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Kate Abdo has admitted being "hurt" by the joke Jamie Carragher made on CBS Sports about her relationship with former US boxing pro Malik Scott.

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Carragher joked about Abdo's not being 'loyal' on airAbdo addressed awkward moment the following nightCBS presenter admits she was 'hurt' at timeWHAT HAPPENED?

Fans on social media reacted fervently to the original incident, when Carragher made things awkward with a misjudged on-air jibe at his fellow broadcaster during CBS Sports' coverage of Arsenal vs Porto in the Champions League in March. Abdo put the matter to bed in a broadcast the following night, but has since revealed that it did have an impact on her.

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According to Abdo, "What Jamie said came from nowhere. It was just a quick line, it was meant to be funny, sometimes they hit, sometimes they don't. Speaking to iFLTV, she continued: "That one went a little bit sideways. I felt a little bit hurt but it is what it is. You move on. We talked about it, we're all good, nothing really to talk about."

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In the aftermath of the incident, Abdo's boyfriend Malik Scott – a former boxing pro who now coaches Deontay Wilder – warned Carragher not to overstep the line, saying "her being irritated by it a little bit is what really got to me… If Kate gets upset then it's a really big deal to me and I'll give him a call and if he doesn't pick up my call, then I’ll show up in a physical manner." However, Abdo smoothed things out in her interview with iFLTV, insisting "Malik does not want to fight Jamie".

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ABDO & CARRAGHER?

Carragher's comment may have understandably hurt Abdo, but it appears to be water under the bridge, with the pair still cracking jokes and getting on during CBS' acclaimed Champions League coverage. After watching Madrid squeeze past Manchester City earlier this week, they'll no doubt be looking forward to the Spanish giants' semi-final clash against Bayern Munich on 30 April.

India spun New Zealand out for 192 and Smriti Mandhana helped chase it down with great authority, scoring her fourth ODI century along the way

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2019Smriti Mandhana brought up her fourth ODI century•Getty ImagesMuch of the recent months in Indian women’s cricket has been dominated by squabbles, but come match day, the team produced a sensational performance. They were away from home. They were facing one of the traditionally strong teams in the circuit and none of it mattered. India spun New Zealand out for 192 and Smriti Mandhana helped chase it down with great authority, scoring her fourth ODI century along the way. Her innings, which was typically free-flowing, included nine fours and three sixes and wrapped up the game with nine wickets and 17 overs to spare.The match-changing contributions, though, came from India’s bowlers. Their decision to field seemed to be backfiring with New Zealand’s openers putting on a fifty-run partnership. But in the 14th over, Deepti Sharma ran Sophie Devine out and also took care of her partner Suzie Bates as the score slipped from 61 for 0 to 70 for 3.That opened up the middle order for Poonam Yadav, whose array of slow legbreaks got rid of New Zealand’s No 3, 4, and 5. Lauren Down was stumped for 0, while Amy Satterthwaite (31 off 45) and Amelia Kerr (28 off 60) could not make the most of their starts. New Zealand lurched from 136 for 4 to 148 for 7 and were eventually bowled out for 192.India’s openers then put on a 190-run partnership with Jemimah Rodrigues scoring an unbeaten 81 off 94 balls with nine fours and Mandhana, falling to Kerr, only when victory was one hit away.

India captain becomes the highest run-getter in T20Is as India record their first win in the format in New Zealand

The Report by Shashank Kishore08-Feb-2019It wasn’t quite an edge-of-the-seat thriller, but a stream of India fans – upwards of 12,000 – who made Eden Park seem more like Eden Gardens went home happy as India levelled the T20I series in style, along the way recording their first T20I win in New Zealand.In what was a largely straightforward chase of New Zealand’s 158 for 8, made possible only because of a 77-run stand between Colin de Grandhomme and Ross Taylor, Rohit Sharma became the highest run-getter in T20Is during the course of his 29-ball 50. Then Rishabh Pant demonstrated brute force and a calm head in MS Dhoni’s company as India won by seven wickets with seven balls to spare.What did the Indian bowlers do differently in the second ODI?

Colin de Grandhomme: “It looked like they executed their plans really well and used the wind and the boundaries to their advantage. They bowled into the wind and away from our hitting lines.”

The redemption
That India now have a chance of completing their long summer in the southern hemisphere without a series loss was largely due to fine bowling efforts by Krunal Pandya and Khaleel Ahmed. Their eight overs in Wellington cost a combined 85 in exchange for two late scalps. On Friday in Auckland, the pair did more than just a bit to trigger a reversal; their combined figures reading five wickets for 55 runs in eight overs. This proved to be the difference as New Zealand posted 14 less than the T20I average of 172 at the oddly shaped Eden Park with short straight boundaries.With the new ball, Khaleel extracted zip off the pitch to deny Tim Seifert any room at the start, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar cashed in. Khaleel bowled four successive dot balls to the wicketkeeper-batsman in the second over, leaving him frustrated. And in the third over, Bhuvneshwar had him nick one to MS Dhoni off a wild slog.Then, brought in to bowl the final over, Khaleel varied his lengths and pace to concede just five to deny New Zealand a final flourish.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe other bowling star – the other Pandya – quickly left an imprint on the game with a double-strike in the sixth over. After having the dangerous Colin Munro smash one straight to cover, he had a controversial lbw call go his way when Daryl Mitchell appeared to have got a thin inside edge on to the pad. New Zealand’s problems compounded further when Kane Williamson missed a straight ball to be trapped plumb in front to leave them 50 for 4 after eight overs.De Grandhomme makes a splash
If he was on a mission to dispel notions of being a bad player of spin, de Grandhomme didn’t do too badly. Among the things he did right was reading Yuzvendra Chahal’s googlies and then pummeling him for a sequence of 6,4,6 in the 11th over.The straight hit to clear the short boundary was his best stroke, but the real sign of him being in top gear shone through as he lofted Chahal inside-out to clear deep extra cover.Seeing the batsman ready to tee off, Chahal tried to bowl wide, only to see de Grandhomme hold his shape and time one off the middle of the bat. Krunal wasn’t spared either; his figures of 3 for 28 could have been much better if not for the back-to-back sixes carted by de Grandhomme in the 12th over. He eventually fell after getting to a 27-ball 50, but gave Taylor a platform to set himself up for the final surge.The master and the apprentice finish the job
Supposedly auditioning for a World Cup middle-order berth by batting in the top order in T20Is, Pant didn’t do his credentials any harm. Of course it’s a far easier proposition having to walk in after the openers have made 79 in 9.2 overs. Pant’s timing wasn’t sublime and there were two mishits that could have gone to hand another day. But the ferocity of his shot-making wasn’t to be missed.Then, with Vijay Shankar gone and MS Dhoni walking in to a run-a-ball situation with a little over six overs to play, Pant traded big swipes for deft touches to milk runs and see India home.

Antony has been savagely mocked by Neal Maupay after his embarrassing celebrations following Manchester United's FA Cup win over Coventry.

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Man Utd toiled to beat CoventryAntony goaded the Championship sideMaupay hit out at the Brazilian for his anticsWHAT HAPPENED?

Coventry staged a remarkable comeback in the FA Cup semifinals as they came back from 3-0 down to force extra-time against United, leaving Erik ten Hag's side clinging to victory by the narrowest of margins following a dramatic penalty shoot-out. After Rasmus Hojlund converted the decisive penalty, Antony was seen cupping his ears towards the Coventry players – and the Brazilian's actions have been widely condemned.

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Maupay, known for his provocative on-field behaviour, has earned a reputation for being a Premier League “sh*thouse” who usually thrives on riling up opposition players. The Brentford star, currently on loan from Everton, is infamous for imitating James Maddison's darts celebration and also got into a heated altercation with Manchester City's Kyle Walker after he allegedly commented on the defender's personal life. But even Maupay was stunned after watching Antony's antics and said on X: "Just for the record, not even I would do this 😭."

WHAT THE CLIPDID YOU KNOW?

Not only Maupay but several other pundits also hit out at Antony for his excessive celebrations after beating a Championship side on penalties. Former Coventry striker Clinton Morrison on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “He needs to worry about his own job instead of Coventry because some of his performances this season show he could be playing in the Championship.”

Whereas, Gabriel Agbonlahor, wrote on X: "Antony cups his ears as he celebrates in front of Coventry players? Is this guy the most shameless flop ever to grace our beautiful league? Shame on you Antony, you wouldn't even start for Coventry you prat."

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be handed a two-match suspension for elbowing an Al-Hilal player in Saudi Super Cup defeat.

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Ronaldo to be banned for two gamesElbowed Al-Hilal player in Saudi Super Cup semi-finalWill miss two important Saudi Pro League clashesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the Portuguese will be handed a two-match suspension for his violent conduct on the pitch during Al-Nassr's Saudi Super Cup semi-final against Al Hilal. During the clash, the 39-year-old threw his elbow at Ali Ali-Bulaihi which led to him being sent off.

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The Disciplinary and Ethics Committee of the Saudi Football Federation sat with Ronaldo to interrogate him about the incident where the star footballer reportedly justified his action by claiming that he should not have been sent off in the first place. After the meeting, the committee has now decided to hand the player a two-game suspension which will see Ronaldo miss Al-Nassr's crucial Saudi Pro League clashes against Al-Feiha on Friday and Al-Khaleej on April 27.

DID YOU KNOW?

Al-Nassr have failed to live up to expectations in the current season as they have crashed out of the AFC Champions League, Saudi Super Cup and are presently trailing league leaders Al-Hilal by 12 points.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star could be back in action for his club in the King Cup of Champions semi-final as they face Al-Khaleef on May 1.

The 20-year old is coming to terms with a year in which he compiled a monumental double ton, stood out of the game with mental health issues, made a return with a new outlook

Daniel Brettig09-Jan-2019Had Will Pucovski simply played out the remainder of the Sheffield Shield season with Victoria, 2018-19 would have already been an exceptionally momentous summer for him, given its rich mixture of experiences good and bad, great and small.As it stands, however, he is coming to terms with a year in which he compiled a monumental double century against Western Australia, stood out of the game for six weeks with mental health struggles, made a return to the fold with a refreshed outlook and coping strategies, and has now been rushed into the Australian Test squad to face Sri Lanka.If this seems a lot to digest, then Pucovski is taking solace from the fact that in those weeks between the 243 at the WACA Ground in October and his return to make scores of 1 and 67 also against Western Australia at the MCG in December, he learned an enormous amount about himself, his mental state and the tools he needed to manage himself and his cricket in the best ways possible. At the age of 20, Pucovski has been considered a talent of note for some time; he is hopeful the rapidity of his entry into Test calculations has coincided with critical life lessons.ALSO READ: How do Australia fix their batting before the Ashes?”I’m feeling really good, as good as I have felt in a really long time,” Pucovski said in Melbourne. “I’ve met some people along the way who have helped me turn things around. There is probably no better time to get exciting news like I have in the last 24 hours. It’s not every day you get called up to represent your country, so it’s been a very exciting couple of days.”Quite a bit sooner [than expected] to be honest. It’s every kid’s dream and to think in two weeks’ time there’s a chance I could be playing for your country is just amazing. You can’t even use words to describe it. It is one of those things … even the joy on your family and friends’ faces when you’ve told them or they’ve got the news, it makes you proud to make a lot of other people proud as well.”A lot of the messages I’ve received today is you’ve got there for a reason, so just try to play your way and embrace that as much as you can. My challenge if I do get picked is to do that, and just try to bat the way I bat, prepare the way I prepare. If things work out, that’s great, but for a 20-year old, it’s just super exciting either way.”A history of concussions had been one complicating factor for Pucovski on his journey through junior ranks into the Victoria side, but it was the spectre of mental health problems that overcame him even as he was embarking upon the innings in October that put his name clearly in the sights of a national selection panel so transparently desperate to find the next great talent as opposed to merely good ones. At first, he confided in Victoria coaches Lachlan Stevens and Andrew McDonald, before linking up with Emma Murray, the mindfulness coach so valuable to the 2017 premiership success of Richmond in the AFL.”They’ve been amazing throughout the whole process,” Pucovski said of the batting coach Stevens and head coach McDonald. “I actually told them what had been going on in Perth, and they’ve been super supportive along the whole pathway back to cricket and then playing that Shield game. As a young man, you can’t really ask for much more than two coaches who are super supportive of you. They basically said ‘mate just sort all that stuff out and your cricket will take care of itself’.”I met a lady called Emma Murray who has worked quite a bit with Richmond, and had a bit of attention with how they have turned things around. She has been a mentor in that space. I have added things like I am meditating every morning, which I honestly never really believed in until she got me on to it and things like that have helped me turn things around. I speak to her regularly and am seeing another woman who helps me with a few different things. Having that team together makes me feel really supported and in a good space to deal with that kind of stuff.”Much of Murray’s work revolves around keeping athletes in the moment, and teaching them ways to return to a state of focus and concentration as quickly as possible following distractions. For Pucovski, these were valuable lessons for someone who had already shown an innate ability to score centuries – exactly what Trevor Hohns’ panel have been crying out for this summer, as they watched the Australian Test team fail to make a single score higher than 79 across four Tests against India.ALSO READ: Will Pucovski is on the cusp of great thingsBy the time Pucovski returned in December, he was far better equipped to manage his own expectations and thoughts, at the same time as he returned to familiar and comfortable surroundings with Victoria. “I think it was just that knowledge that I had enough strategies in place that whatever came across from a cricketing perspective in those four days, that I’d be able to deal with it,” Pucovski said.”That well and truly proved to me that I’m able to do that in a four-day period, and then as I said, dealing with a few things outside of cricket has really helped, and Emma has really helped me with that stuff. It’s been a really positive experience over the last couple of months.”I’ve just always tried to bat for as long as I can. If that comes off sometimes, then that’s great and if it doesn’t, that’s part of the game. Probably just trying to take a more relaxed outlook on it has helped me especially in the last couple of years. I try and follow my process as closely as I can and hopefully the results take care of themselves. It’s one of those sports where, as an individual, you are going to fail quite a bit. Getting better at dealing with that has probably helped me quite a bit.”Given the level of scrutiny placed on the Australian Test team in the season after the Newlands scandal, it is natural to wonder how Pucovski may cope with a spotlight that will be squarely on him over the next two weeks, whether turning out for a Cricket Australia XI against the Sri Lankans in a Hobart day-night tour game, or assembling with Tim Paine’s team in Brisbane for their final series prior to the most prestigious of all – an Ashes tour of England later this year. Asked whether there is any danger of a Test call-up clouding the work he has steadily done with Murray and others, Pucovski was optimistic.”It comes to mind but I don’t think so,” he said. “I feel like I am in a really good space, and the people I am working with think so too. It’s one of those things where it is a day-by-day proposition for me that I have to manage. I think it is a good thing to invest time in. I feel like I have done quite a bit of work over the past few months and was able to play that Shield game and loved every minute of it. I feel like I am back in action.”One of the favourite sayings of the selector Greg Chappell is that “talent is a bit like fruit – if you don’t pick it when it’s ripe, it goes rotten”. Both Australia’s selectors and Pucovski are earnestly hoping that the moment of his picking for Test match duty is not a moment too soon.

Mason Greenwood continues to thrive for Marseille in France, leading to growing speculation over whether a return to the Premier League could be possible for the former Manchester United outcast. Links with a move to La Liga have also gathered pace, while tentative links with both Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have led to questions after the highly controversial circumstances which led to his exile from Old Trafford in 2022.

Greenwood's chances of Premier League return revealed

Reports by TEAMtalk state that sources reveal a Premier League return for Greenwood is still believed to be 'off limits', despite his strong goalscoring record with French giants Marseille.

Greenwood is still just 24 years-old and netted 21 Ligue 1 goals in his debut campaign in the competition, following that on with another 13 in all competitions this term, 10 in the league to lead the division’s top scorer charts at present.

Marseille are currently third in Ligue 1, four points behind PSG and five behind leaders Lens, while Roberto De Zerbi’s men have won successive Champions League games to reach nine points in the competition and rise comfortably into the play-off places.

Greenwood’s form has led to ‘hope’ that he can ‘step up to a bigger stage’, with La Liga giants Barcelona and Atletico Madrid reported to hold an interest in the former Carrington academy graduate. However, reports of a return to the Premier League are not believed to be viable for the forward.

AdvertisementGettyLa Liga or Saudi moves a possibility for Greenwood

TEAMtalk’s report continues that major stumbling blocks between Greenwood and a return to England include ‘his controversial history from his time at Manchester United and any backlash to his signing’.

Following serious accusations made towards Greenwood back in January 2022 and his subsequent arrest, fans almost unanimously rejected the prospect of the young forward returning to the Red Devils set-up when the charges were ultimately dropped the following year.

The situation is unlikely to change less than three years on – or at any stage in his career – and reports continue that sources close to both Tottenham and West Ham confirm that it is unlikely either club step up a pursuit for Greenwood at this stage. Though some, such as manager De Zerbi, have come to the defence of Greenwood's character.

The report continues that Greenwood is likely to ‘put himself in the shop window’, though, and a return to La Liga is possible. The Marseille forward hit double figures on loan at Spanish top-flight outfit Getafe in 2023/24, following a near 18-month break from competitive football.

Reports have also suggested that a bid of €100million (£87m/$116m) has been tabled for Greenwood from the Saudi Pro League, with United set to pocket 50% of Marseille’s profits on their former wonderkid.

'He helps me improve' – Greenwood praises De Zerbi in rare interview

Greenwood recently spoke to Téléfoot about the positive impacts which De Zerbi has had on him in his time at Marseille thus far, in what was reportedly his first interview since departing United.

“I’m in a really good place thanks to the coach and my teammates,” said Greenwood

“I feel good and I hope to improve, to win more awards this season. Roberto De Zerbi? He’s the brains of the team, the architect of our game. He helps me understand football much better, he helps me improve every day.

“We’ve signed quite a few players, very, very strong players,” he added. “We’ve improved in certain areas. I feel like we’re a bit more of a team this season; we’re all on the same wavelength, you can see it. We’re [third] and I hope we can keep fighting to be number one.”

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Getty ImagesWhat next for Greenwood?

If his strong form in France continues, it is an increasing possibility that we could see Greenwood at the centre of a major transfer story in 2026. It is highly unlikely that will involve a Premier League club, though, as it appears that his bridges in England have been burnt for the foreseeable future.

The 24-year-old has evidently been accepted in Europe, however, and may yet forge a successful career for himself outside of his country of birth. He might also return to the international stage, after successfully switching his allegiance to Jamaica earlier this year.

Lack of support from Cricket Victoria leaves Cricket Australia lacking the united front it has been desperately striving for since David Peever’s exit

Daniel Brettig28-Nov-2018Earl Eddings, the Cricket Australia chairman, has begun his permanent tenure the same way his predecessor David Peever ended his – without unanimous support from the six state associations that own the governing body.Cricket New South Wales and its chairman John Knox, who advised Peever that his position was untenable following the release of the independent cultural review into CA earlier this month, advised Eddings of their support for his position on Tuesday. However, his own state of Victoria declined to support a process by which the chairman moved from interim to permanent while two vacancies remained on the Board.These roles, left by Peever and the long-serving Mark Taylor, are to be filled through a nominations committee process that would feature the involvement of NSW but has yet to begin. Cricket Australia’s Board ultimately determined that it needed to move ahead with Eddings’ appointment through until the end of 2019 for reasons of stability, and also to allow the chairman to fulfill his substantial ICC duties – the next meeting of the global body’s executive board is set to take place in February.Nevertheless, the lack of support from Cricket Victoria, which has a new chairman in Paul Barker, following the retirement of Russell Thomas earlier this year, and two other recently appointed directors in David Hussey and Phil Hyde, leaves CA lacking the united front it has been desperately striving for since Peever’s exit.Extensive consultation with the states around the chairman’s status has been accompanied by an overdue peace summit with the Australian Cricketers Association, and the new chief executive Kevin Roberts’ removal of two polarising senior executives in Pat Howard and Ben Amarfio.”Cricket Victoria has made its view clear and our preference remains that the interim Chairman arrangements were maintained while Australian cricket undertakes a thorough process to fill the recent Board vacancies,” Barker said. “We have actively encouraged Cricket Australia to pursue this opportunity through an established nominations committee – a process that Cricket Victoria firmly believes would deliver the best outcome for Australian cricket.”The Board director Jacquie Hey, who accompanied Peever at his public announcement of the cultural review’s findings, said CA was trying to now establish a measure of continuity. “There’s no question this year has been a challenging one for cricket and for Cricket Australia,” she said. “Our aim is to ensure management are empowered to rebuild trust and strengthen the game.”Earl’s involvement over the past decade provides continuity in a time of change and enables the Board to maintain strong relations with the ICC, other member countries and our valued partners. Earl is a well-regarded member of the team with a solid understanding of our history and the need for better working relationships across the cricket community.”A CA director since 2008, Eddings had accompanied Peever to this year’s ICC annual conference in Ireland before being formally appointed deputy chairman at the AGM a few days before the review was released. “Cricket is only what it is in Australia because of the commitment of our people, the fans and the thousands of volunteers around the country,” he said. “I am honoured to serve in this position and am committed to making cricket stronger and a game that we can all be proud of.”It’s important that, along with our owners, the State and Territory Associations, the players and the Australian Cricketers’ Association, that we work harder than ever before to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds across the country and continue to strengthen cricket’s privileged position as Australia’s favourite summer pastime, whether you are a spectator, player or volunteer.”

Kalvin Phillips' nightmare loan spell at West Ham continued as his foul sparked a remarkable Newcastle comeback at St. James' Park.

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Phillips comes on at 3-1 upConcedes penalty after seven minutesHarvey Barnes equalises moments laterWHAT HAPPENED?

Phillips was substituted on in the 69th minute and then just seven minutes later conceded a penalty for a foul on Anthony Gordon. Gordon was too quick for Phillips and nipped in to poke the ball away from the West Ham player whose missed clearance took the winger out. Alexander Isak, taking his second penalty of the game, converted another the spot-kick to take his side within one goal of the Hammers. To make matters worse for Phillips and the Hammers, Harvey Barnes scored a brace to win the game for the Magpies in the dying embers.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Bemused by Phillips' misfortune, fans flocked to X to share their opinion on the midfielder. @UtdEra_ said: "Kalvin Phillips to West Ham could go down as the worst loan of all time. He’s shocking."

West Ham fan @alanrzepa could not believe it. He said: "Kalvin Phillips can’t play for us ever again."

@HughMurray1894 added: "I actually feel bad for Kalvin Phillips at this point."

@thomasjrennie believes there are higher powers at stake. He said: "Never, ever bring on Kalvin Phillips. He’s cursed."

Jamie Kent drew comparisons to another awful loan signing. He said: "Kalvin Phillips is having genuinely one of the worse loan spells I’ve seen since Denis Suarez at Arsenal."

West Ham's luck with loan signings has been hit and miss in the past. @JackElderton tweeted: "I don't want to see Phillips again. He has cost us so many points since joining. Roberto the only other player to have such a bad run at West Ham in my lifetime."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Things have gone from bad to worse for Phillips, who has been dropped from the England squad since his loan move to West Ham. While he can feel unlucky to have conceded the penalty given he was unaware of Gordon behind him as he went to clear the ball, he could have reacted faster and could have no complaints when the spot-kick was given. Phillips' debut came in the 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal and in his second game he was sent off against Bournemouth for a challenge labelled 'stupid' by former referee Mike Dean. A series of calamitous and costly mistakes for the Hammers will have done little to impress England boss Gareth Southgate.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PHILLIPS?

Time is running out for Phillips for demonstrate he is still good enough to play for England at the European Championship in the summer. Yet, at the moment, every time he does play his chances seem to diminish. Since his nightmare move to Manchester City, the former Leeds captain's career has been derailed and it remains to be seen if he will have any suitors come the summer.

Manchester United supporters have been left fuming after seeing their Premier League clash with Brentford scheduled for 8pm on Easter Saturday.

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Man Utd host Brentford on Saturday nightFans annoyed by kick-off time Train problems due to Easter shutdown WHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United have seen their Premier League clash with Brentford on Saturday moved to a late kick-off. The two teams will meet at the Gtech Community Stadium at 8pm local time on Easter Saturday. This is the fourth time this season that Manchester United fans have seen their team play away from home at 8pm on Saturday, more than any other team in the English top flight.

AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION

The problem for visiting supporters is that train services between London and Manchester are facing disruption over the Easter weekend. The last train from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on Saturday leaves two minutes before United's 8pm kick-off. Engineering work means there will be no services between the two cities on Easter Sunday. All of this means that Manchester-based fans who want to watch the game face having to spend the weekend in London, unless they fancy a 410-mile round trip by car.

WHAT MAN UTD FANS HAVE SAID

A spokesperson for the Manchester United Supporters' Trust told : "For the fourth time this season, United are away from home at 8pm on a Saturday which just goes to show the blatant disregard the TV companies and football authorities have for match-going fans. During Covid they said that football without fans is nothing – it’s time for the football authorities to show they meant it."

Chas Banks, secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association, also hit out at the scheduling and called for change. He said: “I don’t travel to away games anymore. After years watching United home and away, it all became too much as the years passed – I’m in my 70s now and a disabled wheelchair user – and the football authorities clearly didn’t give a flying one about the problems it causes to fans when they schedule kick-offs at crazy times.

“They sit safe in the knowledge that whatever bonkers changes they made to the fixture list, the United away supporters would find a way to get there somehow. The scheduled kick-off changes seem even crazier if, like me, it takes three hours to get from your bed to actually leaving the house to begin your journey. As time has passed it really did start to feel like they were doing their absolute damnedest to stop me and other disabled United fans from watching my club playing away from home.”

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD

United fans will head to London fresh from a thrilling 4-3 win over rivals Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup last time out. Manager Erik ten Hag said afterwards he hoped the victory could be a "turning point" for his team after what's been a difficult campaign for the Red Devils.