Manchester United have improved to the extent they are ready to win trophies, according to star playmaker Bruno Fernandes.
The Red Devils finished runners-up in the Premier League last season, recording consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since 2013, but suffered shoot-out heartbreak against Villarreal in the Europa League final.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has strengthened the team ahead of the new season, securing the services of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and agreeing a deal for the transfer of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid.
With upgrades in two areas of need, Fernandes, who scored 18 times and provided 12 assists in the league last term, is excited by the threat United could pose next season.
Obviously I think, as always, we have a…
Roy Hodgson expects Euro 2016 to be one of the closest editions of the tournament so far, with as many as six teams capable of winning the competition.
Hodgson s England won all 10 of their qualifying matches and will be aiming to put past tournament disappointments behind them in France next year.
Defending champions Spain and three-time victors Germany will also be at the finals and Hodgson is reluctant to pick a frontrunner.
I think it s going to be an exciting Euro because I don t know that there is one team which is clear, clear favourite, Hodgson said. But I do think there are as many as five or six teams that, on a good day, could go all the way.
Hodgson has been particularly impressed with Spain s recent form and, ahead of their friendly on Fri…
Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman insists allowances have not been made for Darwin Nunez’s introduction to English football and believes his career could follow the trajectory of Mohamed Salah or Kevin De Bruyne.
The Uruguay international will look to end the week on a high against Manchester City at Anfield after scoring a 99th-minute winner against Nottingham Forest and two important goals in the 5-1 Europa League victory over Sparta Prague.
These last few days have showcased the very best of the 24-year-old but he has faced criticism for missing chances, with his performance against Chelsea at the end of January peaking in that regard after he hit the goal frame four times, once from the penalty spot.
Individual brilliance at its finest!
Darwi…
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane will make a return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face his former club in August.
A friendly game between the German giants and Tottenham will take place as part of the Visit Malta Cup on Saturday, August 10.
The match marks a return to north London for Spurs’ all-time leading goal-scorer, who joined Bayern for £100million last summer.
We will face six-time European champions in the Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday 10th August, 17:30 kick-off.
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— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
Team-mate Eric Dier will also face his former club after the defender left for Bayern in January.
A statement on the Tottenham website read: “This mouth-watering curtain-raiser to t…
Juventus may soon be forced to change the management if Massimiliano Allegri cannot inspire a rapid improvement in their fortunes, according to former Bianconeri midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.
The Italian giants have endured a tough start to the season, winning only two of their first seven games in Serie A and losing their opening two Champions League group-stage matches for the first time.
And Sissoko – a Juventus player between 2007 and 2011 – feels the club may have to dismiss Allegri if they cannot beat Bologna at home on Sunday in their first match after the international break.
There s a big problem there. It s true, the start was very bad, Sissoko told Stats Perform.
We will see what happens after the international break because I think it s go…
Stefano Pioli wants to see Milan enjoy a deep run in the Champions League after the Rossoneri sealed their progress from Group E in emphatic fashion.
A defeat to Salzburg on Wednesday would have seen Milan crash out, but there was never any danger of that at San Siro as Olivier Giroud scored a double and added assists for Rade Krunic and Junior Messias in a 4-0 triumph that sealed second place in the group, behind Chelsea.
Pioli, who signed a contract extension earlier this week, was delighted with his team s performance as they qualified for the knockout stages for the first time since 2013-14, though he wants his players to kick on and reach the later rounds of the competition.
This is only the first step, Pioli told reporters. We must not stop mentally.
…
Serie A leaders Inter Milan head to rock-bottom Empoli on Sunday after their flying start to the season came to an end in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Nerazzurri opened their campaign with four victories from as many league games, scoring 13 goals and conceding just one – in a 5-1 thrashing of champions AC Milan last weekend.
Their first match in the Champions League – the competition in which they finished as runners-up last term – then saw them draw 1-1 at Real Sociedad thanks to a late equaliser from skipper Lautaro Martinez.
The Argentina forward, for whom it was a sixth goal of the season, emphasised the need for improvement.
“We didn’t play well,” Martinez said in quotes on Inter’s official website.
“We started poor…
Gareth Bale has brought an end to an illustrious playing career after announcing his retirement at the age of 33.
The forward hangs up his boots with a record of 226 goals in 664 games from spells with Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Los Angeles FC and on the international stage with Wales.
Initially a left-back, Bale was utilised further forward by Harry Redknapp at Spurs which sparked the start of an incredible transformation of the player – who would go on to make a significant impression at both club and international level.
Here, we ve taken a look back at some of the finest moments from Bale s career.
San Siro statement
On October 20, 2010, Bale gave Tottenham fans memories to last a lifetime with a stunning hat-trick in a Champions L…
´The most difficult club in the world´ – Xavi tells LaLiga leaders Barcelona to ignore Clasico criti
Xavi described Barcelona as the most difficult club in the world after his team came in for criticism even after beating Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Copa del Rey semi-final win by Barcelona on Thursday handed Xavi s side a 1-0 advantage to take into the second leg, with Madrid unable to manage a shot on target.
Now LaLiga leaders Barcelona face Valencia on Sunday, when they will have a chance to, perhaps only briefly, go 10 points clear of second-placed Madrid.
Barcelona had only 35 per cent of possession against Madrid but did enough, with Eder Militao s own goal decisive. It was their lowest share of possession in any game since the 2013-14 season.
I see that there has been a stir, Xavi said. Barca is the most difficult club in the world.…
Asked about club captain Lascelles’ performance against PSG, Howe said: “I’m so pleased for Jamaal. I said countless times last year how good his attitude was, how well he trained, how good he’d been for the group.
“But ultimately he’s desperate to show how good he is on the pitch. The biggest compliment I can pay him is that he’s stepped in and he’s really stepped up to the challenge and I think he’s performed really, really well in the last group of games that we’ve had.
“He had to train so well to continue to develop his game when he wasn’t playing and my inner belief was always that he could improve with the team even though he wasn’t in the starting XI, and his game was in a really good place.
“I think he proved that tonight, so w…