List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

New Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has admitted last week’s meeting with Harry Kane was “nothing earth-shattering” but still a good chat amid Bayern Munich’s growing efforts to lure the forward to Germany. Kane has entered the final 12 months of his deal with Spurs and speculation over his future has heightened in recent weeks. The England captain returned to training on Wednesday and held a meeting with Postecoglou, but the Australian has played down its significance. Postecoglou told reporters at a press conference, via football.london, from the WACA Ground in Perth: “I had a good chat with Harry. “Nothing earth-shattering as people are seeking. Just a good chat, introduced myself, spoke about the club and where we can improve.” Bayern appeared to up the ante regarding Kane at the weekend with the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming an agreement over personal terms had been reached with the Spurs forward. “Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle,” Hoeness told German TV channel Sport1. “Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year. “He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe. “Up to now, the father and the brother have always stood by what they promised. If it stays that way, that’s OK.” Kane was spotted interacting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy upon arriving in Australia this weekend for the club’s tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore. While Bayern continue to push to secure the services of the England captain and have reportedly lodged two bids for the forward, Spurs’ stance remains the same, they have no intention of selling Kane. Spurs’ record goalscorer has also been offered a new contract that is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, it is understood. Kane is yet to make a decision on the new deal but Tottenham and chairman Levy continue to stand firm on their desire to keep the striker. Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: “Levy is clever, he doesn’t name a number. First we have to get him to name a number. “Of course he plays for time. I think he’s a savvy, super professional, I appreciate him a lot – but I don’t think there are people on the other side who have been doing it since yesterday.” Read More Harry Kane in Tottenham’s pre-season Asia-Pacific tour squad but no Hugo Lloris Spurs boss Postecoglou ‘not losing sleep’ over star striker Harry Kane’s future Ange Postecoglou excited about ‘leader’ James Maddison’s role at Tottenham Ange Postecoglou makes his pitch to Harry Kane to be part of Tottenham rebuild Spurs in talks to sign Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven Republic of Ireland sweating on fitness of Denise O’Sullivan ahead of opener

Many in the Muhammad Ali business believe that the boxer never fully recovered from his comedy fight with a wrestler in Tokyo. It was the summer of 1976; Ali was the world heavyweight champion, and some men in Japan came up with a financial package for Ali to meet renowned wrestler, Antonio Inoki. It was scheduled for 15 rounds of three minutes, and it was for the ‘heavyweight martial arts championship of the world’ belt. Sound familiar? It was, trust me, not the joke you thought it was. For a start, it was meant to be a fix, a rigged encounter with blood, comedy, action and a classic wrestling twist. Ali got wind of the fix and refused to attend rehearsals. The plan was simple: Ali would beat Inoki senseless for six or seven rounds, the wrestler was prepared to cut himself with razor blades and then, because of all the blood, it would be stopped in Ali’s favour. At that point, with Ali’s hand raised and 20,000 Japanese fans howling, Inoki was meant to jump on Ali’s back and pin him. Glorious stuff – Ali rejected it. It came at a crucial time in Ali’s career. He had just stopped Richard Dunn in Munich to retain his heavyweight title; Dunn was dropped repeatedly, and they were the last knockdowns Ali ever scored. He fought seven more times, in six world title fights, but never dropped another man. He met men like Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Earnie Shavers in that period; everybody in the Ali business came to regret each awful fight during that time. The hidden injuries from the Inoki farce added to the decline. The Inoki circus was conceived and sold as a safe way to make $6million and not get hurt; neither thing happened. At a ‘contract-signing’ event the night before, which was available to fans at a price, they agreed it would be winner-takes-all. Ali also had four suites and 31 rooms at the best hotel in Tokyo; this was not a joke. “I can’t let boxing down,” Ali said before the fight. “He’s not used to taking hard shots to the head. The moment I go upside his head, it’s over.” Ali’s assessment is true, but the rules were not made clear. Inoki dropped to his back and chased Ali for 15 rounds from that position on the canvas. In total, Ali threw six punches and connected twice; it was repetitive and dull, with Inoki on his back kicking out at Ali. At the end, it was declared a draw. There was no grandstand wrestling moment and there had certainly not been a single quality moment of boxing. Ali’s legs were cut, bleeding and damaged from Inoki’s hard wrestling boots and the dozens of kicks he had sustained. It was the eyelets on the boots that caused the superficial damage; the real damage was hidden as ruptured blood vessels formed. Ali was told to rest the leg and get it treated before leaving Tokyo, but he had commitments in Korea and Malaysia; when he got back to America, he was hospitalised with blood clots and muscle damage. His left leg remained damaged until the end of his boxing career. Ali finished with about $2.2m dollars for the event; Inoki had been guaranteed $2m, but was paid just a fraction of that total. In Tokyo, in that ring, nobody won. It would be funny if the martial arts championship of the world belt was found and given to Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia in October. That would be cool. Incidentally, the fight was being shown all over the world on closed-circuit screens. In New York, outdoors at Shea Stadium, it was part of the night when Chuck Wepner, the inspiration for Rocky, met Andre the Giant in a wrestling ring. The Ali and Inoki fight was shown on big screens. What a time to be a fan. Anyway, back in 1976, Ali limped on, fighting from memory for too many people and for far too long, and Inoki, well, he became a genuine mixed martial arts pioneer and icon. The big lad was in front of all curves. Inoki died last year and fought for the last time in 1998 when he was close to 60. The man who busted Ali’s legs was far more than just a novelty act on the wrestling circuit. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever ‘Nonsense’: Anthony Joshua reacts to Fury vs Ngannou fight announcement Francis Ngannou to earn more in Tyson Fury fight than entire UFC career, says rep Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Don’t be fooled by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte’s calm reunion

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou reveals the details of his latest talk with Harry Kane.

An expanded field of 32 teams at the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand means that more players and teams will see the international spotlight — and they no doubt want to prove they belong

Pakistan’s pace bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi shared six wickets between them while Dhananjaya de Silva posted his 10th hundred before Sri Lanka was bowled out for 312 by lunch on Day 2 of the first cricket test

In some respects, it was merely a confirmation of the inevitable; in another, an indication of the dramatic pace of change Erik ten Hag has brought to Manchester United. Harry Maguire had barely returned to pre-season training when he was informed he was being stripped of the captaincy. Which, as he finished last season as the fifth-choice centre-back, behind not just Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane but also Victor Lindelof and left-back Luke Shaw, may simply feel logical. Especially as United are open to offers to Maguire, as Gareth Southgate has warned he needs to play to retain his England place and as there is little prospect of him upturning the pecking order at Old Trafford. It may have been another way of ushering him towards the exit. Yet it completes a two-year unravelling: Maguire had been the endearing underdog, the former Sheffield United and Hull player who had become an unlikely national hero – ‘Slabhead’, the ungainly surprise star of a run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, then the world’s most expensive central defender, then an anointed successor to Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Nemanja Vidic. After the rapid rise came the precipitous fall from grace. Ten Hag often praised Maguire’s attitude; off the field, he was a fine ambassador last season. On the pitch, however, he lost his place after August’s 4-0 embarrassment at Brentford; just when it seemed Maguire may at least rehabilitate himself as a decent deputy, he was horribly culpable for United’s Europa League exit at Sevilla. As with David de Gea, another supposed talisman who was at fault then, this summer has brought an end to an era. Maguire’s problems arguably date back to the summer of 2021; a few weeks earlier, he had reached a personal peak, named in the team of the tournament for Euro 2020, he had excelled for England. If Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival altered the trajectory of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign at Old Trafford, so, too, for the Norwegian’s chosen captain. The sense was that Ronaldo saw himself as a more fitting skipper. Maguire’s form fell off a cliff; he came to look more clumsy and cumbersome, haunted and hapless. He was sent off in Solskjaer’s final game, the thrashing at Watford; a few weeks earlier, he was terrible on his return to Leicester. He was not aided by the manager rushing him back when semi-fit; just as he had done when fast-tracking Maguire to the captaincy after only a few months at Old Trafford, Solskjaer seemed to overestimate him. It may have made Keane’s criticism more vitriolic; certainly Maguire was not flattered by comparisons with predecessors. The status of the United captaincy and the size of the club and his £80m price tag configured a pressure that, ultimately, felt too much. There was, though, something sad about the way he became a figure of fun. The United captaincy has felt something of a hospital pass in recent years. Maguire at least prospered for much of his first 18 months with the armband, if not the last two years. Before him, United’s official skipper tended to be injured, ageing or otherwise sidelined: Michael Carrick made just five appearances in 2017-18, Antonio Valencia just nine the following season and Ashley Young lost his place after inheriting the mantle from the Ecuadorian. Go back to 2016-17 and Wayne Rooney spent much of the second half of the campaign outside Jose Mourinho’s preferred side. Maguire’s powers waned, too, but at a younger age. If United have spent large swathes of the last 16 seasons being led by vice-captains and senior professionals, now Maguire has had two terrible seasons: one in the team, one outside it. Now, too, a team who have looked rudderless at times, especially in the torrid 2021-22, seem to have several leaders: Bruno Fernandes, the de facto skipper for much of last season, Varane, who wore the armband against Leeds last week, the charismatic Martinez, the hugely experienced Casemiro. The probability is that Fernandes will become Maguire’s full-time successor: an automatic choice who appears immune to injury and takes responsibility, he has a compelling case, despite his occasional petulance. It is apparent Ten Hag felt the situation with Maguire was unsustainable. He acted decisively. And in the process, he has pushed Solskjaer’s United further into the past. Read More Harry Maguire dropped as Manchester United captain by Erik ten Hag The stumbling block in Manchester United’s pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat David de Gea, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last player, ends 88 years of Manchester United history

A dozen years ago, Arsenal sought reinforcements at the heart of the midfield. The callow pair of 20-year-olds, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey, had started the historic humiliation of an 8-2 thrashing at Old Trafford. Arsene Wenger promptly signed a leader for who the prospect of playing for Arsenal had a greater allure than a lucrative contract to stay in David Moyes’ team. The similarities between Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice may end there; the former West Ham captain marked his arrival at Arsenal by speaking of a determination to spend “my best years at this great club” whereas, for the old Evertonian, it amounted to his last years as a player and, arguably, Goodison Park saw his him at his peak. At £105m, Rice cost rather more than his new manager. He arrives with Arsenal not at a low ebb but at a relative high, following their highest finish for seven years and with their best points total since the Invincibles. Manchester has a different pertinence now. By preferring Arsenal to Manchester City, he may have done the Premier League a wider service; Arteta needed Rice more and pursued him for longer but had Pep Guardiola secured the services of his former assistant’s top target, it would have been still harder to envisage anyone overhauling the champions. There is a cold logic to Rice’s decision, too, and not merely in the way his England sidekick Kalvin Phillips has floundered at City: tempting as it must have been to be presented as Ilkay Gundogan’s replacement, Rodri’s presence means Rice would only have been second choice for his optimum role. Instead, a team is being rebuilt around him. At Arsenal, he will have a significance commensurate with his record price tag; a new trio of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Rice has a bold look. There are dual reasons why Arteta’s choice of a midfielder has particular intrigue. One is his background in the position, and the other his managerial apprenticeship at Guardiola’s shoulder. It is notable that one of his midfield recruits so far – the January arrival Jorginho – was a target when they were together at City and that Oleksandr Zinchenko, converted into an inverted left-back by them at the Etihad, has adopted the same duties in the capital. Rice can seem the anti-Jorginho: less a regista, more a driving runner, scarcely a metronome, but often an all-action figure. It also makes him the antithesis of Arteta the player. Arteta the manager, however, has shown a fondness for defensive midfielders, whether the incumbent Thomas Partey, the new recruit Rice or Moises Caicedo, a wanted man in January, with the physical power he lacked. Rice’s move has echoes of Jack Grealish’s transfer to City for another nine-figure sum and not merely because each has traded the captaincy at one of the Premier League’s middle class for a place in the ranks among the aristocracy. Despite the huge outlay, the former Aston Villa man was given different duties by Guardiola; for Rice, too, the job description may change. He has spent much of his time at West Ham in a pair with Tomas Soucek, often with the quite old-fashioned division of labour where one can go forward if the other remains back. Arsenal’s midfield has a lone pivot and, with Havertz coming in and Granit Xhaka leaving, seems to have acquired a more attacking aspect. Rice will have to shoulder a huge responsibility. Unless he is teamed up in tougher games with Partey or Jorginho, the closest thing he may have to a partner could be Zinchenko in his hybrid role of full-back and wing-half. There will also be a stylistic shift: West Ham tended to have under half of possession, even when finishing in the top seven. Arsenal have rather more and Rice can expect greater involvement on the ball. But a theme of Rice’s career has been the way he has risen to challenges and surpassed expectations, and not merely those of Chelsea when they infamously released him. On day one at Arsenal, he spoke of having “more levels to go up to”. Improvement has been a constant in recent years and Rice can cast a gaze at new teammates and see a host who have progressed significantly under Arteta. He belongs in the same bracket as others for different reasons. Arteta came to the Emirates Stadium in the austerity era under Arsene Wenger where most of the prices were small, buys were generally designed to produce profits and the occasional loss-making deal felt a greater problem. Under Arteta, there has been more of a willingness to stretch themselves and there are several, such as Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale, for whom Arsenal were initially accused of paying over the odds; there is, though, a logic to paying over the odds for the right player, if not the wrong one, and sometimes fees can soon seem more justifiable. He will be part of an English core, too, even if it is possible that only Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka and him start in the strongest side. Arteta has a youthful local contingent, just as Wenger did with Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs when the Spaniard signed. Yet in another respect, there is only one parallel with Rice in the Frenchman’s long reign. Not since Sol Campbell has an automatic choice for England joined Arsenal. Rice’s move across London is more costly and less controversial but if there is pressure on Arsenal’s record buy, there is less rancour around him. But, like Campbell 22 years ago, he is a statement signing nonetheless. Read More Declan Rice signs for Arsenal in record £105m transfer deal The eye-watering sums behind Declan Rice’s record transfer to Arsenal ‘Please don’t say you’re going Arsenal’: Stormzy reacts to Declan Rice’s transfer news How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Declan Rice confirms ‘tough’ West Ham departure with Arsenal move imminent Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent

New Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has admitted last week’s meeting with Harry Kane was “nothing earth-shattering” but still a good chat amid Bayern Munich’s growing efforts to lure the forward to Germany. Kane has entered the final 12 months of his deal with Spurs and speculation over his future has heightened in recent weeks. The England captain returned to training on Wednesday and held a meeting with Postecoglou, but the Australian has played down its significance. Postecoglou told reporters at a press conference, via football.london, from the WACA Ground in Perth: “I had a good chat with Harry. “Nothing earth-shattering as people are seeking. Just a good chat, introduced myself, spoke about the club and where we can improve.” Bayern appeared to up the ante regarding Kane at the weekend with the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming an agreement over personal terms had been reached with the Spurs forward. “Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle,” Hoeness told German TV channel Sport1. “Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year. “He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe. “Up to now, the father and the brother have always stood by what they promised. If it stays that way, that’s OK.” Kane was spotted interacting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy upon arriving in Australia this weekend for the club’s tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore. While Bayern continue to push to secure the services of the England captain and have reportedly lodged two bids for the forward, Spurs’ stance remains the same, they have no intention of selling Kane. Spurs’ record goalscorer has also been offered a new contract that is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, the PA news agency understands. Kane is yet to make a decision on the new deal but Tottenham and chairman Levy continue to stand firm on their desire to keep the striker. Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: “Levy is clever, he doesn’t name a number. First we have to get him to name a number. “Of course he plays for time. I think he’s a savvy, super professional, I appreciate him a lot – but I don’t think there are people on the other side who have been doing it since yesterday.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon 2023: Women’s history made as men’s game has a changing of the guard It will be surreal – Chloe Mustaki cannot believe she will play at a World Cup From Chris Eubanks to Mirra Andreeva – Wimbledon’s headline makers in 2023

Chloe Mustaki has not fully accustomed to the reality that in just three days she will walk out on the pitch at sold-out Stadium Australia as a member of the first Republic of Ireland squad to feature in a Women’s World Cup. The 27-year-old’s extraordinary journey to this point has been down a road rife with obstacles, from her cancer diagnosis at the age of 19 to a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2020 and the lonely Covid-19 lockdown recovery that followed. But when the Republic’s plane touched down in Australia it all began to crystallise for Bristol City defender Mustaki, who hopes she can tune out the noise of over 80,000 majority-home supporters expected to attend her side’s July 20 opener against World Cup co-hosts the Matildas. “I don’t think I have an idea of how insane it is going to be,” she admitted during a training session at Brisbane’s Meakin Park. “I am trying not to think about it too much, trying just to concentrate on the football. At the end of the day, when you walk onto the pitch, everything around you just fades away. “So, if we can just concentrate and focus and stay connected on the game, whoever is playing on that pitch, hopefully we can come out with the result. “It will be surreal, and we won’t really believe it until we see it, because it is something that only (captain) Katie (McCabe) and a few others have experienced and we might never experience it again, that amount of people, so we have to savour it.” Skipper McCabe, who plays her club football with Arsenal, has played big games at major venues like the FA Cup final at Wembley and a Champions League semi-final at the 60,704-seat Emirates, which the Gunners sold out for the first time in May. It will be surreal, and we won’t really believe it until we see it, because it is something that only (captain) Katie (McCabe) and a few others have experienced and we might never experience it again, that amount of people, so we have to savour it Chloe Mustaki Mustaki, on the other hand, reckons the 12,123 who attended the Republic’s World Cup qualifier against Sweden in Gothenburg was the largest crowd to ever watch her play. She was born in Ohio, USA, but spent most of her youth in Cabinteely, and previously captained the Republic’s Under-19 team that reached the semi-finals of the 2014 European Championship in Norway – where she experienced signs of what would turn out to be Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. Mustaki completed treatment in 2015, and has previously spoken about how that experience shifted her perspective and helped her get through the devastating ACL injury she sustained in training five years later. Though she was first called up to Republic’s senior squad that same year, rehabilitating the injury meant it took two more before she finally made her senior international debut against Russia in the 2022 Pinatar Cup. Mustaki took a huge risk last summer, quitting a comfortable job to become a full-time professional footballer when she signed with Bristol City. It paid off when the Robins earned promotion to the Women’s Super League and she signed a new two-year deal in June. That dream fulfilled, another is now on the horizon as Mustaki’s side, ranked number 22 in the world, prepare to face two of FIFA’s top-10 nations in Group B, Australia and Canada alongside Nigeria, with the two best finishers advancing to the knockout stage. She said: “Of course, it is in their home nation, they will have a massive support there and they will have prepared very well for us. It will be a battle but we will be ready for it and we love being the underdogs.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon 2023: Women’s history made as men’s game has a changing of the guard From Chris Eubanks to Mirra Andreeva – Wimbledon’s headline makers in 2023 Novak Djokovic defeat the biggest surprise in a Wimbledon full of talking points

The history of golf courses serving as a boardroom with grass is a lengthy one

Who is the best quarterback in each division? These NFL Power Rankings work that out with new battles featuring Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and more to come.In the NFL, quarterback is king. Having a good one is usually the difference between winning and wallowing. Having a great one doesn't g...

The top women's footballers on the planet will be in action when the World Cup kicks off on Thursday in...