Is there a plan in place if Martinez leaves?
BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.Matt asked: There are a lot of rumours about Emi Martinez going to Manchester United. If this does happen, who would Aston Villa target as a replacement?Phil answered: Jordan Pickford is England's best keeper but Everton will not sell and he is incredibly happy there so it will not be him.James Trafford is a fine young keeper at Burnley, but he will not come cheap and Newcastle United have been heavily linked there. If he left would Nick Pope be happy as second choice? I'm not so sure.Trafford would be very much a live contender for clubs seeking an upgrade (I put Chelsea in that bracket as well) in the goalkeeper position.One keeper who is currently being linked with Villa is Lille's Lucas Chevalier, who was Ligue 1's keeper of the season.Villa is a club that prepares for all eventualities, and with Martinez appearing to wave goodbye at the end of last season, they will no doubt have a plan in place should this come to pass.All depends on what happens now with the self-styled (although not in my opinion) "world's number one" Martinez.What do you think? Who should Villa buy if Martinez leaves the club this summer?Get in touch with your thoughts here
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North Wales Chronicle
6 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Sarina Wiegman delighted with England performance ahead of Euros opener
Ella Toone scored a brace either side of Lucy Bronze's header to give England a healthy advantage at the break. Wiegman's side flexed their muscles in the second period as Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead got on the scoresheet to give England the perfect send-off before they face France in their first game at the Euros next Saturday. Victory in our #WEURO2025 send-off match! 🤩 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 29, 2025 'We played a good game,' the 55-year-old said. 'We were a lot in the final third, we scored seven goals which is really good, created a lot of chances and some moments could have been even more patient sometimes. 'But at the same time, scoring seven goals and more opportunities to score was really good. 'We know next week we have to take our game to the next level. But what we wanted to do was play a good game, entertain fans, getting ready for next week and getting everyone fit out of this game. 'It shows we have a good team and have many options and competition going on for positions. Today we had six different players score goals, which is nice going into the Euros and it shows the players can score goals.' Lauren James climbed off the bench in the second period as she made her first appearance since a hamstring injury in April. It did not take long for her to make an impact as she supplied the cross for Russo's goal shortly after her introduction. Wiegman added: 'We're still building her. She's worked so hard to be here where she is now. At Chelsea first, but then the last two weeks in training camps, she could do every single training session and did really well. Right place, right time, RUSSO! — Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 29, 2025 'Now this is the first time she could get minutes and we hope next week we can keep building her going into France. 'Also there is a lot of competition going on upfront and in midfield so we've figured out over the last couple days how we will start.' England feared Mead picked up an injury when she went down holding her knee as the game ticked over into stoppage time. The fans had their hearts in their mouths when Mead received treatment on the field, but she was able to get up and carry on before she scored the last goal of the game. Wiegman said: 'It was a hit on her knee. She's OK, she's good. 'Everyone came out fit and healthy so it was just a hard knock. It looked horrible so we were a little bit scared too, but she could even score after that moment.'
North Wales Chronicle
7 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
England prepare for European Women's Championship by thrashing Jamaica
The Lionesses were looking to gather some momentum before they face France in their Euros curtain-raiser next Saturday and were more or less out of sight at the half-time whistle. Ella Toone struck twice from distance either side of Lucy Bronze's header to give England a three-goal lead at the break, but things could have been different if Kayla McKenna's effort for the visitors had not been ruled out by VAR for offside at 1-0. Victory in our #WEURO2025 send-off match! 🤩 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 29, 2025 England fans cheered when Lauren James was introduced midway through the second period for her first minutes since suffering a hamstring injury in April. England still had room for more though. Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead also got in on the act to give England the perfect send off before they attempt to defend their European crown. As expected, the home side started in dominant fashion and twice came close through Jess Carter and Stanway from outside the box. However, it was not long before England made the breakthrough. Toone picked up the ball in space and curled one beyond the despairing dive of Liya Brooks to open the scoring in the 10th minute. For all of England's early dominance, the visitors thought they had an equaliser out of nowhere until VAR gave Sarina Wiegman's side a reprieve. Amelia van Zanten's corner was nudged on by Allyson Swaby and into the path of McKenna, whose shot deflected off Alex Greenwood and trickled over the line. The players ran off to celebrate, but VAR showed Kalyssa van Zanten was stood in an offside position and in the line of sight of goalkeeper Hannah Hampton when the shot came in as referee Franziska Wildfeuer ruled the goal out. England rubbed salt in the wound and doubled their lead, Jess Carter crossing on to the head of Bronze as she nodded into a empty goal after Brooks came racing off her line. The hosts continued to pepper the Jamaica goal, Bronze's clever flick setting beautifully for Lauren Hemp to fire against the post 10 minutes before the break while Russo then hit the upright shortly after. The Lionesses were 3-0 up in first-half stoppage time when Toone curled another great effort from the edge of the area for her second via a post. England's fourth came 14 minutes into the second half. Brooks and the Jamaica defence did well to deny a barrage of pressure initially, but could not stop Stanway's bullet effort into the roof of the net. The defending European champions showed no mercy, James making an instant impact after coming off the bench and floated an inch-perfect cross for Russo to head home at the far post. England rounded off an easy afternoon in Leicester when Beever-Jones climbed off the bench and poked beyond Brooks before Mead fired home in stoppage time.
The Guardian
8 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Lauren James sparkles in cameo as Wiegman looks to answer questions over starting XI
You should never read too much into the final warm-up game before a major tournament, should you? Try telling that to any of the 25,088 fans at the King Power Stadium, as they were singing Sweet Caroline at full time, waving proudly their flags of St George and rejoicing in the seven goals that England had put past Jamaica. In such goalscoring form, glory will surely be England's again ... No, you should still never read too much into the final warm-up game. Just ask the England men's team of 2016 who, on the eve of the European Championship that year, managed a 1-0 victory against Portugal – one of those sides went on to win the tournament, while the other was knocked out by Iceland. The Lionesses have been good at tricking us all, too; in 2019 they endured a shock defeat against New Zealand in Brighton shortly before travelling to France for a Women's World Cup, where they defied that abject performance to go on a run to the semi‑finals. Similarly, they made us endure a goalless draw with Portugal at Stadium MK before they flew to Australia in 2023 but that did not stop the Lionesses progressing all the way to their first World Cup final. What this match certainly did offer, though, was a strong indication of Sarina Wiegman's preferred starting side, just six days before her team will meet France in their Group D opener in Zurich. Since England's squad announcement, eight of the starting personnel have felt relatively nailed on, if they could all stay fit, with three key question marks remaining. The first of those was around the No 10 position, with Ella Toone, Grace Clinton and Jess Park all bringing their own different qualities to the role. Sunday night proved to be Toone's chance and she took it in style, scoring twice inside the first half. She could have added a couple more, but her confidence-boosting double was timed perfectly and she will fly to Switzerland on Monday with an extra spring in her step. She is a player whom Wiegman has routinely trusted for the big occasions and those two words adequately describe the meeting with a hugely talented France side. The second question was: 'Who will start at left-back?', with Jess Carter and Niamh Charles both in contention. A significant clue was provided on Saturday when Carter was handed the pre‑match media responsibilities. The Gotham FC defender did indeed get the nod on a warm evening in the East Midlands, and she took her opportunity well. In the first half particularly, she combined nicely down the flank with Lauren Hemp, underlapping to good effect, as well as combining for one‑twos with Georgia Stanway and making strong bursts into the box to aid the attack. Carter's match fitness also looks strong, which is perhaps a byproduct of her being in the middle of her club season in the NWSL. The third question surrounded the right-sided forward role, a position where England are stacked with world-class options, with Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly and Lauren James all offering pedigree. James's return from a hamstring injury sustained in April meant she was only on the bench, with Wiegman saying on Saturday that she would manage James's minutes, but when the Chelsea forward was introduced in the second half her skill level immediately stood out. Jamaica defenders tried to stop her but there was little they could do as she toyed with her markers, skipped away from challenges and demonstrated her effortless ability to progress the ball up the pitch. Interestingly, though, she was doing so from a central, No 10 position after being brought on to replace Toone, while Mead played 90 minutes on the right and Kelly – who can also play anywhere across the forward line – was introduced on the left flank, when Hemp was given a rest. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion James flourished in the more central, free role, and dinked a perfect cross to the far post for Russo to score with 19 minutes remaining, in the middle of a Mexican wave that was circling around the stands. It was as if James had felt offended by the insinuation that this dynamic and free-flowing performance was not entertaining enough and so she served up something special. By the end of the game, as Mead tucked in the seventh, all of the players were oozing confidence, and perhaps the main takeaway there is that – whoever Wiegman picks – England's attacking options from the bench look dangerous enough to worry any of the 15 other defences that will be contesting this European Championship. Perhaps James's and Kelly's late cameos were enough to prove they should take on France from the start. Or perhaps not. You should never read too much into the final warm-up game.
