Month: May 2023

Ruben Selles hopes relegated Southampton can go out on a high when they bid farewell to the Premier League against Liverpool on Sunday.

A wretched campaign full of poor decisions meant Saints knew their 11-year stay in the Premier League was over with two games to spare.

Southampton are on a winless 12-match run and have lost their last five on the bounce, with Swansea boss Russell Martin lined up as manager as they prepare for life in the Championship.

Selles hopes his last match in charge ends with a positive result on Sunday, which could also see homegrown skipper James Ward-Prowse make an emotional farewell.

“I think you need to choose in which mode you are every day,” Selles said of the atmosphere at St Mary’s on Sunday. “I think the fans need to do the same.

“I know, I understand the disappointment of the season but, as you say, it can be the sun shining and then a big opponent, last game in St Mary’s in the Premier League this year.

“We will not have for at least one more year and I think it’s a good opportunity to go on a journey together and try to make a good football match.

“I thank our fans for being supportive in one of the hardest seasons that they had in the last 12 years.

“Hopefully we can have a good environment on Sunday and then we can make something together.”

Perhaps boosting Saints’ chance of a shock is the fact Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool know they cannot reach the Champions League and will finish fifth after Manchester United beat Chelsea on Thursday.

“It’s always a tricky question because I know Jurgen (Klopp) said that he will make some changes in the line-up probably,” he said.

“It’s a situation with less pressure than if they were playing from the Champions League, of course.

“But sometimes less pressure means more freedom and sometimes more freedom (helps), and they can go in both directions, so it’s just a different game.”

The match could see academy products Theo Walcott and Mohamed Elyounoussi play their last games for Saints given their contracts expire in the summer.

Che Adams, Mohammed Salisu, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Juan Larios are out through injury, while ineffective January signing Paul Onuachu is a doubt with a back problem.

But there could be some positives to hold onto, with teenagers Kamari Doyle and Dom Ballard pushing for game time after making their league debuts last weekend.

Talented full-back Tino Livramento could also get some time off the bench after ending his 392-day injury lay-off when coming on for 20 minutes at Brighton.

“Tino will not play from the start due to his time restriction,” Selles said.

“He can play at least the same amount of minutes as he did against Brighton.”

Paul Gascoigne is the perfect example of how a player should not approach a Wembley cup final, says Barnsley head coach Michael Duff.

Barnsley face derby rivals Sheffield Wednesday in the Sky Bet League One play-off final on Monday and with local bragging rights also on the line emotions will run high.

Duff referenced former Tottenham midfielder Gascoigne and his ill-fated role in the 1991 FA Cup final against Nottingham Forest when discussing how he hopes his players will handle the occasion.

Gascoigne flew into a reckless early tackle on Forest defender Gary Charles and ruptured the cruciate ligament in his right knee. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and missed all of the following season.

Duff said: “Paul Gascoigne is a perfect example, for anyone who’s old enough, in 1991 when he did his cruciate.

“He came out like a headless chicken because he was so emotional and in such a wild state, it ultimately did him damage and that’s what we don’t want.”

Duff, twice a Wembley winner as a player, with Cheltenham (1998) and Burnley (2009), said he will not be delivering any Churchillian speeches just before kick-off.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “The format will be the same. If the players need motivating when they’re at Wembley, in a play-off final, in a local derby, they’re in the wrong job.

“We’re just trying to keep it as normal as possible. You almost want to try and calm them down at that point, so they don’t play like headless chickens.

“Stick to the process, with what you’ve done all season, what’s got you into this position – intensity, quality, youthfulness, a structure and being able to hurt teams in different ways. There’ll be no big speeches.

“There’s a saying ‘success leaves clues’, well the clues are what you’ve been doing all season. Can you do it one more time? Hopefully, and with a little bit of luck, we win the game.”

Barnsley, transformed under former Cheltenham boss Duff since his appointment in June last year, stand on the brink of an immediate return to the Championship following relegation.

They were still challenging for automatic promotion until a 3-0 home defeat to Ipswich at the end of April but Duff is not ready to reflect on his first season in charge.

“Looking back on the season will happen on Tuesday,” he added. “There’s no point saying ‘well if we lose it’s been a good season’. We’re in a shoot-out now, the focus is on the game.

“At the end of the season we’ll take stock and reflect on how we can be better, whether we win or lose.

“The plan has already started anyway, whether we win or lose, so I don’t want us to take our eyes off the prize.

“Has it been a positive season? Yes, I think so. But we can really cap it off now and that’s the focus.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is at a loss as to how Roy Hodgson has been able to navigate a near 50-year career in management.

Cooper comes up against the former England manager on Sunday as Forest close their Premier League season with a trip to Crystal Palace.

The pair were colleagues together at the Football Association as Cooper was in charge of the England Under-16s and 17s while Hodgson was the senior team boss.

And Cooper is full of admiration for his 75-year-old counterpart.

He said: “We have got to play Crystal Palace. We really want to end well. It’s not under the scrutiny of last week, (but) we should want to win every game that we play and Palace are going really well.

“What a job Roy Hodgson has done, an incredible man and an incredible career. Having done management for a couple of years to think of the longevity he has had is just something I have got so much admiration for.

“I don’t know how he has done it. I have got a huge amount of respect for him.”

Forest travel to Selhurst Park knowing their top-flight status is secure following last weekend’s win over Arsenal.

The City Ground club prepared for this season in haphazard fashion with a flurry of signings and Cooper says Forest need a “productive” off-season.

“What we do know now from this season is what it takes to compete at this level. We’ve got to maximise the opportunity we’ve given ourselves by staying in the league to improve,” Cooper said.

“June is a really important month for that.

“For me, as the days have gone by, it’s turned into motivation about how we have to improve. After Sunday, we need to have a really productive off-season.

“The players will rest and a lot of the staff around the players will rest, and rightly so, they need to do that. But we need to be busy in the off-season in really trying to continue to improve the club to what we want it to be, and that’s being able to really operate at a high standard in the Premier League.”

Guro Reiten has played a key role in firing Chelsea to the brink of sealing the Women’s Super League title.

The winger is enjoying her best campaign for the Blues, who have already won the FA Cup.

With 12 goals and 18 assists across all competitions, this has been the Norwegian’s most productive season yet. 

Ahead of Chelsea’s title-deciding trip to Reading on Saturday, we take a look at Reiten’s journey and her season so far. 

Constant presence

It has been a gruelling season for Chelsea, in which they have competed on four fronts and Reiten has been one of their most consistent performers. 

The Blues reached two domestic finals, as well as making the semi-finals in the Champions League.

Unsurprisingly, such a lengthy campaign has resulted in many injuries. Reiten has remained a constant presence. 

With 38 appearances, she and defender Niamh Charles have played more games than anyone else at Chelsea. What is more, the Norwegian international is still delivering at the business end of the season. 

Reiten helped to keep Emma Hayes’ side on course last weekend, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 win over Arsenal with an instinctive first-time finish that left Manuela Zinsberger with no chance. 

Now in her fourth season at Chelsea, the 28-year-old has matured from being a useful squad player itto one of the most vital parts of the team. 

Ruthless streak

On the Norway ace, Chelsea manager Hayes said: “She can play up top or in behind Sam [Kerr]. She can play wide left, she can play wing-back. She’s got so much versatility on that side of that pitch.

“She’s one of the most intelligent players. You can tell Guro anything and she can implement it. When you have a highly intelligent player like that, it’s a lot easier. 

“She has it technically as you can see, but what I think she’s developed this year is that ruthless streak. 

“In the biggest games, in the biggest moments, I think she carried the team for large parts of this year. I know Sam gets that credit, but I think Guro’s been absolutely exceptional.” 

Part of what makes Chelsea so successful is the constant striving towards improvement. Hayes thinks Reiten can still get better. 

She added: “I want more goals from her. For the number of assists she has, I still think there should be more goals.” 

World Cup

At her age, Reiten could be described as a late-bloomer, despite a fresh-faced appearance that has seen her dubbed as the baby-faced assassin, just like her fellow Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

The forward was content to stay in her native Norway until she was 24 before making the move to London. 

She explained that decision: “I’ve always been patient, not taking a step that I was not ready for. 

“I knew Chelsea had been watching and following me for a few years before I decided to come here. When I did decide I knew I was ready and I don’t regret it.” 

Patience has proven to be a virtue in Reiten’s career. Now finally proving herself to be one of the top talents in the club game, the summer will see her represent Norway at the World Cup. 

Having made major steps this season, no one would bet against her taking even more on the biggest stage of all.

Ryan Mason insists Tottenham are still a “big club” and an attractive proposition for managers despite the ongoing search for a new head coach.

Spurs saw another contender to permanently replace Antonio Conte exit the running this week after Feyenoord boss Arne Slot committed his long-term future to the Eredivisie club before he signed a new deal on Friday.

Tottenham held an interest in Slot but the PA news agency understands no direct discussions with the 44-year-old took place.

Mason is under no illusions the top job at Spurs remains desirable.

“It is Tottenham Hotspur, it is a big club. Not just for managers or coaches, but for staff members, for players,” Spurs’ acting head coach said before Sunday’s trip to Leeds.

“Anyone here should feel the privilege and honour to represent the badge. If they don’t, then they shouldn’t be here. It is as simple as that.

“Maybe these people (like Slot) you might be mentioning, I don’t know who because I’ve not been looking at the press, but if their name is out there, they are not exactly moving themselves away from it. They know it is a big club.

“They know if Tottenham and their name is being linked, it is a massive positive for them.

“It is a big club, we know it is. Every manager and every coach knows it is a big club, players do, fans do.

“You can really feel it when you are here, when you are in our stadium. This will stay a big club and will be attractive for whoever is in charge next season.

“I am sure players as well will want to come here.

When Conte left his position on March 26 Tottenham were firmly in the race for Champions League qualification but they travel to relegation-threatened Leeds on Sunday with only a faint chance of securing a place in the Europa Conference League.

Mason insisted that, while European football for next season is crucial, the most important task for the club is to put a plan in place.

“Obviously it has its implications and it’s not where the football club wants to be. We definitely want to be competing in Europe,” the 31-year-old stated.

“Any European competition is important for a club this size but at the same time the most important thing, regardless of whether we’re in or out of Europe, is that there is a plan and there is commitment from everyone to that going forward.”

During the last few weeks, Mason has repeatedly referenced the need for commitment at the club without going into specifics.

Even before Conte departed two months ago, the future of the Italian was uncertain with his deal set to expire this summer anyway.

Mason again refused to be drawn on whether any coaches, players or members of staff had lacked commitment this season but admitted the squad had been affected by the turmoil off the pitch.

He added: “The results before he (Conte) left weren’t amazing. I don’t think results have dipped a huge amount.

“Obviously we were in a different position but I think you could feel it, you could feel it the weeks leading up to it there was uncertainty and it’s never great to have that uncertainty.

“We’ve probably been in that situation for the last eight weeks where there’s been a lot of uncertainty.

“That is why one of my main things when me and my team of people came in, I wanted to create a togetherness and make us feel part of something towards the end of the season.”

Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill will be leaning on young players again for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers with injuries continuing to limit his options.

O’Neill is yet to confirm a date to name his squad for the qualifiers away to Denmark and at home to Kazakhstan in mid-June, but he has already ruled seven senior players out of contention due to long-term injuries.

Steven Davis, Stuart Dallas, Corry Evans, Liam Boyce, Josh Magennis, Conor Washington and Shane Ferguson will play no part in the matches, which has meant O’Neill has had his eye on potential call-ups while leading an under-21 training camp in Belfast this week.

O’Neill is due to hold two training camps in England between now and the qualifiers, trying to keep players whose seasons have already finished fit during the intervening period, and some of the under-21s will be involved.

“This is where this is really important to us,” O’Neill said. “We will use some of these players in the next weeks and this gives them some exposure to the senior squad.

“We know Steven and Stuart are still injured, Corry and Liam Boyce are still not back playing any first-team football, Josh Magennis will be out, Conor Washington is out and Shane Ferguson has had groin surgery, so that’s seven players that’s missing.

“It is going to challenge us. We had younger players in the squad for March and we will have younger players again next month.”

Dallas has been out all season following a double leg-break, meaning the versatile player has been unable to help Leeds in their fight against relegation.

With Jonny Evans’ Leicester also under threat going into the final day of the top-flight season on Sunday, Northern Ireland could potentially be left without any Premier League regulars next season.

However, O’Neill said that would not necessarily have a major impact on the national team.

“I realise that as the Premier League continues to go in the direction it goes that we will always have a limited number of players playing in the Premier League,” he said.

“Probably when I came into the job in 2012 we had most of our players playing there, maybe six or seven at that point in time, but it was also a time when the international team was not doing particularly well.

“The most important thing is that players are playing regularly. Going forward we will predominantly be made up of Championship and League One players, hopefully some Premier League players as well, that’s just something we have to accept.

“It’s very difficult for some of the younger lads who are at Premier League clubs to find that pathway to break in. In the Premier League there is no patience, managers can’t afford it. You can lose your job – and you see the number of changes in the Premier League and Championship this season.

“I would love to be going to Premier League matches every week but I’m not. I’m going to Championship, League One, League Two, Scottish Premiership and under-21 games in England. I’m going to see Isaac Price and Shea Charles playing under-21 games.

“That’s where we are with the resources we have.”

Julen Lopetegui admits the uncertainly surrounding his future cannot be allowed to drag on.

The former Real Madrid manager’s long-term future at Molineux has been in the spotlight.

Financial fair play regulations will impact the club’s spending power this summer and Lopetegui has previously said he only discovered the constraints last week.

He has been calling for investment since securing Premier League safety and the manager will continue to speak to chairman Jeff Shi about what backing he will receive — but knows there needs to be a quick resolution.

He said: “I hope — we will see.

“I want to solve the problems. Maybe me or the club aren’t able to solve them 100 per cent, but I think we have to try, for our fans, for our club, for our history and for our future.

“If we want to be demanding in the future we have to demand now with ourselves and with this summer.

“I have a contract and I’ve been here for six months. I’m very happy here and I hope I can continue being happy here.

“But we have a problem and we must be honest and look each other in the eyes to try to solve the problems.

“Maybe not 100 per cent, but maybe 80 per cent, who knows?

“This is all. About my future, I have a contract and we will see what is going to happen, This is football, we don’t know.

“We have to talk, it’s not about one or two days. We have to talk about the solution and the future to be able to have a squad ready to compete again.

“This year has been a wake-up call. We have to learn why it has happened and to overcome and make our homework this summer. It’s not about one or two days. We need a clear picture.

“It’s important to have the squad ready. Maybe not 100 per cent of players but maybe 90 per cent. For me it’s very important, to have the squad ready to start working with us on July 1.”

Wolves to go Arsenal for Sunday’s Premier League finale and Joao Moutinho will not feature and is likely to have played his last game for the club as he is out of contract in the summer.

Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) is out while Lopetegui himself is banned from the touchline for collecting four yellow cards.

He added: “On Sunday we have an important match because it’s the last of the season. They have been very close to winning the Premier League and will want to make a good match in front of their fans. We have to be ready to compete with them.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp does not believe Mohamed Salah will be looking for an escape route in search of Champions League football.

Writing on social media after Manchester United’s win over Chelsea on Thursday consigned Liverpool to the Europa League next season, the Egypt forward said he was “devastated” and there was “absolutely no excuse” for not finishing in the Premier League’s top four.

Last summer the 30-year-old signed a new contract, making him the highest-paid player in the club’s history, but even if next term goes to plan and they regain their place in the Champions League he will be close to entering the final 12 months of that deal.

Asked whether he was concerned about Salah’s immediate future after his rare public statement, Klopp said: “No worries, no. I only heard what he said but I couldn’t read anything that could lead in that direction.

“Obviously Mo loves being here and Mo was part of it. He said apologies for what ‘we’ did — not apologies for ‘what the other guys did, but I had to go with them’. It is all fine.

“If ever a player would come to me and said, ‘oh, we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, I have to leave’, I would drive him to the other club myself.

“I would take the key, (and say) ‘come in the car, where do you want to go, I drive you’.

“That would be something I never could understand. It is, I would say, ‘oh, we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, I need to work in the Champions League so I go’.”

Klopp said if that was a mentality he accepted he too would be looking to leave.

“I am responsible for this mess, or whatever, so you cannot go in these moments,” he added.

“It is not the case with Mo, not at all, and nobody else told me. They ask if they can have a longer holiday or whatever — but nobody asks me if after the holiday they have to come back.

“So that was not in our conversation.

“I saw him now in the canteen and he was smiling. I don’t know for which reason as I didn’t ask him, but he is not in a bad mood. That’s it.

“We didn’t point fingers at each other. That’s all good. If you don’t qualify for the Champions League, the best place you can possibly end up is fifth, so that’s what we did.

“If you’d have asked me 10 games ago if that was possible, I’d have said no. That the boys did that is really good but it’s not perfect.

“We didn’t end up fifth because of the last 10 games, we ended up there because of the lack of consistency before that.

“We didn’t deliver what everybody wanted or expected but we are still really united, that’s the good thing about it.”

Failure to qualify for the Champions League is set to cost Liverpool at least £50million next season but there may be implications in the shorter term as UEFA’s second-tier competition is likely to be less attractive to leading players.

The club have already pulled out of the running for primary target Jude Bellingham after the asking price for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder became prohibitive, and reports this week suggested Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount’s preferred destination is Manchester United.

Klopp is keen to get his business done early and is hopeful finishing fifth will not put a spanner in the works of their planning.

“I don’t think so but we will see. That is obviously possible, it’s always possible things don’t go as quick as you want. It’s not only possible, it is probably likely,” he added ahead of Sunday’s final match of the season at Southampton.

“The better the players you want the lesser is the desire of the other club to let him go and that’s exactly what we are prepared for.

“But it’s a long window and a long pre-season and a long break in-between so we have time. If we get in players tomorrow or in six or seven weeks it is not a game-changer for me to be honest.

“In an ideal world they all sign tomorrow and I can tell them when to be here and we can start giving them the plans for the summer break but that will not likely happen.”

Mikel Arteta praised the influence of Granit Xhaka in helping Arsenal carve out their surprise title challenge this season but would not be drawn on whether the midfielder will still be at the club next season.

Xhaka has been a key figure alongside Thomas Partey in Arteta’s midfield this campaign, becoming a respected leadership presence and redeeming himself in the eyes of supporters after a public spat in 2019 threatened his place in the squad.

Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen have been heavily linked with a move for the 30-year-old, whose contract is due to expire at the end of next season.

He spent four years in Germany with Borussia Monchengladbach before Arsene Wenger brought him to Arsenal in 2016 for around £30million, but he endured a strained relationship with fans culminating in a confrontation as he was substituted during a game against Crystal Palace at the Emirates four years ago.

Then manager Unai Emery subsequently stripped him of the captaincy and his time at the club looked to be over.

But this season has seen a full rehabilitation for the Switzerland international as Arsenal ran Manchester City to the final weeks of the season for the title and returned to the Champions League after a six-year absence.

“For me (he’s been) crucial – really, really important at every level, and I think for the team and the club as well,” said Arteta, who said he would not comment on the futures of any of his side until after Sunday’s Premier League finale against Wolves.

“In the great moments like this season he has had, and in the difficult ones, because I think we have become a better club and better people and we have understood certain situations much better than just judging them.

“I think the club and a lot of people have done really good to dig in there to understand what happened emotionally and why those reactions were happening.

“Having the courage to say, ‘OK, turn around to the situation, face it’. There’s going to be a moment of doubt but if you believe in what you’re doing and you go face-to-face and you say what you feel, normally things work out pretty well.

“When you look how he behaved. We have some others who are absolutely a joy for those boys, the way they treat them. And he has an honest and unique willingness to help them. It’s not an act, it’s genuine.

“It makes the difference. We have four or five in that dressing room who have been critical for these players to grow, to have the right support, to inspire them and in the right moment to challenge them when it’s necessary to get them in the right direction when they are tempted to go somewhere else. You need that in that dressing room.”

Arteta said he would take the time to recharge himself after a draining campaign in which Arsenal led the table for 248 days before slipping away, a record for any side that has failed to win the title.

The team were eight points clear as recently as early April before a string of draws against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton weakened their advantage, allowing Manchester City to finally overtake them with a thumping 4-1 win at the Etihad.

The manager predicted the challenge will be even tougher if Arsenal aim to prevent City from winning a record fourth-straight crown, but planned to switch off from football for a period over the close season.

“I have the necessary energy to go into the last game and really feel again that connection, play well, win the game and finish the season in the right way,” he said.

“Then I have another kind of energy without that being so physical and so demanding and being there every single day but to have the time to think as well; to plan what we want to do, to try execute it, but to recharge my batteries as well next to my family, next to my friends, on a beautiful beach just not thinking about football.

“It’s very important (to be able to switch off). Me personally I have to get better at that but I think I have some good help around.”

Valencia have had their partial stadium closure reduced to three matches and their fine cut to 27,000 euros following the racist abuse of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior by fans.

The Spanish Football Federation appeals committee said that it had decided to “partially uphold” Valencia’s appeal.

It means the partial closure of the Mestalla Stadium has come down from five matches, with an initial 45,000 euros (£39,000) punishment reduced by 18,000 euros.

Vinicius threatened to leave the pitch in the second half of Real Madrid’s LaLiga match against Valencia on Sunday after being subjected to alleged monkey chants from the crowd and Madrid, who said the abuse constituted a “hate crime”, filed a complaint with the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office.

Valencia had 10 working days to file an appeal to the appeals committee.

LaLiga players and officials called for racism to be tackled in Spain in the wake of Sunday’s match.

Before Tuesday night’s games between Real Valladolid and Barcelona, and Celta Vigo and Girona, players from both sides, as well as the match officials, stood behind banners which read “Racism, out of football”.

Vinicius was set to serve a two or three-match ban after being sent off at Valencia, but Spain’s competition committee – a body formed by one member from LaLiga, one from the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) and one from RFEF (Spanish FA) – has rescinded that red card.

LaLiga, meanwhile, said it would request greater jurisdiction to punish clubs whose fans were guilty of racist abuse after feeling “powerless” at the lack of current sanctions in the wake of the latest Vinicius incident.

According to the country’s law, LaLiga can currently only identify and report incidents, and punishment is rarely handed out.

Four people were arrested in Spain on Tuesday under suspicion of hanging an effigy of Vinicius off a bridge in January.

An inflatable doll dressed in a Vinicius shirt was hung from the railings with a banner that read ‘Madrid hates Real Madrid’ ahead of Real’s Copa del Rey game with city rivals Atletico at the start of the year.

And Spanish police confirmed on Tuesday that four suspects had been apprehended.