And that’s about it for today’s blog.
A reminder that we have Premier League action tonight in the form of Fulham v Wolves at 8pm. Barry Glendenning will bring you minute-by-minute updates.
Thanks for reading and all the comments. Bye for now.
Updated
An e-mail on Jack Grealish and his “loading” problem.
From Peter Oh: “Aston Villa have to de-load Greal-ish over the next few weeks? That sounds like something out of The Matrix. Maybe they mean download, as in a new application or software program? If so, the club really should look into getting a faster broadband service.”
Updated
In an ideal world, I’d guide you towards The Fiver at bang on 5pm. This world isn’t ideal. So here it is at 5.33.
Updated
Excellent interview here with Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz. Paul Doyle with the words.
Over at Augusta National, a Chelsea fan still leads but a Bayern Munich supporter has closed to within one.
More on Justin Rose, Bernd Wiesberger and the rest here:
As noted earlier, Dublin’s ability to host Euro 2020 matches remains in doubt.
Here’s the PA Media version:
UEFA will decide on April 19 whether Dublin can proceed as a Euro 2020 host city this summer.
The Irish capital is due to host three group games and one last-16 tie but on Wednesday the Football Association of Ireland said it could not provide UEFA with assurances on fan numbers as it continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
A final decision on how many of the original 12 hosts actually stage matches this summer will be taken by UEFA’s executive committee on April 19, with Munich, Rome and Bilbao also asked to provide additional information by that date.
Dublin and Bilbao – due to host all the matches in Group E between them as well as one knockout round match apiece – appear to be the venues most in danger of losing out if guarantees cannot be provided.
The English Football Association has previously said it stands ready to host additional games if another host is deemed unsuitable for any reason by UEFA, and has committed to a 25 per cent capacity limit for the group games and last-16 tie to be played at Wembley.
UEFA said the FA was hoping to confirm a higher capacity for the semi-finals and final – reported to be at least 50 per cent which would equate to 45,000 fans in the London venue.
Eight cities have so far provided guarantees over spectators, with Glasgow’s Hampden Park set to be 25 per cent full for the four matches it hosts.
Chelsea hope Zaha, Eze and co. don’t do what West Brom did.
Can Liverpool gain revenge?
Time to rattle off some match previews. Starting with the leaders.
More on eight Euro 2020 hosts confirming matches with spectators.
Here’s the official UEFA statement:
UEFA is pleased to announce that there will be a return of spectators to the EURO 2020 venues and wishes to express its appreciation to its member associations and the national and local authorities who are collaborating closely in ensuring the safe return of spectators to the stadium.
Currently, eight host countries have confirmed stadium capacities based on their projections of an improved health situation in their countries in June and July due to a number of factors, including a country’s vaccination rollout, its planned measures for reopening the economy and the projected slow-down in the virus due to warmer season.
Several of the host countries had already incorporated EURO 2020 in the rollout of their national recovery strategy. In addition, in planning the UEFA EURO 2020 final tournament, UEFA has worked closely with the World Health Organisation to adapt the WHO COVID-19 risk assessment tool for EURO 2020.
Venues with confirmed capacities of between 25% and 100%
St. Petersburg has confirmed a capacity of 50%, with the possibility of increasing the capacity by end of April, while Budapest is aiming to host spectators at full capacity, subject to spectators fulfilling strict stadium entry requirements.
Baku has confirmed a capacity of 50%, with the travelling fans of the participating teams required to present a negative COVID-19 test result to enter Azerbaijan.
Amsterdam, Bucharest, Copenhagen and Glasgow have confirmed a capacity of 25%-33%, with Amsterdam, Bucharest and Copenhagen keeping open the option potentially to raise their capacities at the end of this month, depending on the development of their mass testing programmes and general health conditions.
London has confirmed a minimum capacity of 25% for the three group matches and round of 16 match and are hoping to confirm a higher capacity for the semi-finals and final in early June.
Munich, Rome, Bilbao, Dublin
The remaining four cities have until 19 April to provide additional information on their plans and final decisions will be made on that date regarding the staging of matches in those four venues.
Further information for ticket holders in those four venues will be communicated at that time.
Updated
UEFA update on Euro 2020 tickets
Some breaking news about ticket plans for Euro 2020.
Eight cities have confirmed stadium capacities while four others have been given until April 19 to provide additional information on their plans.
Wales fans can go to Baku with a Covid-19 test while Budapest will have a full stadium.
Fleshing out the news for Wales fans, who will have exemption from quarantine if they have tickets.
For Baku, the exemption is applicable only to participating team supporters (citizens or residents of said country) holding a ticket who may enter the country if they present proof of a recent COVID-19 test result.
More details to come...
Updated
It’s a decent quiz question and will need an update after the weekend.
West Ham’s Mark Noble is about to become just the eighth player to make 400 Premier League appearances for the same club. The other seven are listed at the bottom of this post if you want to bring a sense of fun to your Friday afternoon.
Here’s David Moyes’ tribute to his one-club man:
It is great, to be at one club and play 400 Premier League games takes some doing.
When you look at how many years you have to be there and the consistency you have got to have, and injuries as well play a part in players’ careers.
It’s a great achievement and he has reached an awful lot of milestones at West Ham because of his loyalty and his consistency as a player and we’re enjoying him at the moment.
I don’t think there is anybody, certainly not in our business, who would ever question how great a career Mark Noble has had.
The loyalty, the number of games he has played, the years he has been at the club.
I think he might not be mentioned in that group of players (see below) because they have won European Cups and Premier League titles, but you cannot question Mark Noble’s loyalty, his consistency, and his longevity which is a big thing in football, especially at one club.
I think he should be mentioned in and around those names but probably from a different perspective.
The other seven: Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville.
Top scorers in the Premier League this season:
19 Harry Kane
18 Mo Salah
16 Bruno Fernandes
14 Patrick Bamford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin
13 Heung-Min Son
12 Jamie Vardy, Ilkay Gundogan
Jamie Vardy is on that list but the goals have dried up in recent months for the veteran striker. He hasn’t scored for nine games and has just one in his last 17 in all competitions.
Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is taking the class is permanent line ahead of Sunday’s trip to West Ham.
The team has still been winning. What’s most important for Jamie is you have to continue to work, make runs and sometimes you just need that bit of luck.
He has created a number of opportunities for us. We know his threat and he can score any time. He has just been very unfortunate, between keepers making saves and blocks on the line and some chances that, maybe, he would have put away.
He is always going to be there. He is such a threat, his sharpness and speed, he is such an important player for us.
Some team news for the Foxes.
Caglar Soyuncu is still in Turkey after being diagnosed with Covid-19 on international duty. The defender could fly back on Sunday providing he tests negative.
Cengiz Under (hamstring) is sidelined while James Justin and Harvey Barnes (both knee) are still absent.
Here’s more from Pep Guardiola on the match against Leeds.
I am looking forward to the game. We faced them in the first game and we know how difficult it was and this will not be an exception.
The quality of the manager and the backroom staff shows in the position in the table. They were promoted last season and are already safe with 42 points and seven games left. They’ve done incredibly well all season.
We have to do our best to get a result and the game will not be over until 94 or 95 minutes. The resilience they have I’ve never seen before. They fight to the end. Even at 3-0 or 4-0 (down) they continue and continue.
Team news for the Erling Haaland Dad’s derby, from PA Media.
Leaders Manchester City could again have a fully-fit squad available for the visit of Leeds in the Premier League.
City, who are 14 points clear at the top of the table, have had a clean bill of health with manager Pep Guardiola frequently rotating his squad in recent weeks.
The likes of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling – on the bench for the midweek Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund – are among those that could come into the starting XI.
Leeds winger Jack Harrison, in his third season on loan from City, is unavailable to face his parent club.
Midfielder Adam Forshaw (hip) remains a long-term absentee, but otherwise Marcelo Bielsa has a full-strength squad to choose from.
Rodrigo, Pablo Hernandez (both muscle strains) and Robin Koch (knee) were all included in the squad for last week’s home win against Sheffield United and Gaetano Berardi (knee) is also available.
Man City provisional squad: Ederson, Steffen, Walker, Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Laporte, Ake, Garcia, Mendy, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Rodri, De Bruyne, Foden, Torres, Mahrez, Sterling, Silva, Aguero, Jesus.
Leeds provisional squad: Meslier, Casilla, Cooper, Llorente, Ayling, Berardi, Koch, Alioski, Dallas, Raphinha, Phillips, Roberts, Klich, Shackleton, Struijk, Poveda, Costa, Hernandez, Rodrigo, Bamford.
A quick line on tomorrow’s Grand National which follows soon after Liverpool’s home game against Aston Villa.
The big race does go ahead.
Jockey Club Racecourses has held discussions with the British Horseracing Authority regarding the staging of Randox Grand National Day tomorrow at Aintree Racecourse. Following consultation with Government, we can confirm that Randox Grand National Day will go ahead on Saturday 10th April 2021.
Following the sad news of the death of The Duke of Edinburgh a two-minute silence will be held on course ahead of the 173rd Randox Grand National, jockeys will be invited to wear black armbands and flags will be flown at half-mast at the racecourse.
ITV will broadcast its coverage of Randox Grand National Day on its main channel as scheduled.
Sean Dyche’s Edvard Munch dilemma. Appearing at a prog rock festival near you soon.
The no-nonsense Burnley boss, as you’d expect, has no time for players who go down and scream for penalties. But he fears that instructing his side to stay up and be honest could cost them points.
The message is clearly the opposite; it’s go down and scream because if you go down and scream you get the decision.
Weirdly it’s probably the only sport in the world that actively introduces the idea of actually working to get fouls and penalties.
No one really wants to clean it up, therefore I have got to be careful because I am going to cost my team points by telling them not to go down. Now that’s a bizarre situation to be in.
I can’t cost these players their futures by not gaining penalties and free-kicks that others do, that would be absurd.
I have got to be careful with my own team and not make them too clean with the game because the game is saying don’t be.
The game is saying get on the floor as many times as you can and make as much noise as you can, you will have a better chance of winning the game. But I don’t encourage it, I assure you.
Pep goes all tingly after some nice words from Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.
🗣"I am overwhelmed, I feel weird."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 9, 2021
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reacts to Marcelo Bielsa calling his teams magical pic.twitter.com/chhz8EEC38
Liverpool haven’t scored a goal inside the first hour of a match at Anfield since December. Here’s Jurgen Klopp on the importance of a fast start.
Jurgen Klopp on starting well tomorrow:
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) April 9, 2021
"You always want to start a game well. If you don't get the momentum from the first second, you have to get it after 5 minutes." 💪 pic.twitter.com/SnV9LZYxRb
Thanks John. Some Sheffield United team news, per PA Media.
Sheffield United interim manager Paul Heckingbottom hopes to have Jayden Bogle and George Baldock available against Arsenal.
Both players suffered head injuries in the defeat at Leeds last weekend but could feature following concussion protocols.
John Egan returned from a toe injury at Elland Road with a late substitute appearance and the defender is likely to get more minutes on Sunday. However, Chris Basham, Billy Sharp, Sander Berge (hamstring) and Jack O’Connell (knee) remain out.
And here’s Heckingbottom himself.
🗣"I wouldn't mind it being an issue on Sunday."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 9, 2021
Sheffield United interim boss Paul Heckingbottom hopes that Arsenal suffer with a European hangover when they play each other on Sunday pic.twitter.com/gvIP2EMlaa
Updated
Right, that’s me done for the day. David Tindall will see you through to the bitter end.
Some detailed team news ahead of Tottenham v Manchester United on Sunday.
Tottenham are still without Ben Davies and Matt Doherty. Davies has an ankle problem suffered before the recent international break. Fellow full-back Doherty’s muscle injury, sustained while away on Republic of Ireland duty, also keeps him out.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær hopes to have Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw available. Rashford had been a doubt for Thursday’s Europa League tie at Granada but scored and lasted 65 minutes before being taken off to protect an ongoing ankle complaint. Shaw came off at the break with an unspecified issue that Solskjaer hopes will not rule him out of the trip to Spurs, which Anthony Martial, Phil Jones (both knee) and Eric Bailly (Covid-19) will miss.
Tottenham provisional squad: Lloris, Hart, Aurier, Tanganga, Dier, Alderweireld, Rodon, Sanchez, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Winks, Sissoko, Ndombele, Alli, Lamela, Moura, Kane, Vinicius, Bale, Son.
Manchester United provisional squad: De Gea, Henderson, Grant, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Telles, Tuanzebe, Wan-Bissaka, Williams, Diallo, Fernandes, Fred, James, Mata, Matic, McTominay, Pogba, Van De Beek, Cavani, Elanga, Greenwood, Rashford.
Difficult to disagree with this below-the-line comment.
Good news for Arsenal is in short supply at the moment but here’s some.
Some Everton team news, per PA Media.
Everton are set to again be without Jordan Pickford when they face Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Monday.
While the goalkeeper has resumed training, Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti has said “we don’t want to take a risk for this game”.
Pickford has sat out Everton’s last two games, plus England’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland, due to an abdominal injury.
Ancelotti said at his pre-match press conference on Friday: “Jordan Pickford started training this week, but I think it’s not 100 per cent, and we don’t want to take a risk for this game.”
Will Edinson Cavani be at Old Trafford next season? Ole Gunnar Solskjær isn’t so sure. There’s a contract extension offer available but the Uruguayan hasn’t yet taken it up and a move back to South America and Boca Juniors is mooted.
Asked if he had any indication as to what Cavani might do, Solskjaer said: “Yeah. No, no, that’s... I’ve kept in touch with Edi, of course, and we keep an open dialogue. He’s still unsure what he wants to do next season, which I find fine. It’s not been an easy year either for him or the rest of the world this season, so he still wants time to make his mind up.”
Updated
Thomas Tuchel isn’t at Chelsea to make the England team better at Euro 2020, and that’s bad news for Tammy Abraham, who has fallen out of favour since Tactics Tom arrived at Stamford Bridge. Tuchel has been Zooming today.
I cannot make a decision on the personal goals of players. [Goalkeeper] Kepa Arrizabalaga also has the goal to play for Spain but this can’t influence my decisions. I’ve got to do what I believe is best for Chelsea. Tammy has had a rough time. He’s not had the impact we demand from him. He then got injured and lost the possibility to play for his place. We’re in the decisive part of the season, where it’s not so easy to bring injured players into shape It’s up to Tammy to do everything possible. We demand a lot of him, he demands a lot of himself.
Looks like there’s some kind of love-in breaking out between Real and Barça as Ronald Koeman has had a dig at Jürgen Klopp for his remarks about having to play on Real Madrid’s Alfredo di Stefano stadium on Tuesday in the Champions League. Klopp said it was like playing on a training pitch.
It’s disparaging to a big club like Madrid (to say it is a training pitch), they’ve chosen the time to do renovation works at their stadium and they’ve chosen well. Madrid are used to playing on that pitch and the opponents have to play there, and that’s that. For players the tough thing is playing without any fans.
#ELCLÁSICO SZN pic.twitter.com/KJptgHPpJp
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 9, 2021
Could Saturday’s be Lionel Messi’s last Clásico? Zinedine Zidane hopes not, the Real Madrid coach speaking warmly of Barcelona’s captain. The returned president Joan Laporta has vowed to keep the Argentinean at the club, but thus far no new deal has been forthcoming. Zizou also hopes that Sergio Ramos has not played his last Clásico. Ramos is also out of contract this summer.
On Messi: “I hope it’s not [his last Clasico], I want him to stay at Barcelona, it’s good for the Spanish league. We know what a player he is, but they’re a very good team and we’ll have to try and stop them playing to their strengths and be as good as we can be on the ball and play as best as we can.”
On Ramos: “Hopefully he’s not played his last Clasico. He won’t be fit tomorrow, which is a shame, but I hope he stays here.”
📋✅ Our 19-man squad for the match 🆚 @FCBarcelona! #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/cgKEBydBsz
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) April 9, 2021
Updated
Steven Gerrard’s been speaking on the subject of social media.
🗣"We want people to talk about it."
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 9, 2021
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has said that something big can come from social media boycotts as people will be talking about it more pic.twitter.com/ldLXEeY7f9
I’m going to hand back now to John Brewin.
Both Jurgen Klopp and Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel have been asked in their press conferences about racist abuse on social media.
Klopp: “So far it (racist abuse) didn’t get sorted. People can hide behind whatever account and that’s a problem that has to be sorted on this planet as quickly as possible.”
Tuchel: “Social media gives people a huge, huge stage to give comments without a name behind it, without an identity, address behind it. So it opens the door to abuse, opens the door also to positive comments of course.”
Some lines from Jurgen Klopp ahead of Saturday’s game against Aston Villa:
Team news: “We flew back Wednesday, trained yesterday. No-one is injured but we’ll see what we make with the info they (medical staff) give us today. If we have to change something we will see.”
The 7-2 defeat at Villa Park: “You can’t put a game like that aside immediately. It showed us a lot of things that were a problem. We worked with it. We spoke about it.”
And while promoting our other offerings, Chelsea fan Justin Rose leads The Masters after a brilliant 7-under-par 65 on day one. Here’s Scott Murray’s live blog.
It seems like a rewind to the 70s and 80s to find that Liverpool are playing early on Saturday ahead of the Grand National at Aintree. The 3pm kick-off should just be finished in time for everyone to switch channels and watch the 40 hopefuls set off at 5.15pm. Surely a few will be backing Definitely Red although our own Greg Wood in his horse-by-horse guide writes:
“A big fancy four years ago when he was badly hampered at the first Becher’s Brook and his saddle slipped, leaving his rider with little option but to pull up shortly afterwards. Was among the market leaders for the 2020 renewal as well, but he was beaten out of sight behind Cloth Cap last time and a long-delayed second crack at a race that has always promised to play to his strengths is probably 12 months too late.”
Oh dear. Anyway, here’s a pic to jog the memories:
At the 1977 BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, Red Rum was ‘interviewed’ alongside Ginger McCain. “He’s been listening to the applause and he thinks it’s for him” said McCain. Rummy later pricked his ears when he first heard jockey Tommy Stack talking on a video link pic.twitter.com/ESHJmnwQF8
— Sport & Betting History (@CDCHistory) April 9, 2021
Updated
Jurgen Klopp is about to speak to the press ahead of Liverpool’s game against Aston Villa at fortress Anfield.
Older fans will recall Liverpool beating Crystal Palace 9-0 earlier in the same season (1989/90) they lost to the Eagles in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
They’ll be hoping for a similar ridiculous swing - although this time the other way - having been walloped 7-2 at Villa Park earlier this season.
Here’s the official Villa club commentary of that incredible night.
While Liverpool attempt to win the Champions League with Ozan Kabak and Nat Phillips at the back, here’s an update from another Reds central defender.
Yes, Joe! 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/OLSN7ZwHYl
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) April 9, 2021
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce says he would ban all social media if he could, describing it as a “scourge”.
Swansea, quickly followed by Rangers and Birmingham, have said they will not post on their usual club channels for a week.
The three clubs have encouraged their players to do the same and feel not enough is being done by social media companies to stamp out racist and abusive messages.
Bruce’s comments here:
If you’re a little bit fragile, then it can damage people. Ban the whole lot as far as I’m concerned. No social media, for me, would be the way forward and I’m right behind (the clubs who are boycotting it).
But I do think in all seriousness that the platforms which they’re given, they should be policed and a bit like your telephone, you’re accountable for what you do and what messages you send out there because some of it – and I’ve seen it – is vile, I have to tell you, so I applaud those clubs.
Updated
Some numbers ahead of tonight’s Fulham v Wolves game. Kraftwerk fan and record shop owner Jon Moss takes charge.
- Fulham are unbeaten in their five Premier League home meetings with Wolves (W2 D3).
- There are two players to have had as many as 25 shots without finding the net so far in the PL this season – Wolves winger Adama Traore (26) and Fulham’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (25).
- After losing their first three Friday PL matches, Wolves are unbeaten in their last four on that day (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in each of the last three.
- Wolves forward Fabio Silva has lost all three PL contests in which he’s scored. No player has a worse such 100 per cent losing record in the competition’s history.
Some news from Rangers boss Steven Gerrard ahead of next Saturday’s Scottish Cup clash with Celtic at Ibrox. It concerns James Tavernier and it isn’t that great following the skipper’s knee injury.
On Tavernier: “I’d say he’s got an outside chance, James, of being involved against Celtic. He is still outside in a one-v-one capacity with the physio but he is progressing pretty well.”
On Ryan Jack: “In terms of Ryan (calf), we are waiting on some news today, we have been back and forth with a couple of specialists over the last couple of days. He has still been doing his thing with the physios and the medical team here but we are hoping for some positive news.”
Thanks. David Tindall here for “90 minutes of sheer hell” until John returns to the hotseat at 1.30pm BST.
Time then, to pass on the baton to my colleague and friend to take you through the lunch hours. Goodbye for now.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta does not think Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who didn’t start last night’s game against Slavia Prague, will become another Mesut Ozil and says the striker is “totally” committed to the club. “I’m always positive about the future but once you think about things that happen in the past or compare different situations and personalities I won’t do that,” he said. And asked asked whether Aubameyang was committed to the Gunners’ cause, the Spaniard added: “Totally.”
Michael Robert Hardie gets in touch: “Following Dean Smith’s announcement, I can only assume Grealish will be sent to the white zone for recovery, as we all know that’s for loading and unloading only.”
But how about de-loading?
To follow on from the Swansea and Rangers social media boycott, there’s a similar story breaking in France. Per Reuters.
St Etienne said they had started legal action following a xenophobic video sent to one of their players by members of an official supporters’ group on Friday.
“The club has already referred the matter to the public prosecutor,” St Etienne said in a statement.
The Magic Fans group said in a statement they were apologising for the video, sent from their headquarters, which contains “disrespectful, xenophobic and offensive comments sent to one of our players by some members of our group on Saturday”.
The Magic Fans added that they did not know whether the video would be made public.
St Etienne are 15th in the standings.
Good news for Newcastle: Their leading goalscorer Callum Wilson is available for Sunday’s trip to Burnley for the first time since suffering a hamstring tear at the beginning of February.
The 10-goal striker has missed the Magpies’ last seven games, none of which they have won, but has trained all week along with Allan Saint-Maximin, who returned from a groin injury as a substitute in last weekend’s draw with Tottenham.
Bad news for Newcastle: Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles suffered a suspected stress fracture to his foot against Tottenham which will keep him out this weekend and possibly beyond. Steve Bruce has bemoaned his poor luck with injuries.
The disappointing thing is we’ve lost the captain, Lascelles, with a foot injury which unfortunately happened last week against Spurs, so that’s a blow to us. With Fab Schar missing too, it leaves us a bit light there. It’s not looking so good at the moment. He’s going to have more scans and all the rest of it today and over the weekend, but it’s not looking good. He won’t play this weekend, that’s for sure. It’s a stress fracture, we think, maybe.
No Jack Grealish for Aston Villa, Dean Smith has confirmed.
Grealish has missed the last seven games due to a shin injury and has suffered a further setback. Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Liverpool, Smith said: “No, he’s not (fit). Myself and Jack were quite optimistic to get him back a bit sooner than he probably should and he’s had a setback that will probably put him back a couple of weeks.”
Bad, bad news for Villa, despite that win last week over Fulham. Good news for Liverpool.
He was really good in training, but he couldn’t tolerate the loading. It’s a loading injury and we have to de-load him over the next few weeks and get him back from there. We know it’s not a long-term injury and he will be back. We all, Jack included, probably pushed him back a little bit too quickly. He wanted to get back, we wanted him to get back and he had a little setback.
A loading injury?
Updated
Some key quotes on the Euro 2020 issue, from the last couple of days.
The FAI on Dublin: ““The Football Association of Ireland, on advice and guidance from the government, has today notified UEFA that owing to the Covid-19 pandemic it is not in a position at this point to provide assurances on minimum spectator levels at the Euro 2020 matches.”
Bavarian premier Markus Söder on Munich: “It’s been shown that players get infected again and again. Therefore in a big stadium, Europe-wide with a lot of mobility. Whether that’s a good idea, I would have to doubt.”
The Spanish FA (RFEF) on Bilbao: “Yesterday we received the requirements the Basque government imposed in order to have crowds at the European Championship and from the first instance one could see they would be impossible for the federation to accept.”
“The league’s findings do not mean that the case will be closed, with the Spanish football federation also looking into the incident.”
On Euro 2020, the word is that there will news later today on venues, so watch this space.
Phil Brown is back at Southend United
Via PA Media
Southend have turned to former boss Phil Brown in a bid to save their Football League status after sacking Mark Molesley with six games of the season left.
The Shrimpers are six points adrift of safety in League Two and are facing dropping out of the Football League for the first time since joining in 1920.
Molesley took over from Sol Campbell in the summer but has won just eight of his 40 league matches in charge, and the club have now lost patience with their fate still in the balance.
Brown returns to Roots Hall where he managed for five years between 2013 and 2018 and took the club from League Two into a solid League One outfit.
A club statement read: “The club last night terminated the contract of manager Mark Molesley, together with the majority of his backroom staff. “We wish to thank Mark for the commitment throughout his tenure. The Board recognise the management team worked tirelessly. However, whilst considerable further support was afforded during the January window, results on the pitch remained, unfortunately, inconsistent.
“Phil Brown, who previously managed the club between 2013 and 2018, will take charge with immediate effect. Brown, who signed some members of the existing squad, will be assisted by his former colleague Ricky Duncan (Head of Academy) and Craig Fagan (Under 23 Manager), who played under Brown when he managed Hull City between 2006 and 2010.”
Brown’s first game of his second spell will be against Crawley on Saturday.
Updated
In non-shock news...
Bad, bad news for West Ham, particularly in the light of Declan Rice’s injury, and not buying a striker in January now seems one hell of an oversight.
“I wanted to applaud you, the best team of my city.
A lovely sentiment but one that may cause Steve Bruce a shiver of recognition.
Preamble
Amidst all the team news and pre-match platitudes, there’s a couple of burning issues at hand. Which cities will actually be able to host Euro 2020 matches? The suggestions from Munich, Dublin and Bilbao in the last couple of days are that there may need to be a hasty redrawing, with England and Scotland the possible beneficiaries. Well, that’s if another wave of the pandemic is held off and with pubs opening on Monday...
And also, clubs are now taking a stand against social media companies’ refusal to stop the flow of abuse that players have to deal with. Swansea and Rangers are leading the way, with others sure to follow.
And of course, there’s a weekend of red-hot Premier League action after what has been a red-hot week of Euro action. How might Liverpool and Arsenal lick their wounds after chastening experiences? It was a better midweek for Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, with the middle of that trio able to take another inexorable step towards the title when they face Leeds on Saturday lunchtime. Expect the phrase “wow, guys, Stuart Dallas” come from Pep Guardiola’s lips as he blushes in the presence of Marcelo Bielsa.
Also on Saturday, there’s also the latest riddle of Jack Grealish’s shin, as Liverpool play Aston Villa at Anfield. Then it’s Crystal Palace v Chelsea, where Tactics Tom Tuchel will hope to make up for last week’s pumping by West Brom.
Sunday sees football as the winner as Burnley face Newcastle, before West Ham’s push for the top four sees them against one of their rivals in Leicester. The biggest game - though only on paper - looks to be Tottenham welcoming Manchester United on Sunday. There is bad blood there, and that’s just José Mourinho and his Spurs players (or so it has been reported). After that, Arsenal can try and make up for their Slavia Prague wobble by winning at Sheffield United.
There’s two games on Monday, too, as seems to be the way these days. Can Big Sam really pull West Brom out of the mire? They will have to beat Southampton. And it’s a another blue Monday as Everton, gunning for seventh once more, travel to Brighton.
What else? Norwich can secure their passage back to the Premier League by winning at Wayne Rooney’s Derby County and then there’s the El Clásico, played on Saturday with both teams now given a good chance of overtaking faltering Atlético.
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