List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has acknowledged how much of a huge loss to the club the departures of James Milner and Roberto Firmino will be. The pair, whose signings in the summer of 2015 pre-date the arrival of current manager Jurgen Klopp by a few months, have played an integral role in their recent success. Both will depart when their contracts expire at the end of the season as Champions League and Premier League winners but Henderson believes their importance extends beyond just on the pitch. On Milner’s contribution, the England midfielder told the PA news agency: “A tremendous amount of value to the team. “I think the manager said it perfectly in that we wouldn’t have achieved anything without Millie. He is such a big character and such a big leader within the team. “It will definitely be strange not seeing him at Liverpool next season, he’s been incredible ever since he came to the club. “He helped me a lot and other players around him and is probably taken for granted a little bit as a player from the outside but from the inside he has got so much respect from all of the players and all of the staff and we wish him all the very best in whatever his next chapter looks like.” Firmino, who has returned to training this week after missing six matches with a muscle problem, is due a particularly emotional farewell in Liverpool’s final home match of the season against Aston Villa on Saturday. The much-loved Brazil international travelled with the squad for Monday’s win over Leicester and the away fans dedicated more than 10 minutes of the second half to singing about him. “He will be a huge miss also,” added Henderson, who was speaking at an NHS Big Tea event in Crewe in his role as an ambassador for NHS Charities Together. “The good energy he gives the team is always so positive, he’s always in a good mood and smiling but his quality on the pitch is unbelievable. “Thankfully he is back in training and hopefully he can be ready if not at the weekend then maybe the last game of the season. “But you have seen the reception he got on Monday from the fans and rightly so. I am sure that will be the case again on Saturday.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Luke Wood says playing for Lancashire ‘my pride and joy’ ahead of Blast opener Manager of the season contender Unai Emery ‘trying to improve every day’ Barry Bannan dedicates Sheffield Wednesday’s stunning comeback to Darren Moore

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Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan dedicated his side’s incredible play-off win over Peterborough to boss Darren Moore. Wednesday beat Posh on penalties on a breathtaking night at Hillsborough, recovering from a 4-0 first-leg deficit to draw 5-5 on aggregate after extra-time before their spot-kick success. In the wake of Friday’s 4-0 loss at London Road, Moore was the subject of a racist social media post from a Wednesday fan which the club described as “repulsive”. The supporter was banned for life by the Owls and, after Thursday night’s Sky Bet League One semi-final drama, Bannan paid tribute to his manager who he praised for not only handling the incident, but for making his players believe they could turn their situation around. “What he’s done in the last week has been unbelievable, to turn around the mindset of the players, he had a massive job to do to try,” he told Sky Sports. “I’m so proud of him, the way that he’s handled this week after the racism he’s received as well – that shouldn’t be anywhere near the football, never mind a manager who’s won 96 points as well. That one’s for him.” Bannan’s words to the camera were also echoed in a candid dressing-room video shared by the club in which, after Moore praised the players, Bannan stepped forward to thank the manager on behalf of the club. Speaking on Thursday after the incredible 120 minutes of action, Moore called it the best night of his managerial career. “For me, it’s my best moment in terms of management,” said Moore, whose side will face either Barnsley or Bolton in the final at Wembley on May 29. “To witness it and for it to come here, I couldn’t have wished for it to be at a better place, under the lights here at Hillsborough. “Tonight will be special, but as I keep saying to them, we have got another game to go. We enjoy tonight and then focus on the Wembley game now. “We had a rallying call to get the fans to come out and be in full voice and they were tonight. When the boys were cramping up tonight, the fans kept them going. The boys showed great character.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On This Day in 2012 – Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to claim first Champions League David Moyes concerned for family after trouble mars West Ham victory Eddie Howe says Newcastle win ‘huge’ but warns still work to do in top-four hunt

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A teenager who filmed himself walking into a stranger’s house has deleted his account after strong backlash. The clip was posted by 18-year-old TikToker @secretmizzy and quickly went viral on TikTok, gathering well over 1.5 million views before it was removed. In the video, the TikToker filmed himself, alongside two friends, saying: “Walking into random houses. Let’s go.” He then proceed to film as he approached a luxury London townhouse and opened the gate, walking past a woman who was sweeping in the front garden. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The TikToker walked right past her and through the open front door. Meanwhile, the homeowner could be heard shouting for her partner inside the house to come and handle the unfolding situation. He was initially accompanied by a young child. @secretmizzy made himself comfortable on the sofa before asking the homeowners, “Is this not where the study group is?” The male homeowner asked the three teens to leave because they had children in the house, saying: “I've got kids, man.” Speaking to the Daily Star about his controversial actions, the TikToker explained: “It is unfortunate that there were minors present in the house, however, none of them were harmed or negatively affected.” He added: “If I had known there were children in the house I would have never went in at all.” When asked if his actions went too far, the 18-year-old argued: “Too far? In whose eyes? I do what I’ve been doing and I know the repercussions of the things I do. Perhaps it was a bit far, however, I don’t encourage anyone to repeat my actions.” On Twitter, where the clip was reposted and remains up, it has been viewed almost 19 million times, with multiple comments about how stupid and reckless the boys’ actions were. Someone tweeted: “Breaking into people's homes, risking your life and possibly getting arrested all for TikTok views is just insanity.” Meanwhile, streamer Hasan Piker added: "yah you cant do this in America." indy100 has contacted TikTok for comment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Erik ten Hag isn’t quite Erik ten tens. But in a season when Bruno Fernandes has started 54 of United’s 58 games and when, as the de facto captain, he has become even more pivotal, the Manchester United manager has shown an experimental streak, seeking to reinvent others as No. 10s and using the Portuguese in a variety of other roles. If one conclusion may merely echo an opinion at the start of the season – that Fernandes is by far and away United’s best option in the position – Ten Hag’s other gambits have offered intrigue. 1. The Ajax No. 10 Given Donny van de Beek’s excellence for Ten Hag’s Ajax, it was easy to assume his United career could be revived by the appointment of an old ally. Even before the Dutchman’s season was curtailed, however, he had been a bit-part figure. He only made two league starts: one ineffectually in defeat at Aston Villa when Fernandes was suspended and the other against Bournemouth when he suffered a knee injury. The instructive element is that Fernandes operated off the right wing then; it has been a recurring theme. 2. The winger as a No. 10 Jadon Sancho’s outings have tended to come on the flanks but, particularly when he returned to contention in February, Ten Hag showed a willingness to use him in a central area. When Sancho scored against Leicester, with a goal Fernandes set up, it was notable the Portuguese provided the ball from the right for the Englishman in the middle: there was a seeming role reversal then, with Fernandes playing as a winger. Then Ten Hag argued United’s ability to play higher up the pitch would help Sancho; certainly using him in the middle capitalises on his ability between the lines whereas, for a winger, he can lack raw pace. Sancho also operated as No. 10 against Nottingham Forest, Barcelona and Southampton, though Casemiro’s early red card forced a change of plan then. If a striker is signed in the summer and Marcus Rashford can spend all of next season on the left or Alejandro Garnacho kicks on, perhaps Sancho’s future may have to lie more in the middle. 3. The No. 10 who sometimes doesn’t play as a No. 10 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fielded Fernandes almost exclusively as a No. 10. Ralf Rangnick famously, if unsuccessfully, used him as a false nine in a Manchester derby and occasionally tried him off the left, but largely put the Portuguese in his preferred position. It was, nevertheless, a time of diminishing returns from Fernandes, previously hugely productive. Statistically, Fernandes has been less effective as a scorer under Ten Hag, with a mere six league goals, but he has excelled otherwise, fashioning the joint most big chances in the division and ranking top for shot-creating actions; largely as a No. 10, but also in a variety of different ways. Fernandes has exerted an impact when coming off the right, sometimes permitting Ten Hag to field three central midfielders; there are points when he has played more as a No. 8, particularly when Christian Eriksen was injured. Most remarkably, his passing range was used as a quarterback when Casemiro was suspended, especially in victory against Everton. The problem for Ten Hag, perhaps, has been that he ideally needed two Rashfords – one as a left winger, one a centre forward – and two Fernandeses, one as a No. 10 and the other in a deeper or wider role, so he has been compromising. But Ten Hag has appreciated having a risk-taker as a No. 10, a player prepared to lose the ball in a bid to make something happen. If Fernandes has proved more versatile than expected, he has nonetheless remained United’s preeminent fantasista. 4. The defensive midfielder as a No. 10 It didn’t work. Ten Hag rearranged his midfield at Newcastle, putting Scott McTominay at the tip of it, partly to use his energy and tackling prowess to halt Bruno Guimaraes. United produced one of their worst performances of the season. But McTominay believes he is an attacking midfielder and there was greater evidence of the general concept working, albeit with the Scot as a No. 8, when he burst forward to score against Everton, while Fernandes played at the base of the midfield. He has been sidelined since then but the use of McTominay against Newcastle has the feel of a one-off. 5. The loanee as a No. 10 Marcel Sabitzer was hastily borrowed from Bayern Munich when Christian Eriksen was injured. His United career nevertheless peaked, albeit eventually in vain, in Fernandes’ position. A seven-minute, excellent brace against Sevilla seemed to position United to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. The Austrian was altogether less effective in the return fixture, when Fernandes was suspended. Sabitzer does have a background as a scorer when he has got licence to attack – he struck 16 times for Leipzig in 2019-20 – and, against Sevilla, he showed ability to run in behind defences. 6. The strangest No. 10 in Manchester United’s history Few get to start as a No. 10 at the Nou Camp and Anfield in the same season. Fewer still do so in a United shirt, and the logical assumption is that they must be a celebrated talent. Instead, and rather oddly, a status often reserved for the most inventive player in the squad has been granted to Wout Weghorst. A non-scoring striker has largely been a non-creative creator, sometimes offering a nuisance value with the pressing Ten Hag values – to the extent he once praised his fellow Dutchman for his “backwards pressing” – and, all arms and legs, bringing a disruptive element. But if Weghorst’s lack of goals – and, given his height, lack of aerial ability – have attracted attention, it is also notable he has a lone assist in the Premier League. While Weghorst did a decent job against Barcelona, the sight of him as 10 felt an indictment. 7. The No. 10 who hasn’t played as a No. 10 For much of his career, Christian Eriksen has seemed a quintessential No. 10, even if, for much of his time at Tottenham, he was drifting infield to create from a starting role on the right. He adopted a deeper role for Inter Milan and, after a deceptive debut as a false nine in defeat to Brighton, has established himself as Casemiro’s regular partner. Sometimes Eriksen has played more as a No. 8 in what can be a lopsided triangle in midfield. But Eriksen’s diminishing goal return – just one in the Premier League – and shot numbers, compared to his Spurs days, are signs he has been reinvented. He is the former No. 10, now more of a central midfielder. Read More Manchester United’s Charlie Savage wants to make his own name in the game Man United eye Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel amid David de Gea contract talks Bruno Fernandes warns Alejandro Garnacho he cannot relax at Manchester United Christian Eriksen pleased to see Man Utd deal with extra pressure against Wolves ‘Huge talent’ Alejandro Garnacho backed to play key role in Man Utd’s run-in Ten Hag finally within sight of matching a past United great... no, not that one

Just two gameweeks lie between now and the end of the Fantasy Premier League season, meaning it is time to squeeze every possible point out of our squads before the final scoreboards are shown. With that in mind, here are five essential picks for your team this week: (All prices accurate as of Thursday 18 May) For more picks, differential top tips, chip strategy and more, sign up for our newsletter by entering your email address at the top of this article or clicking here. Callum Wilson - 7.2m With Ivan Toney banned for the next eight months, Callum Wilson seems the safer bet for the run-in. The Englishman has been the form player of the past two months and has scored a staggering 17 Premier League goals in just 19 appearances. Leicester and Chelsea await the Magpies and both leaky defences look like easy pickings for one of the league’s most consistent strikers. Ruben Dias - 6.0m Given their double gameweek, it is essential that you bring in the maximum three Manchester City assets. The tricky part is knowing which players to go for, given that Pep Guardiola will be rotating players around Champions League and FA Cup duties. Ruben Dias is one of the safer bets, given that, generally, if he's fit, he plays - and more importantly, he performs. City have only lost once when Dias has played in 22 appearances, meaning that games against Brighton and Chelsea bode well for FPL points should the Portuguese start both games. David de Gea - 5.1m Don't let that howler against West ham fool you. David de Gea has the most clean sheets in the league this season (16) and conceded just one goal across the two reverse fixtures of GW37 opponents Chelsea and Bournemouth. The goalkeeper stands as one of precious few that have three games remaining and the potential to keep clean sheets in all of those matches. Aleksandar Mitrovic - 6.6m Aleksandar Mitrovic marked his return from suspension with a goal to confirm relegation for hapless Southampton, and we can expect the Serbian to continue with that kind of ruthlessness in at least one of his final two fixtures against Palace and Man United. Still staggeringly cheap at £6.6m, Mitrovic is a great idea if you want to re-direct funds from your front line into other areas of the squad, without sacrificing points. Kaoru Mitoma - 5.7m Brighton face relegated Southampton next, in a match many should expect to be full of goals. Kaoru Mitoma will likely be among them, given that he averages just under 1.5 shots per game, with 44% of those on target. He too has three games left to play and is cheap, consistent and virtually a sure starter. For more picks, differential top tips, chip strategy and more, sign up for our newsletter by entering your email address at the top of this article. Read More Fantasy Premier League tips for GW36: Lindelof, Mac Allister and more Bayern and Dortmund set for closest Bundesliga title race end in years Football rumours: Manchester United ‘shock contender’ to sign Sadio Mane Bayern and Dortmund set for closest Bundesliga title race end in years Football rumours: Manchester United ‘shock contender’ to sign Sadio Mane On This Day in 2012 – Chelsea beat Bayern Munich to claim first Champions League

China’s yuan is depreciating at the fastest pace in three months and the central bank, for now, isn’t