finished seventh. I genuinely believe she would, as would many other club owners, including the management at Dorking. This isn't just about individual clubs – it's about fairness, progress, and ensuring that ambition is matched by opportunity. The National League has become increasingly professional and competitive, and its clubs deserve a pathway that reflects that. I hope the EFL takes note of this growing movement. Thank you again for covering this important topic – and please keep the conversation going' – Stephen Parrott. It's probably worth pointing out that the 3UP campaign is supported by all 72 clubs in the National League, including the North and South leagues, of which my team, South Shields, is part, although we certainly weren't troubling the playoff contenders this season just gone' – Phil Gibson. I'm sure I will be one of 1,057 pedants to point out that in the 2021-22 National League North season, Brackley Town finished second on 87 points, seven points ahead of the side that finished third and a whole 21 points ahead of the team that actually ended up being promoted through the playoffs. The name of the side in question … York City' – Andy Riddell (and others). Forget 3UP (yesterday's Football Daily), I've long thought 8UP to be the answer. A straight eight up and down across all divisions. It would take real commitment to spend 10 years in the same tier. Loads of different teams to play each year and different grounds to visit. You'd have an interest in matches through to the end of the season. And it would level the financial playing field nicely with so many teams yo-yoing. What's not to like?' – Dave Lambley. If you do have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Dave Lambley. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. Daniel Melamud has curated a collection of lovely images taken by some of the most respected snappers in the game. Do check out this selection. Michael Carrick has been hailed as part of a new breed of astute young manager almost as long as his tenure as Middlesbrough manager, which has ended after the best part of three years in the job (a lengthy spell by Championship standards). Boro announced Carrick's passage through the door marked Do One after a poor run-in that resulted in a 10th-placed finish. Carrick took Boro to fourth place and the playoffs in 2023, where they were beaten in the semis by Coventry, but they dropped back to eighth a year later. Failure to improve on that in the past 12 months means Carrick joins a number of Noughties England luminaries facing tricky times in management. He is followed out of the Riverside by his assistants Jonathan Woodgate (another Noughties England mainstay) and Graeme Carrick. 'We'd like to thank Michael, Jonathan, and Graeme for all their hard work and unwavering commitment. We wish them all the very best for the future,' blah-blahed a club statement as Boro seek a Premier League place for the first time since 2017. Millie Bright will not play for the Lionesses at Euro 2025. The defender has withdrawn from possible selection as 'it is the right thing for my health and my future'. Bright's withdrawal follows the international retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, the latter of whom confirmed her news after England's 2-1 Nations League defeat in Spain. Boss Sarina Wiegman is at least confident that Lauren James will be fit for the tournament. Elsewhere in the WNL, Scotland drew 1-1 in the Netherlands, but Wales got a 4-1 hiding at home against Italy. 'The first half felt like a punch in the face,' sighed manager Rhian Wilkinson. 'Let's be clear, that was not a performance that I expect from this team.' Lucas Paquetá's spot-fixing trial has ended but West Ham have been left unhappy at having to wait up to eight weeks for a verdict. Stop us if you think that you've heard this one before … Manchester City are going on a spending jag. The first man in? Tijjani Reijnders of Milan, the Dutch attacking midfielder costing an agreed fee of €55m. Meanwhile, following Kevin De Bruyne's departure comes news that Scott Carson, the reserve goalie who has played 108 minutes and won 11 trophies, could also be doing one. Andrée Jeglertz, the Swede who will lead Denmark at Euro 2025, is in line for the Manchester City Women's top job. Sheffield United are to be the lucky losers after Blackburn's withdrawal and remain in WSL 2 next season. Liverpool want Milos Kerkez. Bournemouth want £45m. Will Crystal Palace escape the bind that might deny the Eagles a first proper European tilt next season? John Textor, largest shareholder but also owner of Lyon, is trying to flog his shares in Palace to ease passage into Bigger Vase. 'All of the UK knows that I don't have decisive influence over Palace,' he roared. Liam Manning has done one from Bristol City to take over at Norwich. And Rio Ferdinand thinks that Manchester United's failings have made him a laughing stock. 'It's sad, man. I'm on TV, I've got to talk about this stuff. Everyone can take the mick out of me,' he wailed. 'I'm a meme sometimes on social media [disgraces] because of my team. So it's hard, man, I'm doing punditry in the worst possible time in Manchester through this terrible moment.' Thomas Müller, Patrik Schick, Vincent Kompany and Leipzig's 'scumbag football': all part of Andy Brassell's review of the German season. Jacob Steinberg picks over why Jadon Sancho is back at Manchester United, after the end of his sale and return move to Chelsea. What next? Ben McAleer looks at the Premier League players who could possibly to with moves to reboot their careers. Get these bookmarked if you haven't already: our men's and women's summer transfer interactives. And this week's Knowledge investigates British players conquering Europe's top five leagues, late-career goalscoring centurions and huge gaps between league titles, among much else. Winding the clock back to 4 June 1997: Paul Scholes, 22, beams after scoring his first England goal, in only his second senior international, as Italy are beaten in Nantes. Scholes also laid on the other for his strike partner that evening, Ian Wright, as England ended up winning Le Tournoi, the warm-up event for the 1998 World Cup. Scholes has described his England career as an overall disappointment, but their performances in France that summer got everyone back home excited. Wright, knacked that following season, missed the World Cup. Only Mick Channon played more times for England without being selected for a World Cup or European Championships squad. These days, Scholes and Wright occasionally find themselves still paired up, reminiscing across Gary Neville's kitchen island on that show you see all over social media disgraces.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Inter and a Munich mauling that led to a one-man welcome home
DESOLATION ROAD With the romantic underdog tale of a plucky autocratic nation state's eye-wateringly expensive, relentless, often hilarious but ultimately successful pursuit of Bigger Cup glory after 14 years of trying being covered at great length elsewhere on Big Website, it behoves Football Daily – a publication more readily associated with abject failure – to sift through the wreckage of Inter's dismal effort to give PSG anything resembling a game in Munich. A team that less than six weeks ago fancied their chances of winning a league, cup and Bigger Cup treble has just finished the season empty-handed and, while all available evidence suggests there is every chance they would have lost against the gegenpressing dervishes from Paris even if they'd given a good account of themselves, so dismal was the effort of Simone Inzaghi's senior citizens that they found themselves on the wrong end of the biggest hiding ever meted out to any finalist in the competition's history. Advertisement So much so, that the only person on the pitch who wasn't wearing an Inter shirt to show them any mercy was the referee, who blew his final whistle bang on the 90-minute mark in order to end their humiliation at the earliest opportunity. 'Tonight we were more tired than PSG,' sighed Inzaghi in the final's aftermath. 'We weren't fresh on the second ball. We contested our league until last Friday, they won it with two months to spare. They have great quality, a great team. Technically they are stronger than us, we knew that, so we had to be more clever but we weren't organised, and we deserved to lose. That's the bottom line.' While it was his clearly fatigued players who pulled off a passable imitation of rabbit-shaped training cones caught in very bright headlights on Saturday night, it is Inzaghi who has shipped most of the blame for the manner in which they had rings run around them. And though the Italian's refusal to adapt his tactics or lineup to counter PSG's almost psychotic approach to winning back possession is worthy of criticism, describing Inter's performance as 'a disgrace for Italian football', as one writer in La Gazzetta dello Sport felt compelled to put it, might have been over egging the linguine carbonara just a tad. Not everyone was as critical of Inter's apologetic effort and upon their return to Milan Malpensa Airport, the club's disappointed players received a boost in the form of a welcome committee comprised of one person. 'I'm the only idiot here but they still deserve applause,' parped the solitary fan named Marco, according to the pink paper. Whether or not Inter's exhausted and embarrassed players appreciated his effort is not known but at least for them, a gruelling season has finally reached its end. A long summer of rest and recuperation lies ahead, until their opening game of the Club World Cup kicks off in a little over a fortnight's time. QUOTE OF THE DAY Everything came so quick. I was in year 10, playing League One. It was crazy. Very crazy' – Jordon Ibe, who is without a professional club, talks to Sam Dalling about overcoming tragedy, his turbulent time at Liverpool and how he wants to give his career one last push at the age of 29. RECOMMENDED LISTENING Join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and the rest of the Football Weekly pod squad as they chew over the Bigger Cup final and more. FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS Now that the football season is over following Qatar's win in the Bigger Cup, or to use Rio Ferdinand's words on co-commentary, 'a win for football' (or in everyone else's words, 'thank goodness Ferdinand is leaving TNT'), it's time to check in on the development of Major League Soccerball. Ah, yes, still the same comedy-fest but with added playing out from the back …' – Noble Francis. Congratulations to PSG. They really threw the kitchen cinque at Inter' – Peter Oh. There is no truth to the rumours that PSG intend to play blindfolded in their Uefa Super Cup match. Nope' – Krishna Moorthy. Advertisement Send letters to Today's prizeless letter o' the day winner is … Peter Oh. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here. NEWS, BITS AND BOBS Sarina Wiegman has no knack concerns before England's final Nations League group game against Spain. 'Everyone is available and everyone can start,' trilled the Lionesses' head coach. Ange Postecoglou has implored Tottenham not to settle for their Bigger Vase success despite not knowing if he'll still be flamin' manager next season. 'Think about what's next, you know,' he told Australian TV, explaining the meaning behind his 'season three' comment at the trophy parade. 'Don't settle for this. We've got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club's got a taste for it. Well, let's make sure we're back here again.' Advertisement What's that coming over the hill, is it a monster, is it a monster? Yes, Oldham are back in the Football League after a 3-2 extra-time win over Southend in the National League playoff and manager Micky Mellon is dreaming big. 'It's a fantastic moment for us,' he cheered. 'This club is a monster. We were under a lot of pressure because we have a great family that back us – we needed to go up. It's massive, it's monstrous to get us in [the league]. Everything changes now.' Chelsea are this close to announcing the signing of Ipswich striker Liam Delap for £30m and they're also weighing up a £50m bid for the Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens. Brentford have reportedly agreed an £18m deal for Liverpool's top, top backup keeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Meanwhile, Ajax have nabbed Arne Slot's right-hand man, Johnny Heitinga, and installed him in the dugout at the Johan Cruyff Arena. And Neymar was sent off for a hands-on approach to trying to score a goal for Santos in their 1-0 defeat by Botafogo in what may be his final game for the club. 'I made a mistake, forgive me!' he wailed on some social media disgrace or other. 'Today, if I hadn't been sent off, I'm sure we would have gotten the three points. You can count these three points against me!' IN AND OUT OF LOVE 22 January: 'I think you always have your responsibilities and you are under contract. You have to be professional, you have obligations, not only towards [the club] as an organisation, you have an obligation towards your teammates and you don't let your teammates down, never' – Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic hits out at forward Morgan Whittaker, accusing him of not turning up on time before their 5-0 gubbing at home by Burnley, which the player denied before joining Middlesbrough. Advertisement 1 May: 'I have fallen in love with the football club from when I had my first experience of it all those months ago … [this shows] how much I care for Argyle and the Green Army, and how committed I am to the club and its future' – Muslic reaffirms his commitment to the club as they head for League One. 31 May: 'Under his contract, a club wishing to speak with him needs Argyle's prior permission. We were unwilling to give such permission, but Miron informed us that under no circumstances was he going to return to Plymouth. Thus, we reluctantly gave the necessary permission' – Muslic breaks things off to take over at Schalke. STILL WANT MORE? It would not be a Bigger Cup final without all your favourite Big Website writers bringing you reaction, analysis and commentary. Barney Ronay writes on Désiré Doué, a Neymar/Lamine Yamal hybrid to lead PSG's coronation as kings of Europe and Viva Vitinha, the deep conductor who proved Lionel Messi wrong. Advertisement Jonathan Liew laments Inter's two finals losses to state-owned investment funds while Nicky Bandini reports on the Italian press's swift kicking of Simone Inzaghi. Nick Ames ponders whether the likes of Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola could be lured away from Paris after winning the lot and David Hytner pens an ode to the genius that is Luis Enrique. John Brewin's Bigger Cup team of the season includes an array of PSG players and a marauding Gunner. And finally our picture desk put together a snazzy gallery of all the best photos from PSG's triumph in Munich. Quiz time? Quiz time! Test your knowledge of one-sided European Cup finals. Brazil may have their first foreign coach in Carlo Ancelotti but he reconnects them to a tradition that made them five-time World Cup winners, writes Jonathan Wilson. Advertisement Goal Diggers FC's tournament amid FA ban on trans women brings solidarity to community writes Suzanne Wrack. Paul Mitchell's exit as Newcastle's sporting director leaves Eddie Howe in a position of strength, writes Louise Taylor. Brighton may have secured a fifth-place WSL finish but Dario Vidosic exclusively reveals to Tom Garry that his side 'want to challenge the establishment'. Suzanne Wrack gets personal as she pours her emotions into what it was like watching Arsenal win the Champions League at a packed Estádio José Alvalade as a journalist and a fan. And Ed Aarons takes you through 10 of the top talents that could be on the move this summer transfer window while the Rumour Mill returns with Will Unwin on the biggest transfer stories of the day including possible deals for Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Gonçalves and Florian Wirtz. MEMORY LANE January 2000: A rare shot of David Beckham before he got heavily into tattoos. The midfielder was taking a break on the Copacabana beach in Rio while Manchester United were in town for the Club World Cup. 'WEAR SUNSCREEN'
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Inter and a Munich mauling that led to a one-man welcome home
With the romantic underdog tale of a plucky autocratic nation state's eye-wateringly expensive, relentless, often hilarious but ultimately successful pursuit of Bigger Cup glory after 14 years of trying being covered at great length elsewhere on Big Website, it behoves Football Daily – a publication more readily associated with abject failure – to sift through the wreckage of Inter's dismal effort to give PSG anything resembling a game in Munich. A team that less than six weeks ago fancied their chances of winning a league, cup and Bigger Cup treble has just finished the season empty-handed and, while all available evidence suggests there is every chance they would have lost against the gegenpressing dervishes from Paris even if they'd given a good account of themselves, so dismal was the effort of Simone Inzaghi's senior citizens that they found themselves on the wrong end of the biggest hiding ever meted out to any finalist in the competition's history. So much so, that the only person on the pitch who wasn't wearing an Inter shirt to show them any mercy was the referee, who blew his final whistle bang on the 90-minute mark in order to end their humiliation at the earliest opportunity. 'Tonight we were more tired than PSG,' sighed Inzaghi in the final's aftermath. 'We weren't fresh on the second ball. We contested our league until last Friday, they won it with two months to spare. They have great quality, a great team. Technically they are stronger than us, we knew that, so we had to be more clever but we weren't organised, and we deserved to lose. That's the bottom line.' While it was his clearly fatigued players who pulled off a passable imitation of rabbit-shaped training cones caught in very bright headlights on Saturday night, it is Inzaghi who has shipped most of the blame for the manner in which they had rings run around them. And though the Italian's refusal to adapt his tactics or lineup to counter PSG's almost psychotic approach to winning back possession is worthy of criticism, describing Inter's performance as 'a disgrace for Italian football', as one writer in La Gazzetta dello Sport felt compelled to put it, might have been over egging the linguine carbonara just a tad. Not everyone was as critical of Inter's apologetic effort and upon their return to Milan Malpensa Airport, the club's disappointed players received a boost in the form of a welcome committee comprised of one person. 'I'm the only idiot here but they still deserve applause,' parped the solitary fan named Marco, according to the pink paper. Whether or not Inter's exhausted and embarrassed players appreciated his effort is not known but at least for them, a gruelling season has finally reached its end. A long summer of rest and recuperation lies ahead, until their opening game of the Club World Cup kicks off in a little over a fortnight's time. Everything came so quick. I was in year 10, playing League One. It was crazy. Very crazy' – Jordon Ibe, who is without a professional club, talks to Sam Dalling about overcoming tragedy, his turbulent time at Liverpool and how he wants to give his career one last push at the age of 29. Join Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and the rest of the Football Weekly pod squad as they chew over the Bigger Cup final and more. Now that the football season is over following Qatar's win in the Bigger Cup, or to use Rio Ferdinand's words on co-commentary, 'a win for football' (or in everyone else's words, 'thank goodness Ferdinand is leaving TNT'), it's time to check in on the development of Major League Soccerball. Ah, yes, still the same comedy-fest but with added playing out from the back …' – Noble Francis. Congratulations to PSG. They really threw the kitchen cinque at Inter' – Peter Oh. There is no truth to the rumours that PSG intend to play blindfolded in their Uefa Super Cup match. Nope' – Krishna Moorthy. Send letters to Today's prizeless letter o' the day winner is … Peter Oh. Terms and conditions for our competitions can be viewed here. Sarina Wiegman has no knack concerns before England's final Nations League group game against Spain. 'Everyone is available and everyone can start,' trilled the Lionesses' head coach. Ange Postecoglou has implored Tottenham not to settle for their Bigger Vase success despite not knowing if he'll still be flamin' manager next season. 'Think about what's next, you know,' he told Australian TV, explaining the meaning behind his 'season three' comment at the trophy parade. 'Don't settle for this. We've got a taste of it now. My players have got a taste for it. The club's got a taste for it. Well, let's make sure we're back here again.' What's that coming over the hill, is it a monster, is it a monster? Yes, Oldham are back in the Football League after a 3-2 extra-time win over Southend in the National League playoff and manager Micky Mellon is dreaming big. 'It's a fantastic moment for us,' he cheered. 'This club is a monster. We were under a lot of pressure because we have a great family that back us – we needed to go up. It's massive, it's monstrous to get us in [the league]. Everything changes now.' Chelsea are this close to announcing the signing of Ipswich striker Liam Delap for £30m and they're also weighing up a £50m bid for the Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens. Brentford have reportedly agreed an £18m deal for Liverpool's top, top backup keeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Meanwhile, Ajax have nabbed Arne Slot's right-hand man, Johnny Heitinga, and installed him in the dugout at the Johan Cruyff Arena. And Neymar was sent off for a hands-on approach to trying to score a goal for Santos in their 1-0 defeat by Botafogo in what may be his final game for the club. 'I made a mistake, forgive me!' he wailed on some social media disgrace or other. 'Today, if I hadn't been sent off, I'm sure we would have gotten the three points. You can count these three points against me!' 22 January: 'I think you always have your responsibilities and you are under contract. You have to be professional, you have obligations, not only towards [the club] as an organisation, you have an obligation towards your teammates and you don't let your teammates down, never' – Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic hits out at forward Morgan Whittaker, accusing him of not turning up on time before their 5-0 gubbing at home by Burnley, which the player denied before joining Middlesbrough. 1 May: 'I have fallen in love with the football club from when I had my first experience of it all those months ago … [this shows] how much I care for Argyle and the Green Army, and how committed I am to the club and its future' – Muslic reaffirms his commitment to the club as they head for League One. 31 May: 'Under his contract, a club wishing to speak with him needs Argyle's prior permission. We were unwilling to give such permission, but Miron informed us that under no circumstances was he going to return to Plymouth. Thus, we reluctantly gave the necessary permission' – Muslic breaks things off to take over at Schalke. It would not be a Bigger Cup final without all your favourite Big Website writers bringing you reaction, analysis and commentary. Barney Ronay writes on Désiré Doué, a Neymar/Lamine Yamal hybrid to lead PSG's coronation as kings of Europe and Viva Vitinha, the deep conductor who proved Lionel Messi wrong. Jonathan Liew laments Inter's two finals losses to state-owned investment funds while Nicky Bandini reports on the Italian press's swift kicking of Simone Inzaghi. Nick Ames ponders whether the likes of Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola could be lured away from Paris after winning the lot and David Hytner pens an ode to the genius that is Luis Enrique. John Brewin's Bigger Cup team of the season includes an array of PSG players and a marauding Gunner. And finally our picture desk put together a snazzy gallery of all the best photos from PSG's triumph in Munich. Quiz time? Quiz time! Test your knowledge of one-sided European Cup finals. Brazil may have their first foreign coach in Carlo Ancelotti but he reconnects them to a tradition that made them five-time World Cup winners, writes Jonathan Wilson. Goal Diggers FC's tournament amid FA ban on trans women brings solidarity to community writes Suzanne Wrack. Paul Mitchell's exit as Newcastle's sporting director leaves Eddie Howe in a position of strength, writes Louise Taylor. Brighton may have secured a fifth-place WSL finish but Dario Vidosic exclusively reveals to Tom Garry that his side 'want to challenge the establishment'. Suzanne Wrack gets personal as she pours her emotions into what it was like watching Arsenal win the Champions League at a packed Estádio José Alvalade as a journalist and a fan. And Ed Aarons takes you through 10 of the top talents that could be on the move this summer transfer window while the Rumour Mill returns with Will Unwin on the biggest transfer stories of the day including possible deals for Bruno Fernandes, Pedro Gonçalves and Florian Wirtz. January 2000: A rare shot of David Beckham before he got heavily into tattoos. The midfielder was taking a break on the Copacabana beach in Rio while Manchester United were in town for the Club World Cup.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'The less I believe him' - Robinson criticises Amorim speech
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson says Ruben Amorim is churning the same narrative every week without actually showing signs he is improving the the Manchester United fans from the centre circle at Old Trafford, Amorim apologised for a "disaster" of a season and assured supporters that "good days are coming"."I am not buying into him," said Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "The longer it goes on, the less I start to believe in him or trust him."It is the same stuff every week, in that he is telling you how bad his team is, how bad his players are and how the club should be doing better and how he should be doing better. Well that is what you are there for, so do better!"When a manager gets a job, it is usually because they are in a poor run of games. You don't just come in and say: 'I'm going to play this system and I am sticking to it'. "Instead, you explain the system that you will play eventually and you tell them it is because it has served you well in the past. You don't play it to start with because of not having the personnel, but eventually you start to see that formation."It should have been about plugging gaps and holes to stop leaking goals and then winning football matches. He hasn't done that."There was no short-term plan with Amorim as he is sticking to his plan resolutely and they are going to have to back him if they are sticking with him."It is not a quick fix so I think Manchester United will have to endure a lot more pain before they get to where they need to be."Do you agree with Robinson that Amorim should talk less and do more? Or do you like his honest approach and believe in his plan? Let us know your thoughts Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds
