
Terrible football or bad luck? Social media debates Harry Maguire’s ongoing struggles
England were victorious in their heritage match against Scotland to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first game played between the two nations. Gareth Southgate’s men won 3-1 thanks to goals from Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane but it was the goal they conceded that had social media buzzing in the immediate aftermath. With England 2-0 up at half-time came the introduction of Harry Maguire, replacing a solid Marc Guehi in central defence, and after a decent start the former Manchester United captain turned an Andy Robertson ball past of his goalkeeper and into his own net reigniting hopes of a second-half Scottish comeback. Following the own goal, The Independent’s Miguel Delaney posted on X: “Who is more luckless, Harry Maguire or Stephen Kenny? Whatever you think of their abilities, both have suffered some twists that are just down to pure bad fortune.” Such was the debate around Maguire on social media. Is his downward spiral a matter of decling skills or bad luck at the wrong time? Samuel Luckhurst from the Manchester Evening News tweeted: “Maguire is stuck in a neverending cycle of negativity that will only end when he leaves United. Heckled by Arsenal and Scotland fans this month and things have gone wrong for him in both games. He gives opponents hope. Element of lucklessness and carelessness.” His thoughts were echoed by ESPN’s James Olley who wrote: “Maguire’s name cheered by the Scotland fans as he replaces Guehi. Becoming a troubling theme for him - opposing fans did the same thing when he was subbed on for Manchester United at Arsenal. England band respond by singing their Maguire song.” While, talkSPORT’s Rory Jennings said: “Harry Maguire is an absolute calamity. A walking disaster. A punchline. So bereft of any talent or natural intuition about how to defend. “The only good thing that can come from this is that hopefully that OG will finally dispel the myth that ‘Maguire has never let England down.’” Meanwhile, the England manager, already facing criticism for picking Maguire in this September squad when he has hardly played for Manchester United, came to the 30-year-old’s defence in his post match interviews blaming pundits and commentators for the vitriol he’s received. "It’s a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time,” Southgate said when asked about the reception Maguire received from both sets of fans. “It’s a joke, I’ve never known a player treated like he is, not by the Scottish fans, but by our own commentators, pundits, whatever it is, they have created something that is beyond anything I have ever seen. “He has been an absolute stalwart for us in the second most successful English team for decades, he has been an absolutely key part of that. I have talked about the importance of our senior players, he has been crucial amongst that and every time he goes on the field the resilience he shows, the balls he shows is absolutely incredible, so he is a top player and we are all with him.” The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew fired back at the England boss referencing Southgate’s previous defence of Jordan Henderson’s move to Saudi Arabia by saying: “Wouldn’t it be great if the England manager could defend LGBT rights with the same energy he defends Harry Maguire.” Read More Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire criticism ‘beyond anything I’ve ever seen’ Gareth Southgate: England over-experimenting in Scotland would be ‘ridiculous’ Rasmus Hojlund fit to make Manchester United debut at Arsenal – Erik ten Hag Gareth Southgate admits Raheem Sterling not happy after England snub Raheem Sterling may have no way back as Gareth Southgate shows his hard edge
2023-09-13 15:56

Scotland vs England player ratings: Jude Bellingham the star amid Andy Robertson’s nightmare
Scotland hosted England in a 150th anniversary of their first-ever meeting; this time around it was the Three Lions who triumphed with a routine and comprehensive 3-1 victory. Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham scored within minutes of each other in the first half, before Harry Maguire turned into his own net to close the gap past the hour mark. Harry Kane wrapped up matters though as England took the bragging rights. Here are the player ratings from Hampden Park. Scotland Angus Gunn - 6. Nothing he could do about either goal, banged past him from close range on both occasions. Massive save from Eze at 2-1 but beaten by Kane one-on-one. Ryan Porteus - 5. Did well in direct duels but struggled to keep pace once England’s runners from deep started showing their movement and ability to swap spaces. Jack Hendry - 7. Important recovery interception to thwart England’s best move on half-hour. Like Porteus, couldn’t get tight enough when the passing started to flow. Kieran Tierney - 6. A few decent moments for Scotland’s attack as he looked to overlap, but couldn’t get close defensively and pulled out of shape for the third in particular. Aaron Hickey - 6. A good outlet at times and looked to be able to beat Tierney at times, but the final pass and cross was lacking. Billy Gilmour - 5. All but ran the game against England a couple of years ago but this time around was swamped in the middle and easily bypassed. Callum McGregor - 6. Hard-working and tried to keep his side moving forward but was also outnumbered and certainly out-passed. Andy Robertson - 4. A nightmare couple of minutes as he played on Marcus Rashford in the build-up to the first then gifted possession inside his own box for 2-0. Caught wrong side of Kane for the third, too, though did deliver the cross for Maguire’s own goal. Scott McTominay - 5. Didn’t offer anywhere near enough, perhaps showing his lack of match fitness. John McGinn - 7. Bustling and energetic, twice going close in the second half with a hammered shot and an attempted header which hit his shoulder. Che Adams - 5. Toiled away without much service in the first half, then when his team tried to push on at the start of the second he was unable to offer hold-up play or movement to aid the attack. Subs: R. Christie 7, L. Dykes 6, L. Ferguson n/a, S. Armstrong n/a. England Aaron Ramsdale - 7. Good footwork for the most part but never really tested as a last line of defence. Kyle Walker - 8. Drilled a half-volley wide in the first half and led the best move on the counter soon after. Definitely tried a shot which turned into an assist for the opener. Marc Guehi - 7. Really solid first half where he made two good interceptions with aerial deliveries and played out nicely. Subbed at the break. Lewis Dunk - 8. Similar to his centre-back partner, was good across the board doing the job which was needed. Kept Che Adams very quiet throughout and made a big block just past the hour mark. Kieran Trippier - 7. Filled in at left-back once more and didn’t get forward to quite as good effect as he can down the right, but ensured the team was balanced and kept possession. Kalvin Phillips - 7. A rare run-out for so many minutes for the Man City man. Technically looked perfectly fine and did his defensive work well for the most part, though some of Scotland’s quicker counters did leave him chasing dust. Declan Rice - 7. Very much stuck to his defensive responsibilities and did them perfectly well. Set a strong platform for the attackers to shine from. Phil Foden - 8. Scored the first and involved in setting up the second. Could have netted earlier too but spooned a shot over, then almost made a third on the brink of half-time. Involved in most of the team’s best work. Jude Bellingham - 9. A hit-and-miss start to the game but was in the right place to lash home England’s second. From that point on he was the best on the park, creative and aggressive throughout and set up Kane with a great turn and through pass. Marcus Rashford - 7. A good outlet in early spells for England but never really had the beating of his man one-on-one or a finishing touch. Really decent link play in quick transitions but a bit lacking inside the box. Harry Kane - 7. A mostly quiet game for the Bayern striker who couldn’t get too involved in most of the best England build-up play. A few dangerous balls from deep or wide, but more would be expected - still found space once, and scored. Subs: H. Maguire 4, E. Eze 6, B. Saka 7, C. Gallagher n/a, C. Wilson n/a. Read More Maguire’s humiliation is complete — Southgate must save him from himself Terrible football or bad luck? Social media debates Harry Maguire’s ongoing struggles Scotland handed lesson on ‘enormous gap’ to England, admits Graeme Souness Bellingham makes centre stage his own as England’s youngest star beats oldest rivals Scotland vs England LIVE: Result and reaction as Kane wraps up Three Lions win England want Newcastle duo amid call-up tug-of-war with Scotland
2023-09-13 15:50

Football rumours: Martin Odegaard tight lipped about Arsenal contract extension
What the papers say Arsenal’s captain Martin Odegaard has remained tight-lipped around his contract extension, the Evening Standard reports. The 24-year-old Norwegian said he is “very happy” at Arsenal despite the links with a move away next summer. Chelsea failed to sell their defender Trevoh Chalobah last transfer window but said he does not expect to move into the starting side when he returns from a hamstring injury, according to the Evening Standard. The Sun says Burnley and Crystal Palace are keeping an eye on 19-year-old Colchester striker Bradley Ihionvien. The League Two player has scored twice in his last three games with Championship club’s Leicester City, Watford and Norwich also interested in the teenager. Social media round-up Player to watch Erling Haaland: Barcelona are reportedly gearing up to challenge for the Manchester City striker in 2025 when he could become available for a mammoth £150million, 90 Min reports. Andre Gomes: Turkish team Fenerbahce are interested in the 30-year-old Everton midfielder to target before their transfer window closes, according to Turkish outlet Sozcu. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-09-13 13:49

Matt Rhule all but tells Nebraska fans to buckle in for a long 2023 season
Nebraska football's 0-2 start hasn't been pretty in the least. And head coach Matt Rhule's latest comments don't foretell a turnaround coming for the Huskers.
2023-09-13 09:49

3 college football quarterbacks who need to be benched after Week 2
It's early in the college football season, but there are some teams that need to make a major change happen quickly, at quarterback specifically.
2023-09-13 06:52

Gareth Southgate says Harry Maguire criticism ‘beyond anything I’ve ever seen’
Gareth Southgate says he has never seen a player treated like Harry Maguire as the furious England manager labelled the unrelenting criticism of him “ridiculous” and “a joke”. Little more than two years on from being named in the European Championship team of the tournament, the 30-year-old is now the butt of jokes to many. Maguire’s struggle for form and game-time at Manchester United have increased the spotlight on a player that has remained an integral part of Southgate’s England squad. The centre-back made his first start of the season in Saturday’s 1-1 Euro 2024 qualifying draw against Ukraine and was mocked mercilessly when brought on at half-time against Scotland three days later. Maguire went on to score an unfortunate own goal but enjoyed the last laugh at Hampden Park as the Auld Enemy ran out 3-1 victors – something the travelling hordes were quick to celebrate with the under-fire defender. “From a Scotland fan’s point of view, I get it and I have absolutely no complaints with what they did,” the England boss said. “It is a consequence of ridiculous treatment of him for a long period of time, frankly. “I think our fans recognised ‘OK, there might be a bit of heat from our own supporters but we’re not going to have it from others getting into him’. “But it’s a joke. I’ve never known a player treated the way he is – not by the Scottish fans, by our own commentators, pundits, whatever it is. “They’ve created something that’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen. “He’s been an absolute stalwart for us in the second most successful England team for decades. He’s been an absolutely key part of that. “I’ve talked about the importance of our senior players. He’s been crucial amongst that. “Every time he goes on the field, the resilience he shows, the balls he shows is absolutely incredible. “He’s a top player and we’re all with him and our fans were brilliant with him tonight.” England fans chanted his name throughout the second half, including bellowing out ‘Harry Maguire, he’s winning 3-1’ after Harry Kane added to Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham’s first half goals. Asked how he is after the so-called friendly, Southgate said of Maguire: “He’s good, he’s great. We’ve had a good win, he’s been a big part of that. “He’s gone and spoken with the media because that’s the sort of lad he is. “He’s fronted up as he always does, so again enormous credit to his character.” Southgate said the own goal was “just unfortunate” on a night when Bellingham shone and England produced an impressive performance. “Really pleased with the performance,” Southgate said after the 116th meeting of international football’s oldest foes. “We wanted to give a performance that was controlled with the ball. “We knew that would be the best way of trying to quieten the crowd, which was a fantastic atmosphere. “I thought we showed great composure, we had good control of possession deeper and we had a real threat with our runs in behind and our forward running and forward passing. “The team worked incredibly hard without the ball because Scotland’s system can cause you a lot of problems. “So, I was so happy with all of the starting XI, all of the subs. “They’ve done a fantastic job and in the end, a really strong performance with an excellent result.” On Bellingham, the England boss added: “We want all our players to have that freedom and, contrary to what people seem to think most of the time, I think they do have that. “Tonight, different system they were playing against, different areas where the spaces were open. “What was key for Jude, the timing of his forward runs. You know, he’s got that ability to slip through challenges and he’s just a brilliant competitor. “He’s not concerned about the environment.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Steve Clarke insists Scotland remain in positive mood despite England defeat Luis Rubiales refuses to apologise to Jenni Hermoso over ‘consensual’ kiss Dane Vilas and Luke Wells put Lancashire in front heading into final day
2023-09-13 06:46

Steve Clarke insists Scotland remain in positive mood despite England defeat
Steve Clarke stressed Scotland’s feelgood factor should remain fully intact despite a 3-1 Hampden Park defeat to England. The chance of a double celebration lay in store for the Tartan Army but a chastening evening against their rivals saw many supporters drift out before full-time, as Norway’s 2-1 win against Georgia denied them an early qualification for next summer’s Euro 2024 finals in Germany. Victory against Spain in Seville on October 12 would be enough to top Group A and even defeat would leave a significant chance for Scotland to qualify next month as something will need to give when Norway face the Spaniards three days later. When asked how he would go about making sure the 150th anniversary defeat did not dent the feelgood factor, Clarke said: “It hasn’t gone. In the competitive group we are in – five wins, 15 points. “I told the lads the camp has been a success. The most important thing in this camp was to get three points in Cyprus. We achieved that. “It would have been nice to get a positive result against England to make it even better but the objective of what we came in to do has been done. “Obviously we didn’t want to lose to our Auld Enemy but on the night England were better. “Sometimes you need to take your medicine in football and we will take our medicine and try to improve. This group have always shown they are pretty good in a little bit of adversity Steve Clarke “We knew playing against England was going to be difficult, playing Spain away is going to be difficult, playing France away is going to be difficult. “But if you want to learn as a team you have to play against good opposition so we have to go away and learn the lessons and try to be better. “This group have always shown they are pretty good in a little bit of adversity, they have always bounced back in good shape, so hopefully next month they can do that.” Scotland struggled to make inroads against the English defence in the first half and were two down at half-time through Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham strikes before producing a more positive start to the second half. Harry Maguire’s own goal gave the home fans hope midway through the second period but John McGinn missed a good chance to equalise and England got back on top before Harry Kane netted. Clarke said: “You have to understand how good England are at pressing the ball, they made it very difficult for us first half, we couldn’t get our foot on it or string enough passes to open the game. “Listen, you have to learn to play against the speed and physicality of the opposition and England have certainly got both speed and physicality as well as a lot of talented players. “I think we can defend better. We didn’t defend as well as we could do so it’s something to improve. “The way we shaped the team, the personnel I started with, I had some ideas in my head that I wanted to see how they worked. “Obviously it didn’t work that well in the first half. I thought it was a little bit better in the second half I thought the changes were good, gave us a bit more impetus, a bit of energy, Ryan Christie came into the pitch really well. “And just as it looked as though we might get a chance to get something out the game, I was just getting ready to make some positive changes, England got the third and that killed the night.”
2023-09-13 06:29

Scotland vs England LIVE: Score and latest updates from 150th anniversary as Phil Foden misses early chance
Scotland football host England football team in a special friendly to mark the 150th anniversary of the first international fixture played between the two nations. The clash between neighbouring countries in 1872 is recognised by Fifa as football’s first-ever official international match, with 4,000 fans filing into the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Glasgow to witness the event. Now, 150 years later fans from both countries will flock to Hampden Park for the latest renewal of this old rivalry. Scotland are in fine form following a 3-0 victory over Cyprus on Friday to extend their advantage at the top of Euro 2024 qualifying Group A. They have won all five of their qualifiers so far and need just two points from their final three matches to secure a place at next summer’s championship. Meanwhile, England’s winning streak in qualifying ended with a 1-1 draw against Ukraine on Saturday. Gareth Southgate’s side manage to come from a goal down to secure a point despite a disjointed performance with Kyle Walker netting his first international goal but they will be aiming for a more positive result in Glasgow tonight. Follow all the action from Hampden Park and get the latest odds and tips for Scotland vs England right here: Read More Gareth Southgate hails Evan Ferguson and confirms England interest in Newcastle starlet Scott McTominay stars again as Scotland close on Euro 2024 spot with Cyprus win Gareth Southgate looking forward to tough examination against Scotland
2023-09-13 03:15

Is Scotland vs England on TV? Channel, start time and how to watch 150th anniversary clash
Scotland take on England in a special friendly meeting to mark the 150th anniversary of the first international fixture between the two nations. The 1872 encounter is recognised by Fifa as football’s first-ever official international match, with 4,000 fans filing into the West of Scotland Cricket Club in Glasgow. FOLLOW LIVE: Teams and all the action as Scotland host England in international friendly There should be a great many more at Hampden Park for the latest renewal of the old rivalry, with Scotland continuing a fine recent run with a 3-0 victory against Cyprus on Friday to extend their advantage at the top of Euro 2024 qualifying Group A England’s qualifying winning streak, meanwhile,was ended by a 1-1 draw against Ukraine in Wroclaw. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match, plus all the latest football odds and offers and tips ahead of Scotland vs England. When is Scotland vs England? Scotland vs England is due to kick off at 7.45pm BST on Tuesday 12 September at Hampden Park in Glasgow. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on Channel 4, with coverage from 7pm BST. A free live stream will also be available on the Channel 4 website and app. Team news Scotland impressed against Cyprus, but Steve Clarke could use this opportunity to shuffle his pack, with Stuart Armstrong a possible midfield starter and Lyndon Dykes in the mix further forward. Having earned a first call up ahead of the Cyprus game, English-born Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson was forced to pull out with an injury. Gareth Southgate has ruled out sweeping changes to his England side, suggesting it would be “ridiculous” to “over experiment” against a strong Scottish side. That said, Southgate could still use this as a chance to give Chelsea defender Levi Colwill a senior debut. Predicted line-ups Scotland XI: Gunn; Porteous, Hendry, Tierney; Patterson, S Armstrong, McGregor, Robertson; McTominay, McGinn; Dykes. England XI: Pickford; Trippier, Maguire, Colwill, Chilwell; Gallagher, Rice, Bellingham; Foden, Kane, Rashford. Odds Scotland win 7/2 Draw 13/5 England win 3/4 Latest odds here. Prediction Scotland celebrate the occasion with a narrow victory. Scotland 2-1 England. Read More Gareth Southgate hails Evan Ferguson and confirms England interest in Newcastle starlet Gareth Southgate twice talked Kyle Walker out of international retirement Steve Clarke says Ryan Porteous block was highlight of Scotland’s win in Cyprus Scotland vs England LIVE: Latest updates from 150th anniversary clash England want Newcastle duo amid call-up tug-of-war with Scotland How to watch Cyprus vs Scotland online and on TV today
2023-09-13 01:46

For better or worse, Kyle McCord needs to be Ohio State QB1
Ohio State is stuck with Kyle McCord this season. What is a way to make sure Ohio State is able to do well this season with McCord at QB?
2023-09-13 00:47

When is the Euro 2024 group stage draw? Date, start time and how to watch
Euro 2024 kicks off next June as the men’s European Championship is hosted solely by Germany for the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Matches will take place across 10 venues from Hamburg in the north down to Munich (where four matches were staged during the pan-continental Euro 2020) in the south, with Berlin’s Olympiastadion hosting the final. Italy are the reigning champions after overcoming England at Wembley in a penalty shootout in the summer of 2021, after the tournament was delayed by 12 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The competition will once again see 24 nations split into six groups of four, with the top two from each group qualifying automatically for the last 16 and the top four third-placed teams also progressing. Germany has automatically qualified for the group stage as hosts, while Russia was excluded from the qualification process following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Here is everything you need to know about the Euro 2024 group stage draw. When is the draw? The draw for the Euro 2024 group stage takes place on Saturday 2 December at 6pm local time (5pm GMT) in Hamburg. How to watch The draw will be streamed live online on Uefa’s official website, YouTube channel and app. How does the draw work? The 24 teams will be split into four pots based on their performance during qualification. Who has already qualified? Qualification is still ongoing and so far Germany are the only team qualified for the group stage, as the hosts of the tournament. They will be in Group A. A further 20 nations will qualify by finishing in the top positions in their qualification group. That leaves three more spots at Euro 2024, which will be taken by the winners of a play-off round in March. Who enters the play-offs is dependent on standings from the 2022/23 Nations League. Read More Aaron Ramsey rolls back the years to keep Wales’s Euro 2024 hopes alive England want Newcastle duo amid call-up tug-of-war with Scotland Gareth Southgate felt England did not ‘quite click’ against Ukraine Qualification a formality but England have issues to fix to triumph at Euro 2024 Ukraine vs England LIVE: Latest updates from Euro 2024 qualifying Is Latvia vs Wales on TV? Channel, and how to watch Euro 2024 qualifier online
2023-09-12 23:56

England to resist Republic of Ireland approach for Lee Carsley
The Football Association will resist any attempt from Ireland to appoint England under-21 manager Lee Carsley, should Irish boss Stephen Kenny be sacked. Ireland have just suffered successive defeats to France and Netherlands and while those would otherwise be respectable performances, they come on the back of a series of poor results that have now all but ended the hopes of Euro 2024 qualification. While Kenny is widely expected to be given the rest of this campaign, a failure to claim a play-off place - which is now dependent on results in other groups - could well end three difficult years in charge of the Irish team. A former Irish international, Carsley has long been admired by the Football Association of Ireland, and is seen as the next main target for the senior job whenever that may be. He bolstered his growing reputation in the summer with England's first under-21 European Championships victory in 39 years, beating Spain in the final. That has only added to Carsley's value within the FA, though, where he is seen as the sort of figure who could eventually succeed Gareth Southgate as senior manager. While there would be the expectation that England go for a more established club manager when Southgate eventually departs, a growing school of thinking is that the international game demands different qualities. Southgate himself is one of a few examples from high-profile European nations who have succeeded by promoting from the underage squads. There has been a feeling Carsley's year-to-year under-21 contract could mean he is attainable by Ireland, but any approach would be met with resistance by the FA. Other names that have been mentioned in circles around the top of the Irish football hierarchy are Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna and even Rafael Benitez. While the latter would be hugely expensive but potentially open to the job in the future, McKenna is seen as even more difficult due to Ipswich’s huge investment in a Premier League promotion push. Read More Gareth Southgate hails Evan Ferguson and confirms England interest in Newcastle starlet Stephen Kenny ‘not thinking about’ pressure on job as Euro 2024 hopes crumble Gareth Southgate acknowledges England want Newcastle duo amid call-up tug-of-war with Scotland
2023-09-12 19:18