Moyes admits Rice may leave West Ham this summer
These quotes, via the BBC’s Simon Stone, come from after Thursday’s Conference League semi-final with AZ.
We honestly hope Dec stays, that is the biggest thing. We would love him to be a West Ham player but we are aware that might not be the case. That is one of the scenarios.
Our plans are to have Dec here but we are also fully aware there is a good chance that we don’t have him.
Key events
Last week’s defeat of Brighton has sent Sean Dyche into full Sean Dyche mode.
There was noise recently about me not making subs. Do you know Pep has made less than me? He has made two I think on average, or something like that. I’m in pretty good company, I think. If Pep’s doing it then I will take that.
Manchester City made no subs against Real Madrid on Tuesday, thus proving…something.
Further Manchester United news, one good one bad from Erik ten Hag. They play Wolves tomorrow.
Raphael Varane is back, Marcus Rashford is doubtful – he has a problem, an injury to his leg and is a big question for tomorrow. He’s doubtful, more than doubtful, so a big question mark.
Fancy a read on Aberdeen’s 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph?
Friend of the site Stephen Pye put this together.
It simply would not stop raining. For 36 hours the heavens refused to close, as a huge plastic sheet protected the playing surface at the Ullevi Stadium. Even with this covering the pitch was inevitably boggy. The saturated surface would later provide an unfortunate moment for McLeish.
With the match kicking off at 7.15 UK time, live coverage of the match was introduced on ITV 15 minutes before the kick off, Dickie Davies presenting with Denis Law in the studio. Brian Moore would again be on commentary duties on a glorious night of European football, with Ian St John alongside him.
All three TV gods now gone.
Antisemitic messages in Ashburton Army fan group
Daniel Harris
Important story from Daniel Harris here.
It is understood Arsenal were made aware of the messages around the time they were sent but, after asking their principal target for his thoughts and encouraging a formal complaint, they opted to honour his wishes by not taking any further action. Instead, they warned representatives of the group about its future conduct.
“We are aware of the historic messages on a private WhatsApp group,” Arsenal told the Guardian, “and we strongly condemn the abusive and discriminatory language being used. We are liaising with the police on the matter.
“Our ongoing action shows that abusive and discriminatory behaviour will not be tolerated at Arsenal. We recently announced that 31 members and season-ticket holders have been banned for abusive and discriminatory behaviour since the start of the 2021-22 season. The bans are the result of behaviour online (18) and in the stadium (13). Five of the 31 sanctions are for antisemitism.”
Jamie Jackson
An untimely slump at Manchester United, and Jamie Jackson has the lowdown.
The owners view Champions League qualification rather than challenging for the title as the requirement. The latest illustration came after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November. This left United requiring an elite-level forward, yet in the January window Ten Hag had funds only for a loan deal for Weghorst (whose CV showed two goals in 20 Premier League games for Burnley) and the same agreement for Sabitzer, a Bayern Munich reserve. This left the manager’s squad lacking depth and quality, and has been exposed by United’s loss of form in late season.
Moyes admits Rice may leave West Ham this summer
These quotes, via the BBC’s Simon Stone, come from after Thursday’s Conference League semi-final with AZ.
We honestly hope Dec stays, that is the biggest thing. We would love him to be a West Ham player but we are aware that might not be the case. That is one of the scenarios.
Our plans are to have Dec here but we are also fully aware there is a good chance that we don’t have him.
Ahead of Everton’s match with Manchester City, Sean Dyche has issued an update on poor Seamus Coleman, who suffered a serious knee injury against Leicester when he is out of contract. Incidentally, Coleman signed his current contract when recovering from a leg broken in an Ireland v Wales match.
It is straightforward in terms of the medical side of things, I don’t know the official way they have treated it in terms of the operation but I am told it has gone really well. When they got in there it was as they expected, so hopefully it will be a straight forward recovery.
All being well, he should be fit for next season. I am speaking to him ongoing. I have spoken to all the players that needed a chat about things so he is well in the loop of where he sits at this football club.
That’s enough from me, too. John Brewin will be steering the ship while I prepare and consume a nutritious lunch, but I’ll be back in a bit.
Right, that’s enough from Arteta. What’s Pep Guardiola saying? “I like it, it’s a typical British stadium,” he smirks, when asked how he feels about travelling to Goodison Park to face Everton on Sunday. He also confirms that Nathan Aké is “much better” after picking up a knock against Leeds last Saturday, but that he remains a doubt for the weekend.
As for whether Arsenal can push Manchester City for the title right until the end of the season, Arteta was characteristically bullish. “That’s what we’re here for,” he said. “It starts on Sunday, three games to go. This is the crucial one right now, we want to beat [Brighton] and elevate our hopes, our enthusiasm to keep going, because everything is still to play for.”
Having been linked with a move to Leverkusen this week, Granit Xhaka’s future is a topic of much speculation. Not for Arteta, however. “I’m not going to reply to certain stories … I’m extremely happy with Granit, he’s having an incredible season,” he said, when asked whether he wanted the midfielder to stay in north London. “This is probably the best season he’s had at the club. We are really happy to have him.”
Arteta was also asked how proud he is of his side’s progress this term. “I would say I’ll answer that question at the end of the season,” he said. “Now it’s about how proud I am of our preparation and how mentally, physically and tactically we are ready to go on Sunday, be at our best and win again [against Brighton].”
Mikel Arteta has done his time in front of the microphones, singing the praises of Martin Ødegaard along the way. “He’s making huge steps in the right direction to become a game-winner,” he said. “He has the profile and the role in the team to do that.
“Then you need really good teammates around you, which he has, as you know, and that helps as well obviously. He has this character everybody respects, everybody admires and everybody follows. He does it in his own way. There are many ways of leading the team and he has a unique one, because it’s his own one. We don’t want to take anything from that and we are really happy that he represents the club in the way that he does … the demands will keep increasing and his role, hopefully, as well.”
While we’re waiting for the next round of press conferences to begin in earnest, here’s an exclusive from Jacob Steinberg on goings-on behind the scenes at Chelsea.
Nunes wins goal of the month award
Meanwhile, Matheus Nunes, the Wolves midfielder, has won the Premier League’s goal of the month award for his oof-tastic strike against Chelsea at Molineux. It’s a goal Will Unwin described in his match report as “ferocious” and “a moment of incredible individual brilliance that will allow the netting manufacturer to boast of their product staying firm against such brutality”, which says it all really.
Emery wins manager of the month award
Despite two defeats on the spin, the season is still coming up roses for Unai Emery. He’s won the Premier League’s manager of the month award for April, having led Aston Villa to victories against Chelsea, Leicester, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Fulham, a draw against Brentford and a narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester United (since followed by another 1-0 loss to Wolves).
Well, hello there! What are nice readers like you doing in a blog like this? Now we’ve got my opening line out of the way, let’s start with a tasty transfer morsel from Ed Aarons. Watched any Bayer Leverkusen this season? Well, you should have, because Amine Adli, their wonderkid out wide, has been playing so well he’s wanted by Newcastle, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Milan.
More pressers to follow: With quite a few Premier League managers slated to speak to the ladies and gentlemen of the Fourth Estate in the next hour or two, I’m going to abandon my post and leave you in the very capable hands of Will Magee. Have a great weekend and good luck to whatever team you support, if they’re playing. As long they aren’t Luton Town, obviously. In Mowbray we trust!
Women’s FA Cup final: Announced today as the Football Writers’ Association female player of the year, Sam Kerr has been speaking ahead of the Women’s FA Cup final between her side Chelsea and Manchester United at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
“I play this game to score goals and I love the pressure, I love the big games, I love being able to have a moment in the palm of your hands and be able to do something great,” she said. “So I get excited about these games. People are still talking about that Man United last game of the season, and for me that was so exciting. I think it’s exciting when there’s another moment like that on the horizon.
“You can’t think about losing ever – that’s number one sin of a footballer. If you think about that, that’s going to happen. I only think about the good things. Once you start thinking negative thoughts, that’s the only way you’re going to go. I visualise scoring a goal, the celebration, seeing my family after the game, all the things that make me play football.”
Lionel Messi: Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier has announced that Leo Messi will start for the French title-chasers in their home game against Ajaccio tomorrow. The Argentinian World Cup-winner missed PSG’s last two games after being hit with a two-match suspension for going on an unauthorised family jolly to Saudi Arabia in his role as an extremely well paid ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Authority. “I spoke with him on Tuesday to see what his mindset was and I found him very determined to play,” said Galtier. “He will start tomorrow.”
Messi’s contract with PSG expires at the end of the season and his future is currently shrouded in uncertainty. In recent weeks he has been linked with a return to Barcelona and moves to MLS side Inter Miami and Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. PSG currently sit six points clear of Lens at the Ligue 1 summit with four games of the campaign remaining.
Birmingham get suspended points penalty
Birmingham City: The Championship club has been hit with a suspended two-point penalty after they admitted breaching rules around the English Football League’s owners’ and directors’ test.
Three individuals – Matthew Southall, Paul Richardson and Maxi Lopez – were sanctioned last month after they accepted they had acquired control of Birmingham City without getting the necessary sign-off from the league.
The club have now entered an ‘agreed decision’ to accept a two-point deduction suspended until the end of next season after admitting a breach of the EFL regulations in allowing those individuals to acquire control of the club without league permission.
The league said Birmingham’s owner, Vong Pech, has also been given a warning and a reprimand. He will also bear the costs of the league’s investigation into the matter, the EFL said.
It was announced last December that Richardson and Lopez’s Maxco Capital consortium had pulled out of a deal to buy Birmingham, having been granted exclusivity to complete a takeover last summer.
The EFL issued charges in relation to the case in February of this year.
On Monday the club announced Shelby Companies Ltd, led by American financier Tom Wagner, had agreed a deal to buy 45.64 per cent of the shares in Birmingham City plc and Blues’ St Andrews Stadium [PA Sport]
Ten years to the day! Ben Fisher can’t have been much more than knee-high to a grasshopper when a Championship playoff semi-final between Watford and Leicester City was turned on its head in 18 crazy seconds a decade ago today but that didn’t stop him writing a retrospective on the game back in 2020, which we’re reproducing here. Read on …
Aston Villa: Unai Emery says Aston Villa are determined to grasp the possible “last opportunity” of European football next season despite slipping to eighth in the table after back-to-back defeats away from home against Manchester United and Wolves. Villa host Tottenham tomorrow afternoon and will overtake them to go sixth in the table if they can beat them by three goals.
“We’re three points behind Tottenham, everybody wants to enjoy this moment and play this match with the supporters,” said Emery. “The last two matches against Manchester and Wolves we lost, but it’s not changed our good moments we are taking at home with our supporters.
“We deserve this opportunity because the last five matches we won at home and those 15 points have helped us be here. We have to be positive, to be happy and very focused because it could be the last opportunity.
“Or maybe it could be a very good opportunity to keep playing key matches, where me as a coach and the players can improve and build and take challenges in the new direction. We are playing for one place in Europe and playing against teams like Tottenham, Liverpool and Brighton. They are different teams but they’re amongst the biggest teams in the Premier League this year.”
League Two playoffs: Five seasons after near neighbours Salford and Stockport County met in National League North they face one another in a League Two playoff semi-final. Will Unwin reports …
Sunderland: Under the guidance of Tony Mowbray, their 59-year-old manager who has joked he is so short of fit defenders he may have to come out of retirement and play against Luton Town in the Championship playoff semi-finals, a team of electric youngsters led by Amad Diallo has exceeded expectations. Louise Taylor reports from Wearside …
Women’s FA Cup final: “I know what I want to do for Sunday,” said Skinner’s opposite number Emma Hayes in her pre-match presser. “I know exactly how we want to play, I’m happy with the whole team, the team are playing well.
“I told the team that [being clinical] is something that’s been lacking from our play in the first part of the season. We just haven’t converted or created in the same way I know this team to do, but we are doing it now and we are doing it at the right time of the season. Hopefully that continues for the remainder. I like this stage of the season and I think we’re in a great rhythm. We certainly go into the cup final on Sunday full of confidence.”
Women’s FA Cup final: The “House Full” signs will be illuminated when Manchester United take on Chelsea in a sold-out Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. Marc Skinner’s side are hoping to win their first trophy since the club was formed five years ago. Manchester United currently sit top of the WSL table but are being stalked by Emma Hayes’s Chelsea, who sit one point behind them in second place with a game in hand and the destiny of the title in their own hands.
“I’m not thinking about that at all,” said Skinner of the title race. “I am solely focused on a one-off game. For the first time I’ve allowed our players to separate the games and we are looking at this before two difficult games in the league [against Manchester City and Liverpool]. This has no effect in our league and we are going to treat it as such, play it as the one-off event that it is.”
Asked about the pressure of playing in a showpiece final with 90,000 people in attendance and a potential TV audience of millions, Skinner seemed unphased. “It’s not pressure I don’t have every day,” he said. “I even think there’s more pressure on us than Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester City because we are Manchester United. I feel that because every Manchester United fan will want us to win and we are huge around the world. I’m sure there will be some nerves, but I’m fuelling my focus and attention to maximise this because, if we win, it will be massive.”
Newcastle United: Third in the Premier League, two points ahead of a Manchester United side that has lost two games in succession, Newcastle travel to Elland Road for tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off against a relegation-threatened Leeds United side that are desperate for points and almost certainly need to take something from the game. Eddie Howe has been talking about his side’s tilt for Champions League qualification and the challenge of facing Sam Allardyce’s side tomorrow.
“We know it’s going to be a great occasion and a great atmosphere,” he said. “Elland Road’s a brilliant place to play but we need to be ready for what’s going to come. It’s going to be a really important start to the game, those first 15-20 minutes will have a huge impact on what’s going to happen.
“We saw enough [in the defeat at Manchester City] to say that’s going to be what Sam’s going to give the team – clear organisation, clear structure and a definite philosophy in and out of possession. Watching it back, you can see the impact he’s had in a short period of time.
“We’re excited, that has to be our emotion. We’re looking forward to the challenges ahead, I don’t feel the players are daunted by it. I’ve seen them train this week, again it’s been very good and the players seem mentally in a good head space. We’re approaching it with a view of what we can achieve, rather than worrying about any consequences.”
Championship playoff semi-final: Sunderland host Luton Town late tomorrow afternoon in the first leg of their play-off semi-final. Promotion for either side would be an incredible achievement, given Luton’s low budget and the injury crisis a preposterously young Sunderland squad has been forced to endure in their first season back in the second tier after a four-year stay in League One. Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray and his Luton counterpart Rob Edwards have both been talking ahead of the game.
Tony Mowbray: “Luton had a play-off run last year as well, it’s sometimes easy to have a narrative of ‘little Luton’ but they were in the play-offs last year as well so they’ll have the experience of the playoffs.
“They’ll be disappointed they didn’t get through the playoffs last year but they’ll be trying to put that right this year. These games are all big games and the mentality of our group has been – because of the injuries, because of the adversity – to express ourselves, play as we play, do what we’re good at and see where it takes us.
“I think because of the nature of the way the injuries have piled up, they’ve all been long-term injuries and all been one on top of one another in pretty crucial areas of the pitch. It’s been a frustrating spell for us, we’ve talked about losing Ross [Stewart] early in the season and losing goals, but goals haven’t really been a problem for us with the players that we’ve got.
“We’re sitting here now about to play against a pretty physical, strong, direct team who are very connected and work extremely hard for each other without really any central defenders. I hope it’s gelling us together, the adversity of it to bring in a team tighter together.”
Sunderland have been without Ross Stewart since February, with the striker having been absent for an early part of the season, while Elliot Embleton and captain Corry Evans also remain out. Injuries have also affected the squad defensively with defenders Danny Batth and Dan Ballard sidelined, while there are concerns about whether Dennis Cirkin and Lynden Gooch will be involved tomorrow.
Rob Edwards: “I’m really looking forward to seeing how the lads handle it,” he said of the playoffs. “A number of them had the disappointment of last season and they don’t want that again. We can learn from that experience, we can talk about it.
“The one thing that I’m looking for is the performance, doing our basics and those things really well because that’s what has served us well throughout the season so far. If we do those things right you give yourself a good chance of getting a result but I can’t say ‘Yeah, we’re going to go one step further’.”
Newcastle United: Sean Longstaff has missed Newcastle’s last two games with a foot injury and has been to see a specialist amid concerns he might not play in the final four games of the season as Newcastle try to qualify for the Champions League.
“There were a few concerns that there was maybe some sort of structural damage in his foot; there wasn’t, which was good news, but there is a bit of damage to one of the ligaments,” said Eddie Howe. “He’s being re-scanned today actually, which we hope will show an improvement. It’s slightly unclear when he’ll be back but it’s not a long-term issue at all. It’s whether we can get him back before the end of the season.”
Nottingham Forest: Steve Cooper insists there is no problem between himself and Jonjo Shelvey despite the midfielder’s recent omission from Nottingham Forest’s matchday squads.
Shelvey is reported to have spat the dummy after being left of Forest’s squad to face Liverpool at Anfield in April and was forced to sit out Forest’s next game against Brighton as punishment for his impertinence. He has since been a conspicuous absentee from Forest squads in games against Brentford and Southampton, with Orel Mangala impressing in the deep-lying midfielder role.
“Jonjo is training,” said Cooper. “We have got players and squads to pick, which is what we want, but always outside of that there are players who fall on the wrong side. That is the life of a manager trying to make the right choices, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. There’s no problem, we’re all good.”
Haaland and Kerr win Football Writers’ awards
FWA Awards: Erling Haaland and Sam Kerr have been voted Men’s Footballer of the Year and Women’s Footballer of the year by the Football Writers’ Association. Manchester City striker Haaland won by a landslide on the back of a maiden season in which he has scored 51 goals (and counting) in all competitions.
His Chelsea counterpart Kerr has won the women’s award for the second season in a row, becoming it’s first back-to-back winner. The Australia international polled twice as many votes as Rachel Daly of Aston Villa and England, who edged out Chelsea’s Lauren James for second place.
Marcus Stewart on living with MND
Interview: The former Bristol Rovers, Huddersfield, Ipswich and Sunderland striker was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in January last year. Ahead of tomorrow’s charity match at Rovers’ Memorial Stadium to raise funds for the Darby Rimmer Foundation, the modest, self-deprecating 50-year-old sat down with Ben Fisher to discuss how he’s dealing with his illness and the difficulty of keeping his emotions in check ahead of an occasion he wants to be all about the charity rather than him.
Klopp on Liverpool’s summer transfer plans: “When I talk to a player – if I’m allowed to talk to a player – we cannot say in the moment if we have Champions League football,” he says. “So, if we re already talking, then it is already clear that he already knows about that situation but it’s just a general thing.
“I think if you join a club, you reach something together with the club. It’s obvious we have to be part of the Champions League, fight for trophies and these kind of things. If you want to be part of that, you’re more than welcome. We cannot guarantee this year Champions League football.
“But all the rest is the same as before: a fantastic club with a really good football team – and a better one hopefully next year. It’s really that simple. Still Liverpool. We’re really attractive to a lot of players.”
Premier League: Leicester host Liverpool in the last of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures, which is slated for Monday night, a state of affairs that means both teams will have a very clear idea of what exactly they need from the game. Liverpool currently sit fifth, a point behind Manchester Uniited having played one game more, while Leciester are battling against relegation and are two points from safety.
Klopp reveals that midfielder Naby Keita and striker Bobby Firmino will miss the game through injury and says Liverpool will need to be ready for “a real fight” against a Leicester side that needs “all the points they can get”. With his side on a run of six consecutive wins in the Premier League, Klopp is asked about Liverpool’s turnaround in form since a run of five games without a win that ended with their 2-2 draw against Arsenal at Anfield.
“We tried to give ourselves a chance for fresh start with a lot of different things,” he says. “It was a breath of fresh air for all of us. The basic principles stay. We want to control the game differently. It’s really good fun. There is a lot to play for and that’s exactly what we do. Sometimes you have to change big things. It was clear we had to change things. That’s the one good thing of this season.”
Europa Conference League: David Moyes believes that West Ham will have enough resilience to reach the final of the Europa Conference League when they resume their battle with AZ Alkmaar next week.
West Ham will travel to the Netherlands with a 2-1 lead after fighting back from a goal down to win the first leg of their Conference League semi-final at the London Stadium last night. Jacob Steinberg reports from the London Stadium …
The weekend starts here …
The Premier League inches ever closer to its denouement. The women’s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester United takes place at Wembley. The Championship, League One and League Two playoff semi-finals get under way. The whiteknuckle ride that is the National League playoff decider between Notts County and Chesterfield. Celtic’s coronation as Scottish champions following a home game against their bitter rivals Rangers.
There’ll be no shortage of highlights from an absolutely mouthwatering weekend of football action but today we’re focusing on the build-up. We’ll bring you updates from the press conferences of a procession of often ashen-faced managers, any other news that’s fit to print and much more that isn’t. Stay tuned and don’t touch that dial …
