Month: May 2023

Leicester boss Dean Smith knows he will have fulfilled a “big ask” if he can guide his side to Premier League survival on Sunday.

The Foxes must beat West Ham at the King Power Stadium and hope Everton do not win against Bournemouth if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Smith was parachuted into an eight-game SOS mission following Brendan Rodgers’ sacking at the beginning of April but has recorded just one victory from his first seven games and accepts that his side have not done as well as he thought they would.

The 52-year-old has experience of producing the great escape as he led Aston Villa to seven points from their final four games of the 2019/20 season to beat the drop and says something similar would be required.

Smith said: “When you first come in you look at games and I looked at Man City, Liverpool and Newcastle and knew they were going to be tough to get points out of. I expected us probably to win our home games and nick points away from home, with probably the exception of Liverpool.

“We are a few points short of where I expected to be and that’s why it has come down to the last one.

“This would be a very proud day if we do it, but we have to win our game and rely on other results. Each escape will have its own merits, the one at Villa with four games to go was seven points. That in itself was a big ask, this has been a big ask and hopefully we can do it.”

It is only two years ago since Leicester were winning the FA Cup and fighting for Champions League qualification, but they have dropped quickly after having to balance the books in the league.

And Smith says that shows just how tough the league can be for those outside the traditional ‘big six’.

“This league is precarious. You’ve got to have really good models now to stay in the league,” he said.

“You look at Brighton and Brentford, two really good models of clubs, one I know very well because I worked there.

“It is hard. You need the finance behind it but it’s not just about finance as you can see in Brentford’s case.

“There are many different ways to stay in the league but it’s a real tough league. Very quickly you can go and lose two or three games on the spin. All of a sudden that just drains the confidence of players.”

David Moyes admits he finds it impossible to switch off during the close-season.

The West Ham boss is resigned to losing captain Declan Rice this summer and will be inundated with calls from agents suggesting replacements.

“I am the exact opposite of switching off, I am on my phone all the time, there’s recruitment and things going on,” said Moyes.

“When you talk about the job as a manager, it is so full on. I am sure there are some managers who say ‘no problem and I’ll put my phone away’. I have never been like that, I am always on my phone and available.

“I am getting 400 different names put to me every day, a lot of them you don’t know, some of them you do know and some of them you go, ‘I quite like him’.

“When you are doing nothing, the agents start to get busy and that’s when it becomes a difficult time as a manager to switch off.”

Moyes can at least relax in the knowledge West Ham are safe from relegation ahead of Sunday’s trip to Leicester, who are still in the drop zone.

The Hammers also have a Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague to look forward to next month.

“I hope to be playing plenty of golf, just trying to recover as it’s been a real difficult year for the club and myself,” added Moyes.

“I think we’ve been a good side, but we’ve maybe not shown that we are a good side that often this year.

“But I just see it as a huge achievement for the whole of West Ham as a football club, to be in a European final.

“I don’t know if I would have said this when I came back to the club three years ago, you wouldn’t have believed me at all. The supporters were probably thinking that as well. If I wasn’t at West Ham, I would have said ‘you’re off your head’.

“Maybe the draw in Europe has been a bit kinder to us – but that’s part of being in the cup competitions.”

Erik ten Hag believes ever-improving Manchester United star Marcus Rashford can become a 40-goal-a-season forward.

The 25-year-old pressed reset last summer after the most chastening year of his career, kicked off by his heart-breaking penalty shoot-out miss in England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.

Post-tournament shoulder surgery kept Rashford sidelined and an initial flurry of goals on his return quickly dried up amid widespread criticism.

But a priceless pre-season under new boss Ten Hag led to a resurgence, with Rashford scoring his 30th goal of the season in all competitions in Thursday’s 4-1 win over Chelsea.

Rashford’s best haul saw him become the first United player to reach 30 goals since Robin van Persie a decade ago, but Ten Hag believes the best is yet to come.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement in his game,” the United boss said ahead of Sunday’s Premier League finale against Fulham. “I’m convinced he could score even more.

“I think when you take, for instance, the last 10 games, he didn’t score so many goals. I think only two or three.

“So, yeah, he can improve but I am happy from where he was last season to what he did now, that he brings himself back.

“We supported him where we could, with the way of play but also in his mental mindset, so we are happy with that.

“But, yeah, we have to push for more and I am sure he’s capable to score 40 goals in a season, to make also for him the next step.”

Asked if Rashford’s form takes the pressure off getting a striker in the summer, Ten Hag said: “We need across the squad more scoring abilities.

“You can’t be dependent on one. But it can also come from this squad, but we need more scoring abilities.”

Ten Hag has stressed the need for additions and internal improvements after a promising first season in the dugout.

United won February’s Carabao Cup and face Manchester City in the FA Cup final after wrapping up a Champions League return with a game to spare.

“We have to look to ourselves,” Ten Hag said about the next step. “We want to win the cup but that is for next Saturday and we have to do everything that’s in our power.

“I think in many aspects we can improve with this group of players, with this team. I know where we have to improve. I think there is a lot of room for improvement, yes.”

Ten Hag feels “fantastic in this club” and says Manchester feels like a home away from home, where the reaction to people he meets on the street is “absolutely positive”.

That feedback would be even greater from the red half of the city if United can stop rivals City’s treble charge at Wembley in the FA Cup final.

Asked if the FA Cup final was a free hit given what they have achieved already and City’s standing or a chance to send a statement, Ten Hag retorted: “Both not.

“But when I was here one year ago, I said we wanted to win trophies. We have won one, so we want to go for the highest.

“But that is a long, long way, it’s going to be a project. That’s not over one year. We’re talking over one to three years.

“But when there’s an opportunity to win a trophy, for every player it’s massive.

“I have to count but there are not so many players in our team, in our squad who have won the FA Cup. The FA Cup is huge for everyone in the world.

“You can have won the Champions League, you can have won so many titles, but when you have the opportunity to win the FA Cup, it goes all over the world, global-wide, a huge reputation.

“I know from the Netherlands how big the FA Cup is, so we have the opportunity to win that.

“We are also realistic (that) it’s not going to be easy but I can assure you one thing: we will give everything that’s in our power to get the cup.”

Tottenham acting head coach Ryan Mason has defended Daniel Levy and insisted the under-fire chairman has been let down by other people.

Levy has faced growing criticism this season and repeatedly had his name chanted at games with a section of supporters eager for the long-serving board member to depart.

Eighth-placed Spurs are currently searching for a new permanent head coach and managing director of football while they could find themselves not in Europe for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Meanwhile, record goalscorer Harry Kane is about to enter the final year of his contract, but Mason leapt to the defence of Levy before the last match of the club’s season at relegation-threatened Leeds on Sunday.

He said: “It hurts him, it hurts everyone committed to this club and everyone who really cares and wants this club to be successful.

“One thing I will say is he’s spent money, he’s tried and I just think ultimately he has probably been let down by other people but that’s football.

“That happens and hopefully we can get things right quickly, make good decisions and it can turn around.”

Optimism was rife at the beginning of the campaign, but Spurs have lost 14 times in the Premier League, conceded 62 top-flight goals – their worst against tally since the 2002-03 term – and seen their trophy drought extend into a 15th season.

Mason pulled no punches when asked about positives, adding: “I think the biggest positive will be the future.

“And if we’re clever and if we do it right, then I think we’ll look back on this season and say it was tough, disappointing but ultimately it made us realise what we want to be.

“It made us realise who we are, what our history and DNA probably suggests we are, what our fans want, what our fans demand and hopefully there is a connection very soon where we look back and say disappointing season, absolutely yes, but it helped us.”

It was just over two months ago when Antonio Conte had his post-match outburst at Southampton and accused his own “selfish players” of not being a team or wanting to play under pressure.

Spurs have won only twice during the ensuing nine matches but Mason rejected any notion his old boss was right given the games in hand Newcastle, Liverpool and Brighton held over a club that were fourth at the start of April.

“We haven’t won an away game since January, conceded 60+ goals this season so this isn’t something that has just happened in recent weeks,” ex-Tottenham midfielder Mason stated.

“Obviously we were left in a position in the league table that was probably false, in terms of other teams had games in hand.

“When you level them out, I think the first game we had against Man United (on April 27) we might have been seventh in the table so there were a lot of things that were probably false.

“One thing I will say is I respect everyone that I have worked with and I have learnt off a lot of people, but at the same time I am my own person and believe how not only this club, but how any football club I am at in the future, should work and operate.”

Mason will have a decision to make on his own future after the clash at Elland Road with the 31-year-old firmly of the belief he is ready for management following this latest caretaker spell.

He has consistently referenced the importance of “committed people” being at the club next season in recent weeks and hinted unspecified players could miss the trip to Leeds if they are not motivated to secure Tottenham a spot in the Europa Conference League with a seventh-placed finish.

“I am looking forward to it. I hope my players are looking forward to it too,” Mason said.

“I have made it very clear that if anyone isn’t up for the fight and doesn’t want to play in this type of game, then it is probably best we don’t play with them.

“I just think going forward that (commitment) is really important. That is probably the first thing we need to address.

“Whether it’s a cleaner, groundsman, members of staff, players here, coaches here, they need to be committed to this football club.

“It’s an honour to work here. I’ve played here, I felt that pride whenever I put on the shirt and for anyone who’s lucky enough to represent us next season, first of all they need to be committed to the football club.”

Eddie Howe does not want to be anywhere but Newcastle as he plots a route to lasting success after delivering Champions League football at the end of his first full season at the helm.

The 45-year-old will spend the summer working with the club’s owners and sporting director Dan Ashworth to bolster a squad already enhanced by spending in excess of £250million for the challenges which lie ahead.

In doing so he will have to make a series of tough decisions, but not about his own situation.

Asked if his long-term future lies at St James’ Park, Howe said: “Very much so, there is no other thought in my mind.

“For as long as I’m wanted, Newcastle is where I want to be. I’m hugely excited about next season and hopefully beyond.”

Howe has been linked repeatedly with the England job in recent years and his early success on Tyneside after his sterling work at Bournemouth has seen his reputation blossom.

However, he is not a man to rest on his laurels and knows what lies ahead may prove even more difficult as he attempts to balance the demands of domestic and European football.

He said: “It can be tougher [playing in Europe]. I don’t want to come across as negative or pessimistic in any way, or almost having that mindset going into next season. We need to go into next season full of positivity and full of what can be.

“We want to compete, we want to try to win a trophy, so we are very, very ambitious to move things on, but the challenges will get harder and we have to be better.”

Tyneside has been bathed in euphoria since Monday night’s 0-0 draw with Leicester ensured just a third Champions League campaign for the club and took the pressure off Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.

However, while he is determined to make an impression among Europe’s elite, Howe has no intention of forgetting the bread and butter of the Premier League.

He said: “I look at the Premier League as your first target, the foundation to your season, really, so we won’t be going away from all eyes on the Premier League, all eyes on making sure we start as well as we can and we try to be as consistent as we can.

“We won’t be taken off course in terms of our focus. The Champions League will start later on. It’s the foundation that we’re looking at and that’s the Premier League.”

If the quest for Europe was something of a pipe dream back in August, the desperation to end a trophy drought which dates back to 1969 remains after despite February’s Carabao Cup final defeat, and that will not be pushed into the background either.

Howe said: “We won’t look at the domestic cups and sacrifice them for the Champions League. That’s not my mindset sitting here now.

“We want to try to win a trophy and we came very close this year. We want to go one step further.”

Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui insists it is unfair to label Arsenal as bottlers after their title challenge faltered.

The Gunners will finish second behind Manchester City having topped the table for the majority of the season.

They held an eight-point lead in March but dropped crucial points against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton in the run-in before losing 4-1 at City in April.

Arsenal’s defeats to Brighton and Nottingham Forest handed City a third straight title but, ahead of Wolves’ trip to the Emirates for Sunday’s Premier League finale, Lopetegui feels the Gunners do not deserve criticism for coming second.

“Of course (they don’t). It’s an incredible league and in the end they lost to Manchester City in one of the last matches,” he said.

“They have done fantastic work – you only have to look at the teams that finished below them, incredible teams.

“So I praise Mikel (Arteta) for his fantastic work. I remember he had big problems when he arrived two years ago but they showed faith and belief in him and now they are collecting the rewards.

“He’s improved the team and changed a lot of players and put a lot of quality on the pitch and produced fantastic answers.

“Now they have an incredible project in front of them.

“That’s the merit of Mikel – fantastic work. In the same way, it highlights the merit of the club and the sporting director because he wouldn’t be able to do what he’s done without the belief in him.

“In football to believe in the mid term or long term is very difficult.

“It’s generally always short term. I think they are reaping the rewards for that belief and I’m happy for them because the teams that show patience and work a lot for the future deserve to have success.”

Lopetegui remains in talks with Wolves over his future having guided them to mid-table safety. He is looking for clarification on the amount of backing he will receive in the summer with financial fair play restricting the club’s spending power.

He wants to revamp the squad with several expected to leave including Ruben Neves and the out-of-contract Joao Moutinho and Adama Traore but Lopetegui suggested Raul Jimenez still has a Wolves future.

“Raul has another year on his contract with us and for me it’s not his last match with us. He’s our player,” he said.

“Raul is our player and he’s under contract. I hope he continues with us.”

Brighton and Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber has saluted “phenomenal” boss Roberto De Zerbi for leading the Seagulls to Europa League qualification.

Brighton will appear on the continent for the first time in their history next season after securing a hugely impressive sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.

De Zerbi has been a revelation since arriving at the Amex Stadium following Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea, who subsequently sacked the coach after just under seven months in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Barber has heaped praise upon the Italian, who also guided Brighton to the FA Cup semi-finals, where they were beaten by Manchester United on penalties at Wembley Stadium.

“He’s been phenomenal,” the Seagulls’ chief executive told Stats Perform at the Football Business Awards. 

“It’s his first time working in the Premier League. He’s had to learn English, he’s had to adapt to life in England, he’s had to learn a new league, work with new players. So we’re thrilled for him, and he’s done a fantastic job.

“It’s the first time in 122 years that we’ve reached European football. So it’s a fantastic achievement for the coaches and the players, and we’re delighted for them. And also, I think it’s a great opportunity for the fans to celebrate their club in a new competition for the first time.”

It was not all plain sailing for Brighton, who saw key forward Leandro Trossard depart for Arsenal during the January transfer window.

But Barber revealed the club were prepared for any possible setbacks, and while he acknowledges more players may leave, he insists that selling is not a necessity.

“The key thing has been succession planning, we have a plan for key positions within the club, should we lose people in those positions,” he explained. “I think that’s very important if you want to maintain momentum.

“We’re fortunate that we’ve got a very good owner. We’ve got a fantastic infrastructure, we sell out all of our games, and we generate great revenues from our sponsors, and from our hospitality and non-matchday work. So no, it’s not essential.

“But we also recognise that the best players want to play at the top level and it’s possible we will lose players at some point.”

Barber is also confident it is only a matter of time before former Seagulls boss Potter is given another opportunity following his poor spell at Chelsea. 

“Graham worked with us for three years,” he added. “He did a fantastic job during his time and sometimes when you move to a different club, for whatever reason, it doesn’t work out.

“But what we do know is Graham is an excellent coach and an excellent individual. And I’m sure very soon, he’ll be back in top-level football.”

Gareth Southgate knows next year’s Euros will have to go extremely well for it to be a “possibility in anybody’s eyes” for him to stay on as England manager.

The 52-year-old was parachuted into the hotseat following Sam Allardyce’s ignominious exit in 2016 and has gone on to oversee the national team’s best spell since winning the World Cup.

England reached the 2018 semi-finals before losing the delayed Euro 2020 final in an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy at Wembley.

There were more signs of progress as the team were edged out by France at last year’s World Cup, but a challenging year meant Southgate had to weigh up whether to see out his contract until 2024.

The England boss decided to stay on after a week of contemplation following Qatar, but next summer’s European Championship could prove his last finals in charge.

“My contract is until the December,” Southgate said. “That was always put in place because it would allow everybody reflection time, really.”

Asked if the Euros would be his last tournament, Southgate said: “Who knows?

“I think we’ll have to go very, very well for that to be a possibility in anybody’s eyes and that’s fair enough. I’m more than comfortable with that.

“My aim is to try and win the tournament and everything I do is geared around that and every conversation I have with the players now is geared around that.

“So, what will happen in the future at the moment it isn’t at the forefront of my mind, but trying to win this European Championship is.”

England are third favourites with the bookmakers to triumph in Germany next year, and that is all the manager is focused on right now.

‘Succession’ is a buzzword thanks to the popular US TV series, but Southgate has not seen the show and was unwilling to talk about potential candidates for a job he cares deeply about.

“Whatever (input) John (McDermott, Football Association technical director) and everybody else at the FA would like, really,” he said.

“I’m not precious about it. If I could help in any way, at whatever point. I try to do that now with involvement in the pro licence, with reaching out to English coaches.

“We’ve had people in to have the odd day here and there with us at training.

“That’s not my decision but I’d always help English football as much as I can.

“At whatever point I leave here, hopefully we’ve won something, but if I’m the second most successful I’ll be more than happy to become third very quickly.

“I joined here to help English football and that will never change for me.”

England’s immediate focus is taking a giant stride towards Germany by beating Malta and North Macedonia in June, but for a number of players their future is up in the air.

Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are subject of widespread speculation, while a lack of game-time is an issue for Southgate’s favourites Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips.

“There’s potentially a lot of movement with that squad we’ve picked across the summer, but I think it will be later in the summer,” the England boss said.

“It doesn’t worry me how it plays out. I think as a player you always back yourself. You’ve got to.

“You’ve got to have the mentality that ‘wherever I go I’m going to force my way into the team’ until such point as which it becomes apparent where ‘maybe I’ve got to go’.

“And maybe we’ve got a couple in the squad who’ve got that decision to go through in their own minds this summer.”

That self-confidence has paid dividends for Jack Grealish, who struggled to make the desired impact in his first season at Manchester City.

But the 27-year-old has come on leaps and bounds this term under Pep Guardiola, who Southgate considers the best coach in the world.

“I’m a huge admirer,” the England boss said. “He knows that, I’ve told him.

“Of course it’s been brilliant for our players to work with him and they have learned individually, tactically and, probably as much as anything, that mentality.

“You mention Jack, he’s played properly, I would say, in this period. You know, against Real Madrid with and without the ball.

“That wasn’t the case two-and-a-half years ago, if I’m honest, so there’s been a lot of progress.”

Emma Hayes credited the togetherness of her players as the driving force behind Chelsea’s fourth successive Women’s Super League title following a 3-0 victory over Reading. 

The Blues sealed the trophy courtesy of goals from Guro Reiten and a Sam Kerr double. 

And Hayes admitted the fear of losing galvanised her side, who added to the FA Cup they won against Manchester United earlier this month. 

She said: “The fear of losing drives me more than the will to win. This year we knew we had to grind and dig out results, sometimes when maybe we didn’t create as many chances. 

“It’s just unbelievable character from the players. This feels like a victory for the team because my staff have carried me in so many ways this season, especially when I was unwell. 

“When senior players didn’t play as much, other seniors picked them up. 

“In the second part of the season we saw our newer players start to bear fruit and we found different ways to win. And you have to, it can’t look the same all the time. 

“When you’re chasing, it almost felt like the pressure wasn’t on us because we were never in the front position for long. 

“We’ve had different experiences being in first and second and to be honest with you we like being in both of them.”

Hayes labelled Reiten as one of the world’s best players after the winger set up Kerr to make it 1-0 before getting on the scoresheet herself in the 42nd minute.

The Norwegian has been instrumental for the Blues this season having picked up 20 league goal contributions and filling the boots of Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder who have had injury-stricken campaigns. 

Hayes added: “She’s my player of the season. She’s grown up, she’s exceptional in this team.

“She has an eye for a pass that is second to none. She doesn’t even need to see where Sam moves, she just gets half a yard and is always going to deliver it to her. 

“Guro needs to be recognised as one of the best players in the world.”

Inter secured Champions League qualification in their penultimate game of the Serie A season, dealing a fatal blow to Atalanta’s own top-four hopes with a 3-2 win at San Siro.

The Nerazzurri – finalists in Europe’s premier club competition this term – stormed into a two-goal lead within just two minutes and 49 seconds after Romelu Lukaku and Nicolo Barella were on target. 

Atalanta needed a result to keep their slim hopes of a top-four finish alive, and they were handed a lifeline by Mario Pasalic before the interval on Saturday.

Yet Inter added a deserved third through Lautaro Martinez after the break, making Andre Onana’s late own goal a mere Atalanta consolation, as the Nerazzurri moved eight points clear of their fifth-placed visitors.

Lukaku only needed 39 seconds to put Inter ahead, timing his run from Martinez’s throughball before rounding Marco Sportiello and tapping into an empty net.

Atalanta found themselves further behind by the three-minute mark, Barella hammering a rebound into the roof of the net after Sportiello twice saved from Federico Dimarco.

Hakan Calhanoglu was denied a third by the offside flag when he netted with a ferocious volley, before Onana was forced into action by Rasmus Hojlund and Teun Koopmeiners.

Atalanta halved the arrears nine minutes before half-time, Pasalic hooking a finish beyond Onana following a goalmouth scramble.

Calhanoglu drew a flying save from Sportiello as Atalanta wilted after the interval, Inter managing the game in typically assured fashion.

Martinez stretched Inter’s lead further when Marcelo Brozovic teed up a tap-in 13 minutes from time, before Luis Muriel’s powerful long-range strike deflected in off the unfortunate Onana as the Nerazzurri just held on for victory.

What does it mean? Job done for Nerazzurri

Only a few short weeks ago, the prospect of one of this season’s Champions League finalists being absent from the competition next term was a very real one.

Yet a run of six wins from seven games (L1), coupled with Juventus’ 10-point deduction and the shortcomings of fellow European hopefuls Atalanta and Roma, has propelled Inter to qualification with a game to spare.

Having followed up Wednesday’s Coppa Italia triumph with another crucial victory, Simone Inzaghi’s men can treat next week’s trip to Torino as a mere warm-up for their Istanbul showpiece with Manchester City.

Flying Inter start pays off

Inter could hardly have wished for a better start at San Siro, with Barella putting daylight between the teams before three minutes were up.

The Nerazzurri scored twice within the first three minutes of a Serie A match for the first time since January 5, 1941, when Enrico Candiani and Attilio Demaria were on target against Roma.

Martinez ends memorable week on a high

As has so often been the case this season, Martinez stepped up when Inter needed him most in midweek, netting twice to turn the Coppa Italia final on its head and hand Inzaghi’s men the trophy.

Martinez was in imperious form again here, claiming a goal and an assist as he created four chances for his team-mates, a tally only matched by the industrious Brozovic among Inter players.

What’s next?

Inter conclude their Serie A season at Torino next Sunday, with Atalanta hosting Monza on the same day.