Manchester United have had a week to forget so far, with an update claiming the Red Devils squad aren’t happy with one thing at Old Trafford.
Man Utd kit problems
Erik ten Hag has had to watch back-to-back 3-0 home defeats in the space of four days against Manchester City in the Premier League and Newcastle United in the EFL Cup. As a result, he has come under plenty of pressure regarding his future in charge, although the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe seemingly view his position as safe for now.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that some of the Man Utd squad aren’t happy with the kit this season. Goalkeeper Andre Onana is thought to be wearing a replica top and some outfield players using different socks after complaining they are too tight. Talking to Football Insider regarding the Man Utd kit issue, finance expert Kieran Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, said it looks like the players are making excuses which is making the club “look a bit of a laughing stock”.
“I think Adidas will be absolutely furious about this. It looks like excuse-making from the players. We’re at a time when I think Manchester United fans are looking for somebody to stand up and represent what they feel about their love of the club.
“But it’s making Manchester United look a bit of a laughing stock if you’re blaming it on socks being too tight. I don’t see what that’s got to do with the complete lack of effort and players throwing in the towel during the match.
“So you can understand that Adidas will be pretty furious given that they do have this £900million deal with Man United. I don’t think it will have a negative impact on sales but the optics look really poor, where there are clearly issues at the club in terms of its culture.”
Jadon Sancho
Man Utd kit sales
Maguire believes that Adidas won’t be happy with the complaints from Old Trafford, and you can see why, especially with the huge deal they have with the Red Devils. It isn’t the first time we have seen something like this during the campaign, with Aston Villa’s squad also not happy with Castore with their shirts.
However, Man Utd sold around 1.75m shirts last season, more than Man City and just behind Liverpool at the top, so if supporters hear about the first-team squad being unhappy with the kit, then perhaps it could have a knock-on effect when it comes to sales.
Hopefully, that isn’t the case and United can find a solution to their kit issues and get back to winning ways on the pitch, but at this moment in time, there seems to be problems everywhere you look at Old Trafford.
Manchester United will be acutely aware that the January transfer window is coming fast at Old Trafford and journalist Dean Jones has given an update on one rumour doing the rounds before the market opens for business.
Manchester United dig deep at Anfield…
Manchester United managed to dig deep at Anfield against high-flying Liverpool to record a credible 0-0 draw at Anfield despite fielding a depleted starting side that included the likes of Jonny Evans, Sofyan Amrabat and youngster Kobbie Mainoo.
Several key players were also missing from the bench against Jurgen Klopp's outfit, making the fact Erik Ten Hag's men took a result even more of an impressive feat. The Red Devils are now in seventh place in the Premier League table with 28 points from their first 17 matches in the division and find themselves six points outside the top four heading into their trip to face West Ham United on Saturday.
Man Utd may make off-field bid for top target; club looking at replacements
Manchester United could be set for some big changes at Old Trafford…
BySean Markus Clifford Dec 18, 2023
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, journalist Charlotte Duncker singled out Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans for special praise, given that the pairing managed to keep a clean sheet in their first league start together.
"That was their ninth centre-back pairing already this season, so to go to Anfield with Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane, who were starting a Premier League game together for the first time, and to come away with a clean sheet, with both of them putting in really good performances, is testament really to the way Manchester United performed."
Nevertheless, United's matchday squad yesterday was a beaming example of why reinforcements are needed in the North West come January and journalist Jones has now given an update regarding one mooted transfer scenario involving two players.
Dean Jones drops Jadon Sancho and Donyell Malen update
Earlier in the month, reports indicated that Borussia Dortmund would offer Manchester United the chance to sign Donyell Malen in January in the event Jadon Sancho departs Old Trafford. BILD journalist Christian Falk has also added extra context to the matter, claiming that a swap deal could happen involving the two players mentioned.
Donyell Malen goals and assists in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)
Appearances
22
Goals
6
Assists
2
Donyell Malen in-game statistics in 2023/24 – Bundesliga (Sofascore)
Expected goals
4.61
Scoring frequency
173 minutes
Shots per game
2.6
Shots on target per game
1.4
Big chances missed
3
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has now indicated that the Red Devils are trying their best to facilitate an exit for Sancho; however, he has suggested that any deal that would see Malen arrive in exchange would be fraught with difficulty.
Donyell Malen
Jones told the outlet: "There's a lot of reports around Sancho at the moment. But there's truth in it in a sense that representatives are trying to make something happen and they're trying to push an agenda and trying to force a transfer.
"But the actual likelihood of Jadon Sancho going to Dortmund and Donyell Malen coming the other away, that's so complicated and complex that it's just extremely unlikely. They really need to just focus on getting Sancho out and that's obviously where this is all coming from."
The captain and her understudy hit fifties to lead Australia’s comeback after they were reduced to 4 for 45 in a chase of 163
The Report by Daniel Brettig29-Sep-20182:29
Keen to change poor T20I record against New Zealand – Lanning
Australia’s captain Meg Lanning and her leadership understudy Rachael Haynes took command of a steep chase to fire the hosts to victory over New Zealand in the opening Twenty20 international, in front of an enthusiastic North Sydney Oval crowd and a prime time television audience on the new free-to-air broadcaster, Seven.This match was the first televised international on Australian soil not broadcast by Channel Nine in almost 40 years, signalling the start of a new era for the game in Australia, and Lanning and Haynes ensured that it would be marked with a winning result for the home side. Katey Martin and Sophie Devine had led New Zealand to 162, a total that had not appeared likely when the tourists were 5 for 120 with fewer than four overs remaining.However Martin’s clean hitting, with help from Bernadine Bezuidenhout, presented the Australians with a more challenging task, and early wickets in the pursuit did not aid their cause. Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani fell in the space of a single Devine over, while Beth Mooney and Ashleigh Gardner also fell swiftly. At 4 for 45, New Zealand appeared very much the more likely winner.But Australia’s women have never lost a T20 international at North Sydney, and Lanning’s team consider the ground their most valued home advantage. A fierce intent to protect that record was write large across the partnership that subsequently developed between Lanning, who missed last year’s Ashes series due to shoulder surgery, and Haynes, who had successfully deputised for the captain.It was actually Haynes who played the more dominant role in the stand, unusually given Lanning’s pre-eminence as a power hitter and stroke maker in the women’s game. This dynamic flummoxed New Zealand and their captain Amy Satterthwaite, who was unable to summon any bowling combination to limit the Australian pair.Having initially allowed the required run rate to drift out, Haynes and Lanning reeled it in steadily, before ultimately cruising past the total with 14 balls to spare with a flurry of boundaries towards the end of the chase. Devine’s 2 for 31 was the only analysis that sufficiently contained the Australians, with victory arriving as the stand swelled to an unbeaten 119 for the fifth wicket – Australia’s star allrounder Ellyse Perry was not even required to bat.She had bowled with notable economy in New Zealand’s innings, a trait also shared by the spell of Sophie Molineux. While Martin and Devine were able to find the boundary regularly against the rest of the Australian attack, they were unable to climb high enough to prevent Lanning’s collective from preserving their proud North Sydney record as a new era began.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kedar Jadhav helped India bundle Pakistan out for 162 before their batsmen made light work of the chase
The Report by Sidharth Monga19-Sep-20180:55
Manjrekar: Pakistan can’t blame their bowlers
Having survived a banana peel against Hong Kong, India came back with a near-perfect bowling performance to register their most comfortable chase against arch-rivals Pakistan: with 126 balls remaining. Going through a patch of uninspiring performances, the bowlers returned with a thorough show, exposing Pakistan’s hardly-used middle order, which showed its lack of experience of batting through 50-over innings by going for big shots every time they were tied down.Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to form after 35.2 wicketless overs in ODIs, and Kedar Jadhav’s return to the side – that cushion of the sixth bowler – showed just what India missed in England. Between them, they took six wickets; Jadhav’s 3 for 23 were his best figures in ODI cricket.Both the slots – opening bowler and the pressure on Hardik Pandya in absence of a sixth bowler – had been matters of concern coming into this match. Bhuvneshwar came into the match with an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 61 in the Powerplay overs since the start of 2017, third-worst numbers among those who have bowled 500 Powerplay balls or more in that period. Here, reunited with Jasprit Bumrah who missed the England ODIs with a broken thumb and was rested in the Asia Cup opener, Bhuvneshwar showed the worth of his experience.In the first five overs, there was not a single loose ball bowled. The left-hand openers were cramped for room, and knowing there was no movement to be had, the bowlers didn’t bowl a single drive-able ball. Imam-ul-Haq tried to break the shackles by giving Bhuvneshwar the charge, who shortened the length accordingly to draw an edge. Fakhar Zaman, who scored a sensational hundred in his last match against India, the Champions Trophy final, wasn’t even given a ball he could pick a single off. Frustrated, he finally tried to pull but Bhuvneshwar managed to cramp him up, and forced the top edge to make it 3 for 2.In two swift blows, Bhuvneshwar had taken out two big threats. One of the remaining batsmen, Shoaib Malik, had scored more runs and hit more boundaries than the rest of the XI put together. Captain Sarfraz Ahmed had been called upon to bat only ten times in their last 20 ODIs. Arguably their best all-round batsman, Babar Azam completed the middle-order core that was now left to bat a majority of the innings before the big-hitting allrounders could take over.Bhuvneshwar Kumar celebrates after Imam-ul-Haq’s dismissal•Associated PressAzam and Malik began promisingly enough, adding 82 for the third wicket, but even in this partnership risks had to be taken. India didn’t allow them easy rotation of the strike. When eventually Kuldeep Yadav went past Azam’s outside edge with a lovely wrong’un, the game was opened up once again. It didn’t matter that Malik was reprieved twice – once by MS Dhoni and then by Bhuvneshwar in the deep. It didn’t matter that Hardik Pandya hurt himself so badly while bowling that he had to be stretchered off the field. Pakistan’s middle order just crumbled under the pressure, with the next four wickets falling for just 25 runs.Pandya’s replacement, Jadhav, managed to frustrate the batsmen with his shrewd changes of pace and trajectory before Sarfraz tried to hit him for a six wide of long-on. This time, Pandya’s replacement in the field kicked into action. Manish Pandey, no stranger to tough boundary catches, hared across to his right, took the catch, realised he was going to struggle to stay in the field of the play, lobbed the ball back in, stepped out and came back to take it, all the while making it look quite easy.Malik made the next dismissal look easy. Asif Ali, the new batsman, refused to acknowledge Malik’s call when the ball had gone to short third man, but Malik took an age to turn, and a long, circular route back, presumably to try to deny the fielder a clear sight of the stumps. In the end, the circuitous route and the lack of a dive or even a proper stretch resulted in his wicket.Then, Jadhav first and the quicks later ran riot to not even let Pakistan bat their allotment of 50 overs. Once the target was that low – 163 – it was clear India weren’t going to need their allotment themselves. Not with Shikhar Dhawan carrying on from the hundred against Hong Kong and Rohit Sharma timing everything sweetly. Rohit looked in absolute peach form, hitting three sixes during his 52 in an 86-run opening stand. The one disappointment for Rohit will be the return of his legspin troubles from the IPL: he fell to the first ball from Shadab Khan, a wrong’un.Now was not the time for India to worry about those things. They had come out unharmed from a possible slippery start to their Asia Cup campaign, winning two ODIs in two nights and heading to the Super Four stage as the leaders of their group. Not that the position changed anything if you qualified: all teams play each other in the next stage and carry no bonus points from the first round.
Chelsea chiefs are believed to be over the moon with one signing they've made, and feel as if he's already an "absolute bargain".
Chelsea form under Pochettino
In the last fornight, Mauricio Pochettino's side have slowly turned a corner after what was an unideal start to the Premier League campaign. At one point, the west Londoners went from mid-August to early October without even scoring a league goal, a torrid run which ended after Chelsea's 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Pochettino's men, since that much-needed win, have gone on to beat both Brighton in the EFL Cup and Burnley 4-1 at Turf Moor before the international break.
Those results have seemingly instilled positivity back at Stamford Bridge after a very regrettable 2023 overall, with Pochettino heaping praise on his players after their most recent demolition of the Clarets.
“Always when you concede first and you need to break down the opponent always you feel proud when you achieve that,” Pochettino said after their Burnley 1-4 Chelsea at Turf Moor.
“The team were playing well and with the chances conceded in a situation that was completely unfair, but the team were really good, solid, the whole team. We want to improve players and try to recover the players that were injured. The next two weeks we’re going to spend working on the training ground with a different mood from the last months. After two victories it is much better but I think we will keep pushing, working hard to be better in the next months.”
Kendry Paez transfer update
Supporters will be hoping their near £400 million spent over the summer transfer window will eventually result in an imperious run of form, and one which could hopefully have Chelsea challenging at the very top again. They made some signings for the future as well, though, including Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Paez.
The 16-year-old, who's already doing excellently for the Ecuador national team despite his tender age, will move to Chelsea in 2025, but despite not even playing for them yet, club chiefs already believe they've signed an "absolute bargain". That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who shared the Paez update in his Daily Briefing.
"It’s becoming clearer all the time that Chelsea have signed a fantastic talent," wrote Romano.
"Paez will move to Stamford Bridge in 2025, with Chelsea winning the race for his signature earlier this year when other big clubs like Manchester United and Bayern Munich were also interested in him. The Blues also increasingly feel that they got an absolute bargain for the teenage midfielder, whose value has probably already shot up since they agreed the package for him.
"It was not easy for Chelsea to arrive there ahead of other clubs, so it’s a great job by their recruitment team, and a smart deal. Chelsea feel he’s probably already worth double what they paid for him, so who knows where he’ll be by the time he joins the club when he turns 18."
Paez is currently plying his trade at Independiente Del Valle in Ecuador, where he is eagerly anticipating his switch to the Premier League.
The England coach accepted that progress “was taking longer than we would have liked” after a sixth defeat in eight Tests
George Dobell at Lord's27-May-20181:52
England outplayed in all three departments – Root
Trevor Bayliss has admitted England were “nowhere near good enough for Test level” in subsiding to a nine-wicket defeat against Pakistan at Lord’s.Bayliss, the England coach, accepted that progress “was taking longer than we would have liked” after England’s sixth defeat in eight Tests (the other two have been drawn) and third defeat in four at Lord’s and questioned whether playing in the County Championship at this time of year provided any benefit for aspiring batsmen.And, while he reiterated his desire to see out his contract as coach in all formats of the game, Bayliss shrugged off the prospect of being sacked from the Test role by saying he was “looking forward to a bit more time gardening” if the axe should fall.He was particularly scathing of England’s batting, accepting that their failures at Lord’s were far from unique and suggesting they needed to take “a good, hard look at themselves.” And he defended Joe Root’s decision not to insert Pakistan on a green, first-day surface by stating that, had England batted better, the tactic might have been justified.”It’s very disappointing,” Bayliss told . “Especially from a batting point of view. It was nowhere near good enough for Test level. Pakistan bowled well but we have to be better.”To be bowled out for 180 and 240 is simply not good enough. Usually when we lose one or two quick wickets, it usually follows with another two or three so that’s something we have sit down – we’ve done it in the past which may make things worse – and continue to work on.”It’s not as though we haven’t talked about that before. They are working hard on it but we keep making the same mistakes. The batters have to have a good hard long look at themselves.”Jos Buttler and Dom Bess showed the approach early on his very important: let the ball come, play it under your eyes, get yourself in and give yourself a chance.”I was 50-50 on the toss decision. Joe really wanted to put the pressure on Pakistan in the fourth innings and we saw even today there were some balls keeping low. We simply didn’t bat well enough. Even though the ball was doing a bit we have to be better and get the match into the fifth day if that’s the decision the captain makes.”Asked whether more players should have been involved in the County Championship ahead of the Tests – Buttler and Ben Stokes joined the squad straight from the IPL – Bayliss questioned the value of the competition as a learning ground. He also stated that England felt they could help Mark Stoneman more with his firm in the nets than allowing him to play a one-day match with Surrey.”Only two guys missed those county matches with IPL,” he said. “When it comes to four-day cricket we have to make the decision if it’s worth playing on those little seaming green-tops where slow medium pacers take all the wickets.”We felt it was better to do some hard work with Stoneman in the nets. The other thing we need is some putting pressure on from the outside and making plenty of runs and that’s not necessarily happening either.”Bayliss also insisted that he and his coaching staff were on the right track and reiterated his desire to see out his contract, which ends in September 2019. But he did make the intriguing suggestion that a new seamer could be drafted into the team if it was concluded they required someone to “bowl fuller more often.””James Anderson and Stuart Broad have 900 Test wickets between them and should know how to bowl on these wickets. From a swing bowler’s point of view, Jimmy’s mode of operation is a bit different to others. He likes to starve the batter of a lot of full balls and when the full one comes they throw their hands at it straightaway. He’s taken 500 Test wickets, it’s a bit hard to say that’s the wrong approach.”If we want someone to bowl fuller more often it means we maybe have to put someone in the term that’s their mode. Those two boys, with 400 and 500 Test wickets, I don’t think they’ve done a lot wrong.”I’ve committed to September 2019 in both forms of the game. If that’s a decision someone higher up makes, then I’m looking forward to a bit more gardening.”Personally I think the things myself and the coaching staff are working on are the right things, it’s taking a little longer than we would have liked and we have to keeper hammering away. I believe it will be the right way and these are the best players we’ve got.”
Wolves' Gary O'Neil says it was "disgusting" for Coventry City boss Mark Robins to celebrate their FA Cup win in front of a 13-year-old boy.
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Coventry beat Wolves in FA CupRobins celebrates in front of ball boyO'Neil slams Coventry boss' actionsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The Championship side secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, with USMNT star Haji Wright grabbing a 100th-minute winner. While the Sky Blues were understandably delighted at reaching the last four and Wembley, manager O'Neil slammed his managerial counterpart for cheering and fist pumping in front of the young ball boy, who had earlier attracted the ire of Coventry defender Jake Bidwell for seemingly not getting the ball quick enough. After the match, Robins apologised for his actions.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT BOTH MANAGERS SAID
O'Neil told reporters: “I wasn’t aware of it until afterwards. I was disappointed, I waited for Mark downstairs and spoke to him because I was really respectful at the end, having lost a massive game, waited for them to finish their celebrations, shook everyone’s hands, congratulated them on a real good performance, reaching Wembley and what a fantastic achievement it was. And he apologised, to celebrate in a young boy’s face like that I thought was disgusting, the boy is really upset. It shouldn’t happen, but too much to say about it because we have lost and it’s going to seem bitter, but I thought it was really important to speak to Mark about it because they are just kids doing a job.”
Robins added: “I have an apology to make. Before the winner went in, the ball boy had the ball, a young kid, he has the ball in his hand, drops it and walks away smiling. It really annoyed me, but he’s a kid at the end of the day. I have reacted, we scored the goal and I went and celebrated in front of him. I apologise to him. I do not show emotion very often but that is what the FA Cup does to you. I apologise to him unreservedly.”
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Coventry's last-gasp win looked unlikely when Wolves were leading two minutes from time after Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hugo Bueno cancelled out Ellis Simms' controversial opener. However, Robins' team kept plugging away and equalised in the 97th minute through Simms before Wright sealed a famous victory at the death. Coventry are aiming to win their second FA Cup after lifting the trophy back in 1987.
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WHAT NEXT?
Coventry, who are aiming to earn promotion to the Premier League as well via the play-offs, will find out who they face in the semi-finals on Sunday afternoon. They will then face their last four opponents on either April 20 or 21 at Wembley.
West Ham United won the Europa Conference League last season after keeping the faith in manager David Moyes, who was struggling to replicate his past success in the Premier League.
The Hammers currently top their Europa League group after two matches, having qualified for continental competition despite finishing 16th in the league last season after winning the Conference League.
The return to Thursday night football also means that the east London outfit are now enjoying their fourth successive term on the European scene, and will undoubtedly be targetting further silverware after getting a taste in June.
They are doing so without Declan Rice, with the coveted England international joining Arsenal in a £105m transfer in the summer having risen from the Irons academy to a position as one of the game's finest midfielders.
His development will have been galvanising for the club's latest crop of youthful talent to witness, who know that they too could tread the path that the 24-year-old was walked.
Moyes might want to make use of such players to fill the gaps, with a host of first-teamers, including Aaron Cresswell, set to depart at the end of the season.
Is Aaron Cresswell going to leave West Ham?
With multiple aces currently enjoying their final term at West Ham, Moyes and his transfer team will indeed be discussing internally the options possible to continue the rich vein of form that has stretched, by and large, across four campaigns now.
Of course, this will arrive in a blend of new additions, youth players and the inevitable extensions for one or two possible departees.
Player
Age
Tomas Soucek*
28
Pablo Fornals
27
Ben Johnson
23
Vladimir Coufal*
31
Michail Antonio*
33
Conor Coventry
23
Aaron Cresswell
33
Lukasz Fabianski
38
Angelo Ogbonna
35
Divin Mubama
18
Joseph Anang
23
*Club option to extend for another year
One player on the list who likely will be headed for the exit is Cresswell, who would complete a decade of service to United upon his contract's expiry, having joined from Ipswich Town for around £2m in 2014.
Having made 332 appearances, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers were both interested in his signature over the summer but he ultimately remained in London.
Despite his ageing years, Cresswell still maintains his fantastic ball-playing ability, with FBref ranking him among the top 11% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 19% for passes attempted and the top 10% for progressive passes per 90.
The £50k-per-week ace has been a solid and significant stalwart in West Ham's progress over recent years, with his role at the club leading talkSPORT's Tony Cascarino to hail him as an "unsung hero" for the club.
West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell.
But given that he is out of contract at the end of the campaign, his journey might now be set to reach its culmination, especially given his dwindling presence on the pitch over the past few years.
Because of this, the time might be right to start providing youngster Regan Clayton with added responsibility, with the academy starlet boasting all the attributes to succeed at West Ham and serve as Cresswell's heir.
Who is Regan Clayton?
Clayton has been at West Ham's academy since he was ten, having shone during his formative years and now moves within reach of a senior debut in the not-too-distant future.
Citing Bayern Munich phenom Alphonso Davies as his inspiration, the 18-year-old is electric, unflinching and eager to contribute to offensive passages of play whenever he can, with such dynamic qualities custom-made for a place in a Moyes team.
The club's Scottish manager is perhaps known for his conservative, disciplined philosophy, but would certainly scoff at the 'defensive football' tag at the London Stadium, having scored more goals than Chelsea and Manchester United this season and led West Ham to new, silver-laden heights since his appointment.
A more accurate description is that he instils resilience and solidity and in return breeds fluidity in transition, with overlapping full-backs opening pockets for offensive focal points to work laterally across the frontline.
Clayton would be a fantastic addition to this system, and the teenage talent actually benefits from the rich resources the club currently offers at left-back.
Emerson is considered the Irons' first-choice option, while Ben Johnson offers flexibility across both full-back positions; Cresswell is now a veteran but still brings his creative, rounded skill set to the table.
Davies might be Clayton's idol but it is his senior teammate who is the role model, remarking at the 33-year-old's protean ability across the spectrum of a defender's game.
What is Regan Clayton's style of play?
Now a seasoned veteran at youth level, Clayton has chalked up 90 appearances for the Irons' development squads, posting five goals and assists apiece.
Last season, the prodigy even earned a place on the bench on two occasions in the Conference League for the Hammers – meaning he received a winners medal – emphasising the trust already placed in his ability.
Robson said: “Regan Clayton came in from the U18s and I thought he did excellent when he came on and added some quality, and it’s great we get that level from these lads coming into the U23s.”
One scout was particularly impressed by his displays in a less-favoured centre-back role, claiming that he "has anticipated and defended transitions excellently. Using his intelligence to negate his lack of height at the back."
Soccer Football – Premier League – West Ham United v Brighton & Hove Albion – London Stadium, London, Britain – August 21, 2022 West Ham United manager David Moyes shakes hands with Aaron Cresswell after the match REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Pleas
Such intellect and understanding on the pitch will be crucial in taking the steps towards first-team involvement, but based on the current evidence, he truly is well on the way to realising this.
While Clayton will likely need to build some minutes at U21 level before Moyes decides that he is ready for the senior side, he is set for a big role under Robson this season and could find himself on Premier League soil in no time.
The fact that Emerson, Johnson and co ply their trade at the club should really be viewed as a positive; Clayton can develop and absorb the fruits of his peers' labour, and steadily work his way to the top – a position very much attainable for so talented a prospect.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has come under fire by rival fans for defending Michael Oliver's decision not to award Liverpool a penalty.
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Liverpool drew with City in fierce battleLate penalty decision went Cityzens' wayWalker slammed after backing referee for showing "character"(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The two Premier League titans came head-to-head in a fiercely contested battle that went to the wire on Sunday evening, with goals from John Stones and Alexis Mac Allister setting up a tense finale. It was Liverpool that pushed for a winner and they appeared to have done enough to win a penalty in the last minute. However, Jeremy Doku's high challenge on Mac Allister was somehow deemed a fair challenge by referee Oliver, leading to natural uproar from the Reds fanbase.
And those supporters have been angered again after City defender Walker doubled down on praise for the match official in a recent interview, lauding Oliver for not "crumbling" under the Anfield pressure.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT WALKER SAID
Asked by for his thoughts on the late decision that went in City's favour, Walker said: "My view is the referee and the VAR have made a decision on what it is. I feel that the ref reffed it really, really well, I feel once you have Anfield and the crowd behind him, he [Oliver] could've crumbled. But that shows his experience and his character, and is why he's regarded as probably one of the best referees in this country and in the world at the minute."
Pressed on whether he thought it should've been a penalty, the full-back added: "Listen, it's probably not up [to] me to say if I do think it's a pen, if I say it's not a pen [there'd be] headlines, if I say it is a pen then [there'd be] headlines. So the VAR's checked it, the ref's done it, that's all I'm going to say on that."
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WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
After such frank comments about a questionable performance from Oliver – who also allowed Stones' goal to stand despite Nathan Ake potentially affecting play from an offside position – Liverpool supporters haven't held back in their abuse at Walker.
X user @Khaya_LFC labelled it a "weird interview" and trolled Walker for getting "cooked by [Luis] Diaz" in said match. Another user, @LFC92, pointed out the Oliver did cave to the pressure, writing that "he literally crumbled and made the incorrect decision". Another more brutal comment pointed towards Walker's infidelity allegations, with @RadiantL1ght11 saying "A cheater praises cheating what a surprise". Lastly, City's reported Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches were inevitably brought up, with @connelpounds writing “115 charges loading” and @PHPetosquare stating "City ain't beating the allegations".
Legendary Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes appeared to weigh in on the latest sexism storm surrounding Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.
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Rodgers criticised for "good girl" commentCeltic boss branded a "dinosaur" over remarkScholes tells world to "f*ck off" in apparent response(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The Hoops boss has come under fire for saying "good girl" to reporter Jane Lewis after his side's late victory over Motherwell on Sunday. Rodgers has been urged to apologise to Lewis by women's organisations in Scotland, who have branded the Northern Irishman a "dinosaur" for his remarks. It was that news, presented by , that Scholes appeared to be reacting to while sitting in the bathtub.
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The Red Devils legend gave a blunt response, seemingly in reference to the Rodgers sexism storm, writing in an Instagram story that has since been deleted: "This world needs to f*ck right off… bye!"
IG: paulscholesaaaTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The incident in question came after Celtic's 3-1 over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday. That victory took the Hoops to within two points of arch rivals Rangers at the top, although Rodgers strangely claimed that the title race story "has already been written about this group, but we will write our own story”. Lewis then pressed that cryptic answer but was met with a cold "You know exactly what I mean" and a repeated "No, no no", before Rodgers shut down the interview. It is these words that have drawn most ire from women's groups, as the Celtic boss said condescendingly: "Okay, done. Good girl. Well done, cheers.”
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Both Lewis and Rodgers have since spoken out about the incident, with the BBC reporter quoted on as saying: "Clearly, the interview on Sunday has become a talking point. I don't believe there was any offence meant by Brendan Rodgers – and for my part, there was none taken."
Rodgers pointed to a wider problem in society and echoed Lewis' thoughts of no offence being meant, saying on Tuesday (via ): "I will address it because I have been obviously aware of it. Sadly for me in society now we are either looking to offend or find something that is offensive to try to pin onto people. I have spoken to Jane, she wasn't offended, we had a laugh about it, she will continue to ask me awkward questions. But I see here every week and we have good relations, like I have with most people in my life, whether that is professional or social."