Michael O’Neill is bracing himself for another challenging international window as Northern Ireland’s bruising Euro 2024 qualifying campaign comes to an end this month.
Any hope of reaching next summer’s tournament was virtually extinguished as long ago as June, and with only two wins – both against San Marino – and six defeats in Group H, Northern Ireland would have been forgiven for wanting to fast forward to the end of a campaign ruined by an ongoing injury crisis.
But two games remain and with a trip to Finland, the pot two team in last October’s draw, to come before top seeds Denmark visit Windsor Park on October 20, they are two of the hardest on paper.
O’Neill on Wednesday welcomed back Ciaron Brown and Jordan Jones into his squad but the 26-…
Erik ten Hag says he will act as both friend and teacher for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United this season.
Portugal superstar Ronaldo remained at Old Trafford despite reportedly wanting out during the transfer window due to the club s failure to qualify for the Champions League this season.
Rumours continued to swirl right up until deadline day but Ronaldo, who returned for a second spell from Juventus in August 2021, was part of the squad that defeated Leicester City 1-0 – coming off the bench in Thursday s win.
[He stayed], as we said. It s really early in the season and we have a squad and we have more than starting 11 players and that is what you see now, Ten Hag said.
Players who are now on the bench can play in one, two or three weeks.
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman says Newcastle United counterpart Steve McClaren deserves the chance to turn things around at St James Park.
McClaren looks increasingly likely to be relieved of his duties at Newcastle following Saturday s damaging 3-1 loss to AFC Bournemouth, with former Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez favourite to succeed him.
Koeman faced McClaren s Twente side during the 2009-10 season, when he was in charge of AZ, and the former Netherlands international says he should be given time at the club to prove he is the right man to lead them forward.
Initially reluctant to discuss McClaren s future, he said: No, I don t like that. They re talking so much.
He then added: I hope he can stay because he deserves to stay to show what he …
Manchester City have confirmed captain Vincent Kompany suffered a groin injury at Swansea City in midweek, with no date set for the Belgian s return.
Kompany limped off in the closing stages of the 2-1 EFL Cup win in Wales, his first appearance in four months after sustaining a similar problem in the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid on May 4.
His 2015-16 season was disrupted by a nagging calf injury that restricted him to just 25 appearances for club and country.
The latest setback is another blow for Kompany, who has suffered 33 injuries since moving to England from Hamburg in 2008.
The 30-year-old has remained with the squad in Wales ahead of City s Premier League clash with Swansea, but is not being considered for the clash at the L…
Who doesn t love seeing an exciting youth product coming through to the first team?
In Spain, they seem to produce them en masse, with technically proficient youngsters emerging regularly.
The most famous production line is surely La Masia, with Barcelona cultivating the likes of Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and, more recently, Gavi.
It understandably therefore gets overlooked just how many players come through the academy of Real Madrid, their fierce rivals.
La Fabrica – The Factory – has produced some fine players down the years, including Emilio Butragueno, Raul and Iker Casillas.
Perhaps one of the reasons Madrid do not get the same credit as Barca for bringing through youngsters is because, quite often, their best graduates go on to …
RB Leipzig are very close to winning the race to sign Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent transfer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
PSG paid a reported fee of €4 million for the Netherlands international last summer, but they sent him straight away to Leipzig on a season-long loan. Simons obviously impressed at the Red Bull Arena, with 10 goals and 15 assists in 43 matches across all competitions, and capped off an excellent season with fine performances for his country at the recently completed Euros.
The transfer isn t done yet and Bayern Munich remain interested in the 21-year-old attacking midfielder too, but Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull s CEO of Corporate Projects and New Investments, is committed to getting it over the line as quickly as possible.
With all eyes from across Europe falling on the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night, Real Madrid produced another stunning comeback in the Spanish capital as they grabbed a 3-1 win against Manchester City.
Appearing to have been crashing out of this season s Champions League after watching Pep Guardiola s side hold a two-goal buffer in the final moments, second-half substitute Rodrygo then produced a famous late flurry.
Writing off Riyad Mahrez s opening strike in the 73rd-minute, the Brazilian youngster bagged an injury-time brace with both goals being separated by under 90 seconds.
Pulling off another historic rally and backed by a lively Bernabéu support, there was still time for attacking talisman Karim Benzema to drag his side into another Champions Leag…
Kingsley Coman scored a 90th-minute equaliser at Salzburg to salvage a 1-1 draw for a below-par Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Julian Nagelsmann s side received a wave of criticism after a sensational 4-2 Bundesliga defeat to Bochum at the weekend, and they were almost on the wrong end of another upset in Austria on Wednesday.
Junior Adamu looked to have scored the decisive goal after 21 minutes in what was the hosts first ever game in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Salzburg were denied a famous win late on, though, as Coman stole in at the back post to put Bayern in control ahead of the return leg next month.
Make way for the King
1-1
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN)
…
Tributes have been paid to “the inspiration of a generation” after former England, Barcelona and Tottenham manager Terry Venables died at the age of 80.
As a player he made over 500 appearances for Chelsea, Tottenham, QPR and Crystal Palace but made his real mark as a coach, also managing Palace and QPR.
England as a country rallied behind Venables’ national team in Euro 96 in the summer football came home as the team brilliantly blew away Netherlands 4-1 – a performance Venables himself described as “perfection: my most thrilling experience in football” – only to lose to Germany on penalties in the semi-final at Wembley.
The Football Association marked the passing of “a true football icon” and said “Our modern game mourns the loss of not only…
Mikel Arteta should concentrate on Arsenal and not complain so much, according to Tottenham boss Antonio Conte.
Spurs claimed a 3-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday to stop the Gunners from getting the three points they needed to clinch a top-four finish, with the difference between the sides now down to one point with two games remaining.
Son won the penalty that Harry Kane converted for the opening goal and a foul on the South Korea international saw Rob Holding receive his second yellow card in the 33rd minute. It was Arsenal s 13th Premier League red card since Arteta took over in December 2019, five more than any other side in that timeframe.
Kane doubled his tally and Son put Spurs 3-0 up early in the second half, with Arteta sayi…