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The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025: Guardian writers' predictions for the tournament
It feels as if Spain and a revitalised Germany have the wind in their sails to meet in Basel, even if Aitana Bonmatí's illness is a real worry for the world champions. Spain will win out on the night. England know the ropes and cannot be ruled out but their path to glory looks complicated. Nick Ames I am going England-Spain, a rerun of the 2023 World Cup final. It would mean England finish second in Group D to go in the other half of the draw. Between those two, head says Spain; heart, of course, says England. Sophie Downey Spain against Germany is the most logical final. Although England could disrupt that if they click, my instinct says Spain-Germany. Spain should get the job done and win their first Euros. They have never reached the final but have the strongest squad, in terms of technical skill, a relatively kind group draw and more days to rest and recover than their rivals in Groups C and D, so this should be Spain's year. Tom Garry I'll go for Spain to win it, and it'll be Germany, England or the Netherlands. Those are the four best teams in the tournament. Emma Hayes Spain to beat Sweden in a disappointingly mid-paced final that feels like something of an anticlimax after their all-time classic against Germany in the semis. Jonathan Liew France and Italy with the former winning. France are serial underachievers but they have been in hot form under Laurent Bonadei and, combining technical excellence with pace-suffused fluidity, are more dynamic than many rivals. They possess the weapons to win a first major tournament. Italy – much improved under Andrea Soncin's management – look classic dark horses. Louise Taylor Don't make me do this. I have a terrible feeling England will finish second in the group and face Germany in the quarter-finals. That will be a tricky test but I'd back them to get past it and go all the way to the final, where they would meet Spain and lose to the world champions. Suzanne Wrack Lea Schüller remains a formidable spearhead for Germany and, in a side who have carved recent opponents wide open, should add healthily to her tally in Switzerland. Alessia Russo could challenge her but may find England's assignments too nip-and-tuck. NA Clàudia Pina – one of the most natural strikers in the competition. This is the 23-year-old's time to shine on the back of a brilliant season for Barcelona, where she finished as the top goalscorer in the Champions League. SD Pina could blow defences away. Even if she isn't chosen to start every game, she could be even more lethal coming off the bench against tiring defences. A tally of five or six goals may be enough for the Golden Boot and I would back Pina to notch at least four during the group stage on the form she displayed towards the end of the club season. TG I'm going to say Alessia Russo. I think Alessia is in a great place and I think since Renée Slegers has taken Arsenal on, she and Kelly Smith deserve huge credit for the development of Alessia. EH Sandy Baltimore: bit left-field (pun intended), but hear me out. Played as a wing-back for much of her career but now adding goals to her game: five for France and a brace in the FA Cup final. France's stacked frontline will allow her plenty of space to operate and she could easily go on a run. JL Marie-Antoinette Katoto. The Lyon striker – she joins from PSG on Tuesday – has 38 goals in 55 appearances for France and combines precision finishing with often unplayable physicality. After rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in the group stage of Euro 2022, then missing the 2023 World Cup, this could finally be the 26-year-old's moment in the sun. LT If you're predicting Spain to win then it's hard not to predict Pina to pick up the Golden Boot. She's been in formidable form and, although goals can come from a variety of Spain players, I think Pina will do very well. Were the Netherlands not drawn in such a tricky group I'd have fancied Vivianne Miedema. SW Iceland look strong, reliable and more than well placed to compete seriously in a winnable Group A. They have a habit of staying in games and, if they were to avoid Spain in the last eight, could travel far. It is also worth watching out for a hugely improved Italy. NA Italy are my dark horses. Andrea Soncin has overseen something of a rebuild and refresh since he took over in 2023. They have been in steady form since, taking the scalps of Spain and Germany among others. Roma's playmaker Manuela Giugliano is one to watch. SD At least one of the seven teams in Group A and B who are not Spain will reach the semi-finals. That's guaranteed, so while that won't be a 'surprise', whoever makes it from that relatively low-ranking set will be an unlikely name for a semi-finalist. There is little between the seven but I am leaning towards Italy, who have recorded some excellent results since the World Cup. TG You have to talk about the French, while Italy are a good side and Belgium have the qualities to be disruptive. EH Italy have claimed some big scalps in the past 12 months and if they escape a tough group the draw could easily open out for them. JL Wales. The NWSL title in the United States is notoriously hard to win but the Wales coach, Rhian Wilkinson, pulled that feat off at Portland Thorns in 2022. Wilkinson has turned a highly motivated Wales into extremely awkward opponents and, with Jess Fishlock and Sophie Ingle in a high-calibre midfield, they look capable of reaching the quarter-finals of their first major tournament. LT 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 Is this Norway's time to not be disappointing? The draw has certainly helped them and if they top the group that should give them momentum going into the knockouts. I don't expect them to go far, but with Ada Hegerberg, Guro Reiten, Caroline Graham Hansen, Frida Maanum, etc the quality is there. SW Nobody with any handle on the England setup is blind to the prodigious talent of Aggie Beever-Jones. Now Europe should discover the Chelsea striker's gifts first-hand. She has made a flying start at international level and should prove an explosive option from the bench. NA Beever-Jones will bring the impact from the bench. The 21-year-old is playing in her first major tournament and has just enjoyed the season of her young career. If the Lionesses need a goal, they know they have someone in the ranks with an instinctive eye for one. SD For the viewer who may not be a women's football diehard, this should be the tournament when Cláudia Pina breaks into the mainstream and receives wider recognition. Meanwhile, England's Michelle Agyemang can go into this tournament with no fear and if she gets a chance off the bench she can show she is a future superstar. TG Pina is someone who has got huge, huge potential. For England, we could talk about Grace Clinton for example, but I'm always going to say Beever-Jones, because if England need a different type of goalscorer in another moment in a game, I think she's capable of delivering on that front. For Germany, watch out for Jule Brand; she is so exciting to watch. EH Vicky López. Still only 18 but long regarded as one of Europe's most promising talents, López went to last summer's Olympics for Spain but didn't play. Has featured more often for Barcelona this season and this could be the tournament that puts her name in lights. JL Manuela Giugliano. The Roma playmaker says she models her game on that of Andrea Pirlo but, at 27, is still to see her lofty domestic standing transposed on to the international stage. That could be about to change for a dead-ball wizard blessed with superior vision, a stellar passing range and a knack of making impeccable defensive interceptions. LT Lauren James has had an injury-hit season for Chelsea but when fit she has looked sublime. The forward seems to have matured her all-round game, her defensive work rate as impressive as her attacking, and this could be the tournament where she really stamps her name on the international stage. In training she has looked phenomenal and her assist against Jamaica on Sunday, after coming on for her first minutes in three months, showed her importance to England from a creativity point of view. SW Further evidence that standards at the game's elite level continue to reach new heights – in a country that should be perfectly set up to host a smooth, joyful summer tournament. NA I think the next month will be the best illustration of how far European football has continued to develop over the past three years. Any of five or six teams could win it and no side are infallible. In terms of the tournament, I am looking forward to seeing everything that Switzerland has to offer. This is a huge moment in their women's football journey and I am sure they will seize it. SD The three group matches between England, France and the Netherlands – all three of whom are capable of going all the way – should make for blockbuster viewing. The pressure riding on those early fixtures will be immense; they are akin to semi-finals, in terms of standard, but they are going to be entertaining us inside the first 11 days. I'm also looking forward to the mountainous scenery from the window seat of a Swiss train. It is a beautiful country. TG Nowadays players have got more access to the support they need to be the best versions of themselves, so the quality is going to be so much higher. There may be a bit of a shifting of the order, too; this may be a tournament where we talk about a Belgium or an Italy and not a Sweden and a Norway. That's not to say that will happen, but there could be a shift. EH The Dutch fans. Obviously. JL You mean apart from the Swiss chocolate museum in Lucerne? Watching Wales and their 38-year-old, but still world-class, midfielder Jess Fishlock at their first major tournament. The final Group B game between Italy and Spain in Berne looks intriguing, too. Off the pitch, seeing Lake Lucerne, the Alps and the Abbey Library in St Gallen, said to be one of the world's oldest and most beautiful. LT A cheese fondue. Does that need elaboration? It's all I've been thinking about for months. On the pitch, Spain are obviously the favourites but the fact any one of several teams (Spain, England, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands …) could win this tournament makes it hugely exciting. Set against the backdrop of stunning Switzerland, it will be memorable. SW
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Women's Euro 2025: Guardian writers' predictions for the tournament
It feels as if Spain and a revitalised Germany have the wind in their sails to meet in Basel, even if Aitana Bonmatí's illness is a real worry for the world champions. Spain will win out on the night. England know the ropes and cannot be ruled out but their path to glory looks complicated. Nick Ames I am going England-Spain, a re-run of the 2023 World Cup final. It would mean England finish second in Group D to go in the other half of the draw. Between those two, head says Spain; heart, of course, says England. Sophie Downey Spain against Germany is the most logical final. Although England could disrupt that if they click, my instinct says Spain-Germany. Spain should get the job done and win their first Euros. They have never reached the final but have the strongest squad, in terms of technical skill, a relatively kind group draw and more days to rest and recover than their rivals in Groups C and D, so this should be Spain's year. Tom Garry I'll go for Spain to win it, and it'll be Germany, England or the Netherlands. Those are the four best teams in the tournament. Emma Hayes Spain to beat Sweden in a disappointingly mid-paced final that feels like something of an anticlimax after their all-time classic against Germany in the semis. Jonathan Liew France and Italy with France the winners. France are serial underachievers but they have been in hot form under Laurent Bonadei and, combining technical excellence with pace-suffused fluidity, are more dynamic than many rivals. They possess the weapons to win a first major tournament. Italy – much improved under Andrea Soncin's management – look classic dark horses. Louise Taylor Don't make me do this. I have a terrible feeling England will finish second in the group and face Germany in the quarter-finals. That will be a tricky test but I'd back them to get past it and go all the way to the final, where they would meet Spain and lose to the world champions. Suzanne Wrack Lea Schüller remains a formidable spearhead for Germany and, in a side who have carved recent opponents wide open, should add healthily to her tally in Switzerland. Alessia Russo could challenge her but may find England's assignments too nip-and-tuck. NA Clàudia Pina – one of the most natural strikers in the competition. This is the 23-year-old's time to shine on the back of a brilliant season for Barcelona, where she finished as the top goalscorer in the Champions League. SD Pina could blow defences away. Even if she isn't chosen to start every game, she could be even more lethal coming off the bench against tiring defences. A tally of five or six goals may be enough for the Golden Boot and I would back Pina to notch at least four during the group stage on the form she displayed towards the end of the club season. TG I'm going to say Alessia Russo. I think Alessia is in a great place and I think since Renée Slegers has taken Arsenal on, she and Kelly Smith deserve huge credit for the development of Alessia. EH Sandy Baltimore: bit left-field (pun intended), but hear me out. Played as a wing-back for much of her career but now adding goals to her game: five for France and a brace in the FA Cup final. France's stacked frontline will allow her plenty of space to operate and she could easily go on a run. JL Marie-Antoinette Katoto. The Lyon striker – she joins from PSG on Tuesday – has 38 goals in 55 appearances for France and combines precision finishing with often unplayable physicality. After rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in the group stage of Euro 2022, then missing the 2023 World Cup, this could finally be the 26-year-old's moment in the sun. LT If you're predicting Spain to win then it's hard not to predict Pina to pick up the Golden Boot. She's been in formidable form and although goals can come from a variety of Spain players, I think Pina will do very well. Were the Netherlands not drawn in such a tricky group I'd have fancied Vivianne Miedema. SW Iceland look strong, reliable and more than well placed to compete seriously in a winnable Group A. They have a habit of staying in games and, if they were to avoid Spain in the last eight, could travel far. It is also worth watching out for a hugely improved Italy. NA Italy are my dark horses. Andrea Soncin has overseen something of a rebuild and refresh since he took over in 2023. They have been in steady form since, taking the scalps of Spain and Germany among others. Roma's playmaker Manuela Giugliano is one to watch. SD At least one of the seven teams in Group A and B who are not Spain will reach the semi-finals. That's guaranteed, so while that won't be a 'surprise', whoever makes it from that relatively low-ranking set will be a surprise name for a semi-finalist. There is little between the seven but I am leaning towards Italy, who have recorded some excellent results since the World Cup. TG You have to talk about the French, while Italy are a good side and Belgium have the qualities to be disruptive. EH Italy have claimed some big scalps in the past 12 months and if they escape a tough group the draw could easily open out for them. JL Wales. The NWSL title in the United States is notoriously hard to win but the Wales coach, Rhian Wilkinson, pulled that feat off at Portland Thorns in 2022. Wilkinson has turned a highly motivated Wales into extremely awkward opponents and, with Jess Fishlock and Sophie Ingle in a high-calibre midfield, they look capable of reaching the quarter-finals of their first major tournament. LT 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 Is this Norway's time to not be disappointing? The draw has certainly helped them and if they top the group that should give them momentum going into the knockouts. I don't expect them to go far, but with Ada Hegerberg, Guro Reiten, Caroline Graham Hansen, Frida Maanum, etc the quality is there. SW Nobody with any handle on the England setup is blind to the prodigious talent of Aggie Beever-Jones. Now Europe should discover the Chelsea striker's gifts first-hand. She has made a flying start at international level and should prove an explosive option from the bench. NA Beever-Jones will bring the impact from the bench. The 21-year-old is playing in her first major tournament and has just enjoyed the season of her young career. If the Lionesses need a goal, they know they have someone in the ranks with an instinctive eye for one. SD For the viewer who may not be a women's football diehard, this should be the tournament when Cláudia Pina breaks into the mainstream and receives wider recognition. Meanwhile, England's Michelle Agyemang can go into this tournament with no fear and if she gets a chance off the bench she can show she is a future superstar. TG Pina is someone who has got huge, huge potential. For England, we could talk about Grace Clinton for example, but I'm always going to say Beever-Jones, because if England need a different type of goalscorer in another moment in a game, I think she's capable of delivering on that front. For Germany, watch out for Jule Brand; she's a player who is so exciting to watch. EH Vicky López. Still only 18 but long regarded as one of Europe's most promising talents, López went to last summer's Olympics but didn't play. Has featured more often for Barcelona this season and this could be the tournament that puts her name in lights. JL Manuela Giugliano. The Roma playmaker says she models her game on that of Andrea Pirlo but, at 27, is still to see her lofty domestic standing transposed on to the international stage. That could be about to change for a dead-ball wizard blessed with superior vision, a stellar passing range and a knack of making impeccable defensive interceptions. LT Lauren James has had an injury-hit season for Chelsea but when fit she has looked sublime. The forward seems to have matured her all-round game, her defensive work rate as impressive as her attacking, and this could be the tournament where she really stamps her name on the international stage. In training she has looked phenomenal and her assist, after coming on against Jamaica for her first minutes in three months, showed her importance to England from a creativity point of view. SW Further evidence that standards at the game's elite level continue to reach new heights – in a country that should be perfectly set up to host a smooth, joyful summer tournament. NA I think the next month will be the best illustration of how far European football has continued to develop over the past three years. Any of five or six teams could win it and no side are infallible. In terms of the tournament, I am looking forward to seeing everything that Switzerland has to offer. This is a huge moment in their women's football journey and I am sure they will seize it. SD The three group matches between England, France and the Netherlands – all three of whom are capable of going all the way – should make for blockbuster viewing. The pressure riding on those early fixtures will be immense; they are akin to semi-finals, in terms of standard, but they are going to be entertaining us inside the first 11 days. I'm also looking forward to the mountainous scenery from the window seat of a Swiss train. It is a beautiful country. TG Nowadays players have got more access to the support they need to be the best versions of themselves, so the quality is going to be so much higher. There may be a bit of a shifting of the order, too; this may be a tournament where we talk about a Belgium or an Italy and not a Sweden and a Norway. That's not to say that will happen, but there could be a shift. EH The Dutch fans. Obviously. JL You mean apart from the Swiss chocolate museum in Lucerne? Watching Wales and their 38-year-old, but still world-class, midfielder Jess Fishlock at their first major tournament. The final Group B game between Italy and Spain in Berne looks intriguing too. Off the pitch, seeing Lake Lucerne, the Alps and the Abbey Library in St Gallen, said to be one of the world's oldest and most beautiful. LT A cheese fondue. Does that need elaboration? It's all I've been thinking about for months. On the pitch, Spain are obviously the favourites but the fact that any one of several teams (Spain, England, Germany, France, Sweden, the Netherlands) could win this tournament makes it hugely exciting. Set against the backdrop of stunning Switzerland, it will be memorable. SW
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Luis Enrique secures status as one of the all-time greats with PSG triumph
At what point did Luis Enrique know it was going to work out, that his Paris Saint‑Germain team would beat Inter at the Allianz Arena to win the club's first Champions League title? The manager had certainly cut a cool and confident figure when he emerged on to the pitch about 90 minutes before kick-off for a quick temperature check with his coaches. The PSG ultras were already behind one of the goals, bobbing up and down en masse. They would be a forceful presence throughout. Luis Enrique was aware that an omen was on his side. Every time Munich had hosted a final in Europe's elite competition, a new champion had emerged. Nottingham Forest, 1979. Marseille, 1993. Borussia Dortmund, 1997. And Chelsea, 2012. Inter had arrived as three-time winners. Advertisement Related: PSG 2.0 have potential to dominate but young stars could be lured away | Nick Ames Luis Enrique is a spiritual person, so maybe that fed into things. What absolutely did was the shining light he had in the sky. 'You will be the star that guides our family,' he wrote in tribute to his daughter Xana in 2019 after she died from bone cancer at the age of nine. Luis Enrique carries more than the unimaginable pain. He feels enriched by the time he was able to spend with her. When the game got under way, everything quickly felt just right for PSG. Luis Enrique had declared his side knew 'how to unpick teams like Inter, how to get that tight-knit defence to unravel'. He believed in his approach, how his players would pass and move, especially the bit about the movement – the positional fluidity, the unusual overloads, the aggression in the press, as well. A 2-0 lead after 20 minutes was fortifying. The way Luis Enrique would tell it, even at 3-0 midway through the second half he wanted a fourth because the game 'could still open up' for Inter. So Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's goal for 4-0 on 73 minutes was probably the moment for the Spanish coach, although he seemed to really let it all out when Senny Mayulu made it five just before the end. Advertisement The 19-year-old substitute, who had been on for only two minutes, was giddy with joy; disbelief even. For Luis Enrique, it was an example of his Midas touch on the night but also a symbol of something wider in terms of what he has built. An unheralded youngster ought not to be able to do this in club football's biggest game. It is gloriously possible within Luis Enrique's collective. Something felt crystal clear as the PSG captain, Marquinhos, emerged through the golden confetti – detonated a little early – to hoist the trophy; Luis Enrique must now be considered among the all-time greats of his profession. For him, the glory of Munich added up to a second 'classic' treble of his career – league, Champions League, principle domestic cup – having achieved the feat at Barcelona in 2014-15. Only one other manager has done this: his former Barcelona and Spain teammate Pep Guardiola, who pulled it off with Barcelona in 2008‑09 and Manchester City in 2022-23. But it has been as much about how Luis Enrique has succeeded at PSG. Related: Viva Vitinha: how PSG's deep conductor proved Lionel Messi wrong | Barney Ronay Advertisement It has sometimes been possible to detect a bit of sniffiness about his exploits at Barcelona. You know, he inherited Lionel Messi and Neymar, with Luis Suárez added for him. Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi were already there, too. It has been different at PSG. With the help of Luís Campos, the recruitment chief, Luis Enrique has created a team – and one in the truest sense. Willian Pacho, João Neves and Désiré Doué were brought in last summer, with Kvaratskhelia, the final piece of the puzzle, joining in January. PSG have spent heavily; it was £200m on that quartet alone. Everything continues to stem from the wealth of the club's Qatari owners. Yet Luis Enrique has proved his genius by assembling a largely unstarry group who play for the badge rather than themselves; a break, frankly, from previous PSG vintages. And one that is capable of hitting such beautifully sweet high notes, which has a defined and likable identity. Ousmane Dembélé, who signed in the summer of 2023, which was when Luis Enrique arrived, has scored 33 goals this season. He did not add to the tally against Inter, although he did contribute two assists and was his usual threat. But it was his work without the ball, especially the energy with which he led the press, that had Luis Enrique purring. Advertisement 'Everyone is talking about the Ballon d'Or … I would give it to Dembélé just for his defensive work against Inter,' the manager said. 'He showed what he was made of. He was a leader, he was humble.' Luis Enrique had noted a few weeks back: 'The first year at a club is generally not perfect but in the second you grow more in terms of football and confidence.' He called it, he has felt it, the click coming in January when PSG stormed back from 2-0 down to win 4-2 against Guardiola's City at the Parc des Princes in the penultimate Champions League group phase game. Since then, they have ridden the wave past everybody, including Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, all the way to the crowning moment against Inter. And when it was over, there was the tifo from the PSG ultras. It depicted Luis Enrique and Xana in PSG colours planting a flag in the turf, just as they had done with Barcelona after the 2015 Champions League final victory against Juventus. It was overwhelmingly emotional. Xana can be very proud of her dad.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
FA Cup final preview and Sunderland book place at Wembley - Football Weekly Extra podcast
Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today: playoff ecstasy for Sunderland as Dan Ballard's header in the last minute of extra-time sends them to Wembley where they'll take on Sheffield United. This Saturday, however, Wembley hosts the men's FA Cup final, with Crystal Palace the neutrals pick. Can they win their first ever trophy? Elsewhere, we'll discuss the quite bizarre statement from Nottingham Forest following the news of Taiwo Awoniyi's serious injury and we'll preview this weekend's Premier League action. Plus, Nick Ames joins us from Ukraine and your questions answered. Support the Guardian here. You can also find Football Weekly on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Woke red tape stops British armoured vehicle-maker raising funds in the City
A BRITISH firm behind an in-demand armoured military vehicle dubbed 'The Jackal' is urging ministers to clear away red tape so the business can thrive. Devon-based Supacat says it is 'fighting a bit of a battle' to access finance — despite the popularity of the 7.6-ton bruiser which can tackle the roughest, bumpiest terrain. 5 5 5 The Jackal, which Sun Business Editor Ashley Armstrong took for a spin, can carry 2.1 tons of cargo, such as missile launchers, medical supplies and drone killers. Supacat — which exports worldwide, making around £40million a year — recently won a new contract from the British Army. But it is shunned by some investors, who consider defence firms unethical as they do not have 'B Corp' status. CEO Nick Ames said the defence industry has not been 'top of the popularity tree' for more than a decade. And he said Supacat was unlikely to list in London to raise funds. He added: 'The City has for years said we, 'Don't do that sort of thing'. You'd like to see a lot more activity and liquidity on the AIM (Alternative Investment Market). You're more liquid as a business.' 5 With global politics becoming increasingly fragile, the Government plans to increase military spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP within two years. Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Defence Secretary John Healey have pledged to give more of the Ministry of Defence budget to smaller British companies, such as Supacat. The firm, which employs 250, is known to many because Jeremy Clarkson uses one of its ex-Army six-wheelers to get around his Diddly Squat farm. Phil Applegarth, head of Supacat, said: 'For the first time in our lives defence spending, which has always been cut, is rising. Keir Starmer must hike UK defence spending soon to have any credibility & ditching woke nonsense can help fund it 'To get in on this ride up we need skilled people, enthusiastic people who aren't frightened to go and join defence firms rather than be shoe-horned into B Corp. 'There is a real sense of pride in working on what we do. We're making something that is vital. It's keeping our forces safe.' He added: 'We need to build up capability now to be the deterrent that prevents a potential war.' Mr Applegarth said the defence industry was waiting for the Government to outline its Strategic Defence Review, which is delaying investment. He added: 'There seems to be a desire to wait rather than keep going and then change. 'You're hearing a lot of top-level speeches saying, 'Prepare, prepare' but the best we could have is longer-term contracts. The longer it is, the more we can invest in resources and skills. 'The current spiky ordering doesn't help as we have to keep getting fresh prices from the supply chain — switching the supply chain on and off rather than keeping it warm and running.' BAE TO RECRUIT 2,400 WORKERS DEFENCE giant BAE wants to hire 2,400 apprentices, graduates and undergrads this year as it gears up to meet soaring demand. It has also shrugged off the threat of President Donald Trump's tariffs, insisting it builds systems for the US Department of Defense in its US factories with a domestic supply chain. BAE said yesterday it expected to grow sales by up to 9 per cent and earnings 10 per cent as it wins more contracts for combat aircraft and vehicles, missile systems, artillery, sensor technology and drones. WIND AXE BLOW FOR GREEN ED 5 THE Government's Clean Power push looks increasingly far-fetched after a Danish firm axed a major offshore wind project, blaming higher costs. Orsted said it will not go ahead with its Hornsea project, where 180 wind turbines off the Yorkshire coast were to power millions of homes. It is a blow to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband's desire to quadruple the number of offshore wind farms by 2030. Orsted's chief exec Rasmus Errboe said that the project was unlikely to provide value for money because of 'increased supply chain costs, higher interest rates and increased execution risk'. Andy Mayer, analyst at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: 'It is a reminder of the folly of legally binding climate targets. "The Government's plan to decarbonise the power grid by 2030 denies real trade-offs between lower emissions, energy security and affordability.'
