Key events
Ten Hag will ‘miss the support’ of Murtough
The Manchester United head coach, Erik ten Hag, says he will miss the support of departed football director John Murtough and has emphasised the importance of replacing him.
United on Tuesday announced Murtough was stepping down, having spent almost 11 years at the club in a variety of roles. The Red Devils, with Ineos now in control of football operations after Sir Jim Ratcliffe became minority owner in February, are looking to bring in Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth and Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox.
Asked about Murtough leaving before Saturdayâs trip to Bournemouth, Ten Hag said: âYou mention the new season – itâs very important, the new ownership is working on this and we have to replace this function to go into the new season.
âFor the moment, of course I miss his support, but he moved on, there has been choices made. We work very good together, so I say thank you to John and I wish him all the best for the future. Also I work with the new ownership very good and closely together and that will not change. It doesnât have an impact on the way I can work here.
âConditions were perfect and are still perfect, so Iâm happy with that, but we want to set the right conditions to be successful.â (PA Media)
OâNeil of Wolves has just embarked on a long speech about refereeing standards, VAR and the like. Iâll see if I can type up the âbestâ bits.
If anyone else has anything to say football-wise, feel free to send your thoughts on email.
The Wolves manager, Gary OâNeil, is having a chat now.
With regards to his FA charge for criticising the officials after last weekâs loss to West Ham, he says itâs best if he doesnât comment until the process is complete. Very sensible too.
âNever mind all your Premier League-centric stuff, there is stuff going on elsewhere this weekend, and nowhere more so than the worldâs bitchingest League, THE CHAMPIONSHIP !!!!!!â emails Jeremy Boyce.
Itâs nice to see the smoke coming off my keyboard is not in vain. Happy to be of service as always.
âItâs tighter than a duckâs whatnot in the top three,â continues Jeremy. âAll of whom have shown signs of pressure the last week or so, whereas Saints seem to have come through their sticky patch and are back on track. There are games in hand, there are points in the bag. Leeds fan spoiler alert : Sir Don was always a âpoints in the bagâ man, putting the pressure on the others to keep up. He had a point, end of season fatigue + lots of pressure isnât always the best recipe for success. So with Leicester in action tonight, and all the other top 4 tomorrow, there will be shredded nerves, bitten fingernails and scuffed chances a-go-go. Hooray for the Not-The-Premier-League!â
Jacob Steinberg
Manchester City are likely to capitalise on Lucas Paquetáâs desire to leave West Ham this summer, as long as the Football Associationâs investigation into alleged betting breaches by the midfielder has been dropped before the transfer window shuts.
Semi-automated offsides. Is the Spurs boss Ange Postecogou for it? âYeah. I donât know a lot about it. But if they make decisions quicker and clearer – yeah, all for it.â
Tottenham face Newcastle tomorrow at St Jamesâ Park at 12.30pm. A question quickly arrives about points deductions, money, and profitability and sustainability rules.
âWeâre going down this rabbit hole again are we? We did this last week â¦
âI said last week thereâs got to be some regulation around a safety net for clubs, to make sure they donât overspend for their own good. Thereâs got to be a competitive balance within that ⦠but not at the expense of the quality we are trying to produce in the best league in the world ⦠from my perspective Iâll leave that to the guys who know better.â
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg impressed off the bench in the win over Forest last Sunday and was congratulated by the manager on the pitch at full-time: âYeah he was good. I try to get to all the players [after the game]. Some of them hang around longer than others and I sometimes I have to chase them down the tunnel â¦
âPierre and Rodri [Bentancur] coming on really helped us last week ⦠it needed something a little bit different than what we had. âBissâ and Pape [Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr] did well enough in the first half and worked really hard.
âI felt where the game was at, and the way Forest were setting up ⦠having Pierre and Rodri in there with his passing range.
âIt worked well. Pierreâs been good. Heâs not started as many games probably as heâd like. We are in a good place at the moment, where we have a squad where I can make these changes in games, or between games.â
Has Postecoglou watched the game back from last season, when Spurs went 5-0 down early doors and lost 6-1?
âNo, I havenât watched the game back. Thereâs no reason to, for me. Yeah. Itâll be a tough game. I donât think the 12.30 kick-off will [make any difference] ⦠weâre leaving today and have had good preparation for it. Itâs a tough game.
âTheyâre obviously going through a tough time themselves in terms of injuries. Probably theyâve been hurt for a more prolonged period. Particularly at home theyâre still a very good side.
âThe crowd gives them a lot of energy ⦠weâre going to have to match that energy tomorrow and thatâs how we like to play our football as well. By bringing our own energy to it, hopefully we can overcome the challenge.â
Arteta looks fresh, relaxed, confident and completely in control.
In his press conference, Guardiola looked like he was losing the will to live, but I suppose there is nothing new there when it comes to his Friday brushes with the fourth estate.
How defining will the next couple of weeks be for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta?
âPercentage wise?â Arteta asks. âVery! For sure. We can be in no competitions [after two weeks] ⦠We can be in the semi-finals of the Champions League or top of the Premier League, or not. Every game is going to define what our future looks like.”
âItâs the only thing possible to look at one game, and one day ⦠thatâs the only thing you can control.â
Arteta relishing ‘most beautiful part of the season’
How does the Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, reflect on the 2-2 Bayern Munich draw?
âReflection gone, Bayern gone. Now itâs only about Aston Villa.â
Has Bukayo Saka calmed down after remonstrating with the referee at the end of that Champions League match?
âYes, yes, heâs fine this morning. Heâs had 48 hours to think about it.
âUnai Emery has made a huge impact [at Sundayâs opponents Aston Villa] ⦠itâs unbelievable what they are doing. Really impressed.â
The now customary title race question arrives: Is it a disadvantage to play after City and Liverpool this weekend?
âWe have a duty to win our game. Thatâs all we can control ⦠focus on what we can do, what we can control.
âThe momentum is really good. Itâs the most beautiful part of the season coming up right now ⦠weâre going to have to be really good to beat Aston Villa.â
The Premier League lead has changed 18 times this season – how exciting is that to be involved in?
âHopefully it stays as it is ⦠18 is a beautiful number. Letâs keep it 18.â
Mikel Arteta is speaking now.
Eidevall: Hayes comments were “very irresponsible”
Was Jonas Eidevall, the Arsenal Women manager, surprised that the FA have chosen not to take action after Chelseaâs Emma Hayes accused him of âmale aggressionâ?
âNot really ⦠I thought the comments were very irresponsible.
âThey were not mirroring the conduct that I had in the technical area. That I thought was irresponsible. Thatâs basically all I thought about it.
âI think always, when you make comments about other people, you have to take into consideration what effect that could have.
âEspecially when youâre a leader. You need to be very good with your words. You need to understand the consequences of your action and your language.
âThatâs why I think itâs really really important that we treat each other with respect and stay at facts as much as possible, and donât get too emotional.
Did he find Hayesâs comments hurtful? âItâs never nice when people say something about you that you donât find itâs true. Maybe Iâm lucky that everything I do is recorded ⦠everything is on video. Everything is recorded. I need to be accountable for my actions ⦠Iâm very happy with the way I conducted myself, and I wouldnât do anything differently.â
The Chelsea gaffer Mauricio Pochettino is asked about injuries, and the news that Ben Chilwell is nearing fitness before Mondayâs visit of Everton. âItâs not only him we were missing,â Pochettino points out. âBut yes, âChillyâ is in partial training today, and weâll see if he can be on the bench for Monday. Itâs good news.â
But there is worse news on Enzo Fernández and and Axel Disasi?
âWeâll see. They are under assessment. They have different type of issues ⦠we donât believe big issues. Weâll see if they can be available. At the moment they are not training with the group. We donât know if they can be involved on Monday.â
Has Pochettino experienced a worse season for injuries?
âItâs true itâs a âspecialâ season. We were suffering a lot ⦠I need to stop talking [about injuries]. People are waiting for me to talk ⦠itâs so boring ⦠they know we are going to talk about that.
âWe need to accept the reality and be positive ⦠with the young kids we have who came through the academy, we are going to try to win the game Monday ⦠If something happens [with injuries] we have to accept we will train with young guys ⦠they can step up and show their quality ⦠they can be good players and provide for Chelsea.
âWhen that situation happens another door will be open. Itâs good for the kids to have the opportunity to train with us.â
Pochettino is asked about last weekendâs 2-2 draw against Sheffield United, and he says he got the message wrong after the game when speaking to the media.
âI think I need to be more cautious about my words after the game also. I need to adapt a different message ⦠to try to improve this week. We need to be more positive. We need to accept itâs the reality ⦠sometimes I give my feelings.
âWe have a really good squad. That is the reality. We need to work hard to support them and to perform better in the next game. I am really happy in the way they were training. I hope we can have a very good game Monday.â
Ten Hag: Manchester United must cut out ‘individual mistakes’
Erik Ten Hag is asked how difficult it has been not to be able to field a settled back four throughout this season due to injuries.
âItâs very difficult,â he says. âEveryone who has a little bit of knowledge about football – a little, eh? – they know it will affect your performance and your results. So the back four is always a foundation for getting the results, and we didnât have that. Still we have to win, and we know that. All of us have to take responsibility. But yes – it has a negative impact.â
Manchester United travel to Bournemouth tomorrow. Following the defeat against Bournemouth in December – a 3-0 humbling at Old Trafford – Ten Hag said his squad were incapable of the necessary consistency. Does he feel that has changed? â[Defeat by Bournemouth] was after a very good performance against Chelsea in the week,â Ten Hag says. âAnd we were mentally not ready for that game.
âThey battled us and we lost the battles. Tomorrow will not be different. That is the way they play. They want to fight with you. Itâs about make sure you go in that fight, you have the confidence and the belief you need to support each other to win the battles. To outplay them, to outrun them, and defending to match the runs.
How frustrating has it been to lose points from winning positions? âOf course itâs frustrating ⦠for me and for the team as well. The most important part is to put yourself in a winning position. That was not luck. We did it out of a plan. But then of course you have to bring the win over the line ⦠in such moments we should act better ⦠itâs not about organisation. It has to do with individual, tactical mistakes. Sometimes technical. It was not out of open play. But we have to manage those situations better.â
Guardiola defends Haaland after Real Madrid draw
Guardiola is asked if Erling Haaland needs to improve his all-round game â it is mentioned by a reporter that the Norway international failed to score in the 3-3 draw against Madrid: âHeâs a young player. He has some departments in the game he has to improve. Like a player who is 33 years old can have margins to improve.
âBut itâs more about the team than him ⦠We scored three goals [in Madrid]. He had two central defenders close to him. Itâs not easy. Itâs the most difficult position on the pitch ⦠most difficult position is the striker ⦠every [other] player has one player ⦠Itâs two against one for a striker. They were so tight, really good defenders. Madrid, and most of the teams ⦠itâs the most difficult position.â
Guardiola: Busy City schedule puts them in “big, big trouble”
The Manchester City head coach, Pep Guardiola, looks ahead to tomorrowâs 3pm kick-off against Luton:
âThe Premier League is so important ⦠We have to be ready. Itâs 11 months fighting for the title. We know the position we are. We cannot drop points.
Does it help for City to play before their title rivals this weekend?
âDoesnât matter. We have to do the same job ⦠you have to win your game.â
Pep is asked about the condition of the influential midfielder, Rodri, who mentioned earlier this week that he feels like he needs a rest.
âI didnât speak with him,â says Guardiola. âIf he needs rest, he will have rest ⦠or no. I donât know.
âI had the feeling in the game heâs [said he was] tired. Like Crystal Palace Palace and Madrid – the second half was better than the first half. He ran more and was more precise in the second half than the first.
âMore the physicality is a question of course, spending mental energy every three days, three days, three days- of course heâs tired, heâs played a lot of minutes for us. Heâs so important for us, and tomorrow weâll decide what we do.â
Will Pep say âNoâ to Rodri if he asks for a rest?
âYour player doesnât want to play, heâs not going to play. Itâs simple. Another one is going to play.
âIf heâs tired, he feels exhausted â it can happen. Another playerâs going to play.â
âI would love to rest central defenders ⦠but we donât have ⦠For friendly [international] games, they were injured. We are in big, big trouble. We cannot rest.â
Thank you John. Hello everyone. Pep Guardiola is speaking now ⦠quotes to follow shortly.
Right, thatâs my morning on the blog completed. The estimable Luke McLaughlin takes the reins from here.
Barney Ronay reminds that the summerâs Euro finals are being played amid the fug of a continental land war.
It is worth noting that Slovakia are not alone in offering a Russia-facing presence at these Euros. Hungary maintains fond relations. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄan is planning his next meeting with Putin (strongman to strongman: itâs complicated). Intriguingly, it could have been Belarus instead of Romania in Group E had qualifying gone differently, obliging Ukraine to play against a nation that willingly assisted the invasion of its borders. Unite in the heart of Europe! Or something.
Vincent Kompany says his Burnley team donât actually need a miracle to stay up. They play Brighton tomorrow. âFine marginsâ: the phrase of the season?
âI wouldnât call it a miracle, but it needs wins, it needs points. Weâre not necessarily able to look forward to any game and pick and choose, say âthis game is the oneâ. Every game is tough for us.
âBut every game offers the opportunity. We donât also look at any game as a game where we canât win. What we need is that difference (from) what weâve had this season – if you have a good performance you have to have three points.
âItâs been fine margins so many times. Itâs been this type of season where at the beginning I think we found it, talking very early doors, difficult to adapt quickly, but for a while now weâve been in every game. Itâs just the frustration, what itâs been this season, is after a game to feel like we could have done more.
âWhat I want to add is that – and that was my frustration probably with my over-reaction at times with the officials as well – there have been times where itâs been our own fault, our own mistakes, and sometimes itâs not been our fault, and thatâs unfortunate.â
Congratulations, Rodrigo Muniz, Premier League player of the month.
Thereâs a lot of blame being slung around for this. And it has felt like Rangers have been doing quite well in European football in recent years.
West Ham were another Europa League casualty though that was little surprise at the hands of Europeâs most in-form team.
David Moyes had this to say afterwards:
âWeâre still in the tie and we have half a chance in the second leg. Weâd like to have played more attacking. The players did a brilliant job with the structure. We got done by two corner-kicks. The second one was really poor from our point of view.
âLetâs try to get one and then see if we can get two. Weâll pick ourselves up for next week and hopefully get the crowd behind us.
âThis team weâre playing will be Champions League next year. We have to recognise what weâre playing against. Weâll have to do exceptionally well to get that result.â
This move essentially paywalls the EFL beyond the reach of those who do not wish to pay for Sky. Will there be a highlights show? This has the feel of the cricket deal done in 2005 that closed off access to the game.
Also, what time are the kick-offs? The EFL is currently the home of the Saturday 3pm, but perhaps not now. Perhaps this is progress, but it looks like the money was taken ahead of a greater good.
Good news here on Frida Maanum, who collapsed when playing for Arsenal last week in the Continental Cup final.
Eddie Howe is first up of the PL managers. Heâs celebrating Joelinton signing a new contract:
âI go back to my first training session [at Newcastle] – I genuinely thought âwhat a player he isâ. I saw a player immensely talented and I was aware it hadnât gone well [before Howe arrived].
âIn terms of Joelintonâs position, I am not going to change history and say I saw his transition from a forward to midfielder initially, but he has taken that opportunity superbly well.
âI know at previous clubs he has played a deeper role. That transition comes about playing in England with the speed and strength [of the game].
âYou have to adapt when you come from abroad – he is robust and everything you want him to be. He is like a brick wall. In part, that has made him the player he is.â
Not a great week for Everton, though a win last weekend and a two-point deduction meant it was not all bad. It could have been worse in the eyes of many, and a further penalty may yet come.
Still, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored a goal.
A nasty thing to happen to the Kane family but thankfully the news is good.
Everton news, and itâs rarely good news, is it? This time, itâs news on the source of their financing loans, and a name familiar to horse racing fans, Michael Tabor, has come up.
Everton, a founder member of the Football League and the Premier League, is now believed to owe more than £500m to third-party lenders. Most of the interest charges reported in its annual report appear to relate to about £225m of debt built up with the clubâs largest lender Rights & Media Funding (RMF). About £23m in interest was paid by the club in its last financial year and more than £7m in the two previous years.
And some reaction to last night.
Letâs kick it off in the usual way, with 10 things to look out for this weekend.
Preamble
Morning, all. Oh Liverpool. âAnd at sea with flowing hair Iâd think of Dublin Of Grafton Street and Derby Square,â as Phil Lynott once had it, though all that forgot Atalanta, a rather good team in recent years. Have Liverpool lost it? Who has found it? Perhaps more will be revealed this weekend, and elsewhere too in the Premier League as much is at stake.
Newcastle v Spurs: Eddie Howe seeks to salvage the season while this weekâs Euro flops mean Spurs really really need to land fourth.
Brentford v Sheffield United: Thomas Frankâs team really need to start winning soon or else Blades might get out of this mess.
Burnley v Brighton: Big Vinâs team are in trouble, Brighton are on a salvage job, too.
Manchester City v Luton: David Pleatâs moccasins will be mentioned. Will Rod Edwards wear a tan suit? The title and relegation both at stake.
Nottingham Forest v Wolves: Forest continue to be desperate for a win. What a job Gary OâNeil is doing by the way. Just donât mention the VAR.
Bournemouth v Manchester United: How many shots will the Cherries get on Andre Onanaâs goal?
Liverpool v Crystal Palace: The flags will be back at Anfield but will the defending and shooting boots? Palace, still on only 30 points, are not out of danger.
West Ham v Fulham: Perhaps the weekendâs least stakes game, though how will David Moyes be greeted by Hammers fans?
Arsenal v Aston Villa: The Premier League leaders against a team whose need for fourth has increased for coefficient reasons.
Chelsea v Everton: Two more points down for Sean Dycheâs team. What can Cole Palmer do to them?