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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Niall McVeigh, Tom Davies, Barry Glendenning, Will Magee and David Tindall

Wright, Shearer and others snub Match of the Day after Lineker dropped – as it happened

EPL the Premier League Manchester United Real Betis
Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright film an episode of Match of the Day.
Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright film an episode of Match of the Day. Photograph: Pete Dadds/BBC

Time to close this blog – thanks for reading. I’ll leave you with Jim Waterson’s full report on Friday’s developments.

More reaction and analysis to the BBC’s bombshell decision:

Here’s Barney Ronay on Friday evening’s developments:

The fact is everybody loses, everything is diminished, when it is in the gift of the government of the day to decide who gets to say what on issues of basic human kindness. What we have here is the de facto state censorship of a man who says things like “and now to Goodison” in between footage of people playing football, for the crime of having freelance opinions on social media.

Jermaine Jenas adds his voice to boycott

The field of BBC sport presenters who might step into Lineker’s seat is growing ever thinner. Jermaine Jenas has said that, like Micah Richards, he was not on duty for Saturday’s programme, but that if he was, he would not have taken part in light of the host’s suspension.

Steve Wilson, a prominent BBC commentator who regularly features on Match of the Day, has not held back with his view on the decision. It begs the question: could the growing boycott spread from pundits and presenters to commentators?

Broadcast union: 'this is a deeply concerning decision'

Thanks, Tom. More reaction now from Philippa Childs, the head of Bectu, the broadcast union which represents thousands of BBC staff:

“This is a deeply concerning decision from the BBC. It will give the appearance that they have bowed to political pressure from ministers to take someone off air for disagreeing with the policies of the current government.

“Taken with the ongoing controversy over the appointment of the BBC Chairman, who has a much more important role in upholding the reputation of the BBC, and who has not stepped back while under investigation, it also risks given the impression of double standards on these issues.”

OK, I’m off for a comfort break and will hand you over to Niall McVeigh to see this through. For this evening anyway. This story isn’t going away …

Micah Richards backs the MOTD refuseniks

The regular pundit and former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender has also pledged his support for Wright, Shearer, Scott and Co:

Some unlikely alliances are emerging: Wright gets backing from an unexpected source …

Mark Chapman reportedly also not appearing on MOTD

Another one bites the dust, according to the Mail’s chief sports reporter:

Broadcasting union Bectu has also criticised the BBC’s decision, PA Media reports:

Philippa Childs, head of entertainment trade union Bectu, said: “This is a deeply concerning decision from the BBC.

“It will give the appearance that they have bowed to political pressure from ministers to take someone off air for disagreeing with the policies of the current government.

“Taken with the ongoing controversy over the appointment of the BBC chairman, who has a much more important role in upholding the reputation of the BBC, and who has not stepped back while under investigation, it also risks giving the impression of double standards on these issues.”

William Hague thinks otherwise, the former Tory leader telling Times Radio: “He broke the guidelines I think of the BBC with comments that are highly politicised, which BBC presenters are not meant to do. So that’s against the rules and we’ve got to do something about that, otherwise every presenter can do so on every programme. I think it is appropriate for him to step back.”

Updated

It’s notable how critical Sky Sports News is being of the BBC’s decision. In some respects, it’s to be expected that a rival broadcaster might want to ram home another’s discomfort but SSN’s Kaveh Solhekol has been pretty uncompromising in pointing out apparent double-standards, pointing out that other BBC presenters past and present – such as Andrew Neil – have displayed their political views while working for the corporation, and that the current BBC management has been riddled with people with Conservative connections (Tim Davie, Richard Sharp, Robbie Gibb).

Let’s not rule out the reverse-ferret:

Alex Scott will also not appear on MOTD tomorrow

Another BBC football presenter, Alex Scott, has also made her feelings pretty clear:

Updated

Time to reup today’s Football Daily newsletter:

It’s worth noting that sports presenters are not and never have been subject to the same BBC impartiality guidelines as the corporation’s proper Big Boy journalists. : heavyweights such as the Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce. She has been criticised by a Labour MP after last night appearing to trivialise the appalling behaviour of Boris Johnson’s father, the alleged wife-beater Stanley, on the grounds that he had only put his ex-wife in hospital with a broken nose once.

And if you’re not yet a subscriber, you can become one here.

And now, some comment on the actual issue at hand:

So much of the contemporary Match of the Day format relies on punditry – its contract with the Premier League limits the amount of highlights it can show of each game, which means plenty of time for chat – that one wonders who exactly will be filling that airtime tomorrow, and how.

Updated

Shearer will also snub MOTD tomorrow

Is it becoming an exodus?

The BBC is already facing a staff strike next week – looks like they’ve got a quasi-wildcat walkout on their hands before that

Updated

More politico reaction, from opposing ends of the spectrum: Nadine Dorries has said she welcomes the decision for Gary Lineker to step back from Match Of The Day, saying it shows the BBC is “serious about impartiality”.

“News that @GaryLineker has been stood down for investigation is welcome and shows @BBC are serious about impartiality,” she tweeted.

“Gary is entitled to his views - free speech is paramount. Lots of non Public Service Broadcasters can accommodate him and his views and he would be better paid.”

While former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn praised Gary Lineker and his fellow Gooner Ian Wright on Twitter.

The Islington North MP wrote: “Well done @GaryLineker for standing up for refugees. Well done @IanWright0 for showing the meaning of solidarity. Now, let’s mobilise against a politics of cruelty, and defeat this inhumane, illegal & immoral legislation.”

All of this isn’t, of course, the first time Gary Lineker’s opinions have attracted attention, as Ben Quinn documents:

And some feedback:

The BBC’s decision-making process and communications are going to be subject to considerable scrutiny, not to say mockery too …

Nicola Sturgeon has spoken out against the decision too:

More on Lineker’s freelance status, as discussed by former BBC executive Richard Sambrook:

Former BBC executive Richard Sambrook told the PA news agency there is “a lot of confusion” around whether freelance broadcasters such as Gary Lineker who do not work in news should be subject to the same rules as permanent staff.

Mr Sambrook, who was director of news at the BBC and director of BBC Global News and the BBC World Service, was asked about the Match Of The Day presenter comparing the language used to launch a new Government asylum policy with 1930s Germany and him subsequently “stepping back” from the BBC show.

He replied: “I think the language he used was unnecessarily provocative but the wider question here is whether a sports presenter in his private life has to be bound by BBC policies.

“Traditionally, the BBC would always want that to be the case but I think in the current day and age when we live in a world full of social media, when journalism broadcasters have the ability to go and work for other people or do their own podcasts and all the rest of it, that’s a bit of an unrealistic expectation.

“So I think unless the BBC recalibrates its relationship with freelancers, then this is just going to happen again and again.”

Mr Sambrook also said: “I think there’s quite a lot of confusion about the extent to which the impartiality guidelines extend outside of news and extend to freelancers rather than staff, and until that’s cleared up we’re going to go on having these kinds of (problems).”

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has said he will “stand back” from watching Match of the Day, in solidarity with Gary Lineker: “I will be stepping back from watching the programme until the @BBC grows a backbone. Still, I’m sure we can count on the Free Speech Union to stand up against this hysterical act of cancellation…”

Another point of contention is that Lineker is a freelance broadcaster for the BBC, not a permanent member of staff – he fronts football coverage on other channels. As such, and as a person working in sport, he is not responsible for news or political content so it is argued he does not have to adhere to the same rules on impartiality.

Labour criticises 'cowardly decision' to stand Lineker down

The Labour party has condemned the BBC’s decision, PA Media reports. A party source said: “The BBC’s cowardly decision to take Gary Lineker off air is an assault on free speech in the face of political pressure.

“Tory politicians lobbying to get people sacked for disagreeing with Government policies should be laughed at, not pandered to. The BBC should rethink their decision.”

But the Conservative MP and former culture secretary John Whittingdale has said the decision was “inevitable”. “The problem is that Gary Lineker has made it clear that he wants to go on tweeting his views. And he’s of course entitled to hold his views, but the problem is that he is also a very highly – indeed the highest paid – person working for the BBC and is closely associated with the BBC.

“And I’m afraid those two things are not compatible.”

Ian Wright’s decision not to appear on tomorrow’s Match of the Day either is going to put tomorrow’s episode under the microscope. Who will present? Will others follow Wright’s lead?

The former BBC Newsnight host Emily Maitlis has suggested as much, saying her former employer could face a “much, much bigger battle” after its Gary Lineker decision.

“I’m not sure when they suggested to Gary Lineker he step back from (Match Of The Day) the BBC realised it might be starting a much much bigger battle,” she tweeted. “Ian Wright refusing to present on Saturday. In the name of solidarity.”

A few more nuggets of reaction – in a week of reactionary nuggets – as reported by PA Media:

… support has come from media figures including Piers Morgan and Sky News commentator Adam Boulton.

After the announcement, ex-Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas said: “I wonder what the end result would have been had @GaryLineker Tweeted his whole hearted support for the Government’s immigration policy & had used the same inflammatory words like ‘invasion’ that were deployed by @SuellaBraverman?

“This (100 emoji) would not have been the end result.”

Jon Sopel drew a comparison with the corporation’s chairman Richard Sharp, who has been involved in a cronyism row over him helping Boris Johnson secure an £800,000 loan facility.

The former BBC correspondent tweeted: “Lucky there are no producer guidelines on whether you need to declare facilitating an £800k loan to a prime minister while applying for a job as chairman of a broadcasting organisation…”

It would appear that Lineker has been told to step back by the BBC, rather than having agreed to do so:

And here’s our initial report of Lineker’s non-appearance on MOTD. More as we get it:

Ian Wright says he will snub Match of the Day

This one’s only going to escalate. Ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright has voiced his support for Lineker.

He says he has told the BBC he will not be appearing on Match of the Day tomorrow.

Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling has replied to the message of “solidarity”, tweeting: “Well played Wrighty.”

Updated

Welcome back to our continued coverage. We’ll have news updates and further reaction to the news that Gary Lineker will not present Match of the Day on Saturday.

LA Liga: Barcelona charged with corruption!

Breaking! We leave you with the news that the La Liga leaders have been formally charged with corruption for making payments to former Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s referees’ committee.

Irt was revealed last month that Barcelona paid Negreira and a company he owns a reported total of £7.4m between 2001 and 2018, with the club claiming the payments were paid to Negrira for his role as “an external technical consultant”.

Today Barcelona, two if its former presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell and Negreira had been indicted for “corruption”, “breach of trust” and “false business records”.

Hell in a Handcart Dept: Earlier this afternoon, the Guardian exclusively revealed that the BBC has decided not to broadcast an episode of David Attenborough’s flagship new series on British wildlife because of fears its themes of the destruction of nature would risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the rightwing press, the Guardian has been told.

Now it has emerged that Gary Lineker will be stepping back from presenting Match of the Day until an agreement has been reached with his completely politically impartial overlords on his use of social media. Honestly …

Bournemouth: Midfielder Jefferson Lerma has been rated no better than “touch and go” for his side’s match against Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium tomorrow and Gary O’Neil has been explaining how injuries are hampering his side’s efforts to stay in the Premier League. Bournemouth sit bottom of the table and are hoping to bounce back from last week’s heartbreaking defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

“We haven’t had as many options as we would have liked tactically because of the injury situation,” said O’Neil. “But also the calibre of team we’re playing at the moment dictates tactically a little as well. Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool as a three-game run is not the easiest you can have so there are a few things tactically.

“Getting players back fit is huge. I’ve said it a lot this season so we need to get them back as quickly as we can. We’ve got Liverpool and Aston Villa and then an international break which will hopefully help us as well and hopefully we will come out of that in a much stronger place numbers-wise.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers: It is a year to the day since a Wolves striker scored a Premier League goal, the last one coming when Raul Jimenez found the net after 13 minutes of a 4-0 win over Watford. Julen Lopetegui isn’t unduly concerned.

“I am worried about the team, not only about the forwards because the want to score is about all the team,” said the Spaniard to the media. “I’ve spoken about this a lot of time. I think we are happy with the forwards and they are working really hard. Sometimes they offer a different solution to the team. Of course, it is a good thing for the forwards to score and I am sure they are going to score. I don’t know when, as soon as possible would be good for them, and good for us.”

They’ll get their next opportunity on Sunday afternoon when they face Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

Chelsea: “In the two games we’ve had different back threes,” says Graham Potter of Chelsea’s back-to-back wins against Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund. “Benoit [Badiashile] played against Leeds and Marc [Cucurella] came in against Dortmund. We’ve played that at times this season. Thiago getting injured against Tottenham meant that we had to adjust things, so at the moment it’s suiting us quite well and it’s working.

“Defensively, and as much as everyone is focusing on the other end as we haven’t scored as many goals, but defensively, we’re up there as one of the best teams in the Premier League. So, that is something to be positive about but clearly we need to get the other bit right as well because You need to be balanced and do both sides of the game well. The attacking bit is more difficult than the defending side of things as well but consistency always helps.”

Crystal Palace: With speculation surrounding his future percolating away in the background, Patrick Vieira has spoken to the press ahead of Crystal Palace’s match against Manchester City at Selhurst Park tomorrow. Vieira’s team has yet to win a game this year and are being sucked inexorably down the table.

““If I’m sitting in front of you and telling you that I’m not concerned it would be a lie,” said the Frenchman. “Of course we are concerned and of course we are aware of our position on the table. It’s important for us to remain calm to keep working and keep improving.

“We have a tough week ahead of us. It will be important to do our best and to try to get points. If we want points we have to play well. We have to keep doing the right things and at the same time it’s important for us to understand what part of the game we need to improve to allow ourselves to win those games.”

It has not escaped Patrick Vieira’s attention that Crystal Palace are sliding down the Premier League table.
It has not escaped Patrick Vieira’s attention that Crystal Palace are sliding down the Premier League table. Photograph: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Aston Villa travel to West Ham on Sunday and Unai Emery is pleased with his team’s progress under his stewardship since he took over just before the World Cup. “I think we are in the process,” he said. “Sometimes we are winning more than losing, but of course I am very demanding and I am demanding the players to improve and try to be competitive. Overall, I think we are in the right way and Sunday is again a new challenge. After that match I don’t know exactly how I can feel but hopefully we can follow the same way we are doing and being like a competitive team.”

Pep Guardiola on Kyle Walker: "It's a private issue"

Today marked the first occasion journalists had to ask Pep Guardiola about the latest non-sporting headlines generated by Kyle Walker, who is facing an investigation by Chesshire police after CCTV footage appeared to show the Manchester City defender “exposing himself in a Manchester bar” while out socialising last Sunday.

“It is a private issue,” said Guardiola. “We will solve it internally, speaking with him. Of course this [a press conference] is not the place to talk about private situations.”

Southampton: Joint bottom of the table, level on points with Bournemouth who are beneath them on goal difference, Southam pton face a tricky assignment away at Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

““I think they will try and keep the momentum [after beating Real Betis last night],” said Saints manager Ruben Selles. “I think they had a difficult moment at Anfield. I think it’s difficult to manage those type of moments and I think Erik Ten Hag did a really good job there. I expect them to make some rotation in the line-up because it’s not easy to play every three days. But we can see he made the right decision to stick with his players.”

And on his own side: “We are just preparing every game like we want to win the match, so it’s not going to be any different than the last games,” he said. “It’s not something we consider is important. We are going to prepare for the game like we do every single week.” It really is incendiary chat.

Conte on Richarlison's midweek outburst

Following Tottenham’s inauspicious exit from the Champions League on Tuesday, Richarlison spoke to the Brazilian TV station TNT Sports and appeared to aim both barrels at Antonio Conte for not giving him more playing time this season.

A £60m summer signing from Everton, Richarlison has started just seven Premier League matches during his first injury-interrupted season at the club and was brought on as a 70th minute substitute against Milan.

“I was playing well, we won against Chelsea and West Ham and suddenly I was on the bench,” said Richarlison. “I played five minutes against Wolves, asked the reason and no-one told me why. Yesterday, they asked me to take a fitness test in the gym and told me I was going to start today if I passed it.

“And today I was on the bench. There are things I can’t understand. There was no explanation again, let’s see what he [Conte] will tell us tomorrow - but I’m not silly, I’m a professional who works hard every day and I want to play.”

While there seems little doubt Richarlison was having a possibly ill-advised pop at his manager, Antonio Conte claims not to have interpreted the comments that way.

“First of all I watched the interview of Richarlison and he didn’t criticise me. He said my season is a ‘shit’ and he is right because his season is no good because he had a lot of injury,” he said. “He started well with us, he then had injury and went to World Cup and had another injury, serious, he come back and stayed one month out.

“He score zero goals with us [in the Premier League], only two goals in the Champions League and the guy was really honest to say his season was not good.”

Yes, Antonio, but what about his lack of game time. “Then you ask me for the rest of the interview? I think the guy understood he made mistake because when you speak with ‘I’, ‘I’ and ‘I’, not ‘us’. It means you are thinking only about yourself and you are selfish.

“I repeat to my players, if we want to build something important, fight for something important, fight to be competitive and win a trophy, we have to speak with ‘we’. If we speak I, I and I, we are only thinking about himself. The guy understood very well and apologised, which is good because I had an opportunity to clarify for another time the spirit of the team.”

Antonio Conte has addressed the comments made by his clearly dissatisfied striker Richarlison.
Antonio Conte has addressed the comments made by his clearly dissatisfied striker Richarlison. Photograph: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Getty Images

Conte on his Tottenham contract ...

“You know with the club we signed a contract, a strange contract one-year-and-a-half,” he said. “Usually you sign for three years but I think it was for the club and for myself to see the situation, for the club to understand my personality, my capacity as a coach and for me – from my side it was the same. To understand if we were on the same page.

“Now after one year and a half, the club knows me, I know the club and it is clear this situation. We have to finish the season and then we will see. The club knows very well my thoughts. I am ready to die for this club until the end of the season.”

Antonio Conte has spoken ...

And the Tottenham Hotspur head coach has had plenty to say. Conte has insisted he would “die for this club”, which seems a bit extreme considering all that’s left for them to fight for this season is a place in next year’s Champions League. He also said that the contract he signed at the beginning of his tenure was strange.

Speculation over his future continues, with the Italian’s current terms expiring in the summer and Spurs’ poor form – they have exited the FA Cup and Champions League already this month – has contributed towards many feeling a parting of ways might be best for both parties.

“The club knows very well which is my situation, which is my thoughts,” he said. “If I have to become the person to take as a target? No. I am not this person. We need time and patience. I understood that here the patience is finished for the fans, for the environment and then we will see what happens in the future.

“I am not so stupid to kill myself. If you ask me now am I am ready now to die for this club? Yes. Until the end I am ready to die for this club. But I am not so stupid to kill myself.”

So that’s cleared that up, eh? Clear as mud …

Right, that’s my stint over. Time to get some woolly socks on and have a nice cuppa. I’ll hand you back to Barry Glendenning, in all his blogging splendour.

James among Chelsea players to miss Leicester game

Graham Potter has also been speaking to the press, as Chelsea gear up for a trip to Leicester. Asked to give an update on injuries and availability, he said: “Reece [James] has been ill so hasn’t trained today. He won’t make the game tomorrow. Raheem [Sterling] had a little feeling in his hamstring, so looking doubtful tomorrow.

“[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang has a slight problem with his back so it’s looking like he’ll miss the game. Still no N’Golo Kanté. We’re looking to build him up.”

Reece James in action against Borussia Dortmund
Reece James will not feature against Leicester. Photograph: Andrew Kearns/CameraSport/Getty Images

Back to the blue side of Manchester again – help, this is giving me motion sickness – where Guardiola has been asked for his verdict on Patrick Vieira’s work at Crystal Palace, this weekend’s opponents. “I’ve not been with him in the locker room but his experience as a football player, he was in France [as a manager] and had big experience, and with Palace he’s done a really good job,” he said. “In the Premier League every game is hard. At home against Crystal Palace we struggle a lot to get results.”

Updated

Returning to the red side of Manchester, briefly, Jamie Jackson has the latest on the ongoing negotiations over the sale of United.

Guardiola says Foden 'OK' despite foot injury

It’s over to the blue side of Manchester, now, where Pep Guardiola is holding court. There were worries over Phil Foden’s fitness after Manchester City’s 2-0 win against Newcastle last Saturday, with the 22-year-old saying that he’d exacerbated an underlying foot injury. Guardiola isn’t worried, however. “Yeah, apparently he is OK,” he said.

Phil Foden takes a breather during the Newcastle game
Phil Foden takes a breather during the Newcastle game. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Ten Hag also reserved praise for Wout Weghorst, who scored United’s fourth goal against Betis on Thursday evening. “I think, as you see, he is often in the right position, then he fails,” he said. “But he keeps going. So, he showed great personality and character, not only in this game. I think also in this game, he could have already [got] his goal early on, but he keeps focused, he keeps working and he keeps putting himself in the right positions. And, finally, he got his goal and his reward.”

Will Unwin was less impressed…

Klopp isn’t the only manager who’s keen on metaphors at the moment. Asked about Southampton’s visit to Old Trafford, Ten Hag said: “Every game is an exam. Every time again, as a team and as an individual … we have seen I think two weeks ago Southampton beat Chelsea away, so we have to play an outstanding performance on Sunday to beat [them]. At the bottom it’s very close, so they will be on the front foot, they will be aggressive. They will do everything to collect points here. So we have to be 100% and give the best performance to beat them.”

Ten Hag has also given an update on Anthony Martial, who has been out with a hip problem since United’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest. Asked if Martial could play against Southampton on Sunday, Ten Hag said: “Yeah, but I think, all the time, we had a good plan and until now it [didn’t] always [work well] … he is on his way back, he is back in training, but we will be cautious.”

Ten Hag expects Eriksen to return before end of season

Having been sidelined since Manchester United’s 3-1 win against Reading in the FA Cup, when he sustained an ankle injury following a bad tackle by Andy Carroll, Christian Eriksen’s recovery seems to be going well.

Asked whether the midfielder could feature again before the end of the campaign, Erik ten Hag said: “I think he will play [again in 2022-23], definitely. But I can’t tell [you] now an expectation. But I think his progress in the rehab is OK. It is going according to plan, so definitely we will see him. But not before the international break.

“Yes, he is [still part of the group]. But, of course, his main focus is, in this moment, to get back as soon as possible because we need all the players.”

Christian Eriksen (left) with his teammates, celebrating their Carabao Cup triumph last month
Christian Eriksen (left) with his teammates, celebrating their Carabao Cup triumph last month. Photograph: Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Another Premier League gong has been handed out, with Willian winning February’s Goal of the Month for his absolute belter in Fulham’s 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest. Worth another watch, isn’t it?

Klopp hopes to nurture 'fragile little flower'

Will here, teeth gritted against the cold, resolutely refusing to turn on the radiator in the fear of glancing the smart meter out of the corner of my eye.

Let’s start with a bit more Klopp, who has poetically compared Liverpool’s growing confidence to “a fragile little flower”. Asked about maintaining his side’s consistency following the 7-0 demolition of Manchester United, he said: “There is no better mood booster than a good game. Of course I see that, but we had consistency in the league in the last five games. We have spoken a lot about confidence. It’s a fragile little flower and we have to make sure we keep that.

“You don’t expect to score from every situation but we have to create in this manner and use all the little situations. For all goals [against United] we had options in the box. That’s what we take and that’s what we try to recreate. [With] so many games to play, we have to chase pretty much everybody and that’s what we’ll try to do.”

Jürgen Klopp attempts to talk horticulture with Jordan Henderson
Jürgen Klopp attempts to talk horticulture with Jordan Henderson. Photograph: John Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

And with that I’ll now hand the baton to Will Magee, who always runs a great bend.

Updated

Klopp has also spoken about Roberto Firmino’s departure after the Brazilian told the club he intends to leave this summer after eight years at Anfield.

“Surprised? Yes, a little bit but I was not hit by surprise, actually it’s a normal thing to do. It could go two ways and it was one. And I respect that a lot. It’s completely normal in this kind of long relationship that we have and Bobby has with the club and with most of the players and stuff like this, and with the fans of course.

“It’s pretty special and I loved the reception he got when he came on against United. He told me and then the only other thing he said is, ‘Now I want to bring this wonderful story to a positive end.’ So, that’s it. He is completely here and completely committed, how everybody can imagine. And that’s all we need to know.

“There’s no time for a goodbye or whatever in this moment, there’s enough time for that later in the season. Whenever he will come back, everybody knows that the song will still be for a long, long time in everybody’s ears I’m pretty sure.

“No problem. I think he’s one of these players that even when he would come with an opposition team, people would be really happy to see him.”

Updated

Jürgen Klopp has been giving a fitness update on three of his Liverpool players and says Luis Diaz is set to make his long-awaited return to training next week following five months out. The Reds are also without defender Joe Gomez and midfielder Thiago Alcantara for the weekend trip to Bournemouth.

“All three not available [this weekend],” said Kloppo. “Different stages, I would say. Joey might be able to train at the beginning of the week; Luis I hope during next week. After the international break, then obviously for both [it’s] possible.

“Thiago we will see. None of them trained yet with the team and then we will see how that develops in the next couple of weeks and we will know more. Apart from that, from the last game nothing [new] that I heard about.”

Eat my goal!

Marcus Rashford bags February’s Player of the Month award for his five goals in four Premier League matches. By comparison, that Erling Haaland fella managed to score just twice in his five top-flight matches in February – one fewer than Fulham sub Manor Solomon, who is also outscoring the Manchester City striker in March.

Perhaps the Premier League should give the award out on the final day of the month in question. Y’know, just in case of the hypothetical situation that the recipient’s team get humiliated 7-0 a few days before the gong is dished out. Hard to imagine of course.

Updated

Arsenal change travel plans due to illness

Arsenal make the short trip to Fulham on Sunday but after their 2-2 Europa League draw with Sporting Lisbon, PA Media report that the Premier League leaders had to change travel plans due to illness in the camp.

The PA news agency understands Arsenal originally intended to travel back on Friday after a light training session in Lisbon.

Those plans were changed after an illness in the camp affected a number of players, with the squad instead returning to London on Thursday night. As well as Odegaard, it is understood Kieran Tierney, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson have also been laid low with minor symptoms.

The travel alteration also meant Gabriel Jesus did not head to Portugal, having initially been scheduled to be on the plane to take part in the Friday session. As soon as the plans were adjusted, Arteta saw no value in taking the forward out to Portugal as he continues to train ahead of a comeback from knee surgery.

Updated

It must be fun when he addresses United’s technical director Darren Fletcher.

Ten Hag/Mr MacKay was certainly happy with his Manchester United side after their 4-1 win over Real Betis in the Europa League last night.

“It was a good effort from the start. Front foot. We were good on the ball. We made good chances, we made good runs behind and we created a lot of chances.

“It’s always (about) seeing how a side reacts after a setback and you see us again – this is not the first time this season, this (has happened already) five or six times. You get a setback and you can bounce back, this team has character so a big compliment to the team.”

If you missed it, Wales defender Chris Gunter has followed Gareth Bale and Joe Allen in retiring from international football. He won 109 caps over 15 years and, of course, was the inspiration for one of the great lines from former Welsh boss Chris Coleman.

Everton boss Sean Dyche chucks some football philosophy our way ahead of Saturday’s home match against Brentford. Perch on the edge of your seat and take this lot in.

“A manager’s dream; if you speak to the best managers they love a 1-0. You can never guarantee any score, the only worry about scorelines is how you are managing the game.

“What I do know is the relentless mentality I want from the players and we have been speaking about that with them. Anything is achievable at any given moment so we take on the game until the last breath.

“These are all learning curves. You have to remember these players are wise players, a lot of them have been in the Premier League for a long time and they know the details and that is the frustrating thing.

“You want to play and enjoy it but you know there is a professional responsibility and the players should understand that. You win because you get everything right all the way through a 90-minute match.

Everton boss Sean Dyche asks his players to use their heads in the 4-0 loss to Arsenal.
Use your noggin. Photograph: Javier García/REX/Shutterstock

“We have never wanted pure football every time, it is ‘how many times can you affect the opposition?’. It is reading the game, understanding the nature of the game and game management as you mature as a player and a group.

“Knowing the moments when to be more attacking, that is on-pitch stuff. You can only coach so many things on the training ground.”

Liverpool have scored 23 goals across just three matches in this strange season of theirs, that ridiculous figure being arrived at via the seven-goal romps against Rangers and Manchester United and the 9-0 drubbing of Bournemouth. The Cherries hope to have better luck in the return match against the Reds on Saturday. All that and more in this week’s episode of 10 Things.

Is it snowing near you? Deep stuff in my neck of the woods (West Yorkshire).

Jacob Steinberg on Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell thriving again.

“They were top of the league when Chilwell was injured against Juve. Thomas Tuchel’s system had flourished with Chilwell surging down the left and Reece James dominating the right. Assessing his two key wing-backs, Tuchel would often describe them as being more like No 10s than defenders. “It’s a very important position in the system we play,” the German said. “A very important part of the position is to create a goal threat.”

Updated

Sundays were boring when I was a kid. Everything shut, nothing to do, the comedown from the excitement of Saturday and ‘Songs of Praise’ adding to the ennui. Then live football came along. Great piece here from Steven Pye.

Cheers Barry. Oh dear. Les will look after you.

Les Dawson and Brian Glover.

Mid-morning matters: While you’re reading this, I’ll be spending the next hour or so enduring agony in a dentist’s chair, so I’ll hand you over to Dave Tindall in the meantime.

Newcastle: Eddie Howe was asked about his side’s poor recent form and their chances of turning it around in the hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. “There’s a belief that we can win again and we need to very quickly to fulfil that aim,” he said. “I’ve never sat here and talked us up in terms of targets and top four but I have talked us up in terms of what we can achieve and the quality in our group and I’m not going to change now.

“Through every season there are difficult moments and there are patches where you for some reason don’t win the games maybe you should and sometimes you win games you shouldn’t. We’re in the first one and that’s where you have to be strong mentally and know it will change.”

Newcastle are expected to spend the international break doing some warm-weather training in Dubai. During the World Cup, Eddie Howe, his staff and the players who were not on international duty in Qatar, travelled to Saudi Arabia for a training camp.

Updated

Newcastle United: Newcastle host Wolves at St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon, with Eddie Howe’s team looking for their first win in six games in all competitions. Eddie Howe’s men have taken just three points from the past 15 available but remain in fifth place in the table.

“Julen Lopetegui has had a really big impact on their team,” said HOwe of Sunday’s opponents. “I’ve watched them closely this week. They have some very good players. I think the manager has come in and given them confidence and now they look like they are back to the Wolves we have seen in previous seasons.”

After Wolves, Newcastle are away at Nottingham Forest next weekend, ahead of the international break. “They are two big games because of where they are situated,” said Howe. “We have the international break afterwards and we want to go into that break really good. We want to feel good going into that and we’re also running out of games. They are going to go so quickly, 14 left. We need points and we are determined to end this run of games we have had in a confident way.”

Manchester United: Elliott Management have made it through to the second phase of the Manchester United sale process. The American hedge fund are not interested in buying the club outright but do want to invest in the club. They join the bids fronted by Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe in ther next round of the bidding process.

Brighton: Of all the teams challenging for fourth spot in the Premier League, it could be argued that Brighton are currently playing the best football. Currently seven points off the pace being set by Spurs in the final Champions League qualification spot, Roberto Di Zerbi’s side have three games in hand over the north London side and have also played fewer games than Fulham, Newcastle and Liverpool, who are all above them.

The Italian manager has been linked with the Tottenham job and has addressed the speculation in his press conference ahead of Brighton’s match against Leeds at Elland Road tommorrow. ““I have a long contract with Brighton and I’m happy to work here,” he told reporters. “I enjoy working with these players, I’m delighted with their performance. I can’t ask for more, it’s a good moment in my life.

“We have a dream. I think we know we can write a new history for the club. This is a nice challenge. It will be difficult, but now we have a complete squad with many young players and we are stronger.”

Brighton manager Roberto Di Zerbi is one of several managers being linked with the job of putting out the Tottenham Hotspur binfire.
Brighton manager Roberto Di Zerbi is one of several managers being linked with the job of putting out the Tottenham Hotspur binfire. Photograph: Steve Bond/PPAUK/REX/Shutterstock

Key event

Sporting 2-2 Arsenal

Europa League: Arsenal dominated for long periods but were forced to come from behind courtesy of a Hidemasa Morita own goal in Lisbon to leave themselves in a good position ahead of next week’s second leg at the Emirates Stadium. Nick Ames was at the Estadio Jose Alvalade to see it …

Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis

Europa League: Manchester United bounced back from their Sunday afternoon humiliation at the hands of Liverpool with an enphatic win over Real Betis in the Round of 16 first leg. Jamie Jackson braved the Old Trafford blizzard to bring you this match report …

Something for the weekend

Greetings one and all and welcome to your one-stop shop for all the news that’s fit to print (and much that almost certainly won’t be) ahead of the latest weekend of Premier League action. We’re here to bring you news from all the managerial pre-match press conferences and will flag up and other talking points as they arise.

And as we approach the end of a surreal week in which a tweet from Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has somehow generated more news headlines than the divisive subject the Match of the Day presenter happened to be commenting on, we’ll be sure to keep our ears peeled for any more tortured, witless and inaccurate football analogies from the front bench of the Tory party.

Updated

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