Football News: Review Of The Day 11th February 2020

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Sampdoria have extended Nicola Murru's contract until 2024.

Return To Man Utd Would Have Been A Dream For King

Bournemouth striker Josh King has been talking about his failed January transfer window move to former club Manchester United. King told Norwegian TV channel TV2: "I don't have a final answer on the question, how far advanced it really was. I have to be careful about what I'm saying. I was confident that it would work out. The offer was something special for me of course, considering I had moved to England as a 16-year-old to fulfil my dream at Manchester United. (...) When you now hear, that you are linked with Manchester United and that there was an offer on the table, then of course the same feelings you had as a 16-year old come back to you. But I don't have an answer to why it didn't happen in the end. I'm a player of Bournemouth and enjoy it here. But it would've been a dream come true. In the end, not much happened and I will continue to give everything for Bournemouth as long as I'm at the club. The manager has reacted fantastically these days, which helped me a lot."

Fred Criticises Team Mates

Manchester United's Brazilian midfielder Fred has hit out at the attitude of his team mates. Fred told De Sola: "Our team is lacking the 'We go through thick and thin' mentality. We have a lot of problems. In the dressing room, there always are discussions and yes, there is a bit of vanity. We have to talk less in the dressing room and run more on the pitch. Only when everyone has the same target, things will go forward for us. We must all be on the same side. Some players want to solve the problem on their own and this is wrong."

Bielsa Believes Leeds Are Playing As Well As Before

Leeds United's head coach Marcelo Bielsa has told the BBC that his team is still playing as well as they did in the early part of the season, when they were on a good run of form. As recently as mid-December, Leeds were 10 points clear of 3rd place, but now they are second on goal difference early due to a run of just two wins in ten matches. Despite the poor form, Bielsa said: "The players are doing the same things that they used to do. Before maybe we didn't pay for the mistakes in the good moments but now we are paying higher consequences. We used to create chances and score those chances, and now we have those chances and we are not scoring."

Wind Meters Needed In Scotland Says Rice

With Storm Ciara sweeping the UK high winds are causing problems in Scottish football according to Hamilton Academical manager Brian Rice, after he attended Hibernian's win over BSC Glasgow. Rice said: "I can't believe in this day and age where we have goalline technology, VAR, all these tools to improve the game and we don't have a wind meter. The worst conditions you can play in is the wind and I think it has been proven. There must be a wind meter, something we can use because it just destroys the game. The players don't like it, the fans won't come out in it, the game is a lottery. I was at the Hibs game. A complete farce. Fair play to the two teams trying to make a go of it and to the fans for turning up in horrendous conditions. Falkirk versus Hearts on Saturday night was the same and I believe Clyde versus Celtic was the same. Surely we can come up with something."

Naismith Hoping For More Scotland Caps

Steven Naismith is hoping his form with Heart of Midlothian will be good enough to get picked for Scotland's Euro 2020 play-off semi-final versus Israel. The 33 year old said: "It's a consequence of playing well for Hearts and doing well for Hearts, then you will be in contention. The last international games I thought I played well and contributed to the team and, on the whole as a group, we did really well. That does plant a seed in the manager's head but competition is at its biggest at the moment, so I just need to keep doing well for Hearts and keep scoring goals. To be honest (Hearts) need to win games. That's the main focus. The Scotland thing will take care of itself."

McInnes Feels Third Is Still Within Reach

Derek McInnes believes his Aberdeen side can finish third this season. The Dons are currently sat in fourth and have not scored in five matches, with the fans booing them off on Saturday. McInnes said: "I am confident that how we work gets results done. The last seven years of evidence is there, we get the job done normally, and we get to a point where it has been far better than what was served up previously, we will get to, I feel, third spot this season, we have got work to do and we need to start showing it. I have been through it before, this is a tough period for us, I get that, but we need to back ourselves and trust ourselves that the answers are in the building. "Even if we finish third and have another brilliant cup run, it might not still be enough for some but I think the majority of our support would see us finishing third in the league and having a really good strong cup run as some sort of satisfaction for the season. We are probably judged on the same kind of scale as a Hibs or a Hearts, both those clubs would grab our league position, they would grab the opportunity to go third tomorrow. You don't sign up to be a manager and expect to be popular, even when we are doing brilliantly and doing well over the years, you are never going to please everybody. I am encouraged, I still feel there is a lot of support out there, everybody is desperate for us to do well, everybody is desperate for us to get better performances. We don't feel sorry for ourselves, I am not sitting hiding away. The players are putting themselves forward, we are working hard to get the right results."

McNamara Collapses

Former Scotland international Jackie McNamara is in hospital after collapsing near his home in York at the weekend. The 46 year old captained Celtic and played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aberdeen, Falkirk and Partick Thistle before managing Thistle, Dundee United and York City after he hung up his boots. He had returned to his first club, Dunfermline Athletic, as a consultant last year.

Pickford Claims Criticism Of His Regular Howlers Is Unfair

Everton's calamity keeper Jordan Pickford has claimed that the stick he gets is not down to him being as dodgy a keeper as has played in the Premier League since Massimo Taibi, but is down to him being an England player. Pickford said: "Everyone hates you, for some reason, that's part of being an England player. I think the press and everybody, the punters - look at Gary Neville - they just want to come for England players. You have got to live with it, you have got to learn. I know what I am capable of and I know what I am good at. Look at Joe Hart when he was number one. He got pelters every week. You just keep it away from your head as the only person who can sort things out is yourself as an individual, on the pitch and in training. It's looking after things on the pitch for Everton that is my main aim. That gets you picked for England. It's funny because everyone raves about you when you are with England but then you get back to your club and everyone wants to slate you. As a person, I don't let it affect me."

Alli Apologises For Coronavirus Joke

After Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli posted a social media video showing himself wearing a face mask in an airport lounge, then moving the camera to show a man who looked to be Asian before zooming in on a bottle of antiseptic hand wash, the England man has apologised on Chinese social media platform Weibo. He quickly removed the video and then said in his apology: "It wasn't funny and I realised that immediately and took it down. I let myself down and the club. It isn't something that should be joked about. I'm sending all my love and all my thoughts and prayers to everyone in China."

12 Year Old Charged Over Racist Chants

Scottish police have charged a 12 year old boy after allegations of racist abuse aimed at Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos. The chants were alleged to have happened during the Scottish Premiership game against Celtic on 29th December.

Written by Tris Burke February 10 2020 23:52:52