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Gary Lineker has explained how he “got shafted” when it comes to a “sh*t” assessment of England, with the Three Lions now Euro 2024 final-bound.

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• Former striker delivered blunt verdict
• Gave honest opinion in role as pundit
• Southgate's side have shot at glory

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former frontman, who netted 48 goals for his country, courted controversy when offering a rather blunt take on performances from Gareth Southgate’s side during the group stage of another major tournament. His now infamous quip was made on the back of a 1-1 draw with Denmark, with current captain Harry Kane quizzed on the comments as Lineker faced criticism for airing an opinion that was shared by many.

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  WHAT LINEKER SAID

  Lineker has now told of sparking a lively debate that never needed to happen: “I got shafted a bit with that. I never said that either Harry Kane or England were sh*t. I listened back to make sure. I said ‘it’ was sh*t, ‘it’ being the game. But it goes to Harry as ‘Gary Lineker says you were sh*t’, which is a bit naughty. But I think these guys get it. It was the same when I played. They said: ‘Jimmy Greaves says you’re not the same since you had hepatitis.’ It was more that I was getting on a bit and my legs were going. He probably had a point. We’re paid to give our honest opinion; you can’t bullsh*t people. And if it is not very good, then it is not very good. We would love to enthuse about wonderful, expansive England performances but that ain’t easy. We know that.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane suggested that former players should watch what they say, as most of those – the 1966 World Cup winners aside – never won anything either. Lineker added when asked if he has been in touch with his fellow former Tottenham striker in the wake of an unfortunate incident: “I don’t have Harry’s number. Actually, have I ever met him? I don’t think I have. I don’t think I’ve ever come face to face with him. Alan [Shearer] has his number and might have messaged him.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  England have been able to block out the noise en route to reaching a second successive European Championship final. They are yet to produce their best, with Southgate hoping that has been saved for a showdown with Spain in Berlin that will provide an opportunity to end 58 years of hurt for the Three Lions.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted England's players agreed with Gary Lineker's verdict that the Three Lions' Euro 2024 performances were 'sh*t'.

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• Trent says Lineker motivated Three Lions
• Southgate came under heavy criticism
• England eventually lost in final to Spain

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lineker ruffled a few feathers in the Three Lions camp – and within the BBC – when he criticised Gareth Southgate and England's stars following their efforts in Germany. The BBC host made headlines when he described the performance in the 1-1 draw against Denmark as 'sh*t' – with England captain Harry Kane issuing a fierce response to those remarks – but Liverpool's Alexander-Arnold has now admitted that deep down, the squad knew Lineker was right.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  England didn't play well throughout the tournament and were beaten by Spain in the final. That defeat sparked the end for Gareth Southgate, who duly stepped down, and the Football Association has already announced they want a head coach who can "win a major tournament".

  That will always be the aim considering the depth of talent available to the incoming boss, but it starts with playing more effective football. Lineker's comments appeared to spark an 'us vs. them' mentality inside the England camp, but Alexander-Arnold has now acknowledged that the players understood where he was coming from.

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  WHAT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SAID

  "We had all seen it and heard it and felt it," the Liverpool ace told the . "We all knew that we could be playing and performing better. It is never nice for someone to point that out but everyone deep down knew it within ourselves, too.

  "So it was something that we were already thinking about anyway, we knew we needed to be playing better. We had to add that to our performances, some players may have used that as motivation."

  When asked whether the criticism prompted Southgate to step down, the 25-year-old added: "I don't know. Everyone has a high expectation with England now and rightly so, it is true of us as players. We feel we should be winning tournaments, that is the goal and standard we have set ourselves. That will be there for the new manager."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

  Alexander-Arnold earned a well-earned break following the tournament in Germany. His attention will soon return to club football with Liverpool, where a new era will begin under Arne Slot. However, David Lynch reports that the right-back won't join the Reds' pre-season tour of the United States.

Tottenham have a new "key target" to "complete this summer" with manager Ange Postecoglou playing a major role in potentially getting it done.

Spurs growing under Postecoglou as players improve

The Australian's arrival from Celtic last June brought with it the re-introduction of exciting, intense and high-pressing football, which has quickly won over the Spurs fan base.

BBC pundit says "astonishing" forward may decide to join Tottenham

He’s been on fire for his club this season.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 5, 2024

Antonio Conte's last season in charge was one to forget, but Postecoglou has quickly put the 2022/2023 season behind Spurs as they battle Aston Villa for fourth and a place in the 2024/2025 Champions League pot.

Certain squad members have been transformed by his arrival as well, with Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min standing out as just a few key examples.

In terms of the South Korean, he endured a pretty lacklustre 2023 after sharing the Golden Boot with Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah just a year earlier.

However, Postecoglou has helped to bring the very best out of Son this season, with the winger dazzling in a key role both out wide and centrally at points this term.

“Maybe the nation he plays for works against him but I think he's a world-class player," said Postecoglou on Son's great Tottenham form.

"You look at his record in the Premier League, the toughest league in the world, his goal contributions irrespective of what his team's gone through have always been right up there.

"Even this year, before he left, I think he was probably the best attacking player in the competition, just my opinion obviously. Certainly he'd be up there. He's a world class player.”

The 31-year-old, though, is out of contract next year and his future has been a real topic of discussion lately. Tottenham are rumoured to be planning new Son contract talks in the near future, with HITC and journalist Graeme Bailey sharing an update on this.

Tottenham prepare Son contract talks as "key target" to complete this summer

According to the outlet, keeping Son "has now become one of the key targets for Tottenham to complete this summer", with the club also "preparing to step up contract talks" with their captain.

HITC claim Postecoglou is proving pivotal in convincing Son to remain, as the Asian superstar is loving life under his tutelage.

Bailey writes the latter line on X, where he also says that talks have been ongoing behind the scenes since last summer.

Tying down the Lilywhites legend is an absolute must, and by the looks of things, Spurs will do everything they can to keep their star forward.

The latest round of Premier League fixtures are right around the corner, and it has been revealed which referees will be officiating each game and who will be in charge in of VAR.

With a thrilling title race shaping up and the battle for survival getting tighter with every passing week, referees will know that their decisions over the next few weeks and months could be season-defining, as the pressure mounts on teams to deliver heading into the business end of the campaign.

Football FanCast has created a handy list of each game, who the referee and VAR officials will be, as well as their statistics for the season so far, per Transfermarkt.

Manchester United v Everton

Simon Hooper

We kick off this weekend's action with a lunchtime game between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford.

The referee in charge will be Simon Hooper, with David Coote taking up the reins as the VAR.

Manchester United have won one and lost one with Hooper in charge of their Premier League matches this season, while Everton have just lost one in their only game officiated by him.

Bournemouth v Sheffield United

Anthony Taylor

Two teams in the bottom half come head-to-head on Saturday afternoon as Bournemouth welcome a Sheffield United side who are fresh off the back of a thumping 6-0 defeat against Arsenal.

Anthony Taylor will be in charge of the game, with Michael Salisbury selected to rule over any contentious decisions from Stockley Park.

Out of these two, Sheffield United are the only team who have featured in a game officiated by Taylor, as they drew 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace v Luton

Sunny Singh Gill

Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace side will welcome a Luton Town side who have proven to be tricky away from home at times this season.

Sunny Singh Gill will be the man in the middle, with Peter Bankes on VAR duty.

This is Sunny's first time refereeing in the Premier League, so best of luck to him.

Wolves v Fulham

Tony Harrington

Gary O'Neil will be desperate for his Wolves side to bounce back this weekend against Fulham, after suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Newcastle United last time out.

In charge of this one will be Tony Harrington, while the VAR official will be John Brooks.

Due to Harrington only having refereed four Premier League games so far this season, neither side have featured under him.

Arsenal v Brentford

Rob Jones

Arsenal will head into this one full of confidence after a humiliating 6-0 win over Sheffield United, while Brentford could only manage a draw at home to Chelsea.

Rob Jones will be in charge at the Emirates, with Paul Tierney assisting with all VAR matters.

Brentford have one draw and one loss so far this season in games refereed by Rob Jones, while Arsenal have one draw.

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

Chris Kavanagh

Sunday kicks off with a tasty fixture in the battle for a Champions League spot, as Aston Villa welcome Tottenham to the Midlands.

Chris Kavanagh is the man in the middle for this clash, while Tim Robinson will be on VAR.

Aston Villa are yet to be refereed in the Premier League by Kavanagh this season, and Spurs secured a thumping 4-1 win over Newcastle United in their only game officiated by him.

Brighton v Nottingham Forest

Michael Salisbury

Two sides who have been struggling a little bit in recent times go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon, as Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest to the AMEX.

Michael Salisbury is entrusted with keeping the peace on Sunday, with Craig Pawson on VAR duty.

Neither side have won in a game officiated by Salisbury this season, with Brighton drawing and Forest losing in their only game apiece.

West Ham United v Burnley

Darren England

West Ham United are in a bit of a purple patch at the moment in the Premier League, but the same can't be said about the opposition for this weekend's clash, as Burnley look nailed on for relegation.

Darren England is the man with the cards, while in the VAR room will be Andy Madley.

Due to England only refereeing in six games in the Premier League so far this season, neither side have experienced a match controlled by him.

Liverpool v Manchester City

Michael Oliver

In what is arguably the game of the weekend, Manchester City will travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in a top of the table clash.

Michael Oliver is the man with the cards for this vital clash, while in the VAR room will be Stuart Attwell.

Liverpool are unbeaten in games officiated by Oliver this season, with two wins and one draw. On the other hand, the Citizens don't have an unbeaten record as they've won one but lost to Arsenal.

Chelsea v Newcastle United

John Brooks

This gameweek's Monday night game will feature two of the Premier League's big spenders, as Chelsea welcome Eddie Howe's Newcastle United to Stamford Bridge.

John Brooks is the man with the cards, while in the VAR room will be Jarred Gillett.

Newcastle have won one and lost one in games refereed by Brooks this season, while Chelsea have a losing record of one loss.

Bournemouth v Luton Town

Sam Allison

There's an extra game in this matchday as the likes of Bournemouth and Luton Town are set to meet once again after their clash earlier on in the season was abandoned after Tom Lockyer collapsed on the field.

Sam Allison is the man with the cards, while in the VAR room will be Michael Oliver.

Luton had the pleasure of picking up a win in Allison's only Premier League game to date, as they beat Sheffield United away from home back in December.

David de Gea has an opportunity in MLS to consider, with the former Manchester United goalkeeper making a final decision on his future.

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• Spaniard left Old Trafford in 2023
• Has spent 12 months as a free agent
• Approaches made from across the world

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Spanish shot-stopper has spent 12 months without a club, having walked away from Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer of 2023. He has been linked with various teams since then, but has enjoyed an extended break from playing duties.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 33-year-old is now ready to resume his professional career, with a new challenge to be taken on for 2024. De Gea kept followers guessing regarding his next move when posting an hourglass emoji on social media.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Des Gea has several options on the table. He has been approached by a team from the Saudi Pro League, one in MLS and another from Italy. A Premier League outfit has also expressed interest, but the Spaniard has no desire to return to England following a 12-year stint with United.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It is claimed that De Gea will have an update to deliver on his future by next week. He has also seen a return to his roots in Spain speculated on – having previously turned out for Atletico Madrid there – but now appears destined to don a pair of gloves again outside of his homeland.

Since earning promotion back to the Premier League in 2018, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been a consistent performer.

Their maintained status as a top-flight club is due to numerous reasons, but one of the biggest is their ability to sign gems in the transfer market.

Wolves have also successfully been able to gather funds via player sales, with Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes serving as evidence for that.

However, there is one player who they have perhaps not struck gold with. Indeed, he even earns five times more than Rayan Ait Nouri.

Rayan Ait Nouri’s salary at Wolves

Algerian defender Ait Nouri has been fantastic this season, with new boss Gary O’Neil helping him go to a whole new level.

The 22-year-old has featured 24 times this season in the Premier League, thriving in a left-wing back role as well as in the standard left-back position, as highlighted by his goal at the weekend in Wolves’ 2-1 win over Fulham.

Ait Nouri joined the Old Gold permanently in 2021 after enjoying a loan spell from Angers in the season prior. The deal cost Wolves just £9.5m, which is already looking like a steal.

Despite being a consistent performer, the number 3 is one of the lowest earners in the Wolves squad, with his salary sitting at £10k-per-week, which is far less than that of one fringe player who occupies a similar full-back role.

Wolves struck gold on Bruno Lage signing worth 173% more

The Wolves gem has particularly impressed this season.

By
Tom Lever

Mar 7, 2024

What Matt Doherty earns at Wolves

There’s no two ways about it: Matt Doherty will always be a Wolves hero for the role that he played in their promotion and brilliant first season back in the Premier League.

The Irish "menace," as described by journalist Jamie Weir, played 45 matches in the second tier, with nine goal contributions. Meanwhile, during their first year back in the top flight, Doherty played in every single game, scoring four goals and picking up seven assists.

In 2020, the 32-year-old left the Midlands for Tottenham Hotspur in a £15m deal. However, he struggled to perform at Spurs, and in January last year, the 6 foot 1 ace joined Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

After a difficult spell in Spain where Doherty played just twice, he returned to Wolves in the summer on another free transfer, with the Wanderers making him one of the highest earners, with a wage of £50k-per-week, staggeringly five times more than what Ait Nouri earns.

However, it’s clear that Doherty is far from the first choice for O’Neil, with the Republic of Ireland international starting just three times in the league all campaign.

When you compare the statistics and what he’s offered compared to the Algerian, for example, it seems that Doherty is rinsing the club by earning £2.6m over this season.

The number two is also contracted to the club until June 2026, which means that unless he displaces either Nelson Semedo or Ait Nouri in the team, he will continue to cost Wolves a hefty number, despite offering very little on the pitch. Evidently, his best years are behind him.

Former Manchester United winger Mason Greenwood has sent out a strong motivational message after registering his first goal for Marseille.

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• Left Red Devils on permanent basis
• Already up and running in France
• Building towards bright future

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 22-year-old forward has completed a €30 million (£25m/$33m) transfer to the Ligue 1 heavyweights. He spent last season on loan at La Liga side Getafe, winning their Player of the Year award and attracting interest from across Europe.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United were expected to sanction a permanent sale this summer, with Marseille winning that recruitment race. There was opposition to that deal from certain sections of a loyal fan base at Stade Velodrome, but a big-money move has been pushed through.

• WHAT GREENWOOD SAID

  Greenwood has been in friendly action for his new club, with the target being found in a pre-season clash with Pau FC. The one-cap England international is hoping to build a bright future in Marseille and has posted a “brick by brick” message on social media.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  United have a buy-back option on Greenwood, which is unlikely to be taken up, while also including a sell-on clause in the terms that took a product of their academy system away from Old Trafford. Greenwood has signed a five-year contract at Marseille through to 2029.

On Wednesday night, Aston Villa picked up their fifth away defeat of the campaign as they were defeated 4-1 by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

From the off, it was clear that Unai Emery’s game plan was to stay compact and frustrate the hosts, but that went out the window almost instantly.

In truth, it was a frustrating evening for the Spaniard, despite his side bouncing back shortly after the opener to level the tie.

However, amongst the chaos and poor performances, there were a couple of individuals that stood out, with the first being Jhon Duran.

Jhon Duran’s performance vs Man City

With Ollie Watkins unable to make the squad due to injury, Emery called on 20-year-old Duran to lead the line in one of the most difficult games a striker would have in a Premier League season.

The Colombian has only started one game prior to last night’s defeat, but he started with confidence and belief, which unfortunately can’t be said for some of his teammates.

In all honesty, the number 24 was working with scraps all game long, having just 27 touches and making 11 passes due to the pure dominance of City.

However, Duran did get on the scoresheet for the third time this season, slotting home from a tight angle into the bottom corner, which momentarily gave Villa another lifeline.

His performance was one of the few positives that could be taken from the game, but there was one player who proved to the boss that he must now start every game after his showing.

Emery sold £18.5m Aston Villa "finisher" who is now outperforming Duran

Aston Villa sold a player last summer who is now outperforming Jhon Duran

By
Ross Kilvington

Feb 16, 2024

Morgan Rogers’ stats against Man City

Morgan Rogers returned to the club he developed at last night, but this time he was on the opposing side.

Since moving to Villa from Middlesbrough for an initial fee of £8m, the England U21 international has had to wait patiently for his opportunity to shine, playing just six times.

Last night’s clash was his third start for the Villans, and unlike his previous two outings, he was fielded in his usual central position just off the striker rather than at left midfield.

With this slight tactical tweak, Rogers was much more influential, with Birmingham Live handing him a 7/10 rating for his performance, which is also supported by the statistics.

As you can see in the table, the “quality” ace, as dubbed by journalist John Townley, was quietly impressive yet again, despite being isolated and hounded out by City almost instantly.

In possession, Rogers actually retained the ball relatively well, especially when passing, as shown by his 88% pass accuracy, the highest of any Villa attacker.

The former Citizen also played a huge role in Villa’s only significant moment in the tie, showing his excellent vision and chance-creation ability by playing an inch-perfect one-two with Duran for his goal.

Furthermore, the versatile ace was also far more involved than anyone else outfield other than the two centre backs, having 46 touches and also showing his ability to help out defensively by making two tackles.

Overall, the only attacking success Villa had in the game went through Rogers, and although he was ineffective in spells, he certainly gave 110% over the 90 minutes, and the fact that he was the only attacker to not be subbed off does speak volumes.

Hopefully, it is a sign of things to come for the exciting talent, with a consistent run in the side now undoubtedly deserved.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli have reportedly joined the race to sign Bayern Munich star Kingsley Coman.

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• Coman repeatedly linked with Bayern exit
• Man City & Barcelona credited with interest
• Al-Ahli pushing to sign French winger

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Reports suggest that Manchester City and Barcelona have been keeping tabs on the French international, amid Bayern trying to offload players before they can bring in new faces. Now, Saudi newspaper claims Al-Alhi want to sign him after Allan Saint-Maximin left them to join Fenerbahce on loan.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Coman has reportedly been keen on a Premier League move for months now and with honorary president Uli Hoeness admitting the club "want to sell players", this may be the right time for the 28-year-old to leave. A loan exit may be easier to sort as the former Juventus man still has three years left on his Bayern contract and he is unlikely to be sold on the cheap.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Former Paris Saint-Germain ace Coman has scored 63 goals and bagged 66 assists in 294 appearances for Bayern. He initially spent two seasons on loan there from Juventus in 2015-17 before signing permanently seven years ago.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Amid the transfer speculation surrounding Coman's future, his Bayern side will lock horns with Tottenham on Saturday evening in their penultimate pre-season friendly, before hosting WSG Trol three days later.

Rangers face their biggest game of the season in the Scottish Premiership this weekend, but a negative injury update has emerged ahead of the trip to Celtic.

Rangers preparing for defining Celtic clash

There are big matches and then there is Sunday's Old Firm derby clash between the Gers and the Hoops. The weekend meeting at Ibrox has the potential to be defining in the Scottish Premiership title race, with victory for either unquestionably putting them in pole position to be crowned champions at the end of the season.

Rangers are one point behind Celtic currently, but they have one game in hand on their rivals and know that a win on Sunday, coupled with a victory in that other match left over, would give them a five-point advantage over their adversaries.

There are injury concerns for the Gers heading into the mouthwatering encounter, however, with the likes of Danilo, Kieran Dowerll and Todd Cantwell out, and doubts surrounding Ross McCausland, Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling.

Rangers dealt pre-Celtic injury blow

According to The Scottish Daily Mail's John McGarry [via Ibrox News], McCausland, Sima and Sterling won't be back to start for Rangers this weekend, acting as a blow.

There is the potential for them still to earn minutes against Celtic, which is at least a positive, having returned to the fold at home to Hibernian last weekend. Sterling got the most action under his belt, coming on in the 58th minute at Ibrox, but it was also encouraging to see McCausland and Sima feature for 23 and 10 minutes respectively.

In truth, starting any of the three would feel like a huge risk by Clement, considering Sunday's clash could easily be the most pressurised and intense of the campaign so far. Rangers will need every single player at the top of the game, so starting only fully fit individuals makes complete sense.

Of the three players, it is Sima who could arguably be the biggest positive to see back on the pitch against the Hoops, given his match-winning potential in the final third. He has scored 10 goals in the 15 league matches he has started this season, not to mention netting three times in six Europa League outings.

McCausland remains a young player who lacks experience in fixtures of this magnitude, but he has shown what he is capable of in the past, and possesses a fearlessness that could make him a game-changer from the substitutes' bench on Sunday.

Rangers to make contact over cut-price transfer for £80,000-a-week player

He has seemingly impressed Gers chiefs already this season.

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 3, 2024

Whatever happens at Ibrox this weekend, Rangers simply must avoid defeat – something they have already experienced home and away against their bitter rivals this season – with even a draw still leaving destiny in their own hands in the title battle. A colossal performance is needed, not just by the starting XI, but also by those who will be thrown on from the bench.