June 2023 – Page 6

Phil Neville faces an uncertain future having been sacked from his position as Inter Miami manager.

The former Manchester United and England full-back was given the boot by the MLS club, who are co-owned by his former team-mate David Beckham.

He was appointed in 2021 having resigned from his position in charge of the England Women’s team.

With Neville now without a job, we take a look at what caused his sacking and whether he has a future as a manager.

Miami sacking

Neville was sacked after his side lost 1-0 at home to the New York Red Bulls.

It was the franchise’s fourth consecutive loss in the MLS, leaving them rock bottom of the Eastern Conference after 15 games.

The pressure was clearly beginning to tell on Neville, who recently swore at a reporter in the press conference that followed a 3-1 home defeat to Orlando City.

Inter finished 11th in the Eastern Conference in the manager’s first season in 2021 but made the play-offs last year with a sixth-place finish.

This season’s results have therefore been a big disappointment, with Inter only winning five of their 15 matches and losing ten.

Beckham statement

It must have been tough for Beckham to be part of the decision to sack Neville with the pair having known each other since their days in the United youth set-up.

The former England captain released a statement on the club’s website in which he spoke about the process.

He said: “When we appointed Phil we knew he would give Inter Miami his all and I have watched him work incredibly hard and with real commitment towards the ambitions we set out for the club.

“He and his family embraced Miami and he has devoted himself to the drive to bring success to the city and to our fans.

“Phil has made a real contribution to the culture of our club with his qualities as a leader and knowledge as a coach.

“Sometimes in this game we have to make the toughest decisions and sadly we feel the time is right to make a change.”

During Neville’s managerial career, his qualifications for the roles he has been given have often been questioned.

Following coaching positions at United and Valencia, his spells with the Lionesses and Inter Miami have both ended in failure.

England disappointment

Neville’s tenure as Lionesses boss started brightly with a victory in the SheBelieves Cup and a run to the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup.

Results then took a dip and with his job under pressure, the coach announced that he would leave the role when his contract expired following Euro 2021.

With that tournament being pushed back to 2022 following the coronavirus crisis, he stepped down earlier than planned and took the Inter Miami job.

The success of the Lionesses under Sarina Wiegman, with her team winning the European Championship, has made his tenure look even less impressive.

Neville has been given two big chances to establish a name for himself as a manager and failed them both.

It is hard to see where he goes from here. If he wanted to continue as a head coach, then he would surely have to drop down to a less high-profile role than the ones that he has so far occupied.

Perhaps it is time for Phil to follow brother Gary into TV punditry. His brother’s sacking by Valencia has not held him back from enjoying a prominent role in the sport.

– Roma have won ten of their 18 home league games this term, keeping clean sheets in nine of those victories
– Spezia have failed to win any of their last nine away league matches
– Recommended bet: Roma to win to zero at 19/10 with LiveScore Bet

Roma haven’t had much time to recover from their Europa League final loss to Sevilla in Budapest on Wednesday and that may provide Spezia with some belief in their pursuit of Serie A survival.

Despite taking a first-half lead, Jose Mourinho’s side were pegged back and beaten in a dramatic penalty shootout by the La Liga outfit, a result which left the Roma manager and their supporters seething with the decisions of referee Anthony Taylor.

But Roma go into this campaign closer with a fifth place position still within reach, so there is an incentive for victory, but they are not as desperate for the points as relegation-threatened Spezia.

The visitors go into the final day fourth from bottom, but they are level on points with Hellas Verona, who face a tricky trip to AC Milan.

Team news

Mourinho will be dealing with some very tired players after Wednesday’s showdown with Sevilla, so the Portuguese manager may be preparing to make some tactical tweaks.

The Wolves do remain without injured duo Rick Karsdorp and Marash Kumbulla, though.

Leonardo Semplici has no fresh injury concerns, but Spezia must still manage without sidelined quartet Joao Moutinho, Petar Zovko, Emil Holm and Julius Beck.

The stats

Roma have only themselves to blame for missing out on a top-four finish in Serie A as they find themselves without a league win in seven.

The Wolves have drawn four of those seven matches, but they have been pretty reliable at the Stadio Olimpico, where they have won seven of their last 11 Serie A fixtures.

They will also be buoyed by the fact they have won four of their last five rivalries with Spezia, who have struggled on their travels this term.

Semplici’s side have won only two of their 18 away league games this term, losing on 11 occasions and have scored just 12 goals in that period.

Roma have won their last three meetings with Spezia to nil and nine of their ten home league wins this term have been recorded with a clean sheet.

Prediction

Given Roma’s tough recent schedule and Spezia’s need for a positive result, this may be a cagey final-day encounter rather than a free-scoring humdinger.

Both teams have scored in only five of Roma’s 18 home league games this season, while the net has bulged for Spezia in only one of their last six.

So goals may be in short supply, but Roma, who will be desperate to finish the season on a high and who can still grab fifth, look the most likely victors.

Spezia have collected only 11 points from 18 away league trips, going winless in nine and losing three of those fixtures to nil.

Moruinho’s side have been very efficient in the Italian capital this term, winning ten of their 18 home outings, with nine of those victories coming with a clean sheet.

Back Roma to win to zero at 19/10 with LiveScore Bet

Junior Stanislas will leave Bournemouth at the end of his contract, ending a nine-year stint at the club.

The 33-year-old joined the Cherries in 2014 and has made 178 appearances, scoring 38 goals.

He has won two promotions to the Premier League and helped them stay in the top division on five occasions, but will depart the Vitality Stadium this summer.

AFC Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said on the club’s official website: “One of our longest serving players, we wish Junior nothing but the best for what comes next.

“He’s played a massive part in helping the club get to where we are today and his talent and dedication has been an inspiration for those around him.

“We appreciate all of his hard work both on and off the pitch, with his excellent work in the community also a huge testament to his character.”

Stanislas is the latest exit confirmed by the Cherries, following the departures of Jefferson Lerma and Jack Stacey.

West Ham players walked off the pitch during a seven-a-side tournament in America after alleged racial abuse.

The issue happened against Dallas United in the The Soccer Tournament event on Thursday.

Dallas have withdrawn from the £1million competition following the allegation, which came towards the end of the game with Dallas leading 2-0.

Former Hammers Anton Ferdinand, Carlton Cole, Matt Jarvis, Marlon Harewood, Zavon Hines and Jimmy Walker are among those taking part in North Carolina.

It is unclear what was said – or to which player – but Ferdinand reportedly told media at the game the Hammers walked off due to racism.

A statement from TST read: “After conducting an investigation into the final moments of the match between West Ham United and Dallas United, we have concluded that Dallas United violated TST’s code of conduct.

“We have been in dialogue with leadership from both clubs and we are all aligned that the best path forward is Dallas United withdrawing from competition. All parties involved are unified in wanting to make a statement against racial insensitivity.

“We seek to run an event that is not only fiercely high stakes for all competitors, but also one in which all competitors feel safe and protected. As a result, tomorrow’s game between Dallas United and Far East United has been cancelled.”

The referee reportedly told players he did not hear what was said, before West Ham decided to walk off.

Dallas United wrote on Twitter: “In light of the shadow cast by an opposing player’s accusation during tonight’s match, the Dallas United players unanimously decided to withdraw from the remainder of the competition.

“Our coaches and staff fully support the team’s decision. We thank @TST7v7 for the opportunity to compete in the tournament.”

Wolves, Borussia Dortmund and Wrexham are among the teams taking part.

Pep Guardiola has eased concerns over the fitness of a number of key Manchester City players ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday.

Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed the champions’ final Premier League game of the season at Brentford last week.

Those players have all since returned to training and are expected to come back into contention for both the Wembley showpiece and next weekend’s Champions League final in Istanbul.

City manager Guardiola said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”

Guardiola has also confirmed second-choice goalkeeper Stefan Ortega will start at Wembley, in keeping with his usual policy for domestic cup fixtures.

The German, who started two of the last three Premier League games, has not yet conceded in the FA Cup this season.

Guardiola said: “Stefan is going to play. I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”

– Celtic have won three of their four Scottish Cup ties by 3+ goals
– Kyogo Furuhashi scored first in February’s Scottish League Cup Final
– The Bhoys have had 10+ corners in their last three games

Celtic have already collected the Scottish Premiership and League Cup titles and are the heavy odds-on favourites to complete an eighth domestic treble when they face Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Saturday’s Scottish FA Cup Final.

The pair meet at Hampden Park with Championship outfit Caley hoping to channel the spirit of their famous 3-1 cup win at Parkhead in 2000, a result that elicited the immortal headline “Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious”.

Billy Dodds’ side finished sixth in the Championship and Saturday’s match will be their first outing since May 5, meaning they will either be fresh or undercooked.

After some mixed results, as Ange Postecoglou chose to rotate, Celtic concluded their Premiership campaign with last Saturday’s 5-0 win over Aberdeen.

The Australian is the widely reported favourite to be the next Tottenham manager and another trophy would mark a fitting end to a glittering couple of seasons in Glasgow should he choose to move on.

Bet 1: Celtic to win by 3+ goals

Celtic edged past Rangers 1-0 in the semi-finals and were perhaps fortunate to come through what was a cagey contest against their Old Firm rivals.

Eliminating the holders, who derailed their treble hopes in this competition last season, will only have boosted their confidence and they have enjoyed a comfortable run through this competition.

They opened with a 5-0 win over Greenock Morton before beating St Mirren 5-1 and then Hearts 3-0.

With a division between these teams, there is an evident gulf in class, while history is on Celtic’s side, having won the pair’s last three meetings, albeit a few years ago, by three or more goals.

Caley are an organised unit and have beaten Livingston and Kilmarnock on their path to the final. However, the pressure could tell and Celtic should have no issues recording a decent victory.

Bet 2: Kyogo Furuhashi to score first

Key to Celtic’s chances of enjoying a comfortable afternoon will be getting Kyogo Furuhashi in good areas.

The Japanese international topped the Scottish Premiership scoring charts with 27 goals and has also netted three times in this competition.

Furuhashi’s trio of strikes in his team’s successful League Cup run was highlighted by his brace in the final against Rangers and he clearly likes playing at Hampden, so backing him to score first again could prove fruitful.

Bet 3: Celtic to have over 10 corners

Despite their recent mixed run, Celtic have still enjoyed territory, recording 14 corners in the 2-2 draw against St Mirren and 10 in their 4-2 reverse at Hibernian.

They also had 10 last weekend against the Dons and it makes sense to anticipate them going beyond double figures on Saturday.

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Celtic face Inverness in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday in a match with numerous discussion points around the game.

The Hoops are aiming for a 41st triumph in the competition while Caley Thistle bid to make it two wins from two final appearances.

Here are some of the key issues ahead of the Hampden encounter.

“We have done this dance a few times this year,” said Ange Postecoglou after being quizzed over reports that Tottenham had made him their top candidate for their managerial vacancy. The Celtic manager has been linked with numerous Premier League jobs this season – Leeds, Everton, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Leicester and Chelsea to name a few – and he pointed out there had been another favourite for the Spurs job last week. The Australian stressed that nothing would distract him from preparing for Saturday’s game but Celtic fans approach the final with anxious thoughts over the future.

Postecoglou is looking to emulate Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon in securing a clean sweep of domestic honours in the one season in what has been classed as a world-record eighth treble. Postecoglou is determined to write that chapter of the club’s history and make it a fifth treble in seven seasons to underline Celtic’s dominance in Scotland.

Celtic must overcame opponents who have caused them all sorts of problems in the Scottish Cup, since their first meeting in 2000 when First Division Caley Thistle won 3-1 at Parkhead in their sixth season in the league, costing John Barnes his job as Hoops manager. John Robertson’s then top-flight side repeated the feat three years later, three days after Celtic had won at Anfield on their way to the UEFA Cup final. A hat-trick of shocks was completed in the 2015 semi-finals as Ronny Deila’s side saw their treble hopes collapse in a controversial 3-2 defeat. John Hughes’ team went on to lift the trophy. Celtic have won four of the seven Scottish Cup meetings but have twice needed to come from behind.

Caley Thistle finished sixth in the Championship, with a late winner from Ayr’s Josh Mullin ending their play-off hopes in the final minutes of the season. Billy Dodds’ side have not played a competitive fixture since that May 5 game, a friendly against Dean Shiels’ Dungannon Swifts side the only time they have appeared.

Celtic top goalscorer Kyogo Furuhashi is a fitness doubt after coming off worse in a 50-50 with Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos last weekend. The Japan forward, who has 33 goals this season, did not train until Friday but history would suggest he will declare himself fit. The 28-year-old scored a match-winning double against Hibernian in last season’s League Cup final despite nursing a hamstring injury which would soon rule him out for more than three months. He also notched both Celtic goals in this season’s final against Rangers.

Caley Thistle will guarantee European group stage football if they win – they will go into the Europa League play-offs and drop into the Conference League group if they lose. Aberdeen and Hibernian fans will be cheering on Celtic. The Dons will get the Europa League play-off spot if Celtic win but enter the Conference League qualifiers otherwise, while Hibs need a Hoops win to qualify for Europe. It is all or nothing for Caley Thistle with the Scottish Cup runners-up no longer getting a European place.

Inverness could find themselves featuring in quiz questions for decades if they pull off a shock, as the team that won the Scottish Cup despite losing in an earlier round. Caley Thistle were beaten 2-0 by Queen’s Park in a rearranged fourth-round tie but the Spiders were expelled from the competition for fielding an ineligible player – Euan Henderson had been signed on loan from Hearts after the original date. Inverness seized their second chance by defeating Premiership sides Livingston and Kilmarnock before a 3-0 semi-final win against Falkirk.

In a break with tradition, the game will kick off at 5.30pm after the Scottish Football Association elected to make way for the Manchester derby FA Cup final in a bid to maximise television exposure. The decision disappointed both clubs and Inverness blamed the later kick-off as the reason they handed back 2,500 tickets.

Treble-chasing Manchester City could be close to full strength as they take on arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The champions have had fitness concerns in the build-up to the Wembley showpiece.

Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji all missed last weekend’s final Premier League game of the season at Brentford for a variety of reasons.

Training for the quartet was also curtailed as City opted not to take risks ahead of what is a momentous period in the club’s history with the Champions League final to follow next week.

Manager Pep Guardiola says the whole squad is now looking fit and healthy.

He said: “They’ve trained well in the last two training sessions. They are all of them, more or less, fine.”

One member of City’s first-choice XI who will not start, however, is goalkeeper Ederson.

Back-up Stefan Ortega has featured in all domestic cup fixtures this season and, after also playing in two of the last three Premier League games, will be given the nod at Wembley.

“Stefan is going to play,” said Guardiola of the German, who has not conceded a goal in the FA Cup this term.

“I have always been like that in the FA Cup. The keeper who has played in the FA Cup is going to play in the FA Cup (final).”

Guardiola is preparing for a tough contest against a United side who will not be short of incentives at Wembley.

As well the usual cup final and derby motivations, United are also bidding to prevent City emulating their so far unique achievement of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.

City thrashed United 6-3 early in their manager Erik ten Hag’s reign back in October but Guardiola feels they are a considerably better side now.

He said: “A final is special for itself but what United have been doing in the last four, five, six months – they are a completely different team from the beginning of the season when we faced them here.

“I have the feeling that the team has improved from the beginning of the season – the patterns are more clear and the quality they have.”

Guardiola insists he is taking the fixture in isolation and not yet thinking about it in the context of a potentially glorious treble.

He said: “It would be good for us if we think about what we have to do to win one game.

“We have to analyse the strength of our opponent and see the weaknesses they have. The focus is, it’s a football game, that’s the most important thing.

“What’s (said) outside is normal, we cannot control it, but the last two games of the season we have to do what we have to do on the pitch to win the game.”

Jose Mourinho has been charged by UEFA over criticism of referee Anthony Taylor in the wake of Roma’s Europa League final defeat to Sevilla in Budapest on Wednesday.

Subsequent video footage of Taylor being accosted by angry fans at the airport has been condemned by the Premier League, which said it was “shocked and appalled” by the abuse suffered by the official.

Mourinho’s charge for using insulting/abusive language towards a match official is one of a number of charges levelled against both clubs after a stormy final that yielded 13 yellow cards.

Mourinho criticised Taylor in his post-match press conference, and in video footage which later emerged on social media, the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager is seen gesticulating at Taylor and officials in the stadium car park and heard saying “disgrace”.

In the incident at the airport, clips on Twitter show a chair and drinks being thrown in the direction of Taylor and his group as they make their way through a gathering of Roma fans.

A Premier League spokesperson said: “We are shocked and appalled by the unacceptable abuse directed at Anthony Taylor and his family as they travelled back from the UEFA Europa League Final.

“No one should have to suffer the inexcusable behaviour they had to endure yesterday.

“Anthony is one of our most experienced and accomplished match officials and we fully support him and his family.”

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said in a statement on Thursday evening: “PGMOL is aware of videos circulating on social media showing Anthony Taylor and his family being harassed and abused at Budapest Airport.

“We are appalled at the unjustified and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final.

“We will continue to provide our full support to Anthony and his family.”

Taylor booked Mourinho during the game, which finished 1-1 after extra time before Sevilla sealed their seventh Europa League triumph by winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out.

The game was littered with delays, with a total of 25 minutes’ stoppage time added to the 120 minutes of playing time.

UEFA has also charged both clubs with throwing of objects, lighting of fireworks, and the improper conduct of the team. In addition, Roma have been charged with crowd disturbances and acts of damage.

West Ham boss David Moyes condemned the treatment of Taylor as he prepares his side for Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina in Prague.

“I didn’t see the game so I can’t comment on the game itself or the officiating,” Moyes said.

“All referees have a really difficult job and shouldn’t be put through any difficult situations, which I heard about this morning. That’s not correct.”

Manchester City will take on old foes Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side have already secured the Premier League and are now looking to win the domestic showpiece and next weekend’s Champions League final to complete a historic Treble.

Ahead of the first Manchester derby in the FA Cup final, we take a look back at how City reached Wembley.

Third round — Manchester City 4-0 Chelsea

Just three days after beating Chelsea 1-0 in a hard-fought Premier League encounter, City hosted the Londoners in the FA Cup.

This time victory came much easier. Having scored the winner at Stamford Bridge, Riyad Mahrez caused the Blues more suffering as he curled a long-range free-kick into the top corner.

A Julian Alvarez penalty and a Phil Foden goal made it 3-0 going into the break. Mahrez later scored his second of the game from the spot to complete the rout.

Fourth round — Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal

The Citizens drew another Premier League side in the fourth round as title rivals Arsenal visited the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were top of the Premier League at the time and Guardiola took the challenge seriously enough to rotate his line-up a lot less than his counterpart.

A tight game was decided in the second half when Nathan Ake produced a composed finish to secure a 1-0 win.

Fifth round — Bristol City 0-3 Manchester City

In the last 16, the Premier League champions took on the first of a trio of Championship teams when they visited Bristol City.

Foden gave City an early lead after just seven minutes and then doubled it when his deflected effort found the net late in the second half.

Kevin De Bruyne’s low curling shot nine minutes from time saw his team sail into the next round.

Quarter-final — Manchester City 6-0 Burnley

A club legend returned to the Emirates in the quarter-finals when Vincent Kompany brought his Burnley side to face his former team.

With the Clarets top of the Championship, this was a real test of their progress under the Belgian. It was one that they failed as Erling Haaland effectively won the game with a first-half hat-trick.

In the second period, Alvarez scored twice with City youngster Cole Palmer also getting on the scoresheet.

Semi-final: Manchester City 3-0 Sheffield United

City faced another team that won promotion from the Championship when they took on Sheffield United at Wembley. Once again, they enjoyed an easy victory.

It was Mahrez who was the hero as he scored the first hat-trick in an FA Cup semi-final since 1958.

The Algerian scored a penalty just before half-time, ran from the halfway line before finishing for his second and then produced a smart effort from a Jack Grealish cross for his third.

Next up is a much tougher challenge as City take on the United in an attempt to complete the second part of a historic Treble.