JILL SCOTT SAYS ENGLAND WOULD REACH FINAL

England midfielder Jill Scott says that the team would reach the final of the ongoing Women Euro 2017 in her absence.


She is suspended for the semi-final clash with the hosts Holland after her second yellow card in the 1-0 against France in the last game.

“I’m disappointed I can’t put myself up for selection. But I’m very confident in this team and I know we will carry on this journey on Thursday,” she said.

The Manchester City star scored in the Euro 2009 semi-final when England clashed with the Netherlands. She scored in the extra time as the Lioness emerged 2-1 winners. Scott was also available when England defeated them 1-0 last November. Read More

Guardiola wants B team

Pep Guardiola has stated that the Premier League is affecting the development of English players and that they need to make changes if they want the England team to improve.
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He believes that the Premier League clubs should be allowed to play their second team in the lower leagues of English football as this will encourage the development of new players. This is a concept that is already in place in various European leagues.

Pep Guardiola said that this is what is done in Spain and this encouraged the development of players. He said that in England you have the reserve league, but there are no spectators. He said that the young players do not play under any kind of pressure and this is hindering their development.

For him, this is the main reason why young English players fail when they come to a big club such as Manchester City, and he said that he wants this to change.

Pep Guardiola believes that the younger players would have benefited a lot from playing against a team such as Newcastle United in the Championship. The players would have played in a competitive game and would have learned how to play under pressure. Read More

SOUTHGATE NAMED ENGLAND NATIONAL TEAM COACH

The Football Association is reportedly putting final touches to a new deal that would be offered to Gareth Southgate, The Guardian reports.


The coach was the interim manager of the Three Lions for a few games until the deal ended. He courageously asked that the FA offer him a new deal, or at least decided his future on time so he could know what to focus on. Well, the FA obliged and a four-year deal is the result.

A five-man panel by the FA interviewed Southgate on Monday. The meeting was a favourable one going by the outcome after three gruelling hours. Southgate’s salary would be 1.5 million Pounds annually – a fee that was considerably smaller than what former manager Sam Alladryce earned. The deal would run through 2020 but there is a break clause after Russia 2018 World Cup. Either party can trigger the clause. Read More

WENGER BACKS SOUTHGATE FOR THREE LIONS JOB

Arsenal long time coach Arsene Wenger has backed the current interim manager of the Three Lions, Gareth Southgate to get the job on a permanent basis.


Wenger was tipped as the top choice to replace former manager Roy Hodgson after he resigned following a dismal Euro 2016 showing. However, Wenger opted to avoid being considered, deciding to rather focus on his club management career. Wenger says that Southgate has the required experience to manage the team despite not being a ‘big name.’

“Yes, he is. The difficulty in England is that there’s always the demand for big names,” said Wenger when asked if Southgate was a great choice for England. Southgate is standing in for four games following Sam Allardyce’s exit. He is widely expected to become the manager on a permanent basis if England defeat Scotland in the World Cup qualifier next month. The Three Lions will be hoping to give their 2018 World Cup dream a boost with a victory when they play Scotland at Wembley.

Wenger brushed off speculations that he would ever take up the job despite the concerns if Southgate can truly manage the team. Under Southgate, England played a lacklustre match against Slovenia and only managed to thrash Malta 2-0. The next two games would be key if Southgate is to get the job on a permanent basis.
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Roy Hodgson doesn’t desire to leave the English set up presently.

He reckons no coach would will to break the association with a team that is set up beautifully and is about to peak.


But, he admits his future involvement is not something that would be his call and it is up to how the top brass sees it.

Speaking on the occasion of unveiling the squad which he would be travelling to France with, Hodgson said, “England can be a very, very special team in the close future and nobody, as a coach, would like to be going out at such stage.”

“But, you don’t always have it in your own hands and more than your keenness, it’s the opinion of the others who are above you matters.”

“Having worked in the coaching field for forty years, I can’t shy away from the fact that showing the returns is important as well and at the end of the day, that’s what everyone sees.”

The FA has not given away too much in terms of what is the least stage they want the team to get to in the Euros. Read More

LEICESTER CITY SET TO INSPIRE OTHERS IN ENGLAND WITH EPL TITLE

Leicester City are just a step away from the English Premier League after winning their last encounter against Swansea City.

The team sits atop the league with 76 points garnered from 35 matches. If they defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, they will lift the title after successfully fighting off the title threat from second-placed Tottenham Hotspurs.


The Spurs were the team who could have piped The Foxes to the title but they lost the golden opportunity with the 1-1 draw with West Brom at home on Monday. Even if Leicester City fail to defeat the Red Devils, they would now require just two points from three matches to be sure of finishing top.

Spurs are now seven points adrift with three games left, but head coach of the team, Mauricio Pochettino, still hoping for a slip or just not wanting to give up till the end, said:

“We still need to believe. We are not going to give up.”

Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester squad started the race this season with the aim of just avoiding relegation or at most finishing in the first half but the team are now set to claim their first top-flight success after leaving Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and defending champions Chelsea in their wake.

Former Foxes defender Matt Elliott told BBC Radio 5 live. Read More