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Tag: injury list

  • Ange safe for now… as ‘embarrassing’ Spurs’ rescue plan revealed, replacements touted – UK View

    Ange safe for now… as ‘embarrassing’ Spurs’ rescue plan revealed, replacements touted – UK View

    Ange Postecoglou’s job is seemingly safe for now — though Spurs’ reported rescue package for their Australian manager is meagre.

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    Reports out of the British press suggest that Tottenham are sticking with the Australian as they focus their energies on signing “at least one player” before the January transfer window is shut.

    It appeared as if Postecoglou’s time may have been up after their 2-1 home defeat to relegation-threatened Leicester City, who had lost seven straight matches coming in, on Sunday.

    Spurs sit a lowly 15th on the Premier League table, winless in their last seven matches and picking up just four points in their last ten league fixtures.

    The faithful are growing restless with Postecoglou stopping to express his displeasure at one fan who repeatedly shouted “we’re going down with you” as he headed down the race with boos echoing after the full-time whistle.

    Postecoglou then responded to a question about whether he thinks he will still be at the helm when Spurs’ plethora of injured stars return to the park, with “who knows”.

    It was the first time the former Socceroos and Celtic boss and publicly showed the writing may be on the wall, especially given Tottenham’s history of discarding managers.

    Chairman Daniel Levy has had 16 managers in his 24 years in charge.

    But with Tottenham’s injury crisis showing few signs of improving, Levy is reportedly changing tack and giving Postecoglou more time than he afforded the likes of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte when things went pear shaped.

    Tottenham’s injury list has been in double digits for several weeks with Postecoglou unable to fill his entire bench against Leicester as James Maddison joined the casualty ward.

    Goal scorer Richarlison also should have come off at half time with a groin issue, while the manager admitted Pape Sarr should not have played after picking up an injury in their mid-week Europa League victory against German outfit Hoffenheim.

    With the medical team working over time, the lack of activity in the current transfer window has been perplexing.

    Goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky arrived from Slavia Prague for £12.5 million to cover for first-choice shot stopper Guglielmo Vicario who fractured his right ankle in Spurs’ 4-0 win at Manchester City in November.

    But Kinsky is the only January signing so far, despite Postecoglou crying out for more outfield talent, especially in defence.

    The most frustrating thing for Tottenham fans is that they have the money to chase new signings.

    The Mirror’s Conor Mummery wrote that “Spurs have one of the lowest wages to turnover ratio in the league at 42 per cent. They have the biggest PSR [profit and sustainability rules] headroom in the league.

    “And Daniel Levy and Co have sat on their hands all month and watched their club slide down the league table, picking up more injuries along the way with Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie and Yves Bissouma joining the likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario on the sidelines.”

    Ange Postecoglou’s fiery fan interaction | 00:20

    Those figures are why the fans have turned on Levy, and it appears he believes he would do further damage to his reputation by sacking another manager at this point in time.

    Football.London’s Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold shed light on how strained the relationship has become between the owner and the fan base.

    “It’s embarrassing no doubt for Levy to hear the loudest chants yet in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – his crowning glory – from thousands of supporters for him to leave his position at the helm of the club. The post-match music was cranked up loudly – Spurs fans have heard that before – but it could not drown out the chants during the match,” Gold wrote.

    “It’s embarrassing that the club are currently in danger of repeating those two critical transfer-less windows that sucked the life out of the club and the manager in Mauricio Pochettino’s final full season, seemingly learning not a single lesson from a period that ended their hopes of building on what the Argentine had created and they’ve been flailing since. Recent reports detailing the far lower percentage Spurs spend on salaries compared to revenue in relation to all of their rivals, which will only have dropped further this season, have not exactly screamed ambition from the owners to the fanbase.

    “It’s embarrassing for the club to see those couple of banners in the south stand. One read: “24 years, 16 managers, one trophy – time for change”. Another proclaimed: “Our game is about glory, Levy’s game is about greed”. That video footage appeared to show stewards trying to take down the first banner is equally embarrassing.”

    In an attempt to ease some of the tension, Tottenham are reportedly showing heavy interest in a highly touted 18-year-old who has burst on the Premier League scene this season, and a 24-year-old Manchester United academy product who has found his way in France.

    But neither deal may be done until the summer.

    “Southampton winger Tyler Dibling and Lille midfielder Angel Gomes are two players Spurs have held talks over as they attempt to set up deals for the summer window, and they are also trying to secure at least one new outfield signing this month,” Matt Law, football news correspondent for The Telegraph, wrote.

    “While Postecoglou has been relatively calm about Tottenham’s lack of business so far, it is understood there is frustration from staff behind the scenes that outfield players have not been brought in earlier to try to alleviate some of the Australian’s problems.

    “Tottenham have been desperate to avoid rushing into a decision on Postecoglou’s future and the focus has been trying to support him, but pressure is growing following successive defeats by Everton and Leicester, and with his team stuck in 15th place, eight points above the relegation zone.

    “It is understood that Spurs are understanding of the injury crisis Postecoglou has faced and believe that changing the manager again would leave the club in a difficult position as they attempt to build something lasting.

    “Furthermore, the prospect of having to finish a third season with Ryan Mason in caretaker charge would be hugely embarrassing and provoke more criticism towards Levy.”

    The allure of some much-needed silverware is seemingly also keeping Postecoglou safe in the short-term.

    Mid-week fixtures are undeniably hurting Tottenham’s depleted squad’s ability to back up time and time again for league encounters, but they remain alive in the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.

    In fact, they lead Liverpool 1-0 after the first leg of their League Cup semi-final with the second leg to be played at Anfield next month.

    They are sixth on the Europa League with a win at home against Swedish side IF Elsborg on Friday morning Australian time in their final league phase match guaranteeing them automatic passage to the Round of 16.

    Meanwhile, an FA Cup fourth round tie away at Aston Villa also awaits next week.

    Three opportunities remain for Postecoglou to fulfill his proclamation that he always wins a trophy in his second year in charge of a team.

    He did it in the A-League. He did it with the Socceroos. He did it in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos. He did with Scottish giants Celtic and despite things looking so bleak in North London, he remains optimistic that he can do it again.

    Around the world, he has trophies in the bank and is not interested in trying to assure others that he can manage a football team

    “It doesn’t really come into my consciousness about trying to convince people. I have been around long enough to know that some will just judge on where we are at at the moment and rightly so in some respects. It’s not good enough,” Postecoglou explained after the loss to Leicester.

    “If people want to put context to that, they can. If not, so be it. From my point of view, I’m still very much stuck on the fact that the players are just giving everything they can.

    “Even one more player coming in, just in the short term, will give us an opportunity at least to navigate these last 10 days to two weeks of what’s been a really hard slog for this group of players.

    “They did on Thursday night (against Hoffenheim), they did today. There are probably at least two who shouldn’t have been out there. They were just desperate to try to turn our fortunes around.

    “Hopefully over the next 10 days to two weeks we should get some significant players back which I think will help this group a lot. It will give them the boost they need.

    “We have still got some fantastic opportunities this year to make an impact in the second half of this year and I’m sure that will happen.”

    Whenever Postecoglou’s time is up at Tottenham, things may look brighter.

    The Mirror’s football writers identified Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Fulham’s Marco Silva as potential replacements for Postecoglou at Spurs, but they would just be getting themselves onto the same merry-go-round.

    Moving on from Spurs has reaped rewards for previous managers with The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson writing that Postecoglou may have more success elsewhere to look forward to.

    “The good news for Ange Postecoglou is that it seems relatively straightforward to recover from being Tottenham manager: his two immediate predecessors, Antonio Conte and Nuno Espírito Santo, are top of Serie A with Napoli and third in the Premier League with Nottingham Forest respectively,” Wilson wrote.

    “As the banner unveiled on Sunday by Spurs fans during the defeat by Leicester read: “24 years, 16 managers, one trophy”. Nobody really looks at Tottenham any more and thinks the problem is the manager.

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  • Liverpool late heart break in six-goal thriller; Man City break their slump as maestro returns – PL Wrap

    Liverpool late heart break in six-goal thriller; Man City break their slump as maestro returns – PL Wrap

    League leaders Liverpool played one of the game’s of the season at Newcastle, while Manchester City returned to winning ways as two of England’s biggest clubs locked horns in London in a massive mid-week slate of Premier League matches.

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    A 90th minute equaliser from Newcastle’s Fabian Schär ended Liverpool’s seven match winning streak in all competitions, as the Reds’ trip north ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw.

    Mohammed Salah continued his rich vein of form as the Egyptian scored twice in the second half to give Liverpool the lead, but goal keeper Caoimhín Kelleher had a moment to forget during a set piece in the dying minutes that pathed the way for Schär’s equaliser.

    The Irish shot stopper misjudged the ball, which was whipped in to the box by Bruno Guimarães from a free kick, and let it go over his head, thinking it would sail beyond the touch line, but the Magpies centre back slid in at the back post to squeeze his shot home from an incredibly tight angle.

    St James’ Park was sent into raptures by the celebrations but the drama was not over as fans ranged when the full-time whistle was blown after six minutes of stoppage time.

    Newcastle was seemingly on the break to create another attacking opportunity, but the game was drawn to a close with both sides have justifiable arguments for who let an additional two points slip, and who snatched a point.

    Obviously, the hosts levelled things up at the death, but Liverpool came from behind twice earlier in the night.

    Salah was voted player of the match for his performance that jumped him ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in the golden boot standings with 13 goals so far this campaign, and he has scored nine times in his last seven Premier League outings.

    His 68th minute and 83rd minute goals were both assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold who came off the bench and picked out Salah at the near post for the first before finding the Egyptian in the centre of the box to give him a brace.

    Salah assisted Liverpool’s first goal of the game when he delivered a low cross to Curtis Jones who smashed it into the roof of the net in the 50th minute.

    Alexander Isak’s first half rocket from outside the box gave Newcastle the early advantage as the Magpies caused Arne Slot’s side headaches with their tenacious high press.

    With Alexander-Arnold resting on the bench, and the injured Ibrahima Konate also not on the park, Liverpool looked unusually vulnerable at the back early, an issue vividly illustrated as Jacob Murphy smashed a fierce shot off the far post from an acute angle.

    It was a warning Liverpool failed to heed as Isak opened the scoring in the 35th minute.

    Surging into Lewis Hall’s pass, Isak took a clever touch that wrong-footed Virgil van Dijk 20 yards from goal, opening space for a blistering strike that flashed into the roof of the net.

    Gordon should have doubled Newcastle’s lead after Joe Gomez’s miscued clearance, but the forward’s hesitant shot was straight at Kelleher.

    Liverpool were ragged and Slot threw his arms up in frustration after another Gomez mistake allowed Murphy to blast narrowly wide.

    Yet in the blink of an eye, Liverpool conjured an equaliser five minutes after half-time.

    Anonymous in the first half, Salah burst into life with a superbly measured cross towards Jones, whose run was perfectly timed to meet the Egyptian’s delivery with an emphatic close-range finish.

    Newcastle were back in front after 62 minutes as Isak’s deft pass sent Gordon galloping into the area and he cut back inside before planting a composed finished beyond Kelleher from 10 yards.

    But Liverpool’s resolve was unshaken, thanks in large part to the presence of the sublime Salah, as well as Slot’s decision to send on Alexander-Arnold.

    Dropping points for the first time since a 2-2 draw at Arsenal on October 27, Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table is down to seven points.

    After impressive 2-0 wins against Real Madrid and Manchester City last week, Slot’s men were hailed as champions elect in England and leading contenders for the Champions League.

    Failing to kill off spirited Newcastle won’t change that status, but Slot will have noted the flaws in his injury-hit defence ahead of Saturday’s Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park.

    DE BRUYNE MASTERCLASS GETS MAN CITY BACK TO WINNING WAYS

    Manchester City snapped a seven-game winless streak as Kevin De Bruyne played a starring role in a 3-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

    The Belgian created Bernardo Silva’s opening goal and then scored the second before Jeremy Doku rounded off a much-needed victory for the English champions.

    City’s barren run included six defeats to leave them 11 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool before kick-off.

    However, De Bruyne’s return to the starting line-up for the first time in nearly three months helped resume normal service at the Etihad Stadium.

    City move back into the top four and within nine points of Liverpool after their 3-3 draw at Newcastle.

    Pep Guardiola had to shoot down suggestions of a rift with De Bruyne on the eve of the game after bedding him back into action slowly with a series of substitute appearances.

    The 33-year-old showed what City have been missing as he rolled back the years and could well have had more than just one goal.

    Guardiola reacted to Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool by making four changes as Josko Gvardiol, Doku and Jack Grealish also came into the team.

    It took just eight minutes for City to make the breakthrough. Ilkay Gundogan’s cross was headed back towards goal by De Bruyne and Silva was in the right place to tap home from centimetres out.

    Guardiola claimed pre-match that Ederson remains his number one goalkeeper but the Brazilian was again benched in favour of Stefan Ortega.

    The German made a big save to deny Morgan Gibbs-White before Forest missed a glorious chance to put the Etihad crowd back on edge.

    Chris Wood’s fine goalscoring form has been the catalyst to a fabulous season so far for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

    But the New Zealander was wayward as he fired wide with just Ortega to beat. De Bruyne settled City nerves on 31 minutes when he collected Doku’s pass inside the area and coolly slotted into the top corner.

    Erling Haaland has now failed to find the net in his last three Premier League games.

    But the Norwegian did play a part in the third goal with the assist for Doku, who cut inside and fired into the far corner.

    De Bruyne saw a free-kick curl just wide and was then denied a second by his international team-mate Matz Sels.

    He was given a standing ovation when he departed 15 minutes from time. City spectacularly collapsed from 3-0 up to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in the Champions League eight days ago.

    However, there was never any sense of a repeat as they controlled the closing stages to add a clean sheet to an all-round restorative night for Guardiola’s men.

    Defeat leaves Forest still in sixth but now four points off the top four.

    ARSENAL CLOSE GAP ON LIVERPOOL

    Arsenal worked their set-piece magic to beat Manchester United 2-0 on Wednesday, ending Ruben Amorim’s unbeaten start to life in the Old Trafford hotseat and closing the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.

    United frustrated the home side and kept the crowd quiet at the Emirates in a cagey first half but Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock from a corner after the break and William Saliba repeated the feat.

    The win leaves Arsenal in third place in the Premier League, behind Chelsea on goal difference and seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who were held to a 3-3 draw at Newcastle.

    Amorim made six changes from the team that brushed Everton aside 4-0 at the weekend, dropping in-form Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford from his starting line-up.

    Gabriel was a significant absence from Arsenal’s defence, joining Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori on the injury list.

    Amorim travelled to London with two wins and a draw from three matches in all competitions, keenly aware that Arsenal would be his biggest test yet.

    The Gunners hogged possession in the opening moments and had the ball in the net in the fourth minute through Gabriel Martinelli, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

    Mikel Arteta’s men should have been ahead just minutes later when Thomas Partey skewed his header wide from a corner.

    Martinelli flashed just wide from another corner midway through the first half as Arsenal continued to look dangerous from set-pieces.

    United were content to bide their time when they had the ball but they looked blunt in attack.

    The visitors could have gone in ahead at half-time had Diogo Dalot not steered just wide with a right-footed shot in the 43rd minute.

    The two teams, both in goalscoring form, produced a combined five shots in the opening 45 minutes, with none on target.

    – Corner routine –

    The game picked up tempo at the start of the second half, with Diallo replacing Tyrell Malacia for United.

    Feeding off a more vocal crowd, a re-energised Arsenal put United under pressure, finally breaking the deadlock when Timber headed his first goal for the club from a Declan Rice corner.

    Amorim reacted quickly, bringing on forwards Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee and handing French teenage defender Leny Yoro his United debut.

    Diallo won a free-kick after fine work on the right in the 66th minute and Arsenal were grateful to goalkeeper David Raya, who pushed away a powerful Matthijs de Ligt header from Bruno Fernandes’s free-kick.

    Arsenal doubled their lead from a Bukayo Saka corner in the 73rd minute when Partey’s shot hit Saliba and beat Andre Onana.

    Arsenal have scored more goals from corners — 21 — than any other side in the Premier League since the start of last season.

    Onana got down well to save a Kai Havertz shot as Arsenal threatened to cut loose.

    United just about managed to keep them out but Amorim will know that he has a big job on his hands.

    BIG WINS FOR CHELSEA, EVERTON AND ASTON VILLA

    Second-place Chelsea put bottom of the table Southampton to the sword with a 5-1 rout at St Mary’s, while Everton geared up for the weekend’s Merseyside Derby with a 4-0 home thumping of Wolverhampton.

    Chelsea looked like they were going to have a battle on their hands when Joe Aribo equalised for the Saints in the 11th minute after Axel Disasi’s seventh minute opener, but it quickly turned into a romp.

    The Blues shared the goals around with five individual goal scorers as Disasi (7th minute), Christopher Nkunku (17th minute), Noni Madueke (34th minute), Cole Palmer (76th minute) and Jadon Sancho (87th minute) all got themselves on the score sheet.

    Chelsea now sit seven points behind league leaders Liverpool, level with Arsenal but they possess a superior goal difference which benefited from the trip to the south coast, and they have won their last three Premier League matches.

    Everton meanwhile picked up a much-needed win to give themselves some breathing distance from the relegation battle.

    Ashleigh Young became the fourth oldest goal scorer in Premier League history as the 39-year-old scored with a stunning free kick in the 10th minute to get the ball rolling for the Toffees.

    Orel Mangala (33rd minute) and Craig Dawson (49th minute and 72nd) also put the ball into the back of the net to move Everton into 15th place, five points clear of the drop zone.

    Wolves languish in 19th with just nine points from 14 games.

    Aston Villa kept themselves in touch with the top four with a 3-1 win at home to Brentford.

    They scored three times in the first half with Morgan Rogers (21st minute), Ollie Watkins (28th minute, penalty) and Matty Cash (34th minute) doing the damage.

    Villa are in seventh on 22 points, four points behind fourth placed Manchester City, after a five-match winless run before Wednesday night’s match.

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  • ‘Don’t like the word experiments’: Mounting Tillies casualty ward forces Aussie boss to ‘try things’

    ‘Don’t like the word experiments’: Mounting Tillies casualty ward forces Aussie boss to ‘try things’

    Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson didn’t want to say he’d be using Wednesday’s friendly against Mexico for some Olympic “experiments” but conceded trying new things was crucial preparation for the Paris Games where the Australians would be without superstar captain Sam Kerr.

    Gustavsson held firm on the Football Australia line to shut down talk about the legal battle facing Kerr, who refused to tell the coach or the governing body about the late-night incident with a police officer in London that resulted in allegations of a racial slur.

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    He said he’d been ploughing on with Paris preparations amid a mini-injury crisis and the Mexico clash, the first of three final preparation games, where he’ll also be without key players including Katrina Gorry (ankle), Clare Hunt (foot), Courtney Nevin and Chloe Logarzo (both hip).

    Emily Gielnik also suffered a calf injury in camp, while Aivi Luik, who the coach said was playing the best football of her career, suffered a hamstring strain.

    While Gustavsson is confident they will be available for the Olympics, he knows he’ll need a few more tricks up his sleeve in the pursuit of a maiden medal and for games against first the Mexicans in San Antonio and then two home matches against China.

    So he’s been using matches behind closed doors during the team training camp in Florida to find out what works best.

    “It was a massive opportunity for us to try different ways, different players, different tactics, different game management stuff in a closed-door environment to not reveal too much,” Gustavsson said on match eve.

    Gustavsson will have to experiment with his Matildas squad amid a raft of injuries. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

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    “Trying things we feel the need to improve come Olympics.

    “Tomorrow will be a time – I don’t like the word experiments – but it will be a day when we’re going to try a lot of things.”

    Gustavsson said he didn’t have a “timeline” on the recovery of the injured players including Gorry, who had surgery on the ankle issue that ended her season at West Ham in the UK early.

    “There’s some core players that were a massive part of our team in the World Cup … I don’t know the timeline when they get back,” he said.

    “I hope, first of all, that they will be available for selection for June. If not, I hope they’re available for selection for the Olympic roster so that I have a tough job because that selection is going to be a tough job.”

    Gustavsson also said the Kerr issue wasn’t one he was spending too much time on, knowing she wouldn’t be in Paris as she recovers from an ACL injury.

    Kerr faces a serious uphill battle if she is to be fit for the Paris Olympics. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    “Football Australia and myself are going to respect the fact that there’s an ongoing legal process,” he said.

    “During that time, my focus is going to be 100 per cent on players that are available for selections.”

    Steph Catley will wear the captain’s armband in place of Kerr and said the growing amount of worldwide club experience among the Matildas squad ensured all those covering for injured players, and looking to earn a spot in the 18-player Olympic squad, could keep playing the electric football that has become the Matildas’ trademark.

    “Most of our players are either playing overseas in big teams in massive competitions or doing really well in the A-League … looking great technically, understanding things really quickly tactically,” she said.

    “I’ve never seen this team look so comfortable and confident on the ball, playing through lines and figuring out different presses in different ways as well as they have recently.

    “That’s what excites me the most, the way we’re playing and the type of football we’re playing, so I’m excited to keep building that.”

    Australia will face Germany, the US and either Zambia or Morocco at the Olympics.

    Mexico v Australia

    Date: Tuesday, 9 April 2024 (local) / Wed, 10 April 2024 (AUS)

    Kick-off: 7.00pm (local) / 10.00am (AEST)

    Venue: Toyota Field, San Antonio, TX

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  • Matildas face injury crisis as star trio ruled out; young gun gets first call-up

    Matildas face injury crisis as star trio ruled out; young gun gets first call-up

    Key Matildas Katrina Gorry, Clare Hunt and Courtney Nevin have been sidelined by injury ahead of the Olympics and will miss an upcoming friendly against Mexico, joining an injury list that also includes superstar captain Sam Kerr.

    Gorry declared it was time to “face this next challenge” after her stint with West Ham in the UK was ended by an ankle injury.

    She joins Hunt (foot) and Nevin (hip) in being ruled out of the Matildas’ upcoming training camp and international friendly against Mexico in the US during the April FIFA women’s international window.

    It was confirmed there was “no current return to play timeline” for the three players, but Paris Saint-Germain manager Jocelyn Prêcheur expected Hunt to be sidelined for a month.

    Gorry (ankle) was forced from the field during West Ham’s Women’s Super League clash on Sunday afternoon against Chelsea and posted a picture on social media of herself on crutches and wearing a moon boot.

    “Thank you everyone for all your messages. Unfortunately my season with West Ham has been cut short,” she said in her message.

    “I’ve spent the last few days sitting with my emotions and now it’s times to face this next challenge and trust in my body to come back stronger and more in love with the game.”

    Hunt and Leicester City defender Nevin were both unavailable for their respective club fixtures over the weekend as their injuries became clear.  

    The trio will remain in their club environments with no return to play timelines set as further treatment evaluation continues. 

    In their place, forward Emily Gielnik (Melbourne Victory FC), defender Winonah Heatley (FC Nordsjælland) and winger Sharn Freier (Brisbane Roar FC) have been called up to the Matildas squad.

    Gielnik has tallied seven goals and two assists in 12 A-League Women’s matches, with the second highest goals per minute record. With 57 international caps to her name, the forward earns a return to the national team for the first time since June 2023.

    Denmark-based Heatley returns off the back off two strong seasons with FC Nordsjælland, including claiming the 2023 Danish Women’s Cup.

    Following the clash with Mexico the Matildas will play pre-Olympic friendlies against China in Adelaide and Sydney after which coach Tony Gustavsson will pick his Olympic squad.

    Kerr is set to miss the Games in Paris as she continues to recover from an ACL injury.

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  • Ange’s Spurs reality laid bare by ‘painful’ images; truth about Utd redemption: PL Talking Pts

    Ange’s Spurs reality laid bare by ‘painful’ images; truth about Utd redemption: PL Talking Pts

    Tottenham’s late capitulation against Wolves proved Ange Postecoglou’s project remains a work in progress as Manchester United continue to win despite remaining “wasteful” in front of goal.

    Meanwhile, a dark horse continues to keep pace with the Premier League’s frontrunners while a “unique situation” has a Champions League competitor craving a breather.

    Foxsports.com.au breaks down the weekend that was in the latest edition of Premier League Talking Points!

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    WORRYING MOMENTS THAT PROVE PROJECT ANGE STILL ‘A WORK IN PROGRESS’

    Two games ago, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham side was the toast of the Premier League thanks to a blistering unbeaten start.

    Now, Tottenham have lost two games on the bounce as reality starts to set in.

    Granted, the loss to Chelsea was a game in which Postecoglou’s side had next to no control as they had 11 men on the field for just 33 minutes.

    But against Wolves, there is little excuse for the way in which Tottenham conceded two stoppage-time goals.

    Yet the manner in which Wolves scored is a timely reminder about the limitations of the squad.

    Postecoglou started with Eric Dier and Ben Davies as a central defensive pairing, two players who would not make the Australian manager’s line-up if everyone was fit.

    Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg also slotted into central midfield but struggled to make his mark on the contest.

    In fact, Hojbjerg was worryingly pivotal in all the worst ways to Wolves’ late double.

    Dropping into the backline between Dier and Davies, Hojbjerg checks his right shoulder and sees nothing, but if he had looked over his left shoulder, he would have seen Pablo Sarabia make a run in behind.

    Hojbjerg didn’t check his left shoulder to see Sarabia run in behind him. Picture: SuppliedSource: Supplied

    Instead, Hojbjerg was blissfully unaware as Sarabia latched onto Matheus Cunha’s lofted pass over the top and delivered a sweet finish past Guglielmo Vicario.

    Hojbjerg also under-hit a pass to Giovani Lo Celso, which forced the Argentinian midfielder to foul Mario Lemina.

    It was from the resulting free kick that Wolves quickly broke forward and eventually scored, sparking wild scenes at Molineux.

    Hojbjerg’s under-hit pass allowed Wolves to break on the counter. Picture: SuppliedSource: Supplied

    With Hojbjerg and Dier unlikely to remain in north London for much longer, with the former likely to leave in the January window, The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare felt the loss against Wolves provided Postecoglou and Spurs fans with a timely reminder.

    “The point here is we’re only one transfer window into Postecoglou’s time at Tottenham and so while the first-choice team may have his stamp on it already, the squad is very much a work in progress,” Eccleshare wrote.

    “And on days like Saturday, when he was missing four automatic starters, that becomes painfully apparent.”

    Postecoglou’s ideal centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will not be back together for quite some time given the latter’s hamstring injury.

    Time will tell as to whether the Australian can hold on with the likes of Dier and Hojbjerg for much longer.

    UTD MAY HAVE ‘TURNED A CORNER’ … BUT ‘WASTEFUL’ RED DEVILS’ BIG ISSUE REMAINS

    None of the wins have been pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but Manchester United have now picked up 12 points from a possible 15 in their last five league games.

    A narrow 1-0 win over Luton Town at Old Trafford also helped Erik ten Hag become the first Red Devils manager to win 30 of his first 50 league games.

    Yes, the four wins have come against Luton, Fulham, Sheffield United and Brentford, a group of teams with an average league position of 16th.

    But for United, a team that is seemingly always just one defeat away from a full-blown crisis, stringing together several wins is vital as they sit four points off of Aston Villa who are in fifth.

    Yet as crucial as it has been for the Red Devils to secure wins, an alarming stat has emerged: Manchester United’s defenders have scored three times as many as their attackers have in the league.

    In fact, United have scored just 13 league goals this season which pales in comparison to the likes of their rivals competing for European spots like Villa (29), Newcastle (27) and Tottenham (24).

    Heck, even Nottingham Forest have scored more goals than United this season, with 14.

    Despite United’s struggles this season, Erik ten Hag has the club just outside the Champions League places. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Ten Hag’s side have been beset by several injuries to key first team members, which makes these narrow wins even more important.

    But, as The Telegraph’s James Ducker pointed out, the Dutch manager must find a way to score more goals.

    “Given the unrelenting injury crisis that claimed two more victims against Luton in (Rasmus) Hojlund and Christian Eriksen, Erik ten Hag expressed satisfaction a depleted side were still within touching distance of the Champions League places after four wins in the last five games,” Ducker wrote.

    “But the United manager will also know they cannot continue to be so wasteful in front of goal if they are to really turn a corner and put a few troubled few months behind them.”

    United’s next league fixtures include trips to Everton and Newcastle before a home double against a resurgent Chelsea and Bournemouth.

    Will Ten Hag’s strikers find their shooting boots by then?

    Rasmus Hojlund has had no issues scoring in Europe but has struggled to find the back of the net in the Premier League. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)Source: AFP

    THE FORTRESS SPARKING DARK HORSE’S RISE

    Opposition teams must dread a visit to Villa Park now.

    A 3-1 win over Fulham made it a staggering 13-straight league wins at home for Aston Villa — the first time they have done so since 1983 — and kept them within three points of league leaders Manchester City.

    In fact, Villa are the strongest team of any Premier League outfit at home having won all six games while scoring 23 goals in the process for an average of 3.8 goals per game.

    The team with the next highest amount of goals scored at home is Arsenal, with 18.

    Central to Villa’s success in this match was the fluid movement of forward Moussa Diaby as well as midfield duo John McGinn and Youri Tielemans.

    Diaby is a winger by trade, but has been playing alongside star striker Ollie Watkins up front and creating havoc for opposition teams.

    The French star pops up out wide and drifts in, bamboozling opposition defenders who don’t know whether to go and mark him or to hold their space.

    McGinn has been in excellent form for Villa. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    McGinn and Tielemans, who are central midfielders, constantly found themselves in dangerous positions both in the middle and out wide.

    Tielemans was the one who played the cross that forced Fulham’s Antonee Robinson to turn the ball into his own net for the opener, while McGinn scored a stunning long-range strike and played a key role in Leon Bailey’s assist for the third goal.

    The Times’ Gregor Robertson described McGinn as “outstanding” and “combative yet creative” while also lavishing praise on Tielemans, who made his first league start for Villa.

    Robertson said Tielemans “displayed plenty of the craft, guile and industry” that led Emery to bring the Belgian to Villa Park in a performance the fans had waited long to see.

    If Villa maintain their home form and improve on their performances away from home, they will no longer be able to fly under the radar as a dark horse in the league.

    Youri Tielemans did not disappoint in his first Premier League start for Villa. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)Source: AFP

    THE ‘UNIQUE’ SITUATION’ CRIPPLING EURO HOPEFULS

    It’s just over a month until Christmas but Newcastle Eddie Howe has already written down his one big wish from Santa: no more injuries.

    When Miguel Almiron limped off in the first half of Newcastle’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, he joined the other 11 players who were unavailable for the game either through injury or suspension.

    For Howe, he described it as “a unique situation” given how many of his instant first-teamers are sidelined.

    It’s why a two-week pause from league action couldn’t come at a better time for a battered and bruised Newcastle team.

    With the squad ravaged by absences, it seemed almost inevitable a packed schedule including midweek Champions League games would catch up.

    Joelinton, who was reinvented from a forward into a midfielder, has been forced to play in a front three while Anthony Gordon, traditionally a winger, had to play as a striker.

    Of the players Howe brought off the bench against Bournemouth, none are exactly matchwinners at Premier League level: Emil Krafth and Tino Livramento are defenders while Matt Ritchie’s best days are past him.

    Aside from a depleted squad, Howe must also find a way to improve Newcastle’s fortunes on the road given they have just one win from six away games this season: an 8-0 thumping of Sheffield United.

    There’s a lot for Howe to ponder in the international break, but first and foremost it is about getting his players back on their feet.

    Newcastle’s troops are in desperate need of a break. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    WHAT SACK RACE?

    We’re now 12 games into the season but, remarkably, no manager has been given the flick just yet.

    It pales in comparison to the absurd sack race we saw in the first half of last season as five managers had been told their services were no longer required.

    In fact, since the 2013/14 season, only on three occasions has the first sacking of the season occurred past November 14: Neil Warnock from Crystal Palace (14/15) and Slaven Bilic from West Brom (20/21).

    Reports claimed Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola was close to being the first to go, despite being hand-picked by new Cherries owner Bill Foley to be the new man in charge.

    However, Iraola has won two of his last three games to ease the pressure.

    The new favourite is Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag, although he too has overseen some much-needed wins to keep the Red Devils in the hunt for European places.

    There’s still a long way to go in the season and once one club decides to swing the axe, it could easily spark others into action and kickstart a managerial frenzy.

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  • ‘How many injuries?’ England star confronts ‘frustrated’ fan in wild post-match exchange

    ‘How many injuries?’ England star confronts ‘frustrated’ fan in wild post-match exchange

    The fan at the centre of a pitchside row with Kieran Trippier after Newcastle’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth has apologised for his actions and insisted it was in the “heat of the moment.”

    Toon fans packed out the away end at the Vitality Stadium, making the staggering six-hour journey from one end of the country to the other to support Eddie Howe’s side.

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    But Newcastle turned in a limp display as they struggled to find any rhythm against a Bournemouth side who were well up for the contest.

    As the players walked over to the away section to thank them for travelling, one angry fan drew a reaction from Trippier.

    Although it is difficult to make out exactly what the fan said, Trippier responded: “So the lads are not giving everything?”

    The England international also pointed to the club’s mounting casualty ward and said: “How many injuries have we got?”

    However, the fan took to X to apologise for venting his frustrations at Trippier.

    “It was me, I travelled all day and was very frustrated about the performance,” the fan wrote, per The Telegraph.

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    “I regret having a go at them because I know what all these players have done for the club.

    “Everyone’s done stupid things. I hold my hands up and admit I shouldn’t have had a go at them that much but was just heat of the moment.

    “Should never have went on like that but was just annoyed. Hold my hand up and apologise.”

    The loss against Bournemouth brought an end to Newcastle’s seven-match unbeaten run in the Premier League as the international break can’t come sooner for Howe.

    The Magpies have 10 players out injured, including the likes of Alexander Isak, Callum Wilson and Sven Botman while star midfielder Sandro Tonali is sidelined until next August due to a betting ban.

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  • How Bairstow can become Australia’s bogey

    How Bairstow can become Australia’s bogey

    MIKE ATHERTON says star of last summer is more likely to help England win a match with the bat than lose it with the gloves.

    NO DOUBT there will be howls of protest from Surrey supporters and members of the specialist wicketkeeping fraternity, but ask yourself a simple question: who would Australia like to see walking out at Edgbaston at No 7 in a month’s time? Jonny Bairstow or Ben Foakes? Bairstow is back, and – once fit to do the job – rightly so.

    Bairstow is a brilliant batsman and more than competent wicketkeeper; Foakes is a brilliant wicketkeeper and more than competent batsman. No team would be unhappy with either in their ranks, but only one man can do the job and that choice is a philosophical one to some degree. My own view is that Bairstow is more likely to help England win a match with bat than lose it with gloves. He would be my choice.

    Rob Key said it was a “seriously tough” decision to drop Foakes and that the selectors “agonised” over it – but was it, and did they? England had shown that they were not wedded to Foakes when Ollie Pope retained the gloves for the second Test in Pakistan, after Foakes had missed the first with illness (England won both matches). Brendon McCullum had said publicly that when fit again Bairstow was an automatic selection – unsurprisingly since no player, perhaps, was more central to the transformation of the Test team last summer than the Yorkshireman.

    There are two considerations around Bairstow’s automatic return. The first is whether he has returned to full fitness for what is the more arduous task of wicketkeeping as opposed to fielding. This much must be taken on trust, and that the medical staff know their man: it was a shocking leg injury that Bairstow suffered on the golf course late last summer and he has kept wicket sparingly on his return for Yorkshire since then. Wicketkeeping in a five-day Test match is a hard physical challenge, particularly from the waist down, and if there is a weakness, it will be found out.

    The second consideration is whether there was another position that could be found for Bairstow, so that Foakes could also play. Clearly, Harry Brook should not be moved from No 5, where he batted so spectacularly in the winter, and therefore the question remains whether Bairstow could open in place of Zak Crawley. Bairstow is such an extraordinary cricketer it would be wise to keep all options open, but he has never opened in Test cricket, and has only opened in first-class cricket once, in 2018 against Essex at Chelmsford, when pushed up the order for quick runs. Bairstow is not an opener (nor is Ben Stokes for that matter).

    The question is not one of fairness, but what gives England the best chance of winning. Foakes and Bairstow both played in the same team last summer, but that was before Brook made himself indispensable. The dropping of Foakes is the unlucky consequence of Bairstow’s initial injury, Brook’s ascent, and Bairstow’s recovery. England are due to play five Tests in India this winter, and Foakes can look forward to playing a part in that.

    Save for one match against India at the Oval in 2021, Bairstow has not kept wicket for England since late 2019, when he was replaced by Jos Buttler, but in the 49 matches in which he performed that role, he proved himself to be top class with bat and gloves. It is not hard to imagine the destruction he might cause, coming in at No 7 against an old ball and a tiring attack.

    It was a newsworthy announcement of the first Test squad – the squad is for the Ireland Test only but clearly provides pointers to England’s thinking for the Ashes – given that Jofra Archer will be out for the summer. It was only a week ago that Archer returned early from the Indian Premier League and England’s medical team were hopeful that a fortnight’s rest would see him good. Scans returned on Sunday evening scuppered that optimism, after they showed a recurrence of the stress fracture to the right elbow that has blighted his career recently. It is desperate news for Archer, who was said to be distraught. He now faces another lengthy and lonely road back to full fitness, and England must plan for the Ashes (and possibly the World Cup in October) without him. Key said the fast bowler remains desperate to play all formats in future but that expectation must now be considered a hopeful rather than realistic one.

    Archer has not played a Test match for more than two years, since England’s tour to India in the early months of 2021. He has not, therefore, been a part of the transformation under Stokes and McCullum, although it was hoped that he would form part of a phalanx of fast bowlers for the Ashes series, the intense nature of which will require some rotation of bowlers. Those plans have had to be ripped up to some degree.

    As well as Archer, Olly Stone, the Nottinghamshire fast bowler, will also be unavailable for the start of the series with a hamstring injury. Key was impressed recently by Brydon Carse, the Durham fast bowler, but he is also on the injury list. So in the first Test squad of the summer, Mark Wood is the lone quick bowler (Wood is on paternity leave at present), surrounded by more traditional English-style swing and seam bowlers: James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Matthew Potts.

    At least the news is more optimistic where Anderson is concerned. He tweaked his groin in the most recent County Championship fixture for Lancashire, but it is not thought to be serious and the expectation is that he will be fit for the opening Ashes Test, and possibly the Ireland match as well. As for Stokes’s fitness, who knows? He has done precious little bowling in the IPL, but how much should be read into that is questionable.

    Given any uncertainty in that regard, the news that Pope has been confirmed as England’s official vice-captain with immediate effect is significant. Pope has stood in for Stokes before, but in an unofficial capacity, and clearly England’s selectors see him as a captain in waiting. That much at least will please Surrey’s supporters: what the selectors take away with one hand, they give with the other.

    -The Times

    Originally published as Recalling Jonny Bairstow for Ben Foakes is right decision – just ask Australia

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