Latest news with #PhilFoden
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Noni Madueke steps up for England – as Chelsea try to prise away another English winger
Thomas Tuchel asked England's travelling supporters to be patient before their World Cup qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona. The England head coach, knowing his team would have the majority of the ball, also spoke about wanting to 'suffocate the opponent in their half', while demanding a 'convincing win' and 'one without doubts'. Advertisement As it transpired on Saturday night at Espanyol's RCDE Stadium, England's fans certainly had their patience tested — and the victory, 1-0 courtesy of Harry Kane's 72nd senior international goal, was anything but convincing. There were loud boos at half-time, a smattering in the closing minutes and a few more at the final whistle as England played without any real intensity, were sloppy in possession and struggled to break down a team more than happy to sit everyone behind the ball. 'They were underwhelmed and not happy with our performance, especially how we ended the first half, so I don't think we can blame them for that,' Tuchel said of the booing. The England fans, desperate for a good time, started working their way through a repertoire of songs, including serenading Manchester City's Phil Foden, who was not included in Tuchel's squad, and singing derogatory chants about Keir Starmer, the United Kingdom's prime minister. 'Matches like this can become awkward when you don't score a second goal,' Tuchel said of the performance. 'There were no more movements in the last third to attack the box. 'In the end, we played with fire. I felt it almost like in a cup game where the favourite does not smell the danger. I didn't feel a team that is aware that it's only 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier. Step by step, the energy dropped, and we needed exactly the opposite.' But in a match that lacked any real quality, one player stood out — and it just happened to coincide with his club trying to prise away another talented English winger. As reported by The Athletic during the England match, Chelsea have submitted a bid to sign Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens, an England Under-21 international. And with personal terms already agreed on a seven-year contract between the 20-year-old and the Premier League side, there is every chance a deal gets completed. Advertisement Noni Madueke — who created Kane's 50th-minute goal — may find himself competing against Gittens for game time at Chelsea next season, even if Madueke played predominantly played on the right for Chelsea in 2024-25, while Gittens mostly featured on the left for Dortmund. Madueke certainly showed his worth in an England shirt during a game that desperately needed a spark as he made his first appearance under Tuchel, and only his sixth appearance for the national team. According to Opta, Madueke had more touches (12) than any other player in the opposition's box, completed the most dribbles (three), and finished joint-first in duels won (seven), alongside Jude Bellingham and Dan Burn. Only Kane and Bellingham (three) had more shots on target than the 23-year-old's two efforts. 'Performance-wise, I'm happy,' Madueke told reporters after the game. 'I created chances for my team and tried to be positive when I had the ball.' Unsurprisingly, Madueke was named England's player of the match. 'He was maybe over the course of the match the most dangerous, the most active,' Tuchel said of Madueke via England's official website. 'I could feel his hunger and the desire and determination to do the plan. He was one of the few who met the expectations.' Madueke started the game against Andorra on the left wing, but then switched to the right flank after Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze replaced Cole Palmer in the second half. 'Right and left is the same for me, so I don't really mind,' Madueke said of the tactical change. 'I've been playing on the left for Chelsea in the last five or six games of the season, so right and left is all the same. 'You just have to try and beat your full-back and be positive. That's my game. That's what I go to every game trying to do, trying to create for my team, and it came off a lot of times.' Advertisement Madueke said after the Andorra win that he doesn't know if he will start England's next match against Senegal on Tuesday, but the impression he left on Tuchel is unlikely to be forgotten, even if Tuchel makes changes to his starting XI. When England needed someone to make something happen, Madueke stepped up. The fact it turned out to be on the night his club made clear their desire to sign another English winger made it all the more prescient.
Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Times
The decline of English players in our marquee game should worry us
The marquee match in English football is Liverpool versus Manchester City and it has been that way for eight years. Every title since 2017-18 split between them, plus six League Cups, three FA Cups and the Champions League twice. Players from either City or Liverpool have won Footballer of the Year and Players' Player of the Year throughout that whole time, too. It is our Clasico, English football's all-star game. Yet next season, when the teams meet, how many Englishmen will start the match? One, two, maybe zero? It is a worrying development. When Real Madrid play Barcelona it speaks to the strength of Spanish football, and the Spanish national team. The same in Germany with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Yet English participation in the Premier League's marquee fixture is in sharp decline. Phil Foden is the sole banker in the two squads and he started only just over half of Manchester City's league games last season. In 2017-18, City and Liverpool met four times. Including used substitutes there were never fewer than seven English players involved in any of those games, and the Premier League meeting on January 14 featured eight. That day, Joe Gomez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain started for Liverpool, with James Milner and Adam Lallana coming on as substitutes; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph were all in the starting XI for City. And times change, teams evolve. Yet as mainstays such as Jordan Henderson or Sterling have moved on, their replacements have not been players from this country. Once Foden withdrew from England's present squad for matches against Andorra and Senegal with mental exhaustion, it left Curtis Jones, who started just half of Liverpool's league games last season, as the only representative of either club. Compare this with the 2018 World Cup: Walker, Stones, Henderson and Sterling in the starting line-up, Delph and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench. Similar numbers at the 2020 European Championships and the 2022 World Cup. City, in particular, have changed from a club that provided the backbone of the England team to one whose influence is increasingly slight. Jack Grealish is leaving, so too Walker it seems. Young players such as Rico Lewis, Nico O'Reilly and James McAtee are not part of Thomas Tuchel's plan as yet. Foden, we must presume, will be at the World Cup, although he is no longer a certain first XI pick, which leaves Stones, who started only six league games last season and is being linked with Everton. Stones's circumstances are interesting given that he was invited to join England's training camp in Girona. His last game was against Real Madrid on February 19 when he left the field injured after eight minutes, City already a goal down and being torn to shreds by Kylian Mbappé. Yet for Tuchel to ask him to continue his rehabilitation with England suggests he is part of the strategy; whether he remains part of Pep Guardiola's is another matter. As for Grealish, he's done. He won't be part of City's Club World Cup squad and Tuchel has suggested his only way back with England is through regular minutes in the shirt of another club. One by one they fall, Grealish, Henderson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Walker, Kalvin Phillips. And in come Jeremie Frimpong, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Nico Gonzalez, Savinho, Jeremy Doku, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri. For all the talk of the success of Premier League academies, how many are now revenue streams rather than production lines serving the first team? City's greatest contribution to Tuchel's squad could be Cole Palmer, in the colours of Chelsea. When Barcelona played Real Madrid most recently on May 11, there were eight Spanish players in their starting line-up and four on the bench, versus four in Real Madrid's line-up, plus one on the bench. The heart and soul of Spanish football is represented in that match. And this is not a plea for quotas or limits or any of the other faux solutions. The Premier League is founded on excellence and global appeal and clubs should be entitled to pursue that as they wish; not least because the Football Association has appointed a foreign manager so is really in no position to lecture. Teams selected by tick box would kill the competition anyway. But it's a trend that should worry because the biggest game of the Premier League season really shouldn't start taking place without us. Martínez could be a Villa burden lifted if the price is right Monchi, the grandly titled president of football operations at Aston Villa, wants goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to stay. The World Cup winner appeared to have said goodbye at the end of last season, amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Monchi wants to seek another way of complying with Profitability and Sustainability Rules. That is understandable. Martínez has been an outstanding performer for Villa in recent seasons. Taking centre stage in the build-up to the match with Paris Saint-Germain, however, was a mistake. Martínez brought the feud between Argentina and France into his club's Champions League quarter-final and performed poorly. More mistakes followed. His dismissal on the final day of the season against Manchester United — when a win would have returned Villa to the Champions League — was particularly calamitous. It wasn't just that he took out Rasmus Hojlund, who might not have scored, it was that even had Hojlund scored that would have put United only a goal up — far from insurmountable at Old Trafford these days. There was no guarantee Villa could have turned a deficit around, but it was so much harder with ten men. Monchi may just be trying to get the price up, with suggestions in Argentina that United could also be interested — but if Unai Emery wishes for a goalkeeper as good but less excitable, he cannot be blamed, Brilliant Yamal thrills as England pop pills When Spain went 5-1 up against France on Thursday night it looked a rather uncommon goal from Lamine Yamal, one taken with his right foot. It was only on closer inspection that the truth was revealed. Despite shooting, right to left, across goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and despite having France's centre half Clément Lenglet on his inside, between him and the goal, Yamal somehow got his scoring shot away with his favoured left while holding off the challenge and at speed. It was, quite simply, one of the most remarkable finishes of the season. Meanwhile, in Girona, England's players have been taking £60 pills to measure internal body temperature in heated conditions. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a pill to enhance dealing with a player such as Yamal: because he looks rather warm too. Tuchel's difficult quest to find a true test for Toney Thomas Tuchel has an Ivan Toney problem. Given England's fixtures, how can he accurately assess the impact of a career in Saudi Arabia? Toney's scoring record may be good and he has certainly enjoyed a successful club season with Al-Ahli, winners of Asia's Champions League Elite. Yet what does it mean? How strong was the competition? And will Toney be able to keep up with undoubtedly higher standards in the knockout stage of the World Cup next summer? Toney rarely faces elite sides EDDIE KEOGH/GETTY IMAGES Tuchel is not going to find out in England's games with Andorra; and does Tuesday's friendly against Senegal represent a true test? The first match to present anything like the challenge that awaits is away to Serbia on September 9. Yet as that is likely to be the toughest fixture of England's World Cup qualifying campaign, won't Tuchel just start Harry Kane? So when can he properly read Toney? Possibly not until the tournament itself. If his striker is short, that's really not the place to find out. And so we say farewell to Timothy William Osborne, Matthew Columb Cain, Matthew Peter Shayle . . . Who were they? Nottingham Forest directors appointed when a blind trust was created a couple of months ago, in case the club ended up in the same competition as owner Evangelos Marinakis's Olympiacos next season, and had to demonstrate separation. In on April 29 to meet Uefa rules, out on June 6, deemed no longer necessary. When Sir Jim Ratcliffe referenced owners who were across everything at their clubs recently he cited Daniel Levy at Tottenham Hotspur and Steve Parish, of Crystal Palace. So the circumstances that may now mean Palace are barred from Europe constitute a rare oversight. March 1 is Uefa's deadline for ownership changes for the following season, but clearly no one at Selhurst Park anticipated what was then a place in the FA Cup's fifth round — Palace beat Millwall that day — becoming a Europa League spot in 2025-26. If anyone had, then John Textor's shareholding could have been placed in a blind trust like the ones that helped to negotiate convenient paths for other multi-club ownerships at Manchester United, Manchester City or, now, Nottingham Forest. As it is, Palace look stymied. Textor's interest in Lyon, Europa League qualifiers, and Brondby, Danish representatives in the Conference League, could mean they are excluded entirely. Textor is now talking about selling up at Palace but would almost certainly need to do so before the Europa League draw in nine days' time, which is next to impossible without resorting to smoke and mirrors. Two thoughts. The first is that March 1 seems ridiculously early as the cut-off for ownership change. Why not June 1? Why does everything at Uefa need such a long lead time? Maybe Palace should have thought ahead, but it seems harsh to penalise them for not anticipating the first trophy in their history, plus goal difference dictating that Lyon finished in a Europa League qualifying position, given that eight points separated the teams from second to seventh in France, and so many permutations were possible. The second thought is more cynical: if this problem had affected, say, Real Madrid, do you think Uefa would have been more motivated to find a solution? Sad end? Ange can sit back, polish his silverware and watch offers roll in It really isn't the sad ending some imagine for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur. Yes, he deserved the chance to see if he could build on the club's first trophy in 17 years, but he landed that, took them into the Champions League and can now wait for the offers to come in. And there will be offers. Few could make sense of Erik ten Hag's time at Manchester United, his buys were poor and his team lacked direction. Yet he won a trophy in both campaigns and landed a good job succeeding Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen as a result. Winning the Europa League makes Postecoglou's name on the Continent, there is mitigation for the poor league form, and he goes out a winner. He'll be fine. And while we all admire Thomas Frank, with Tottenham, can we confidently say the same? Chelsea's strength in depth could be weakness Chelsea have nine goalkeepers on the books. This would suggest they are spoilt for choice. Not necessarily. When Rudi Völler picked five forwards for Germany's squad at the 2002 World Cup it didn't mean he had five great goalscorers; it meant he didn't have one he felt he could trust. Chelsea appear to have stockpiled for the same reason. Djordje Petrovic looks the best of it but spent last season at Strasbourg. Hence the apparent interest in France's No 1, Mike Maignan, of AC Milan, who has a year left on his contract and would therefore be available at a competitive price. Sometimes a glut indicates weakness, not depth. Leicester victims of PSR quadruple jeopardy Leicester City would like to make a managerial change; that much seems obvious. Ruud van Nistelrooy won four league matches in his tenure, two of which came after relegation, against teams that, like Leicester, were already down. They cannot move, however, because of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Leicester already fear a vindictive 12-point deduction in the Championship next season, and paying off Van Nistelrooy would make their financial predicament worse. Any player who may be considered an asset, such as goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, will have to be sold, weakening them further. Russell Martin, considered a managerial target, has now taken the job at Rangers, and there is a worry that two other candidates, Danny Röhl, of Sheffield Wednesday, and Sean Dyche may be lost to them too. Leicester erred with Van Nistelrooy, and that's what PSR does — it cements mistakes in place, with no second chances. So Leicester will be relegated, suffer a points deduction in the league below and conduct a fire sale of what little talent the club do possess, while being stuck with a manager who has shown little aptitude for the job. No one is arguing the club have not been run poorly, but PSR ensures they get no opportunity to change course. This isn't double jeopardy, it's quadruple jeopardy. It is almost as if the Premier League won't rest until it kills a club, just to show it can. No winners in minnows' qualified success Fifa will, no doubt, regard it as a great triumph that Jordan and Uzbekistan have both reached the World Cup finals for the first time. What had been four guaranteed places for Asia is now eight, and this is the result. Whether it is a good result depends on your view of inclusion versus excellence. Is it good for the players and people of Jordan and Uzbekistan to be involved in this festival? Undoubtedly. There are talents such as Abdukodir Khusanov, of Manchester City, who may never have featured on this stage. One thinks of George Best and George Weah, who were thwarted by smaller tournament numbers and the limitations of Northern Ireland and Liberia during their careers. Yet Jordan were comfortably beaten by Qatar in the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup — and Qatar were the poorest team at the 2022 World Cup, one of only two to lose every match, with a goal difference of -6. Does the 2026 edition need entrants that are, potentially, worse than that — given that Asia has three other qualifiers still to come, with a fourth entering a play-off? And don't think this is the end. There is already consideration for a proposal to expand the 2030 event to 64 teams and once Fifa notes this summer's Club World Cup is taking place without Barcelona and therefore the world's most exciting player, Lamine Yamal, don't think it will stick to 32 entrants either. 'Every idea is a good idea,' Fifa president Gianni Infantino said at the recent Fifa Congress, a view for which the phrase 'go boil your head' seems to have been invented. Not a joke to make in Uzbekistan, by the way. Ronaldo's international career still alive and kicking Critics have been trying to end Cristiano Ronaldo's international career for some years now. He's been holding Portugal back, we are told, for a decade. Yet when Portugal were propelled into Sunday's Nations League final, defeating Germany in Munich, who was it who scored the winner? A certain 40-year-old phenomenon, while Diogo Jota, Gonçalo Ramos and Rafael Leão looked on from the bench. It was the 137th goal of his international career. Detractors insist Portugal would be better without him and one day he will be gone and we shall decide. While he keeps helping them to finals, though, one can see why Roberto Martínez let's the man do his thing. Portugal had never won a trophy or even reached a major final until Ronaldo came along. Fear and loathing in Harrogate
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
England XI vs Andorra – Predicted lineup and team news
England continue their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign against Andorra in Barcelona tonight. Thomas Tuchel's side took maximum points from March's international break and will look to maintain their perfect record in the group. England scored five goals and conceded none to make a solid start to Tuchel's reign, even if the performances offered little inspiration. Andorra are bottom of the group and have lost their opening two games. The Three Lions have won all five previous meetings with Andorra, scoring 25 goals and conceding zero. England XI vs Andorra – Predicted lineup and team news England team news Trevoh Chalobah will be hoping for a first cap after earning his maiden call-up this month. Chalobah is one of several names in a much-changed squad from March's break. Advertisement The likes of Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford are not involved having been a part of Tuchel's first camp. Marc Guehi is absent after suffering an eye injury in Crystal Palace's FA Cup final win over Manchester City last month. There's also a recall for Ivan Toney, who has not appeared since Euro 2024. The forward trailed only Cristiano Ronaldo for goals in the Saudi Pro League last season. England predicted lineup England predicted XI: Pickford; Alexander-Arnold, Konsa, Colwill, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Bellingham; Saka, Palmer, Rogers; Kane. When is Andorra vs England? Andorra host England in 2026 World Cup qualification on Saturday 7th June 2025. Kick-off is 5pm BST. What TV channel is Andorra vs England? In the UK, the game will be televised live on ITV. Advertisement Read – What will Cunha and Mbeumo bring to Manchester United? See more – Can Delap beat the curse? Rating every Chelsea number nine of the Premier League era Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Kyle Walker lifts lid on awkward England WhatsApp group that snubbed players are forced to mute
KYLE WALKER has lifted the lid on the awkward process of being called up to the England squad. The 35-year-old has been named in Thomas Tuchel's squad for fixtures against Andorra tomorrow and Senegal on Tuesday. Walker revealed on his BBC podcast that players first receive a text message from a member of staff to confirm they have been selected. A WhatsApp chat is then made ahead of the international break so further information can be passed on to them. Walker said: "There is a group chat and normally they will message you individually - just saying that you made it. "Then you will see people getting added into that group chat that have not been in before." But a new group is not formed every time - with snubbed players still able to see the messages. Walker revealed: "No, no, you stay in. But you kind of have to mute it because you're a little bit disheartened." Ahead of games against Andorra and Senegal, Chelsea star Trevoh Chalobah would have been a new name added as it is his first England call-up. On his inclusion, Tuchel said: "We have some injuries in defence and he has stepped up massively since returning to Chelsea. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS "He's contributed to Chelsea 's run for Champions League football and he's been on our radar for some time." Meanwhile, the likes of Phil Foden, Jarrod Bowen and Harry Maguire would have had to painfully mute the chat after failing to earn a spot in the squad. England star Ivan Toney hits back at Bruno Fernandes with blunt reply after Man Utd star's Saudi transfer snub The Manchester City midfielder did not make the cut after a disappointing campaign, which saw him score just ten goals in 45 games. West Ham winger Bowen was surprisingly dropped despite finding the back of the net or assisting in his last six matches. Manchester United centre-back Maguire has not played for England since March last year. 2
Vogue Singapore
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
Vogue's Father's Day gift guide for all types of dads
With Mother's Day done and dusted in May, it's now time to give the men in our lives some much needed attention. After all, fathers are the quiet constants in our lives—protective, dependable, and devoted. They are the superheroes who support our dreams and give us the courage to always believe in ourselves. Their style, much like their presence, often leans into comfort: think crisp shirts, understated neutrals and mostly tailored silhouettes. Whether it's a sleek suit worn for boardroom meetings or a linen shirt with breezy shorts for a relaxing cup of coffee at a neighbourhood cafe, what he wears is often a reflection of his journey—refined and considered. As Father's Day is just around the corner, it is the perfect opportunity to treat the father figures in our lives to some well-deserved spoiling. Sartorial heavyweights of the fashion world have embraced the occasion, rolling out campaigns and collections that exude opulence and class. Burberry looked to how the comfort and warmth of a home is associated with a father's love, in a campaign starring footballer Phil Foden and his children. While Louis Vuitton, celebrated fatherhood with an exclusive capsule of limited edition Tambour watches and Damier jewellery. Speaking of which, this could be the perfect occasion to introduce more glinting metals to your old man's arsenal. Below, see Vogue Singapore's curated edit of the best Father's Day fashion gifts. Courtesy of Burberry 1 / 13 Burberry check trim cotton T-shirt, $690 Available at Burberry. Courtesy of Prada 2 / 13 Prada sunglasses with iconic metal plaque, $685 Available at Prada. Courtesy of Ralph Lauren 3 / 13 Ralph Lauren basket-weave linen shirt, $899 Available at Ralph Lauren. Courtesy of Dior 4 / 13 Dior medium daily messenger bag, $4,400 Available at Dior. Courtesy of Giorgio Armani 5 / 13 Giorgio Armani washed silk single-dart trousers, $2,550 Available at Giorgio Armani. Courtesy of Ferragamo 6 / 13 Ferragamo reversible and adjustable gancini belt, $550 Available at Ferragamo. Courtesy of Fendi 7 / 13 Fendi match sneakers, $1,350 Available at Fendi. Courtesy of Louis Vuitton 8 / 13 Louis Vuitton slender wallet, $745 Available at Louis Vuitton. Courtesy of Gucci 9 / 13 Gucci interlocking G silk wool jacquard tie, $360 Available at Gucci. Courtesy of Mytheresa 10 / 13 Brunello Cucinelli suede penny loafers, $1,570 Available at Mytheresa. Courtesy of Mytheresa 11 / 13 Loro Piana logo linen baseball cap, $720 Available at Mytheresa. Courtesy of Mytheresa 12 / 13 Tom Ford Logo leather bracelet, $500 Available at Mytheresa. Courtesy of Celine 13 / 13 Celine Weekend Bag Conti Soft in supple calfskin, $7,600 Available at Celine.
