Premier League
FRANKLY SPEAKING, WE’LL BEAT MOURINHO, SAYS FRANK LAMPARD
The Guardian of UK has quoted Frank Lampard to have warned his former boss in Chelsea, Jose Mourinho to expect a frosty reception this Sunday, claiming he would not be surprised if Chelsea’s fans voice their anger at their former manager’s decision to join Tottenham.
The Portuguese is likely to face brickbats from the away end when the Blues visit north London and Lampard noted Mourinho’s achievements with Chelsea – winning three league titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups – will not exempt him from some jeering.
The Blues great, who has vowed to never follow in his former manager’s footsteps, said: “If you go to the fiercest rivals, the fans will give the answer.
” That doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten the history or don’t respect it. Jose is a manager who wants to work. He took that opportunity.”
However, Lampard, who played under Mourinho across the latter’s two spells at Chelsea, feels the 56-year-old will brush off any taunts from the stands.
“Jose won’t be too concerned about that,” he said. “Look at the times he’s come back with Manchester United. It did look like he doesn’t care.”
Last season, Lampard led Derby to a League Cup third-round win over a United side then managed by Mourinho and admits he is on first-name terms with his old boss now.
“I would always have big respect for all my managers,” he said.
“If I was to text or ring a manager, I’d always call them boss or gaffer. Even long gone.
” But it would be strange to call him boss now. Now I am an ex-player, on this side of the fence, I won’t be calling him boss.
“But that doesn’t take away from the respect I have for him. The problem with this is it’s not the me and Jose show, it’s a game against Tottenham.
“I want to beat him. I respect him, know what a top manager he is. He wants to beat me because he used to manage Chelsea, he used to manage me, and now he’s managing Tottenham and wants to beat us.”
The former England midfielder will be desperate for a win to turn around his team’s slump in form – Chelsea have four losses in their past five league games.
Spurs are the polar opposite, however. Since Mourinho took over late last month, they have climbed up the table on the back of four league wins from five, and another victory for Tottenham will see them leapfrog their opponents into fourth on goal difference.
The hosts have also been boosted by Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld committing his future to the club until 2023, ending speculation over his future.
His previous deal was due to end in the summer and Spurs are also hopeful of persuading Jan Vertonghen, whose contract also runs out next year, to do the same.
Christian Eriksen is however, heading towards the exit door next month, having rejected a new deal.
The Denmark midfielder can leave on a free transfer in the summer, something Daniel Levy will loathe to sanction, though the club chairman has said he is not “scared” of selling him to a rival when the transfer window opens.
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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