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KEY DATES IN ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP & FA CUP

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Project Restart’s most emphatic breakthrough came on Thursday as it emerged that June 17 is the date the Premier League will begin again.

Manchester City will play Arsenal and Aston Villa take on Sheffield United to bring all 20 Premier League teams level on 29 games played. A full round of fixtures will resume from June 20.

So now, with a template in place, Sportsmail assesses how Project Restart could unfold from here.

MAY 28

Thursday has been the first day that clubs can introduce contact training back to their players. 

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The very first pictures of players getting stuck in came from Newcastle but it does not mean that clubs will resume in an immediate resumption of training methods before the coronavirus outbreak.

Groups will slowly be expanded and it will be a few days yet before clubs are playing 11 v 11 matches within their squads in training. Nevertheless, the first phases of contact training are an important landmark. 

JUNE 6 

By now, clubs should all be involved in contact training, with the overall standard intensifying. A fortnight before the resumption of the season means that managers and coaches can fine-tune the conditioning plans they have for players.

The Telegraph have even reported that teams are looking at conducting pre-season friendlies to sharpen players up as much as possible ahead of the restart. 

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JUNE 17

The first Premier League matches should be played. The most notable fixture is Manchester City against Arsenal, which pits Pep Guardiola against his former assistant Mikel Arteta.

JUNE 20

The first full set of fixtures will be completed the weekend starting June 20. If City lose the midweek match to Arsenal, Liverpool can win the league against Everton.

Again, the matches are expected to be broadcast across a free-to-air platform. Sky Sports will broadcast 64 of the remaining 92 games, with 25 to be made freely available – including the Merseyside derby. 

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JULY 26

The last day of the season – all being well, it will bring the completion to the campaign that the majority of Premier League clubs have wanted to see. Relegation and European places will be confirmed on the pitch, rather than a points-per-game system.

AUGUST 1

The new date for the FA Cup final at Wembley. The quarter and semi-finals will be played during the Premier League season.

AUGUST 26-29

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The two dates here are slated for the final of the Europa League and Champions League, which is of interest to fans of Manchester United, Wolves, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Like the FA Cup, exactly how the remaining rounds are to be completed is yet to be announced by UEFA but with leagues across the continent tentatively following Germany’s lead and getting back to playing, there is growing hope.

SEPTEMBER 12

This is still to be confirmed but according to The Times, the Football Association have said that the 2020-21 campaign will need to begin soon after the 2019-20 season ends. It is reported that they have earmarked a two-week break after the European tournament finals.

This is because the delayed European Championship is taking place next summer, with a start date of June 11 and will run until July 11 – potentially with less host cities than what was initially planned.

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Gareth Southgate, like all of the managers competing in the tournament, will require as much time as he can get with his players, including warm-up matches. 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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FA Cup

FA Cup win could be glorious United farewell for Ten Hag

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FA Cup - Final - Manchester City v Manchester United - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 25, 2024 Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and manager Erik ten Hag celebrate with the trophy after winning the FA Cup Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridg

If Manchester United’s thrilling and surprise FA Cup victory over Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday was manager Erik ten Hag’s final game as their manager, then what a send-off it was.

Teenagers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo scored to lead United to a 2-1 upset of the holders and Premier League champions as speculation swirled about Ten Hag’s future.

Although the 54-year-old Dutchman told ITV he had no doubt he would be back and has said he has received the backing of the club’s owners all season, he was less confident in his post-game press conference.

“I don’t think about this,” Ten Hag said when asked about his future. “I’m in a project and we are exactly where we want to be. We’re constructing a team. When I took over it was a mess at United, and we are on our way to construct a team for the future.

“The team is developing, the team is winning and the team also plays to an identity. What you need to play is to be available, you need a strong squad in top football, and especially when you play in England, the Premier League is so competitive.”

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Garnacho and Mainoo were two of United’s bright sparks in a disappointing season in which they finished a worst-ever eighth in the Premier League era.

The 19-year-olds were in fine form at a sun-drenched Wembley and after the final whistle defender Lisandro Martinez hoisted a grinning Ten Hag into the air to celebrate.

“We are delighted for the manager,” midfielder Scott McTominay said.

UNBEATEN RUN

Ten Hag, who kissed the trophy before lifting it in front of the United fans, became the first manager to beat Pep Guardiola’s City in a major domestic final and ended their 35-game unbeaten run in open play.

“It is a glorious feeling to win the FA Cup final at Wembley,” said United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.

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“Manchester United clearly were not the favourites to win today but they played with total commitment and skill and overcame one of the great teams in football. We are all very proud of the players and the staff who work tirelessly to support them.”

In Ten Hag’s two seasons in charge, United have played in three Wembley finals and lifted two trophies (they won last season’s League Cup). If sacking after such a positive finale seems implausible, however, there is precedent.

Louis Van Gaal was fired two days after United’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Crystal Palace in 2016 after the team finished fifth in the Premier League.

“We have to keep going, and I’m not satisfied with it, we have to do better and if they don’t want me anymore, then I go anywhere else to win trophies, because that is what I did my whole career,” Ten Hag said. “That is what they always tell me.”

Guardiola had kind words for United’s manager.

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“(United) have to take a decision. So, I don’t know but of course he’s a lovely person, an extraordinary manager,” Guardiola said.

Ten Hag’s press conference ended abruptly when a reporter pointed out that eighth in the Premier League was not good enough for United.

“Sorry to say this, but you don’t have any knowledge about football, about managing a football team,” Ten Hag said. “When you don’t have the players available, then you can’t perform, so simple as that.

“And if that is the opinion, it is no problem. Then I go anywhere else and I go and keep winning trophies.”

-Reuters

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Erik ten Hag now finds his voice, “you can’t sack me, he tells Man United

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has issued a defiant response in the wake of reports claiming that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club hierarchy have already decided to sack him.

According to UK publication, Mirror, Erik ten Hag has warned the Manchester United hierarchy he will ‘go and win trophies somewhere else’ if he isn’t wanted.

The Dutchman’s position is understood to be in major jeopardy after overseeing the club’s worst league campaign in over 30 years, although he did end the season with a flourish by beating Manchester United in the FA Cup final.

Reports on Friday, however, suggested that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s top brass have already decided to replace the former Ajax chief – and that even winning the FA Cup would not be enough for Ten Hag to save his job.

But in the aftermath of United’s big win at Wembley, a defiant Ten Hag fired back when he was quizzed over the latest reports relating to his future.

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Speaking in his post-match press conference, Ten Hag said of rumours the club will sack him: “If they don’t want me any more, I go somewhere else and win trophies, that’s what I’ve done my whole career.”

It’s been outlined this week that the club have been sounding out potential replacements for Ten Hag with other clubs, notably Chelsea, in the market for a new manager this summer.

Sky Sports claimed that former Manchester United  coach Kieran McKenna’s representatives have already held talks with the club after the Northern Irishman guided Ipswich Town to successive promotions.

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Against all odds, Man Utd win FA Cup

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FA Cup - Final - Manchester City v Manchester United - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - May 25, 2024 Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez and manager Erik ten Hag celebrate after winning the FA Cup REUTERS/Hannah Mcka

Manchester United have won the FA Cup after a 2-1 win against city rivals, Manchester City.

The two Manchester clubs have reached the final of England’s oldest cup competition again and City were hoping to retain the trophy after winning last year’s final.

Pep Guardiola’s side had won the last three meetings between City and United and the Reds approached the FA Cup final as underdogs again – but the game didn’t go as most predicted.

Against all odds, United claimed a stunning victory against City thanks to first-half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, which proved enough for the win.

United were outstanding and looked like a different team after a dismal season. Erik ten Hag’s tactics worked perfectly and City only started to threaten late in the second half.

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Jeremy Doku provided City with a glimmer of hope in the dying moments of the match by finding the bottom corner, but it wasn’t enough and the Blues slumped to a defeat.

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