Month: April 2019

The division’s top scorer, who has struck 21 times and provided nine assists in 18 appearances to lead the Gunners to the brink of their first title since 2012, is joined in the XI by midfield team-mates Kim Little and Lia Walti.

Arsenal are four points clear of second-placed Manchester City with two games to play and could be crowned champions at Brighton on Sunday.

Gunners captain Little has contributed eight goals and five assists in 12 matches for Joe Montemurro’s side, while Switzerland international Walti has enjoyed an impressive debut season in England following last summer’s move from German club Turbine Potsdam.

Continental Cup winners City and reigning WSL champions Chelsea – who could reach the Women’s Champions League final on Sunday – also have three players each in the team.

England trio Steph Houghton, Demi Stokes and Nikita Parris are the City players selected, while Hannah Blundell, Ji So-yun and Erin Cuthbert make up the Blues contingent.

Three Killie players were sent off by McLean throughout the game, which was decided by Scott McKenna’s 66th-minute strike.

Clarke called McLean’s performance the ‘worst he had ever seen’, and suggested the 38-year-old should not be allowed to oversee KIlmarnock matches given his father used to play for the Rugby Park club.

Stuart McLean made over 550 appearances for Killie throughout a 16-year career, and he was inducted into their Hall of Fame three years ago for his services to the club.

“Since I’ve been here, he’s always seemed to struggle with Kilmarnock games,” Clarke said of the younger McLean after last weekend’s match.

City tightened their grip on the Premier League title race with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday, putting them one point ahead of the Reds with both sides having three games left this season.

The reigning champions have the edge but will go into their remaining games knowing that Liverpool will be ready to pounce on any slip-ups they make.

By the time City play next on Sunday, it’s likely that they’ll be second again as Liverpool play already relegated Huddersfield at Anfield on Friday night.

The Citizens have a much tougher game as they face Burnley at Turf Moor.

Burnley were actually one of the few teams to take points off City last season with a 1-1 draw at home to Pep Guardiola’s men in February 2018, although City still won the title at a canter.

The Sun claim Pogba is tearing the United dressing room apart and has privately told team-mates he does not believe United have made any progress since he left the club for the first time seven years ago to Juventus.

It is also further claimed by the same publication that Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, cancelled a meeting with United last week to discuss a new deal for the Frenchman – as he is so determined to quit.

Solskjaer said just three weeks ago that Pogba is ‘vital’ to United’s future, but it appears behind the scenes that opinions have changed in regards to that.

Pogba, though, who was named in the PFA team of the year, remains a powerful and influential voice among the rest of the squad.

United players are aware he wants to leave the club and join Real Madrid to link up with Zinedine Zidane.

Nonetheless, Pogba is the ring leader of the United dressing room and needs a firm hand to keep him in check after yet another drastic dip in form.

The midfielder was among the players not impressed by Solskjaer’s long-ball tactics against City as they looked to get the ball forward to Marcus Rashford.

The Sun further claim the World Cup winner was shot down by team-mates in the dressing room at Goodison Park while he was complaining after the 4-0 humiliation by Everton.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer is feeling the heat with United down in sixth and looking likely to miss out on Champions League qualification – with a three-point gap between them and fourth placed Chelsea.

He indulged his star players when he was placed in interim charge at United after Jose Mourinho was sacked in December.

After being appointed permanent boss last month, United have experienced a real down turn in form with the Norwegian struggling to exert his authority on the dressing room – following a miserable run of seven defeats in nine games.

James, 19, is highly regarded at Stamford Bridge and is set for a bright future in the game.

The boyhood Blues fan, who played alongside England starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi through the youth ranks at the club, has missed just one game across all competitions for the Latics.

James is a tough tackling and forceful full-back, earning rave reviews for his performances throughout this season.

At this tender age he has already been likened to Kyle Walker, called up to train with the England senior squad and, earlier this month, collected his award for making the Championship Team of the Season.

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James has a wise head on young shoulders, revealing he turned down several other temporary moves in January as he felt his progress would be best served by staying in Lancashire.

Manchester United are reportedly tracking the £15million-rated defender, who has also attracted interest from Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Brighton.

So what have those in the know said about the talented youngster?

The Liverpool forward joined political heavyweights and Hollywood stars on the red carpet.

The 26-year-old was chosen as one of six cover stars for the magazine’s annual issue.

Other cover stars included actors Sandra Oh and Dwayne Johnson, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Taylor Swift and news presenter Gayle King.

He was pictured on the red carpet with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, Jimmy Fallon and Rami Malek.

In his interview with the magazine, he discussed the importance of women’s equality.

“We need to change the way we treat women in our culture,” the Egypt international told Time.

“I support the woman more than I did before, because I feel like she deserves more than what they give her now, at the moment.

“That has to be, it’s not optional.”

In a piece for Time, comedian and Liverpool fan John Oliver said he ‘absolutely’ loved the footballer.

“Mo Salah is a better human being than he is a football player. And he’s one of the best football players in the world,” he wrote.

The 31-year-old has recently served a three-year prison sentence for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.

And despite his hopes to put pull his boots on again, a major backlash from fans would stop him resuming his playing career.

While spending time with children would cause a major problem for the ex-Sunderland man to start a coaching role.

Johnson, who has twelve England caps at senior level, has also reportedly raised the idea of becoming a players’ agent and is upset by a future career potentially being in tatters.

A friend of Johnson’s told The Sun: “Adam had his heart set on returning to football. He was so proud to make it to the top of the game and represent his country.

“He has spent a lot of time looking back at the happy times he spent turning out in front of packed Premier League stadiums and playing against the world’s best players for England.

“He has fallen a long way and thought there was a chance he could at least try to climb the football ladder again.

“But the public reaction to his conviction has not escaped him, and he has come to terms with the fact that his actions have cost him his career for good.

“The next best thing was becoming a football coach, so he could at least have a foothold in the game which made his fame and fortune.

LIVE ON talkSPORT

talkSPORT is your home of live football! Here's what's coming up on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2…

• Sheffield United vs Ipswich (Saturday, 5:15pm) – talkSPORT 2
• Brighton vs Newcastle (Saturday, 5:30pm) – talkSPORT
• Norwich vs Blackburn (Saturday, 7:30pm) – talkSPORT 2
• Leeds United vs Aston Villa (Sunday, 12pm) – talkSPORT 2
• Coventry vs Shrewsbury (Sunday, 3pm) – talkSPORT 2

“But his nearest and dearest have pointed out to him that he will struggle to be allowed anywhere near under-age kids.

“As a convicted paedophile it’s impossible.

“Only now has the enormity of his wrongdoing hit home. It might be he becomes a football agent, but he will always carry the stigma of what he did to that teenage girl.”

A spokesman for the former footballer denied the claims.

Johnson is living under strict parole rules and has been subject to curfew since his release in March.

In the legendary boss’ own words, knocking the Reds “off their f***ing perch,” was his greatest challenge.

Of all the things he has said, that line uttered in a 2002 interview, is his most famous.

At the time, United trailed Arsenal by six points in the league and former Liverpool defender Alan Hansen used his newspaper column to suggest winning the title that season – which he did – would be the greatest achievement of his career given that the Gunners had won the previous campaign by 10 points.

“My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch. And you can print that,” Ferguson said in response when Hansen’s words were put to him by journalist Michael Walker.

It’s little wonder, with Liverpool closing in on a first league title since 1990, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker revealed he United fans have stopped him in the street to tell him they hope City win the crucial Manchester derby. Victory for Pep Guardiola’s side would maintain their challenge at the top, however, if United were to win, that would send Liverpool two points clear at the top with three games to play.

The Red Devils were run ragged at Goodison Park on Sunday, with Richarlison, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lucas Digne and Theo Walcott all scoring to condemn United to their most embarrassing defeat since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

The result dealt a real blow to United’s top four hopes also, as they are now three points behind fourth place Chelsea, and their game in hand over the Blues just happens to be Wednesday’s local derby with title-chasing rivals Manchester City.

There was widespread criticism of the Old Trafford outfit following Sunday’s clash, though Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager, remained largely free of the blame.

It was United’s players who were instead vilified post-game, with many questioning the attitudes of the likes of David de Gea, Anthony Martial and Pogba, the France midfielder whose mindset was previously doubted by former manager Jose Mourinho.