Month: April 2023

Manchester United bidders have until Friday evening to submit their third and final offers as the potential sales process rumbles on.

The Old Trafford giants announced in November that the board was exploring strategic alternatives to enhance the club’s growth, with a full sale one option being considered.

The club’s owners, the Glazer family, are said to value United at £6billion and the Raine Group, which facilitated the sale of Chelsea, was brought in to oversee the process.

February 17 was the soft deadline for expressions of interest and March 22 the second deadline for those that progressed.

That was eventually extended by a few days and the PA news agency understands Raine has asked interested parties for their third and final bid on Friday. Bids for previous rounds had to land by 10pm UK time – 5pm time on the east coast of the United States.

Bloomberg reported on the eve of the deadline that bidders have been asked to clarify the source of their money, planned financial models and debts that would be secured against the club.

The third deadline comes as a promising first season on the pitch under Erik ten Hag edges towards its conclusion, with United facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final on June 3 as they look to add to their Carabao Cup triumph.

The team are also on course for Champions League qualification but uncertainty about the future provides an unwanted cloud over a club looking to get back to the top.

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank and the son of a former Qatari prime minister, was the first prospective owner to publicly confirm a bid.

INEOS owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe quickly followed, with both parties making trips to Manchester last month to visit the club and speak to the senior hierarchy.

In addition to Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe, Carlyle, Elliott Management, Ares Management and Sixth Street have reportedly made minority investment proposals.

It has also been reported this week that one option on the table could see Ratcliffe take a controlling stake of more than 50 per cent, with Avram and Joel Glazer retaining a combined 20 per cent. Ratcliffe’s representatives did not comment on the matter when contacted by the PA news agency.

In the wake of that story, the 1958 – a United supporters group that came to prominence last year – posted on Twitter: “If you get in bed with Glazer. You are a Glazer. The fans will have their say this Sunday. FULL SALE ONLY.”

United fans have let their fury known at the Glazers ever since their leveraged takeover in 2005 and the 1958 have led renewed protests against them for the past year.

Banners against the Glazers were seen at Wembley in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final penalty shoot-out win against Brighton and a protest is planned at Sunday’s Premier League home match against Aston Villa.

Leaving from central Manchester at 11.45am, the march will continue onto Old Trafford and involve an 18-minute boycott of the match.

“We boycott the game for 18 minutes,” the 1958 said. “One minute for each year the Glazers have driven our club into the ground.”

The protest is due to stop outside of the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, who earlier this month urged for the potential takeover process to be accelerated.

“With Erik ten Hag having made such great progress in his first season, and with the vital summer transfer window a matter of weeks away, the news of these delays and further prolonged uncertainty are of great concern,” a MUST statement read.

“Erik needs to know what resources he has to spend so he can make the signings the club needs, and the whole management resources of the club need to be focused on supporting him in that. That cannot be the case with the future ownership so unclear.

“We are also unable to move forward on major investment projects – not least the stadium redevelopment as we remain in limbo.

“We are in dire need of new investment, which undoubtedly requires new ownership. MUST, along with United fans all around the world, are calling for this process to be concluded without further delay.”

Chelsea stopped Barcelona winning a home match for the first time in four years but fell short of a place in the Champions League final.

Guro Reiten’s second-half goal at the Nou Camp secured a 1-1 draw for Emma Hayes’ side and they pushed for a winner on the night but it was the Catalans who claimed a 2-1 victory on aggregate.

Barcelona have won 60 straight domestic matches at home dating back to February 2019, while the last time they did not win a Champions League match on home soil was against Lyon back in 2018.

Going into the clash having lost the home leg meant Hayes’ side, who were beaten 4-0 by Barca in their maiden final two years ago, faced a majorly uphill battle.

They were again without first-choice centre-back pairing Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan as well as Fran Kirby, while England defender Lucy Bronze missed out for Barcelona following knee surgery, but Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas was on the bench after 10 months out injured.

The hosts thought they had scored in the eighth minute as Chelsea’s defence hesitated but Graham Hansen handled the cross before poking the ball home.

For the rest of the first half Barca had the majority of possession and chances without really threatening to add to their lead – Asisat Oshoala and Maria Caldentey firing over from good openings.

Chelsea were just looking like they might offer some threat up front in the early stages of the second half when the hosts took the lead, 64 minutes in.

The influential Aitana Bonmati carried the ball to the edge of the box and slipped it to Graham Hansen, who scored her second goal of the tie despite the best efforts of Jess Carter on the line.

If that appeared to have ended the tie, Chelsea clawed their way back into it just three minutes later.

A fine tackle from Erin Cuthbert ended a Barca attack and Melanie Leupolz fed Sam Kerr, whose shot was saved by Sandra Panos only for Reiten to smash the ball in from the edge of the box.

Kerr had a couple of half openings as the visitors sought an unlikely winner but the clear chance did not come and Ann-Katrin Berger produced a fine save from Geyse to earn a draw on the night.

Barcelona move through to a third-straight final, where they will take on Arsenal or Wolfsburg in Eindhoven.

Chelsea stopped Barcelona winning a home match for the first time in four years but fell short of a place in the Women’s Champions League final. 

Guro Reiten’s second-half goal at the Camp Nou secured a 1-1 draw for Emma Hayes’ side and they pushed for a winner on the night but it was the Catalans who claimed a 2-1 victory on aggregate. 

Barcelona have won 60 straight domestic matches at home dating back to February 2019, while the last time they did not win a Champions League match on home soil was against Lyonin 2018. 

Going into the clash having lost the home leg meant Hayes’ side, who were beaten 4-0 by Barca in their maiden final two years ago, faced a majorly uphill battle. 

They were again without first-choice centre-back pairing Millie Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan as well as Fran Kirby, while England defender Lucy Bronze missed out for Barcelona following knee surgery. 

But Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas was on the bench for the hosts after 10 months out injured. 

Barca thought they had scored in the teighth minute as Chelsea’s defence hesitated but Caroline Graham Hansen handled the cross before poking the ball home. 

For the rest of the first half the Catalans had the majority of possession and chances without really threatening to add to their lead, with Asisat Oshoala and Maria Caldentey firing over from good openings.

Chelsea were just looking like they might offer some threat up front in the early stages of the second half when the hosts took the lead after 64 minutes. 

The influential Aitana Bonmati carried the ball to the edge of the box and slipped it to Graham Hansen, who scored her second goal of the tie despite the best efforts of Jess Carter on the line. 

If that appeared to have ended the tie, Chelsea clawed their way back into it just three minutes later. 

A fine tackle from Erin Cuthbert ended a Barca attack and Melanie Leupolz fed Sam Kerr, whose shot was saved by Sandra Panos — only for Reiten to smash the ball in from the edge of the box. 

Kerr had a couple of half openings as the visitors sought an unlikely winner but the clear chance did not come and Ann-Katrin Berger produced a fine save from Geyse to earn a draw on the night. 

Barcelona move through to a third straight final, where they will take on Arsenal or Wolfsburg in Eindhoven.

Carlos Alcaraz produced a sensational first-half performance in the 3-3 draw at Arsenal last Friday. 

Yet the young Argentine surprisingly found himself substituted at half-time, despite being fit to play in the second-half. 

Signed from Racing Club in the January transfer window, the central midfielder has been pushed further forward by Saints boss Ruben Selles in recent weeks. 

Ahead of Southampton’s crucial South Coast clash with Bournemouth tonight, we look at what the future might hold for Alcaraz.

Arsenal masterclass

Southampton have been playing in a 4-4-2 in recent games with Alcaraz in one of the striker roles. 

So when Arsenal No1 Aaron Ramsdale carelessly gave away possession, the 20-year-old was in position to intercept before applying a fine finish from outside the area. 

A goal up within just 27 seconds, the advantage was doubled after 14 minutes when Alcaraz played an inch-perfect pass to split the defence and Theo Walcott converted. 

The 5ft 9in ace came close to scoring a second in an action packed first-half in which he also cleared an Arsenal chance off the line. 

Yet when the game restarted, Alcaraz was no longer on the pitch and it was a tactical decision rather than an injury that was behind his substitution. 

Cutting edge

Selles made the call to replace Alcaraz with defender Lyanco. He explained that his decision was due to the 20-year-old having been one of three of his players to be booked. 

The switch to a five-man defence looked to be working out when Southampton went 3-1 up but they lacked an attacking outlet and Arsenal fought back. 

With the Saints desperately needing points, Alcaraz is capable of providing a cutting edge that they have lacked all season. 

Southampton are bottom of the Premier League — six points adrift of safety with only six games remaining. They will likely need to win at least four of those matches to stand a chance of survival. 

Alcaraz’s energetic performance against Arsenal suggests he could be the catalyst the relegation-threatened club need to pull off a great escape. 

Surprise transfer

Right now, it seems more likely that Alcaraz will be playing in the Premier League next season than his struggling current employers. 

It was a surprise when Southampton signed him from Racing Club for £12million in January with Benfica said to be considering him as a replacement for compatriot Enzo Fernandez. 

Despite their struggles, they have a number of talented players their top-flight rivals will be looking to poach if they do suffer the drop.

Amongst them will be Alcaraz. He still has much to prove but is showing the sort of promise that already makes him stand out from his team-mates. 

The Saints are probably going to have to stay in the Premier League if they want to keep hold of their rising star — and their best chance of doing that appears to be giving him more chances to shine.

Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill believes Rangers face a major test at Hampden on Sunday as he questioned their big-match mentality.

Rangers have not beaten their Glasgow rivals in five matches and failure to arrest that run in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final will mean they finish the season without silverware.

Michael Beale will get the chance to reshape his squad in the summer after replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the mid-season break but he already faces pressure after losing the Viaplay Cup final and falling 13 points behind Celtic in the cinch Premiership.

In a press conference arranged by Viaplay TV, O’Neill said: “Obviously Celtic have the upper hand at the moment. Victories give you that confidence and self-belief.

“I think Rangers have some decent players, but at big moments they just seem to falter. The last match it was 1-1, a simple headed clearance, they should have dealt with it and almost tried to keep the ball in play. The next thing Celtic are 2-1 in front.

“In big matches Celtic are flying and Rangers don’t seem to be able to nail them at all.

“It comes from results. Obviously the Old Firm matches are massively big. If you can’t win those games then of course confidence suffers greatly.

“So this is a big, big test for Rangers, a really big test for them.

“It’s amazing to say that. Not long ago they were contesting a Europa League final, a kick away from winning it.

“I had a lot of time for Van Bronckhorst as a person and a manager, and a player. I really felt for him, I genuinely did do, I thought it was tough that he lost his job. But, listen, if you are not winning football matches then you know the consequences.”

Celtic had not beaten Rangers in seven matches before O’Neill took over in the summer of 2000 and had only won four trophies in the previous 11 seasons.

O’Neill described Rangers as the “benchmark” but his revamped Celtic side proceeded to beat Dick Advocaat’s men 6-2 in his first Old Firm derby on their way to a domestic treble.

The shoe is on the other foot now and O’Neill knows from experience that Beale will feel the pressure to turn the tables.

The former Nottingham Forest and Northern Ireland midfielder said: “Absolutely, Celtic are the benchmark and Rangers have to get there. And they will have to get there sooner rather than later.

“When I came in, there was about a 20-point gap. If you thought about it realistically, you would want to try and close that gap as soon as possible and then try to take over.

“I got a bit of luck early on, won a couple of matches that we might have drawn even before we played Rangers.

“So by the time they hammered us at Ibrox in November-time, we had enough confidence from winning football matches.

“Rangers don’t have that to fall back on. In fairness to the manager who has come in, up until not so long ago they were matching Celtic in terms of league results but they weren’t making up any ground.

“That meant that the game against Celtic was massive, they had to win that game to close the gap. That hasn’t happened. So Celtic are very much the benchmark and Rangers have got to do something about it, and relatively quickly.

“You don’t get the time, absolutely. If I think back, I was trying to convince myself about closing the gap. I’m not sure that would have held for a great length of time. I might have been given a little bit of leeway early on, but eventually you are up here to win. The manager knows that anyway.”

:: Martin O’Neill was promoting Viaplay’s live and exclusive coverage of Rangers v Celtic on Sunday. Viaplay is offering a special limited-time offer for Scottish football fans available until Sunday only. Visit viaplay.com for more information.

This year’s FA Cup final is a Manchester derby for the first time in the competition’s illustrious history. 

Manchester City booked their place in the showpiece with a 3-0 victory against Sheffield United. 

Then Manchester United joined them as they defeated Brighton on penalties after a goalless draw. 

With the two outfits dreaming of glory and getting one over their closest rivals, we are on hand to reveal all that you need to know about the clash.

When is the 2023 FA Cup final?

The 142nd FA Cup final will be contested on Saturday, June 3. 

Last season’s showpiece between Liverpool and Chelsea, was held on May 14 but this edition is taking place at a later date due to the season being stretched to accommodate the winter World Cup in Qatar. 

The kick-off time has varied in recent years but the current edition will start at the traditional time of 3pm. 

If needed, extra-time and a penalty shootout will follow the regular 90 minutes to determine a winner. 

Where is the 2023 FA Cup final?

The 2023 final will take place at Wembley.

This match will mark the 100th anniversary since the first showpiece was held at the home of English football when Bolton beat West Ham in 1923. 

The game was moved to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for six seasons while the original stadium was knocked down and rebuilt, returning to London in 2007. 

How can I get to the 2023 FA Cup final?

The majority of fans would normally use some form of rail travel to reach Wembley. 

However, the travel plans for many supporters could be disrupted by the planned train drivers’ strike on June 3. 

If it goes ahead, there will be no trains running between Manchester and London on the day of the game.

This would leave fans left with the option of travelling by car or coach, or elongating their trips to make their rail journeys on the days before and after the final. 

Where can I watch the 2023 FA Cup final?

Fans planning to watch the final at home will be spoilt for choice by the broadcast options. 

The match will be shown in the UK on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, ITV, ITVX, UTV, STV and STV Player. 

Football fans in other parts of the world should check local listings to determine broadcast and streaming options.

Martin O’Neill admits he would have been tempted by an approach from Leicester after recently being linked with a return to his former club.

O’Neill was touted as a short-term solution as the Foxes battle relegation following the departure of fellow former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers.

The speculation came after 75-year-old Roy Hodgson returned to Crystal Palace and 74-year-old Neil Warnock took charge of Huddersfield for a second time.

However, Leicester turned to former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith on a contract to the end of the season and they have taken four points from two Premier League games in the past week.

O’Neill’s last foray into management was with Nottingham Forest and ended in the summer of 2019, but he felt he could have helped Leicester if approached.

Speaking at a media conference to promote Viaplay TV’s coverage of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Rangers, the 71-year-old former Republic of Ireland manager said: “If they had asked me, which they didn’t, I think that would have been interesting because you feel as if you could have got some points on the board.

“I’m not saying it would have been a long-term thing. I would have thought about it anyway.

“And since Roy Hodgson is now 114 and Neil Warnock is 112, I think I am quite young!

“But, listen, I have not been proactive in any aspect of that and I’m actually kind of semi-enjoying myself.”

Former Sunderland star Julio Arca has replaced one-time team-mate Kevin Phillips as manager at newly-promoted National League North side South Shields.

The 42-year-old Argentinian returns to the 1st Cloud Arena five years after ending his playing career there with 120 appearances, six trophies and three promotions.

He replaces former England international Phillips, who guided the Mariners to the Northern Premier League title before leaving the club by mutual consent earlier this month.

Arca, who captained Shields to a quadruple which included the FA Vase in 2016-17, said: “It’s great to be back at the club after so many years.

“I firmly believe this is the right time for me to come back for a different challenge, and I’m very excited about it.

“The club has grown so fast and this is a fantastic opportunity for me to become a manager for the first time, especially with the platform we have here.

“There is a lot of work to do between now and the start of pre-season, but I’m very hungry to get started and help the club continue to progress.

“I like to compete. I’m not a person who is happy to sit in mid-table, and that’s why we need to get the right things done at the beginning. I will do the best I can to put South Shields in a great position next season.”

Arca began his career at home with Argentinos Juniors before making a total of 362 appearances for Sunderland and Middlesbrough following his move to England as a teenager.

He won new admirers after being coaxed back onto the pitch by South Shields, where he spent three hugely-successful years before hanging up his boots for good.

Chairman Geoff Thompson said: “We are thrilled to welcome Julio back to the club and to provide him with his first opportunity as a manager.

“It’s a hugely exciting time for the club and with Julio now installed, we are ready to finalise our plans for the season ahead in National League North.”

Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui believes Brighton are one of the best teams in the world.

The 56-year-old takes his side to the Amex on Saturday with the Seagulls still pushing for a surprise European spot.

Roberto De Zerbi replaced Graham Potter in September and has them eighth, five points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa with three games in hand.

Brighton lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday but, despite defeat, Lopetegui is an admirer.

He said: “In my opinion, the best team now playing football in the world is Brighton.

“They play in a different way than the rest of the teams – they are very good.

“They are different, they attack in a different way, they are able to play with consistency with the ball, have different solutions in different parts of the pitch.

“They show they are enjoying to play in this way – all the players – so it’s about the fantastic work of De Zerbi and the fantastic players playing football.

“This is a big challenge for us but a chance. We have to go there with the aim and the spirit to be able to fight and compete with them.”

Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) remains out and Boubacar Traore (groin) is lacking match fitness with Lopetegui due to continue with the same squad from Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

It meant the former Spain boss has guided Wolves eight points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with five games left.

Lopetegui added: “We are going to need a lot of points, this is sure. We have a lot of hard work and we have to be ready to compete and ready to compete against a very good team.

“I don’t agree with mathematics of football (assuming a certain amount of points for survival), it’s the worse thing you can do. You have to work a lot to achieve a lot.

“To think in the future is not for us. We have to think about the next training session and put the focus on the pitch.

“It’s about the needs we have to achieve our aim. We have suffered a lot and we will continue to suffer until the end.”

– Nine of Brentford’s 11 league wins in 2022-23 have been by more than one goal 
– Forest have lost four of their last six away PL games by more than one goal 
– Recommended bet: Back Brentford -1 on Handicap

Nottingham Forest’s battle to stay in the Premier League faces a stern test from Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.

The Bees have lost only two Premier League home games this season and beat West London neighbours Chelsea in their own backyard on Wednesday night.

That 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge, which manager Thomas Frank hailed as a “magic moment”, halted a six-game winless run.

Forest had gone 11 games without victory until their own midweek success over Brighton, but the three points came at a price with Neco Williams and Moussa Niakate leaving the City Ground with injuries.

Team news

Frank made four changes on Wednesday with Mads Roerslev replacing Aaron Hickey at right wing-back and Mathias Jorgensen drafted in alongside Ethan Pinnock and Ben Mee in central defence.

The Danish coach has no reason to change the system for the visit of Forest, who also play with three at the back.

Frank Onyeka replaced the injured Christian Norgaard in midfield and should keep his place while Bryan Mbeumo could come back in to partner Ivan Toney in attack after impressing as an impact substitute.

As for Forest, manager Steve Cooper is sweating on the fitness of Williams and Niakhate after both men were forced off during Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Brighton.

Niakhate was withdrawn in the first half with an apparent hamstring problem and looks extremely doubtful to feature this weekend.

Williams was taken to hospital with a facial injury after being stretchered off just past the hour mark following a collision with Brennan Johnson.

The stats

Brentford have scored the opening goal in nine of their last ten home games and would be fifth in the Premier League table based only on half-time scores.

Forest have lost six consecutive away games in the top division for the first time since December 1979.

Away from home in the Premier League this season, Forest have the fewest points (six), the joint-fewest number of wins (one), the fewest goals (five), the worst goal difference (-31) and the second-highest number of goals conceded (36).

Prediction

Brentford’s winless run was just starting to get a little concerning for Frank even if his team were already assured of their place in the top flight next season.

The Bees want to beat last season’s finish of 13th place and will look to keep their momentum going against the relegation-threatened visitors this weekend.

Steve Cooper’s side will not be in great shape after losing more key players to injury on Wednesday night and the loss of another central defender is a major blow — particularly when coming up against a team that will look for aerial mismatches.

Forest’s vulnerability in the air is becoming more evident by the week and they can be exploited on crosses and set-pieces by a Brentford side that have scored 13 set-pieces goals this term.

Frank’s men have the goal power to ensure they win by more than one goal, as they have done in nine of their 11 total league victories to date.

Back Brentford -1 on the Handicap at 11/10 with LiveScore Bet.

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