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Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is ready for the challenge a midfield overhaul will bring next season and is confident he and the team can rediscover the consistency which will allow them to close the gap to Manchester City. Midfield is the key area which needs a refresh this summer and, with the club confirming on Wednesday the departures of veteran James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – in addition to forward Roberto Firmino – there will be some new faces for the next campaign. Henderson will be 33 by then and entering his 13th season at the club but is relishing the competition which he may face, with Liverpool interested in Brighton’s Argentinian World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister as one of their options. “I don’t think it’s a rebuild to be honest. I do think there will be new players coming in. A rebuild is changing an entire team – which I don’t think we will be doing,” Henderson, speaking at NHS Charities Together event at a school in Crewe, told the PA news agency. “I think you have a lot of core players in the team that will still be there and are still in great shape to compete and be successful. “But yes, it will need freshening up of course with players leaving and trying to improve the team. “I am sure players will be coming in at some point to give us a boost and freshen things up a bit and hopefully put us in good position come the first game of the season.” On what that means for him personally he added: “It’s always a challenge, especially at Liverpool, there will always be challenges for places and to play games. “That’s the case ever since I came to the club. Come pre-season I’ll be ready for the challenge again. “Motivation never changes really, it is always about improving and being better, individually and as a team. “Always new challenges come along, different things will happen and you will have new challenges throughout the season. I am sure players will be coming in at some point to give us a boost and freshen things up a bit Jordan Henderson on potential summer signings “There is always a challenge in football to improve, to be better and that motivation always stayed the same to be successful. “I’m confident we can reach the levels we are capable of again, definitely. We have shown that over the past six or seven games and it’s about continuing on that path from now until the end of the season and (next season) pick up where we left off hopefully.” Henderson is an ambassador for NHS Charities Together and was at Springfield School in Crewe, which caters for four to 19-year-olds with a range of disabilities and learning difficulties, after they won a prize draw having been involved in the annual NHS Big Tea fundraiser, which this year takes place on the health service’s 75th anniversary on July 5. The England international, who spearheaded the PlayersTogether initiative which encouraged professional footballers to donate to the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic, has an affinity with the NHS after his father Brian was treated for mouth and throat cancer. “My dad probably wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for the NHS staff, he’d say that himself,” added Henderson. “I’ve got family members who work within the NHS and know how difficult it’s been, especially over the last few years with the pandemic. “I’ve been doing work at different hospitals up and down the country as well and it’s been amazing to see the behind-the-scenes stuff and get to see some of the staff.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: PSG weighing up new bid for Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva On this day 2016 – Liverpool lose to Sevilla in Europa League final Man City crush holders to book Champions League final return

Two games down, one point earned, two fixtures remaining. Sam Allardyce’s task at Leeds United was never going to be an easy one, and now looks harder still despite doing what he had hoped for prior to hosting Newcastle United on Saturday - namely getting some type of result. An eventual 2-2 draw only scratches the surface of a match of a madness, on the pitch and beside it. Three penalties, two scored; one fan, confronting Eddie Howe; deflected goals, missed chances, one comeback and then another. The build-up to the game had been faux-dominated by the touchline presence of Newcastle’s assistant, bizarrely; Jason Tindall might have made tongue-in-cheek headlines ahead of kick-off but this fixture was only ever likely to be about what Allardyce could get out of his players, instead. And, it’s fair to note, he got plenty out of them. Hard work, an energetic start, good organisation through the centre of the park, runners up in support of the forward: it’s likely Allardyce feels he saw enough of his own instructions carried out to have warranted a victory for his team. Except, there’s another side to Leeds. The reason they were fun to watch at first, and then a nightmare. The reason they are in the Premier League relegation zone with two left to play. They are a team of absolute madness, of chaos and ill-advised decisions, and it is this more than anything related to Newcastle’s own quality which meant the three points didn’t stay at Elland Road. Leeds have had three very different managers with very different approaches in the last couple of seasons, even before Allardyce’s appointment. His is a routine and obvious one: plug gaps in double-quick time. Make the team difficult to beat. Scrape points to survive; in other words, perform his firefighting routine but with even less room to manoeuvrethan usual. An easy job description, but a supremely difficult job. And that would be in the normal course of events. But this is Leeds. This is a team built on instinct and adventure, on emotion, on trying to learn new coaching and tactical instructions every few months this season. All of that combined has only added to the chaotic nature of the squad, which is already a mentally brittle one which lacks composure or control. How else to explain a match in which not losing is of paramount importance, yet a team still manages to give away two penalties, miss one of their own and receive a red card between them? That’s even without going into the minutae of the game. Weston McKennie could have conceded another spot-kick for an aerial barge. Junior Firpo could have been dismissed long before he actually was. Then there’s the off-pitch comments from the boss himself. It’s tough to know what the real gameplan here from Allardyce was, and whether or not it worked. Comparing himself to Pep Guardiola and the like was never likely to be more than a sideshow, and he says it worked as it relieved pressure from his players. So would they otherwise have been beaten by more goals in that match than they were? Allardyce didn’t match, or out-coach, Guardiola. His team didn’t earn a shock result as a consequence of being freed from scrutiny. And another game later, they’ve brought even more focus back on themselves as a result of further poor decision-making. Even so, it’s hard not to make a case that a step forward was still taken against Newcastle, not just because of the point earned, but because they started the match in positive fashion and ended it by earning a point they looked to have thrown away themselves. Getting more men ahead of the ball and into the area was a notable alteration. The use of McKennie further forward, the aggressive stepping out of defence when needed, the quick switches through midfield - these all benefited Leeds during the match. But the madness didn’t this time. The silly challenges, the unnecessary aggression in non-threatening positions, the wasted moments of panic in the final third - Leeds cannot afford them any longer. For Allardyce, a pragmatist with little rope right now, it might simply be a case of not having certain players in the team is the only way to fix it in the time he has. Some of this is already happening: Illan Meslier has been removed from the side. Firpo will now be forced to follow suit through suspension. Results have to come and while Allardyce looks to have put a few elements in place which can help secure them, Leeds’ own habit of shooting themselves in the foot is not one he has time to rectify. Individual sacrifices, rather than cultural turnarounds, will need be the order of the day if they are to survive. Read More Ex-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa gets new coaching job Police charge Leeds fan with assault over Eddie Howe confrontation Fan confronts Howe in technical area during Newcastle’s draw at Leeds Leeds keep chaotic season alive with late draw against Newcastle Leeds vs Newcastle LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Leeds win over Newcastle would leave Allardyce ‘50 per cent’ sure of survival

Liverpool lost to Sevilla in the Europa League final on this day in 2016 as Jurgen Klopp’s hopes of a first trophy on Merseyside were ended. Daniel Sturridge fired Liverpool ahead on 35 minutes in Basle but the Spanish outfit rallied after the break to win 3-1 and secure a third successive triumph in the competition. Kevin Gameiro began the fightback just 17 seconds into the second half before a double from Coke completed the turnaround for Unai Emery’s team. Liverpool had strong claims for a penalty turned down in the first period after Daniel Carrico appeared to handle as Roberto Firmino attempted to take the ball past him. They went in front when Sturridge flicked a fine shot beyond David Soria with the outside of his left boot. Sevilla found a way back into the game from the restart after a ball into the box was cleared only as far as Mariano Ferreira and he squared for Gameiro to tap in. Liverpool never regained the momentum and Coke punished them when he steered in from the edge of the area on 64 minutes. Coke grabbed his side’s third just six minutes later, driving in from close range after the ball came to him via a deflection. Liverpool appealed for offside but to no avail. The result meant the Reds not only missed out on a return to the Champions League but failed to qualify for European football at all from Klopp’s first campaign in charge. Liverpool finished eighth in the Premier League that season, below Southampton and West Ham, and 21 points behind champions Leicester. Yet, having also reached the Carabao Cup final, there had been clear signs of progress under the German, who had succeeded Brendan Rodgers the previous October. They went on to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League the following year. They then reached the final of Europe’s top competition in 2018 and won it in 2019 before claiming a first Premier League title the following season. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Man City crush holders to book Champions League final return Recent history not on Rory McIlroy’s side as he aims to win US PGA Championship Jordan Henderson ready for challenge of expected Liverpool midfield overhaul

The Golden State Warriors, fresh off of their playoff elimination, are rumored to have received strong interest around the league for a surprise player.The Golden State Warriors' goal to repeat as NBA champions didn't come to fruition, as they were defeated in six games by the Los Ange...

The Miami Heat stole Game 1 from the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in Boston with Playoff Jimmy Butler making another star appearance.Starting the Eastern Conference Finals on the road in Boston, as the Miami Heat have in every series to this point as the No. 8 seed, Playoff Jimmy But...

The Atlanta Braves' confidence in shortstop Orlando Arcia has paid off, as he hit a game-winning home run on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.The Atlanta Braves have been pretty steadfast in their belief in certain players. We have seen the trust they had in designated hitter Marcell Ozu...

Manchester City are celebrating a return to the Champions League final after crushing holders Real Madrid with one of the greatest performances in the club’s history. Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing side overwhelmed the 14-time European champions 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, booking their place in next month’s Istanbul showpiece 5-1 on aggregate. Victory was as convincing as the scoreline suggests with Madrid struggling to live with the pace and power of City and grateful to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois for preventing an even bigger landslide. Bernardo Silva set City on their way to a final date against Inter Milan with two first-half goals before Eder Militao turned into his own net and Julian Alvarez added a late fourth. City will now hope to lift the trophy and make amends for their loss in the 2021 final as part of what could be a glorious treble. The first of those trophies could come on Sunday if they beat Chelsea to clinch the Premier League with the FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3. City manager Guardiola said: “In the Premier League we are close, we know we need one more game. “We play against our neighbours and against an Italian team in the finals. The season is really, really good. Now we have to lift it. We are close and of course we are going to try.” Last week’s semi-final first leg against Madrid in the Bernabeu Stadium had been an even contest. City dominated possession for large spells but Real were more incisive on the counter-attack. This time City refused to allow their opponents to sit back and feel comfortable soaking up pressure. They were far more dynamic and the Spanish giants could not handle their speed and movement. The resounding win made for sweet revenge for City’s heartbreaking loss to Real and the same stage last season. Guardiola said: “It was really tough losing the way we lost. In that moment we had to swallow poison but football and sport always gives you another chance. “When the draw was Madrid, I said, ‘yeah I want it’. “Everything was there – the energy we had from a year of being criticised as players for not having character when we lost.” Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the dethroned champions, could not begrudge City their victory. “I think that Manchester City deserved to win because they played better than us,” the Italian said. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Recent history not on Rory McIlroy’s side as he aims to win US PGA Championship Jordan Henderson ready for challenge of expected Liverpool midfield overhaul Scientists aiming to move closer to cracking concussion code for female athletes

Cardinals third-baseman Nolan Arenado notched his 1000th career RBI on Wednesday night, all but confirming he'll eventually head to Cooperstown.It was just a week ago as the St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up a three-game set against the Cubs that star third baseman Nolan Arenado looked like an...

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla is a huge fan of the 2010 Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner film, "The Town," and watches it an absurd amount per week.We all have that one film that is an instant watch. For instance, if you are changing the channel on your cable/satellite provider o...

Looking at the Oak Hill Country Club scorecard, the cost to play the course, its major championship history and more for the 2023 PGA Championship.For the fourth time in the history of the PGA Championship, the PGA of America selected Oak Hill Country Club to host their flagship tournament in 20...

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Caleb Love announced that he was decommitting from Michigan, despite joining them via the transfer portal not long ago. Here's the reason for this move.This offseason, North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love announced that he was entering the transfer portal. In early April, Love revealed...