Sticks and Stones: Southgate’s midfield muddle will not be solved by Henderson | Barney Ronay

Having loyalty picks near England’s starting 11 would show validity in criticism of the manager’s single-mindedness

Earlier this week Ajax’s social media feed released some haunting video footage of Jordan Henderson closing down the Utrecht goalkeeper. The clip lasts 16 seconds. It shows Henderson running in an entirely straight line from the centre circle, never slowing or breaking stride, alone in all that green space, gripped with an unrelenting fury.

If you’ve ever wondered what it might look like if someone were to strap an improvised explosive device to Jordan Henderson, primed to detonate if he slows down, stops, or turns left or right, then the answer is, it would probably look like this. Continue reading...

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Wiegman’s Lionesses rekindle lost energy to fire spectacular comeback | Jonathan Liew

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US owners understand profit but do they appreciate clubs’ tradition and values?

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Half of the Premier teams are part- or fully-owned by Americans or US companies. Fans’ suspicions are understandable * Sign up to Jonathan’s weekly newsletter here It’s just over a year since Gary Neville declared US owners of English soccer clubs “a clear and present danger to the pyramid and fabric of the game”. The comment provoked a furore but the former England full-back turned high-profile pundit was unrepentant, insisting that if profit is the priority, there are vital aspects of the roles of soccer clubs that risk being lost. The issue, clearly, is not restricted to US owners. It’s unlikely that anybody who is not a fan who takes over a club is going to be acting primarily in the best interests of the community it represents. But given half the 20 Premier League clubs (and seven of the 24 Championship clubs) are part- or fully-owned by Americans or US companies, and given the prevalence of private equity companies whose sole interest is short-term profit, it’s perhaps
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‘Emotional’ Leah Williamson to make first England start in almost a year

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* Euro 2022-winning captain missed World Cup with ACL injury * Defender brings ‘flexibility in defence’, says Sarina Wiegman Sarina Wiegman has confirmed Leah Williamson will start for England against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday night in their second Euro 2025 qualifying group game. Williamson, the Euro 2022-winning captain, said she would be emotional at the Aviva Stadium when she steps out with England for the first time in almost a year, after she was sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury last April. Continue reading...
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