List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Everton face Manchester United on Super Sunday in what is their first match since losing 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability rules. Sean Dyche says the decision from an independent commission to dock Everton points was “disproportionate” and that he was shocked when he heard the news. The Toffees are now down to 19th in the table and have work to do to get themselves out of the relegation zone. That may not be the hardest task. There are struggling teams in the league this season and Dyche has shaped Everton into a tough team to beat as well as unlocking their attacking threat. They have only lost once, to Liverpool, in their last five league matches but face a Manchester United side in fine form. However, that doesn’t feel like the case. United have won four of their last five matches in the league but each by just one goal. They’re sixth in the table yet have a negative goal difference of -3. If things go wrong for Erik ten Hag’s side they seem to go very wrong. With the boost of Andre Onana and Luke Shaw in the squad can the Red Devils triumph at Goodison Park? Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Ollie Watkins fired Aston Villa into the Premier League’s top four with the winner at Tottenham to inflict a third consecutive defeat on the hosts. Unai Emery’s side came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory and leapfrog Spurs after a thrilling end-to-end contest, with Pau Torres scoring a first-half header and Watkins scoring a second after 61 minutes. Giovani Lo Celso had drilled Tottenham in front after 22 minutes with Ange Postecoglou’s selection gamble paying dividends at this point, but the hosts’ profligacy in front of goal cost them and Villa secured an eighth win from their last 10 matches. Hours before the match it was revealed former Spurs player and manager Terry Venables had died and a minute’s applause occurred before kick-off in his memory. Postecoglou’s team selection could have been out of Venables’ playbook, with the Australian going even more attacking than usual despite 11 first-team players being out, with Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg dropped. Rodrigo Bentancur, Lo Celso and Bryan Gil all earned first league starts of the season and it could have been 2-2 after five minutes. First, Villa captain John McGinn’s cutback was too powerful for the unmarked Matty Cash during the opening 60 seconds, then, down the other end, Destiny Udogie was sent clear but he sliced over with his weaker right foot. Dejan Kulusevski struck a post immediately after from Son Heung-min’s clever through ball and Brennan Johnson’s follow-up was blocked by Torres. Torres then should have broken the deadlock but he directed his free header wide from McGinn’s free-kick. The breathless start showed no sign of slowing with a Gil effort saved by Emi Martinez before Son hooked over, although the offside flag was subsequently raised. Another chance went begging when Pedro Porro’s cutback for Son was intercepted, but Tottenham did finally open the scoring in the 22nd minute. A Porro corner was cleared out to Lo Celso and his sweet half-volley from the edge of the area took a deflection to leave compatriot Martinez with no chance. It was Lo Celso’s first Spurs goal in more than two years, but Villa initially produced the perfect response. Straight from kick-off, Lucas Digne got away down the left and crossed for Watkins to head home. Villa’s joy was cut short when a three-minute VAR check eventually ruled the England forward had been offside. The end-to-end nature was abandoned not long after when Bentancur injured his ankle after a poor challenge by Cash. While Son found the net before half-time it was disallowed for offside and Villa’s growing dominance turned into an equaliser in the 52nd minute of the half. Douglas Luiz’s free-kick from the touchline picked out Torres and he made no mistake with his header this time to make it 1-1 at the break. Emery celebrated enthusiastically with his backroom staff but also made a double substitution, with Youri Tielemans and Leon Bailey introduced for the second period. Bailey almost made an instant impact when his curled effort slipped through Guglielmo Vicario’s grasp but hit a post. The frantic nature of the contest had returned now, with Johnson inches away from Kulusevski’s cross before Son had another effort ruled out for offside. Villa remained a threat and not long after McGinn’s long-range lob sailed harmlessly over, they made it 2-1. Substitute Tielemans was at the heart of it with a quick one-two giving Watkins a sight at goal and the England forward arrowed the ball into the bottom corner with 61 minutes played. Postecoglou’s side responded strongly, with Porro testing Martinez and Ben Davies heading over from the resulting corner. Vicario did keep Tottenham in the game with a finger-tip stop to thwart Digne’s free-kick before Martinez was required again, but produced superb saves to deny Johnson and Hojbjerg’s long-range curler. There was still time for Son to have another goal disallowed after Porro’s initial effort hit a post, but Postecoglou’s side failed to find a late leveller and suffered a third straight loss. Read More Top two maintain momentum with convincing victories Sheffield United probe alleged racist incident during home loss to Bournemouth Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables How Terry Venables brought football home in England’s greatest summer since 1966 Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw On This Day in 2020: Gunners have a good night against Rapid Vienna

In a bit of a shocker, Indiana is moving on from its longtime head coach Tom Allen. Despite a 3-9 record, his teams played hard, but a loss to in-state rival Purdue may have been his undoing. Here is who could replace him.

Sheffield United have launched an investigation into an alleged racist incident in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Bournemouth at Bramall Lane. United will now work with South Yorkshire Police to identify the culprit and are threatening “the strongest possible action”. Details of the incident have not yet been released but a statement from the Blades read: “Sheffield United is disappointed to learn of an alleged racist incident in Saturday’s Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth. “The Club take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and stands firmly against all forms of discrimination. “An investigation is now underway, in conjunction with South Yorkshire Police, and officials at Sheffield United will continue to liaise with the Premier League and AFC Bournemouth. “Sheffield United will take the strongest possible action, which includes a club ban, against any so-called fan found responsible.” United slumped to their 10th defeat of the season, with a Marcus Tavernier brace sandwiching Justin Kluivert’s goal, before substitute Oli McBurnie replied for the hosts late on. Read More Gareth Southgate pays tribute to ‘outstanding coach’ Terry Venables How Terry Venables brought football home and gave England its greatest summer Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw

Rodrigo Bentancur was forced off following a poorly timed tackle from Aston Villa’s Matty Cash, in a fresh blow to Tottenham’s mounting injury concerns. The Uruguayan sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage in February and was making his first start for Tottenham for nine months when he had to leave the field after just half an hour. Cash caught Bentancur on the ankle with a miss-judged sliding challenge, creating a new problem for Tottenham to contend with amid an ongoing injury crisis. It was an unnecessary challenge, but there was nothing in the impact to suggest it would be worth more than a yellow card or any immediate evidence of the damage caused to Bentancur. Ahead of the match against Aston Villa, Spurs were without at least nine first-team players ruled out, not including Bentancur’s issue. Bentancur had made his first competitive start in nine months for Uruguay against Bolivia on Tuesday, but two matches within a week might have been too much for the midfielder. Last season, Bentancur was one of the best players before the injury, but when he left the field hobbling he was replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Yves Bissouma was also suspended for the Villa clash after sustaining his fifth yellow card of the campaign at Wolves, and manager Ange Postecoglou had been hopeful of Bentancur filling the gap. Tottenham will already be without James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until the new year, with Christian Romero serving a suspension. Pape Matar Sarr was not fit enough to be included in the matchday squad, while Ashley Phillips is also out for a month with an issue. Read More Rodrigo Bentancur return eases Tottenham’s injury crisis Everton vs Manchester United LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

Up in the booth calling the Sunshine Showdown, Kirk Herbstreit's reaction to what all went down at the tail-end of the Iron Bowl was so incredibly relatable. Alabama vs. Auburn tends to leave us with our jaws dropping to the floor.

Real Madrid have made a decision on the fitness of Rodrygo for the La Liga clash with Cadiz on Sunday.

England manager Gareth Southgate has lauded Terry Venables as a “brilliant man who made people feel special” after his death at the age of 80. Southgate famously missed the crucial penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Germany as Venables’ side came up just short in Euro 96 on home soil. “Any player will have great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager,” he said in a statement. “Tactically excellent, he had a wonderful manner, capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star. It was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager Gareth Southgate on Terry Venables “He was open-minded, forward-thinking, enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history. “A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.” Venables managed Barcelona and Tottenham before he took over England and Gary Lineker followed El Tel to Catalunya and White Hart Lane. “Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for,” Lineker wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend. “He’ll be hugely missed. Sending love and condolences to Yvette and the family. RIP Terry.” Former England striker Alan Shearer, who was the spearhead of Venables’ Euro 96 side, posted: “Extremely sad news the great Terry Venables has passed away. RIP Boss. I owe you so much. You were amazing.” Gary Neville, who was given his international debut by Venables, paid tribute to his character and approach to management – particularly in relation to the infamous dentist’s chair incident in the build-up to Euro 96. “He was an unbelievable personality and character, larger than life,” Neville wrote on X. “He was someone who was a players’ man, looked after his players, stood up for his players in big situations like the pre-96 trip to Hong Kong and the dentist chair incident. “He was someone who the players trusted and had great faith in and he always spoke openly and he was a personality that was far too big for the then rigid and stiff FA and that’s why they got rid of him after Euro 96 and why the relationship ended. “I sit here today thinking back to my special times with Terry and can say he is without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced.” Current Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou paid tribute to Venables ahead of their home match with Aston Villa, at which players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute’s applause. “If you are asking about a person who embodies everything this football club has always wanted to be, it is Terry,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports. “It wasn’t just about the way he managed or coached, it was the person he was.” Venables coached Postecoglou’s home nation between 1997 and 1998 and the Spurs boss added: “he influenced Australia as well. “He was the manager for the national team and almost got us to the World Cup, but the biggest testament is that anyone who I have ever come across that has worked with him will say he is by far the best coach, manager and tactician they have come across.” Read More How Terry Venables brought football home and gave England its greatest summer Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw On This Day in 2020: Gunners have a good night against Rapid Vienna Erik ten Hag: Schedule has already crossed limits of what players can handle Mikel Arteta hails Aaron Ramsdale despite errors in Arsenal’s win over Brentford Novak Djokovic handed ‘bitter’ end to season as Jannik Sinner stuns Serbia

Gary Lineker and Gareth Southgate led the tributes to his former England manager Terry Venables, who passed away aged 80 following a long illness. Venables took charge of England in 1994 and led them to the Euro 1996 semi-finals when they were knocked out on penalties by Germany. “Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died,” Lineker said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for. He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend. He’ll be hugely missed. Sending love and condolences to Yvette and the family. RIP Terry.” Current England manager Southgate said: “Any player will have a great affinity with the manager that gave them their opportunity, but it was quickly evident playing for Terry Venables that he was an outstanding coach and manager. “Tactically excellent, he had a wonderful manner, capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star. “He was open minded, forward thinking , enjoyed life to the full and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history. “A brilliant man, who made people feel special, I’m very sad to hear of his passing and my thoughts are with Yvette and all of his family.” Venables was also a former player and manager of Tottenham, who will hold a minute’s applause before their match against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon and all players will be wearing black armbands. Former England player Stan Collymore said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Terry Venables today. He my dream come true of representing my country which I could never really thank him enough for. “Vivacious, funny, a superb coach, multi-talented, a man who really lived life to its fullest. “Rest in Peace, Terry.” Gary Neville said on X: " A man who gave me a chance to play for my country and became without a shadow of doubt my number one England coach in my whole career... I sit here today thinking back to my special times with Terry and can say he is without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced.” Alan Shearer said on X: “Extremely sad news the great Terry Venables has passed away. RIP Boss. I owe you so much. You were amazing.” David Seaman said: “Dear Terry, you’ll be sadly missed, you told me I was your England Number one and I’ll never ever forget that, you were by far the best England manager and the nation will always remember the way you managed us at Euro ‘96 - great man, great loss.” Read More How Terry Venables brought football home and gave England its greatest summer Former England manager Terry Venables dies aged 80 Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw Mauricio Pochettino hits out at ‘soft’ Chelsea after Newcastle collapse

Tottenham welcome Aston Villa in a key battle in the Premier League’s top four race with Ange Postecoglou and Unai Emery going head to head. Spurs have been hit by two damaging defeats in succession, first to rivals Chelsea and then a dramatic, late collapse at Wolves, leaving them just a point ahead of Villa in fourth. Emery’s side, meanwhile, have won three of their last four games and equalled a club-record 13th successive home win against Fulham last time out. Villa will fancy a result here to leapfrog their rivals and move into the top four. Emery has been impressed by Spurs this season and said: “They are playing brilliantly, they are very strong at home and we are going to fight. Of course, it’s a big challenge for everybody and we have to be competitive. I am very motivated for Sunday, the players as well.” Follow all the action below plus get the latest odds and tips for the match right here:

Former England manager and player Terry Venables has died at the age of 80. Venables played twice for England but he was more well known for his managerial than playing career, and was in charge of the national side between 1994 and 1996, when he led the team to the semi-finals of the Euros, before they were knocked out on penalties by Germany. Known as El Tel, the 80-year-old passed away after a long illness. A statement issued on behalf of his family said: “We are totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father who passed away peacefully yesterday after a long illness. “We would ask that privacy be given at this incredibly sad time to allow us to mourn the loss of this lovely man who we were so lucky to have had in our lives.” Venables was also in charge of a number of clubs throughout his lengthy career including Barcelona, Tottenham and Crystal Palace. He then returned to the England fold for a second stint as Steve McClaren’s assistant towards the end of his career. Venables’ former club Tottenham said: “The Club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of former player and manager Terry Venables. “Our deepest condolences are with Terry’s friends and family at this incredibly difficult time. In tribute, we shall hold a minute’s applause prior to kick-off and our players will wear black armbands during this afternoon’s fixture against Aston Villa. Rest in peace, Terry” Venables played as a midfielder for Chelsea, Tottenham and QPR during a 15-year career. But it was as a manager that he excelled, first guiding Crystal Palace from the third division to the first, then taking then-second-tier QPR to the 1982 FA Cup final. His move to Spain saw him lead Barcelona to the 1984 La Liga title in 1985 and the European Cup final the following year. Venables also won the FA Cup with Tottenham back in 1991. Richard Bevan, chief executive of the League Managers’ Association said: “The LMA is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of LMA member and former LMA President Terry Venables. Our thoughts are very much with Yvette and all of Terry’s family at this time.” Read More Gary Lineker leads tributes after former England manager Terry Venables dies aged 80 Terry Venables: The charismatic manager who so nearly brought football home Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Tottenham vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw Mauricio Pochettino hits out at ‘soft’ Chelsea after Newcastle collapse

Terry Venables will forever be remembered as the manager who oversaw the summer when football came home. The charismatic boss, who has died at the age of 80, enjoyed a colourful and controversial career, the undoubted highlight of which was leading England to within a penalty shoot-out of reaching the final of the European Championship on home soil in 1996. That fixture was his last as the national team’s manager after he left the role to focus on his upcoming court cases, but by the end of the year he was, perhaps typically, combining a new role as Portsmouth chairman with another as Australia coach. That ‘wheeler-dealer’ streak saw Venables court controversy for his dealings outside of football. ‘El Tel’, as he became known during his time in charge of Barcelona, also co-owned and managed Tottenham, and was the subject of allegations of improper business conduct, as well as claims he once paid Brian Clough a bung. The one-time midfielder was born in Dagenham, Essex, on January 6, 1943, and was an only child. Having shown promise as a footballer, he joined Chelsea as an apprentice in 1958 before signing professional terms two years later, and then winning a League Cup winner’s medal in 1965 following a 3-2 victory over Leicester. He had earned his two England caps the previous year in fixtures against Belgium and Holland, having represented his country at schoolboy, youth, amateur and under-23 level. It was his transfer to Tottenham in 1966 that led to his most successful period as a player, during which he won the following year’s FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over his former club. He left Tottenham for QPR in 1969, moving on five years later to Crystal Palace. His talents did not just lie on the pitch, though. During his playing career, Venables co-wrote detective novels, which were later turned into the TV series Hazell about a wise-cracking cockney private eye. It ran for 22 episodes from 1978-79. It proved a significantly bigger hit than one of his early business ideas – the ‘Thingummywig’, a hat with a built-in wig so women could go out without removing their curlers. After one season as a player at Palace he retired and joined the coaching staff and, in 1976, he was promoted into the role that proved his most natural fit – manager. Venables required only one year to lead Palace to promotion from the Third Division and just a further two to secure the Second Division title. In October 1980 he resigned to take over at QPR, leading the second-tier side to the 1982 FA Cup final, which they lost to Tottenham in a replay. The following season he guided them to the Second Division title, while becoming both their major shareholder and managing director. He led QPR to a fifth-placed finish and qualification for the UEFA Cup in the 1983-84 campaign, but in May 1984 he resigned to become manager of Barcelona. He charmed the crowd present at his first match in charge by addressing them in Catalan and, more significantly, in his first season he led the club to their first Spanish league title in 11 years. Venables signed Gary Lineker and Mark Hughes during his time at the Nou Camp, also selling Diego Maradona. However, Barca only finished runners-up in the league during the following two seasons, also losing in the final of the 1986 European Cup as Romanian opponents Steaua Bucharest triumphed on penalties after a goalless draw. His dismissal in September 1987 was followed by his appointment as Tottenham manager in October. He brought Paul Gascoigne to the club and linked up with Lineker again. Venables led Spurs to 1991 FA Cup glory with a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in the final, although the match was overshadowed by Gascoigne’s cruciate ligament injury. When Venables and Alan Sugar won the takeover battle for the club that June, he was also appointed chief executive, but his relationship with the then chairman gradually broke down. In 1993 Sugar sacked him, and later that year the BBC’s Panorama programme alleged misdealings connected with Venables’ businesses, which he responded to by threatening libel action. Despite any damage to his reputation, in January 1994 he was appointed England manager, and his first fixture in charge came two months later when they defeated Denmark 1-0 at Wembley. That August, police also dropped their inquiry into allegations he paid Clough a £50,000 bung to arrange a player transfer. In January 1996 Venables revealed he would resign as England manager after that year’s European Championship to focus on pending court cases, but the imminent conclusion to his reign could not take the gloss off what so nearly became such a glorious summer for the hosts. With Arsenal’s Tony Adams as his captain at the heart of defence, Alan Shearer in form up front and a rejuvenated Gascoigne pulling the strings in midfield, they progressed to the knockout stages following a 4-1 thumping of Holland that still ranks as one of England’s finest performances. Venables’ use of the ‘Christmas Tree’ formation was considered instrumental to their success, which also included a penalty shoot-out victory over Spain in the quarter-finals. England produced another memorable display in the semi-final, only to lose on penalties to eventual winners Germany. Despite the cruel nature of the defeat and the fact it proved his final match as England manager, he later described that summer as the “best time of my life”. That July, Venables made an unexpected return to the sport as Portsmouth’s director of football and by November he had been appointed Australia manager, also becoming Portsmouth chairman, having bought the club for £1. In January 1998 he stepped down from his role of chairman and also agreed to a High Court order banning him from holding company directorships for seven years. His return to Palace as manager that April was short-lived, but he was recruited again, this time by struggling Middlesbrough, in December 2000. Having left after leading them to Premier League survival, in July 2002 he returned for one last job in club management, this time at financially-troubled Leeds. The sale of key players including Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler and Jonathan Woodgate contributed to their plight and in March, as the threat of relegation loomed, he was sacked again. Venables surprisingly returned to the England set-up as new manager Steve McClaren’s assistant in the summer of 2006. Failure to qualify for Euro 2008 saw them dismissed in November 2007. Having speculated in clubs and property, his final business venture began in 2014 when he opened a boutique hotel and restaurant with wife Yvette in Penaguila, Spain. Venables, who died on Saturday, is survived by his wife and daughters Tracey and Nancy. Read More Jurgen Klopp hails ‘super influential’ Trent Alexander-Arnold after Man City draw On This Day in 2020: Gunners have a good night against Rapid Vienna Erik ten Hag: Schedule has already crossed limits of what players can handle Mikel Arteta hails Aaron Ramsdale despite errors in Arsenal’s win over Brentford Novak Djokovic handed ‘bitter’ end to season as Jannik Sinner stuns Serbia We have to be better – Brendan Rodgers says Celtic’s penalty record must improve