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Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ex-Man United boss Erik ten Hag meets Robbie Williams after attending the popstar's gig in Amsterdam as he enjoys his summer before starting work at Bayer Leverkusen
Former Man United boss Erik ten Hag reunited with Robbie Williams after attending the popstar's latest gig in Amsterdam. Ten Hag was back at the Johan Cruyff ArenA on Sunday night, the venue he had called home as manager of Ajax from 2018 to 2022. The stadium had been the latest stop on Williams' Britpop tour across Europe, with Ten Hag among the attendees. Ten Hag met Williams backstage following the gig, with the singer sharing a photo of them on Instagram. 'Two incredible nights in Amsterdam… that was fun. All the love, Rob,' Williams posted with nine images from his stop in the Netherlands. Accompanying the picture with Ten Hag, Williams also showed where his football loyalties lie by posing next to a banner in honour of his local club Port Vale, which read 'The Valiants, Port Vale, Est. 1876'. It was not the first time Ten Hag had come across Williams, with the 'Angles' singer having previously visited Man United during the Dutchman's time as manager. Williams had been given a tour of Man United's Carrington training ground in 2022 by Harry Maguire. The defender, who is friends with Williams, also organised for the star to meet members of the squad during their pre-season tour in Los Angeles last summer. Ten Hag is joining some final time off before returning to management, after being sacked by Man United last season. He was dismissed from Old Trafford in October with Man United lying 14th in the Premier League after winning just four of their opening 14 matches. His departure came despite the club triggering a one-year contract extension last summer. Ten Hag's extension followed him leading the club to the FA Cup, having also won the Carabao Cup in his first full season in charge. He was appointed as manager of Bayer Leverkusen on a two-year deal last month, with the Dutchman succeeding Xabi Alonso as boss after his move to Real Madrid.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The SIX glaring problems haunting England ahead of next year's World Cup - and how Thomas Tuchel must respond after a worrying international break, writes IAN LADYMAN
England have emerged from the June international break with problems – both familiar and new – threatening to overwhelm them. A scruffy win against Andorra – the 173rd ranked team in the world – at the weekend has now been followed by a comprehensive home defeat to Senegal in Nottingham. With the World Cup only a year away, Football Editor Ian Ladyman looks at the obstacles standing between Thomas Tuchel and any hope of success in North America next summer THE MISSING LINKS England have some elite level footballers but they are all playing in the same positions. Away from the potential of players such as Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer, England don't have reliable and oven ready full-backs and are trying new partnerships at centre half, for example. The Gareth Southgate era was largely progressive but at its heart was a John Stones/Harry Maguire axis that provided England with a solid base. In the Euros of 2021, for example, England didn't concede a goal until the semi-final and only two all tournament. Thomas Tuchel still hopes to have Stones back but thinks he may be able to play in midfield. In terms of Maguire, Tuchel is unsure about his value as a squad man if he is not a regular starter. Newcastle's Dan Burn will be on the plane to America if he stays fit but as much as a late attacking weapon as anything. On Tuesday against Senegal, England's defensive issues were clear. JUDE AND DEC They are two of England's truly gifted players but where is the synergy between them on the field? These are two men who should be dragging England forwards but instead they hardly spent any time together on the pitch over the last two games. In fact, they shared just ten minutes of football towards the end of the Andorra game in Barcelona on Saturday. Tuchel said at the weekend that Rice had arrived to camp 'out of rhythm' and the Arsenal player was anonymous against Senegal's dextrous and athletic midfield in Nottingham. Indeed some hard truths are emerging about both these players. Rice just isn't good enough at number six to play the role on his own while Bellingham's temperament and tactical discipline need serious work. Tuchel knows both these truths but is aware of the sensitivity around the latter issue in particular. If there was a World Cup for arm waving, Jude would be a gold medallist. THE HARRY KANE PROBLEM So here we are again. Back at the start. As Kane continues to wrack up poachers' goals with stunning regularity – the England captain has scored in each of Tuchel's four games – his country's reliance on a player who does not look mobile enough against the very best opposition continues to haunt the national team. There is no reliable understudy. It's just a fact. Ollie Watkins – injured for these two games – does not have the numbers of an elite striker while Ivan Toney's dalliance with Tuchel's squad may well be over already. The England coach refused to talk about him on Saturday night in Andorra and then refused to use him until England were absolutely desperate late on against Senegal. Seeing Kane come off only for Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze to be asked to play up front on Tuesday night was extraordinary. SQUARE PEGS AND ROUND HOLES Tuchel is a manager who has the courage of his convictions and wears the stresses and strains of management pretty lightly. That's perhaps just as well given what's ahead of him. Even so, he made some strange calls over the last few days. The Andorra game saw a right-back – Reece James – at left-back and a central midfielder – Curtis Jones - over on the other side of the defensive line. Jones was asked by Tuchel to play that defensive/midfield hybrid role made fashionable by Trent Alexander-Arnold – who was on the bench. That was, frankly, quite staggering. Against Senegal, meanwhile, a winger - Eze - was up front with a striker – Toney – on the bench. Conor Gallagher, meanwhile, was left in the stands against Andorra yet made the starting eleven at the City Ground. That game seemed set up for local hero Morgan Gibbs-White but he began the evening among the substitutes. Is Tuchel in danger of making this whole thing too complicated? Pick your best players, Thomas, and put them in their best positions. THE MAN CITY CONDUNDRUM John Stones, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker. What has happened to them? It is a question that is known to trouble the England manager. Grealish looked a player ready to roll under Lee Carsley against the Republic of Ireland in the first game of the Nations League last autumn but is now up for sale at his club. 'I love Jack,' said Tuchel last week but he will not pick players short on club minutes. Foden, meanwhile, is supposed to be part of England's golden trio of attacking players along with Bellingham and Cole Palmer. Carsley tried to get all three in a team against Greece last year – England lost – and now Tuchel can't even find room for the City man in his squad. Tuchel is concerned about Foden and doesn't know when he will see him again. If he does, he would like to see how he goes as a number nine. More widely, the England coach has noticed a malaise about the City squad that nobody can really expect to be improved by three or four weeks away at the Club World Cup. THE OPPOSITION Tuchel is convinced that England will automatically raise their levels when the games grow harder and more significant. Well, he has to cling to something doesn't he? He suggested his side would improve in games with greater importance but it has been a worrying international window for Tuchel The problem with all that is that the toughest team he will face between now and the World Cup is Serbia, yet to be tackled home and away in qualifying. Those games – especially the away fixture in September – will not be easy and if England don't improve quickly the Serbs may yet contest top spot in the group. But apart from that, England will face Andorra, Latvia and Albania in competitive games before the end of the calendar year as well as Wales in an October friendly.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
England vs Senegal LIVE SCORE: Action on NOW as Sarr LEVELS for Senegal after Kane scored early for Tuchel's side
Fans back Trevoh amid 10 changes England fans appear delighted Thomas Tuchel has made 10 changes to his starting line-up. That in itself is no surprise - given Saturday's win over Andorra was so poor and tonight's friendly is so unimportant, result wise. But supporters are also excited to see "unsung hero" Trevoh Chalobah start in defence. One called it "insane" the 25-year-ld has been uncapped until tonight. He added: "I'll speak for all Chelsea fans, he is underrated. Solid, fast, trajectory in his movement forward and humble." Another wrote: "Debut for Trevoh nice." But a third observer posted: "Can't believe he gets in a squad ahead of [Harry] Maguire."
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
There were few positives from Manchester United's 2024-25 season, but Harry Maguire was one of them
In a season where Manchester United finished a disappointing 15th in the Premier League, amassing just 42 points – both their worst in the Premier League era – and failed to lift silverware after getting beaten 1-0 by Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, there were few positives to take from their campaign. Advertisement The obvious bright spot was captain Bruno Fernandes, who has been the standout performer for United ever since he joined the club in January 2020. But Fernandes aside, there were others who showed resilience and made significant contributions during a tough year for the club. On the latest episode of Talk of the Devils, our End of Season Awards show, Ian Irving, Laurie Whitwell, Andy Mitten, and Carl Anka discussed Harry Maguire's remarkable turnaround and why he can leave the 2024-25 season with his head held high. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available to listen to via the Talk of the Devils feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Ian: Of course, the 2024-25 season will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons. The worst finish in United's Premier League history, the salvation of an unbeaten run in the Europa League, which then ended in a drab defeat in the final. One manager, one caretaker boss, one head coach, a revolving door of executives, missions, projects, and rafts of redundancies. Quite frankly, we're just glad it's over. But we are going to look back at it today in our end-of-season awards show, and we're going to get started with the Player of the Season award (who isn't Bruno). Laurie, who's your pick for this? Laurie: I'm picking this player because I think you just have to give him his props, for me it's Harry Maguire. How can you turn down a guy who gave us that moment against Lyon? A guy who's come through the most acute and sustained critique from fans of Manchester United and England. A guy who's come through abuse, almost. He was booed on United's pre-season tour a couple of years ago, and questioned on why he was even at the club. And when he had the opportunity to leave, he said, 'No, I want to stay.' He's handled himself with the kind of character that you need from somebody who has worn the Manchester United armband. And maybe he still doesn't totally suit what Ruben Amorim's trying to do, because I think he wants defenders who push up and are aggressive – even though he was pushed all the way up to centre forward a few times during the season. Advertisement But I just think he carries himself so well, and it triumphed with that moment against Lyon. He then backed it up with the Maradona impression in Bilbao, and took all that with the humour in which it was intended. He was asked about it in the pre-final press conference, and some would get a bit offended about this idea that they're not a very good footballer. But instead he sort of said, 'Ruben Amorim has been telling me to dribble more in training,' so he rolled with it. That just showed the kind of person he is. And to come back from where he was, to then have such a good run for United shows his character. It could have been glorious if that Lyon goal provided the platform for a Europa League win, so it's bittersweet in that sense. But I still think that moment holds for the emotion that it created, and it will be remembered for years to come. Ian: Andy, you couldn't have nodded any more to Laurie's statements there, what are your thoughts? Andy: I was just thinking it's the first time I've agreed with absolutely everything that Laurie's said since the first day I met him. But in all seriousness, it's spot-on and he's totally right. There have been times when the abuse was so pernicious and targeted towards him, that the fact that he's withstood that is absolutely to his credit. No footballer should have to put up with the stick that he had to deal with, it went so far beyond the pale. I think people can accept when you're playing poorly, and they might not rate you if you've had a bad game, but some of it went too far. Carl: He had to call the authorities because a bomb threat was called to his house. I do sometimes feel uneasy when people say, 'With all the things that Harry Maguire has been through,' without explicitly pointing out what it was. There was a point in time when more or less every single action Maguire did on a football field was derided and turned into memes. I remember there were some very well-known, prominent former professional football players who frankly just used various expletives to describe him as a football player. And you're sitting there going, 'Is this appropriate? Is this a good way to get this person out of their obvious funk?' So all credit to him. Because he's been through things that I don't think many football players will ever go through, thankfully. And I hope most football players will never have to go through that. But he's come out the other side, and even though he doesn't wear the armband anymore, he's absolutely a leader in that dressing room. You saw that in the games against Lyon and Athletic Club, so he's definitely got value to Manchester United. Advertisement Andy: Harry's mum and dad also go to more games than I think any other family member, and it's lovely to see. These are working-class people from a village just outside Sheffield whose son has done really well, and all three of their sons are football players. It's great bumping into them in places like Bilbao 10 minutes after he's just dribbled down the right wing, and they're like, 'Did you see that?' In a proper Yorkshire accent too, that I'm not even going to try and do. But to have that light moment after the stick that he's gone through is amazing. I've bumped into them in airports after European games when he's not been getting any minutes, and it must be horrible as a parent. And I don't buy this line at all, that they get paid a fortune. I'm sorry, it just doesn't make a difference with some of the abuse that he's gotten. So I think you're absolutely right, Laurie, and full credit to him. Remember, you can listen to full episodes of Talk of the Devils on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. (Top Photo:)
The Sun
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Harry Maguire's lookalike League Two star brother wears crop top as Man Utd ace joins him on his stag do in Croatia
HARRY MAGUIRE'S brother Laurence jetted off for a boozy stag do to sunny Croatia. The younger Maguire, who plays for League Two side MK Dons, headed off for the wild celebrations with a group of pals and his Man Utd star brother. 9 9 9 9 Laurence, who is an absolute ringer for his England defender brother, was spotted at Zrce Beach's iconic party island over the weekend. The group of 30-plus wore snazzy multi-coloured beach shirts and quirky hats, with beers and cans in hands, during all hours of the trip. Harry, 32, was even snapped wearing a rainbow glitter crop top with silver tassels and rave sunglasses on Instagram. Groom Laurence, 28, posted several pictures of the group, including eldest brother Joe, enjoying Spring Break Island parties. Another photo showed the Premier League star wearing a red bucket hat with a blue disco flyway top, which showed his entire chest. The last slide showed the group dancing to house music until the early hours. Laurence is marrying long-term sweetheart Amelia Johnson at a beautiful venue back in the UK on Thursday. It comes weeks after Harry played the full 90 minutes of Man Utd's embarrassing Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao. 9 9 9 Harry tied the knot with Fern Hawkins at a Crewe Registry Office in May 2022. The pair said their vows again in France at a romantic ceremony held at a chateau a month later. Harry Maguire's wife Fern leads Man Utd Wags flocking to Bilbao for Europa League final with Tottenham Harry has endured another horror season with United suffering a record low finish in 15th in the Prem. Meanwhile, fellow centre-back Laurence joined MK Dons this season after winning promotion to League One with Crawley Town in the previous campaign. 9 9
