Month: January 2023

Struggling Scunthorpe ended a run of 13 months without an away win as Cameron Wilson hit the winner at Halifax.

The Iron are under new ownership and wasted no time in ushering in a fresh era with a 1-0 victory which lifts them off the foot of the Vanarama National League.

Wilson hit the decider, latching onto a poor defensive header before eventually firing the visitors ahead just before the 15-minute mark.

Halifax had no answer as they missed their chance to move into the top half of the table by sealing three points.

Erik ten Hag stressed Manchester United must not let their grip slip on games after their EFL Cup semi-final first-leg win over Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Marcus Rashford, Wout Weghorst and Bruno Fernandes delivered the Dutchman a convincing 3-0 win at the City Ground.

But Sam Surridge saw a would-be equaliser chalked off in the first half, in what proved to be a lucky escape for the visitors.

Ten Hag was delighted to see his side bounce back to winning ways after a Premier League loss to Arsenal but cautioned his side to watch their control in games.

“There was one moment that could have changed the game,” he told Sky Sports. “That is where we need to improve.

“They changed the system, and we didn’t anticipate that. It cannot happen. This is still where we have to learn and improve if [we] want to be top. These moments can’t happen.

“We almost let them come [into] the game. We can’t allow an opponent to get back when we started so good. We need to avoid that.

“I think in the second half, we were much more composed, and we tracked them. It was much better.”

Striker Weghorst, who netted his first goal following his switch from Burnley, echoed his manager’s sentiments.

“We didn’t have the control like we wanted and [it] made it too up and down after,” he added. “We were lucky their goal was disallowed.

“We were not happy with the way we had played in the first half [but] the [goal] at the end it made it even better. It’s a great result for us tonight, [so] let’s finish it next week.”

United will host Forest at Old Trafford next Wednesday for the second leg.

Xavi credited Ousmane Dembele with changing his mentality in order to discover the form he has shown for Barcelona this season.

Barca reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey thanks to a second-half strike from Dembele to beat Real Sociedad 1-0 at Camp Nou, aided by the sending off of La Real midfielder Brais Mendez late in the first half.

Dembele attempted 11 dribbles during the game, equalling the highest total by a Barca player in a game this season, which came from the French winger himself against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.

Speaking to the media after the win, Xavi said that filling Dembele with confidence is the major difference from the player he inherited when he took charge of the club in November 2021.

“The only thing we have given Ousmane is confidence. I believe a lot in him,” the Barca head coach said. 

“I always think he can generate many things for us. I see the faces of the full-backs and they suffer. The only thing that had to change was his decision-making at the last moment.

“I’m very happy for him because he got the winning goal. I think he’s enjoying it and he’s managed to turn his situation around.

“We try to guide Dembele so he makes the best decision on the field. I see tremendous conditions for him and he continues to be one of the best in his position.

“At Barca you have to have the ability to change your mentality and believe it, and I think at this stage he is succeeding. I see him very happy.”

Dembele has been involved in 15 goals for the Blaugrana this season (eight goals, seven assists), already equalling his record of last campaign (two goals, 13 assists), while only Robert Lewandowski (27 – 22 goals and five assists) has been involved in more among Barca players.

The hosts dominated much of the quarter-final on Wednesday, though were grateful to Marc-Andre ter Stegen for making a vital save from Robert Navarro late on.

“The game at the end was complicated for us, where Ter Stegen saved us,” Xavi added. “This is football and we have to learn, but we cannot end up suffering like this.

“We have dominated Real Sociedad with 11 [players], a team who had just won nine games in a row. The feelings are very positive and we are where we wanted to be, but we want to improve our effectiveness and we want to close games earlier.”

La Real boss Imanol Alguacil said he was “annoyed” by Mendez’s red card, suggesting the incident in which his player caught Sergio Busquets’ ankle with his studs did not warrant overturning once the referee had initially decided on a yellow card.

“I don’t like to use the word pride, because that means we lost,” he said. “But today the sending off marked us… I think we have to value the effort of the team since we have had very clear situations and we have competed even with one less player.

“In the last 10 minutes the draw was much closer than 2-0.”

Barcelona extended their winning run in Liga F to 50 games after a 7-0 thrashing of Levante Las Planas on Wednesday.

A hat-trick for Asisat Oshoala guided the hosts to a resounding rout at Estadio Johan Cruyff, with a brace for Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic as well.

Goals from 16-year-old Vicky Lopez and Mariona Caldentey completed the scoring, with the former recording her first for the club.

Their victorious streak in the league stretches all the way back to June 2021, having last lost to Atletico Madrid.

Barca’s only three defeats in any competition in that time all came in Europe.

They may not be able to challenge for a clean sweep this season though, having been expelled from the Copa de la Reina on Tuesday for fielding an ineligible player, though the club intends to appeal the decision.

Enzo Fernandez will remain a Benfica player beyond the end of the January transfer window, according to the Portuguese giants’ head coach Roger Schmidt.

The Argentina midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea throughout the month, but Benfica are reportedly insisting the Premier League side meet the player’s release clause, believed to be £106million (€120m).

Schmidt previously described Chelsea’s pursuit of the 22-year-old as “disrespectful”, and speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he reiterated his confidence that Fernandez will stay.

“Yes, of course,” he said about the player remaining in Lisbon. “When you see Enzo playing for Benfica you can tell he’s in shape and happy. He’s not thinking about anything else.

“I’m not expecting to lose any of our regular starters. I see the players concentrated and I hope this continues.”

Fernandez, fresh off winning the World Cup last month as well as picking up the tournament’s Young Player award, leads the Primeira Liga for passes attempted this season with 1,511, 260 more than the next most (Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio – 1,251).

Chelsea have had a busy window already, signing David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix (loan), Benoit Badiashile, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke.

Napoli have bolstered their goalkeeping ranks with the loan signing of Pierluigi Gollini from Atalanta.

The Serie A leaders, who are 12 points clear at the summit, have signed the 27-year-old until the end of the season, with an option to make the move permanent.

Gollini’s move came as Salvatore Sirigu left Napoli to join Fiorentina in something of a swap transfer.

Fiorentina loaned Gollini from Atalanta at the start of the season, but he made just nine appearances for the Viola, conceding eight goals.

Gollini spent last season on loan at Tottenham, for whom he played 10 times.

He will be tasked with challenging Alex Meret, who has been an ever-present for Napoli in the league this term, conceding 14 goals in 19 games.

Milan Skriniar’s expected departure from Inter is down to “a problem of management” at the club, former midfielder Wesley Sneijder has told Stats Perform.

Slovakia international Skriniar, who is a confirmed target for Paris Saint-Germain, is into the final five months of his contract after rejecting fresh terms in December.

The January transfer window is therefore Inter’s final chance to receive a fee for the centre-back, who is into his sixth season as an Inter player.

Inter have seen a number of players depart on free transfers in recent years, and ex-Nerazzurri midfielder Sneijder has questioned why that is still happening.

“This is a problem of management,” he said. “When management is not good it’s hard to control all the details. On the pitch it is easier, while off it, it is harder but just as important.

“You cannot let the players say they want to leave, let alone at this very moment. You have to take precautions in time to prevent all this.”

Inter are reported to have already lined up possible replacements for Skriniar, with Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic among those to have been linked with a switch to San Siro.

While Sneijder believes Inter have the resources to cope without Skriniar, the former Netherlands international called on the Italian giants to take more responsibility.

“Inter have a great squad and won’t suffer from this problem, but there will be others,” he said. 

“They need someone to take responsibility and say ‘enough is enough, now we only talk about playing football and that’s it’.

“I don’t know who is responsible for [the Skriniar situation], but someone has to tell the players they are there to play.”

Skriniar has played 242 times for Inter in all competitions since joining from Sampdoria in July 2017, helping the club to Serie A, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana success.

Providing an update on PSG’s interest in the 27-year-old this week, head coach Christophe Galtier said: “I cannot say if he will arrive in [January] or in the summer.

“He is a player we’ve been tracking for a long time. In fact, we thought that we had already got him last summer.”

Skriniar may have already played his final game for Inter after his sending off against Empoli on Monday, with that 1-0 loss leaving Inter 13 points behind runaway leaders Napoli.

UEFA has confirmed format changes to both the Nations League and qualifiers for the European Championships and World Cup.

The changes to the Nations League, which began in 2018, include an additional knock-out element, with League A group winners and runners-up taking part in two-legged quarter-finals.

Teams that finish third in League A and League B will face off against the runners-up of League B and League C in two-legged promotion/relegation play-offs.

Changes to qualifying for European Championships and World Cups will now see 12 groups of either four or five teams drawn, with group winners qualifying and runners-up either also qualifying or entering play-offs.

“The introduction of the UEFA Nations League was a success story, replacing friendly games with more competitive matches,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. 

“And now, by introducing the new knock-out phase, teams will be given even more opportunities to progress while keeping the same number of games within the international match calendar.

“The predictability of the European Qualifiers has also been addressed and tackled, with a fresh new format that will offer all the teams an equal chance to qualify for major tournaments.”

The amendments to qualifying will come into effect after Euro 2024.

It was also decided at an Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday that next season’s UEFA Super Cup will be moved from its original host city of Kazan in Russia to Athens, Greece.

UEFA confirmed that the game between the winners of the Champions League and the winners of the Europa League will be played at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in the Greek capital on August 16.

Not for the first time, Harry Kane’s Tottenham future is a hot topic.

The England captain drew level with Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all-time top scorer on 266 goals with his winner against Fulham on Monday.

Despite his continued brilliance, the 29-year-old is yet to lift a trophy with the North Londoners — leading to speculation over a potential exit this summer.

Premier League rivals Manchester United and European giants Bayern Munich have been linked with potential moves, though contrary reports indicate the striker is willing to extend his stay at Spurs.

Ahead of Tottenham’s FA Cup fourth-round clash at Preston on Saturday, we look at what is next for their talisman.

Uncertain future

Like their situation two years ago, Spurs are facing a potentially uncertain summer.

Manager Antonio Conte has so far failed to give assurances he will stay beyond this season, with a squad rebuild under a new boss tipped in some quarters.

Amid the questions hanging over North London, their star forward recently insisted any talks over his future are on hold until the end of the campaign.

After Monday’s strike, he said of reported contract discussions: “There’s not been much talking, to be totally honest. I’m sure there will be conversations over the coming months.

“But to be honest I’m just focused on this season and doing my best for the team. 

“[There’s] still a lot to play for, trying to get in the Champions League, and we’ve got the Champions League and FA Cup still to try and win so my focus is on that.

“I know that’s going to be probably rumours and a lot of talk about my future. But I’m just focused on what I can do.”

Trophy torment

Kane is currently enjoying one of his most productive Premier League seasons ever with an impressive 16 goals in 21 outings.

It is a matter of if, rather than when he becomes Tottenham’s out-and-out top scorer, while Alan Shearer’s Premier League record is firmly in the 29-year-old’s sights as he moved within 61 goals of the legendary former Newcastle ace.

But despite his reputation as one of English football’s finest marksmen already being secured, a trophy still eludes him.

Kane’s aim to compete for the top prizes was a key reason behind his failed move to Manchester City two years ago and that desire is still burning bright.

He added at Craven Cottage: “Of course, I want to win trophies with Tottenham Hotspur and that’s been my goal ever since I started playing first-team football with them. It hasn’t happened, I’ve been open about that.

“But I’ll continue to try and achieve that. We have a really good squad and a fantastic manager and there’s no reason why we still can’t be successful this season.

“So we’ve got to put everything we can into it and see where we are come May-June.”

There is certainly an argument to suggest winning even one trophy at his boyhood club is worth more to him than winning multiple elsewhere, 

But that resolve will be tested more and more each passing season Tottenham’s now 15-year drought goes on.

Suitors circle

Recent reports suggest United are ready to test Kane’s loyalty by making him their priority target up front in the summer.

A year ago, it was hard to argue that a switch to Old Trafford would be any sort of step up for the Three Lions skipper but while Spurs have stagnated in that time, the Red Devils have enjoyed real progress under Erik ten Hag.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes United should do everything they can to make Kane their next striker.

In his column for Sky Sports, Merson said: “He’s the best centre-forward in the world. If I’m Manchester United, I’m spending £100m on Kane tomorrow. 

“They just paid £80m for Antony and he won’t score as many goals in 10 years as Kane would score in a season for Man Utd.

“If Man Utd want to be anywhere near winning a title, they need a Kane. Seeing them against Arsenal, they’re a long way off still.”

Bundesliga champions Bayern are undoubtedly able to offer the trophies he is seeking but with Shearer’s record in his sights, it remains to be seen whether he would leave England. 

Crunch time

The next five months could well be pivotal in deciding whether Kane stays on in North London or decides to finally move on.

For all the negativity surrounding recent Spurs results, they remain in the FA Cup and Champions League and are only three points off the top four.

That said, recent results have been a concern with six defeats in their last 11 Premier League games and real questions remain over the quality of the squad.

Whether Kane stays could be down to whether Daniel Levy can build a team capable of matching his star man’s lofty aims.

At a time when Manchester United are battling for glory on the pitch, a fight to take ownership of the club is being waged off it.

The Glazer family finally look set to sell the Premier League giants and leading the race is lifelong fan Sir Jim Ratcliffe. 

Brought up in a council house in Greater Manchester before becoming a huge success in the business world, Ratcliffe is a self-made billionaire. 

Ahead of this evening’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest, we turn the spotlight on the man who could soon be calling the shots at Old Trafford. 

Ideal owner

If you were looking to invent a prototype of an ideal Manchester United owner in 2023, someone like Ratcliffe would likely be the end result. 

He ticks the boxes of coming from the area, being a lifelong fan and, perhaps most importantly, having a multi-billion pound fortune. 

After starting his career at Esso and then working for a private equity firm, Ratcliffe would go on to form INEOS, who became one of the biggest chemical companies in the world. 

His personal wealth is currently an estimated £12.7billion. 

The 70-year old bought the Ligue 1 club Nice in 2019 through INEOS, who also own the Swiss team FC Lausanne-Sport. 

Ratcliffe now looks set to launch a bid for Manchester United, but had things turned out differently, he could have already been the owner of a Premier League outfit. 

Chelsea bid

Back in 2019, Ratcliffe held discussions about buying Chelsea from Roman Abramovich but could not agree on a valuation. 

When the London club was put up for sale last year, he made a late offer of £4billion, only to see Todd Boehly’s bid prove successful. 

That might be for the best, as it seems that the businessman has always had his sights set on United. 

Speaking about the Glazers in October, Ratcliffe said: “They don’t want to sell it. It’s owned by the six children of the father and they don’t want to sell it. 

“If it had been for sale in the summer then, yes, we would have probably had a go following on from the Chelsea thing, but we can’t sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available.” 

It would seem that Ratcliffe’s Chelsea pursuit was in part influenced by the lack of availability of the club that he really wanted. 

With his first choice now very much available, that situation has shifted dramatically. 

Glazer sale

With talk of a possible sale of United building over the last year, Ratcliffe officially announced his interest earlier this month. 

Reports claim that the Glazers are looking for a full sale, with formal bids expected to be required by mid-February. 

Competition is likely to be fierce, if exclusive. 

There is said to be interest from the US and Middle East, but with a suggested valuation of £8bn, only the extremely rich need apply. 

This is especially true considering that any new owners will be expected to spend more money on the areas within the club that require improvement. 

These include the squad, training ground and most expensive of all, Old Trafford itself. 

Even for someone as rich as Ratcliffe, the numbers may not necessarily add up when it comes to buying his beloved club.

French experience

Given Ratcliffe’s background, Red Devils fans are likely to favour his bid over other interested parties. 

Adding to the appeal of an INEOS bid is the fact that they have experience of club ownership at Nice. 

It would be wrong to describe their spell in charge of the French club as any kind of success and indeed, it has often been chaotic. 

Currently tenth in Ligue 1, they are currently without a permanent manager after sacking Lucien Favre. 

Should Ratcliffe’s bid prove successful, supporters will hope that INEOS will have learned some valuable lessons from their time at Nice, though it is worth remembering that they are clubs with very different objectives. 

Such is the frustration of United fans at the Glazer’s ownership, almost any buyers will be looked on as an improvement. 

Should it be Ratcliffe, then this local boy made good is sure to get a particularly warm welcome.