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The prize fund for this season’s Women’s FA Cup has been doubled to £6m, the Football Association has announced. The FA board has approved a £3m increase compared to last season, which means a prize pot of £44,000 per match at the third-round stage, up from £12,500 in the same round last season. Winning the final will now earn the victors £430,000 compared to £100,000 last season, the FA said. It is the second consecutive season in which the prize pot has increased, with last season’s uplift focused on the money available at the earlier stages of the competition. The FA’s director of women’s football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said: “Doubling the prize money showcases the FA’s clear commitment to the future of the Women’s FA Cup and will help us maintain its stature as the most prestigious domestic women’s cup competition in the world. “That’s why we’re delighted to be making a second successive increase to the prize fund, ensuring that as clubs progress through the competition they receive financial rewards that will empower them to invest in their own futures. “Ultimately, we want the women’s competition to receive the same prize money as the men’s, and this new increase is a positive step in the direction of achieving that long-term ambition.” The men’s FA Cup prize fund for the current season was confirmed in June, with £2m on offer for winning the final and £1m for the losing finalists. Those teams would also benefit from payments for progressing through the earlier rounds. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said last month that changes to the future format of the Women’s FA Cup were being considered. “We’ve done a really good job of growing the final as an event. When I first started working with the FA it was an event that got less than 20,000 and wasn’t even at Wembley,” Bullingham said at the Leaders Week conference at Twickenham in October. “We’re now selling out Wembley, and that’s a big event for us in our calendar. So the final is going really well. “Our challenge now is to grow the rest of the competition. Within that, we don’t always feel that the women’s competitions have to follow the format of the men’s, so we’re looking at how we could at least evaluate some potential changes that may be more creative and allow the competition to have its own structure and format. “So we’re evaluating those at the moment with the view to what would appeal to fans more, what would appeal to broadcasters more and how do we grow even more quickly? “Like the rest of the women’s game, we will grow it. It’s just how do we accelerate it even faster?” Read More How Manchester United managers have fared since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement I will never back down – Leandro Trossard happy to play anywhere for Arsenal Tottenham star reveals secret to upturn in form after summer transfer How Manchester United managers have fared since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement I will never back down – Leandro Trossard happy to play anywhere for Arsenal Tottenham star reveals secret to upturn in form after summer transfer

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Manchester United’s wild defeat to FC Copenhagen put their Champions League progress in doubt and increased the scrutiny on manager Erik ten Hag. Here, the PA news agency looks at the records of United’s managers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. David Moyes Played 51: Won 27, Drew 9, Lost 15. Win rate: 53 per cent Trophies: Community Shield 2013 The Scot took just one game to win a trophy, the Community Shield against Wigan, as Ferguson’s hand-picked successor. There was little else to celebrate, though, as he failed to even see out the first of the six seasons on his contract. He was sacked after 10 months, with Ryan Giggs finishing the campaign as caretaker manager. Moyes struggled subsequently at Real Sociedad and Sunderland but has rebuilt his reputation with West Ham, winning last season’s Europa Conference League. Louis Van Gaal P103: W54, D25, L24. Win rate: 52 per cent Trophies: FA Cup 2016 United’s previous Dutch boss never truly convinced the Old Trafford faithful after a dreadful winless start against Swansea, Sunderland, third-tier MK Dons and Burnley. His side did improve and Van Gaal signed off with an FA Cup win, beating Crystal Palace in extra-time, but his win percentage was the lowest of the post-Ferguson era until Ralf Rangnick’s spell in interim charge. Jose Mourinho P144: W84, D32, L28. Win rate: 58 per cent Trophies: Europa League 2017, League Cup 2017, Community Shield 2016 Mourinho is probably United’s most successful manager since Ferguson – winning 58 per cent of his games, with a runner-up finish in the Premier League and adding a League Cup and Europa League double in 2016-17. His, though, was an erratic and ill-tempered spell, with a defensive style of play and fallings-out with players, leaving the fans cold. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer P167: W91, D37, L39. Win rate: 54 per cent Trophies: None The much-loved former United striker proved almost the inverse of his predecessor, with a fluid and attacking style but inconsistent results. A stunning spell as caretaker – winning 14 games out of 19 – deservedly earned him the job on a permanent basis but he came nowhere near emulating that 74 per cent win rate from then on. He left in November 2021 after United won just three of his last 10 games and conceded 15 goals in the last six, the first United manager since Frank O’Farrell in the early 1970s not to add to the club’s trophy cabinet. Ralf Rangnick P29: W11, D10, L8. Win rate: 38 per cent Trophies: None After Michael Carrick’s three games as caretaker, in November 2021, Rangnick was tasked with seeing out the season as interim boss before moving into a consultancy role with the club – which was ultimately cancelled as he took charge of the Austria national team. He began with five games unbeaten but drew far too many – losing on penalties to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup – as he became the first United boss since Dave Sexton’s 1981 departure to win fewer than half of his games in charge. Erik ten Hag P79: W49, D9, L21. Win rate: 62 per cent Trophies: League Cup 2023 Ten Hag’s win percentage exceeds even Ferguson’s 60 per cent, though a run in the second-tier Europa League arguably helped to inflate that figure. There have been embarrassing losses from his second game in charge – 4-0 against Brentford – via conceding six to Manchester City and seven to Liverpool, to the 4-3 shock against Copenhagen, with his side conceding more goals per game than under any post-Ferguson manager other than Rangnick. With Luton and Everton next up before a key European clash with Galatasaray, Ten Hag will know the tide must turn. Read More England head to Indonesia inspired by Under-17 World Cup winner Phil Foden Los Angeles Angels appoint veteran former Texas Rangers boss Ron Washington Will Perrett up for another battle against the odds as he targets the Olympics Michael Vaughan: England should secure Champions Trophy spot for next generation On this day in 2007: Warren Gatland appointed Wales boss Sarina Wiegman ‘in good place’ with England and not looking at job in men’s game

Martha Thomas says she has rediscovered her smile on the pitch following her summer switch to Tottenham from Manchester United and is thriving on the belief being shown in her at her new club. The Scotland forward concluded a two-year stay with United after a 2022-23 season in which she made 20 Women’s Super League appearances for Marc Skinner’s side but only one start within that, scoring one goal. Moving on to Robert Vilahamn’s Spurs, Thomas – starting at centre-forward – went on to net six times in the team’s first four league games this term to top the early Golden Boot standings, and was named Barclays Player of the Month for October. Asked if she had surprised herself at all with her form, the 27-year-old told the PA news agency: “No, I think I’ve always had the belief in myself – it’s just having people around me that sort of believe in that as well.” Regarding last season, Thomas said: “Personally, it was a really tough season for me, off the pitch, on the pitch, mentally, physically. I felt quite drained. “It was hard because the team was doing quite well, so I was happy for the girls around me. But when it came to the summer, I knew what the best decision for me would be. “I was playing in a team sometimes not even in my actual position that I feel I’m best at. So it was definitely the right time for me to step away, because I knew they weren’t getting the best out of me and I wasn’t getting the best out of myself there. It no longer felt like the right fit. “There was definitely times throughout the season where I did feel like I deserved that chance and sort of wasn’t given it, or was given it but then not given long enough to show it. “That’s just the way it goes. United had their best finish (second), so it’s sort of hard to really argue – but at the same time I felt like I needed and deserved more, so it was the right time for me to get that somewhere else. “I wasn’t enjoying my football. I needed just to enjoy it again, and I needed to find my smile again on the pitch.” She added: “I didn’t feel like I came here with a point to prove, I just feel like it’s worked out that way because I’m playing football with a smile, that’s when I play my best, and you’re just now seeing what I’m actually capable of doing. “If I’m happy and playing in a team where I feel valued and they’ve got that belief, then I’m going to play my best and the goals are going to come. “I think I’ve settled in really well here, I think the style Robert wants to play and the team we have complement me quite well.” While Thomas has been on her hot streak, Tottenham striker Bethany England, who had a major impact for them last term after joining in January, has been recovering from hip surgery. Vilahamn, as well as stressing his belief Thomas can win the Golden Boot this season, has said he is confident he will find a way for the two to play together, something Thomas says she can see herself doing, adding: “I think we would complement each other really well.” Having finished ninth last season, then appointing Vilahamn in July, Tottenham are currently in the Champions League places, lying third as one of four teams with 10 points from five games, three behind leaders Chelsea. Last Sunday’s 1-1 home draw with Everton followed a run of three successive wins, and Thomas said: “For us to be really gutted with that draw shows what kind of finish we’re looking for. We’re looking to climb as high as we can. “The top three, four teams have had that consistency over the past however many seasons and that’s what other clubs need. But I think with the start you’ve already seen, it wouldn’t be surprising to me to see another team break into that – and we can hope it’s us.” Tottenham host Liverpool – another side on 10 points – on Sunday. Read More Ten Hag calls out referee’s ‘harsh’ decision to red card Rashford Rumours: Man United could sell duo in January and Newcastle target midfield pair How can Man United qualify in Champions League? Marcus Rashford red card: Why was Man Utd star sent off? Champions League: What do Man United, Newcastle and Arsenal need to reach last 16? Man United miss yet another crucial turning point to lurch to new crisis levels

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan With the more substantive of Federal

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Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. quarterly revenue fell for the third straight quarter, reflecting the impact of a global

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The Bank of England does not need to raise interest rates further to bear down on inflation because