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Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha has dismissed calls from some supporters to sell the relegated club and promised the Foxes will soon return to the Premier League. Despite beating West Ham 2-1 on Sunday, Leicester dropped into the Sky Bet Championship seven years after being crowned champions of England and two seasons since winning the FA Cup. It is a remarkable fall from grace and one that Leicester chairman Srivaddhanaprabha says has led to him receiving offensive messages, some of which have been “outright abusive”. “I have received a massive number of messages from our fans – both positive and negative,” Srivaddhanaprabha said in a statement published on the Leicester website. “Some want me to sell the club, some using offensive and thoughtless words, and some have been outright abusive. “But for every hurtful message I have received, I have also received messages of support, of appreciation, of unity – both remotely and from people I have met anonymously in public, who always come to say hello to me and to my family. It means a lot to us.” Srivaddhanaprabha’s father Vichai and his family bought the club in 2010 and took Leicester into the Premier League four years later. Leicester produced possibly English football’s greatest underdog story by winning the title in 2016. Club chairman Khun Vichai was killed in a helicopter accident at Leicester’s King Power Stadium in October 2018. For every hurtful message I have received, I have also received messages of support, of appreciation, of unity Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha “It was the most painful experience for me and for my family, but the support and love we received from our Leicester City family made our bond even stronger,” Srivaddhanaprabha said of the accident. “I made a commitment, as chairman, to continuing to pursue the ambition my father and I shared for the club, to ensure that the realisation of his vision for Leicester City would ultimately become his legacy. “We want to thank you and let you know that we still have the same ambition for Leicester City that we had 13 years ago. “The incredible support we had in our stadium yesterday, the positive messages we have received from our fans and the constructive comments we must take on-board – we will gather all this support and use it to power our recovery. “Power to justify our fans’ belief in their club. Power to take us back to the Premier League. “Next season is going to be tough, but it will be a year for collaboration and unity. We will come together and fight to return to the Premier League.” Leicester finished fifth twice as well as eighth during manager Brendan Rodgers’ three full seasons in charge. But Srivaddhanaprabha acknowledged the impact of Covid had a serious effect on the club’s finances, with summer cutbacks meaning that Rodgers was unable to significantly strengthen his squad. The departures of long-serving goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel to Nice and defender Wesley Fofana to Chelsea also had a detrimental effect on the squad. Rodgers left at the end of April with Leicester in the bottom three, and his replacement Dean Smith was unable to prevent relegation after taking charge for the final eight games. Srivaddhanaprabha said: “Relegation is a consequence of 38 games and over that period, we haven’t been good enough. “Over the coming days and weeks, we need to reflect on the processes and decisions that have brought us to this point. “What we learn from this experience must convert into action that makes us stronger and prevents this happening to us again in the future. “We took Leicester City into the UEFA Champions League, giving our supporters those amazing Wednesday nights, under the lights in Porto, Brugge, Copenhagen, Seville and Madrid. “We used the fruits of that success to keep reinvesting in the club, strengthening our squad, improving the experience for our fans and starting plans for major projects like Seagrave and a stadium expansion that would give us long-term strength and growth. “Of course, these milestones place our situation today into quite stark context, but I reference them to highlight the progress we have made as a club in the last 13 years, which gives me confidence that we will build again. “Relegation is undeniably a significant setback, but it will not define us. Today we share the loss and the pain together. But we will be back. “This responsibility that I continue to live is one of the greatest responsibilities in my life and I will continue to put everything into it – my passion, that of my family and the entire King Power community.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Roberto De Zerbi says Brighton must build stronger squad for European challenge James McArthur hails Roy Hodgson’s impact at Crystal Palace Coaching trio follow Gregor Townsend’s lead and extend Scotland deals until 2026

Ryan Mason said he and his coaching staff have “done a great job” during his second spell as Tottenham’s interim manager. Tottenham closed their Premier League season with a resounding 4-1 win at relegated Leeds on Sunday, but have failed to qualify for European football next season for the first time since 2008-09. Mason said: “When I go on my summer holidays I would hope and expect that everyone inside of our training ground knows who I am, who my team is and what we stand for. “The hope and expectation is that you guys and everyone else sees that too. I know we’ve done a great job. I really do.” Tottenham fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United at home in Mason’s first game back in charge and have since won two and lost three of their last five matches. The 31-year-old former Spurs midfielder, whose previous stint in temporary charge came after Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2021, replaced previous interim boss Cristian Stellini with six games remaining. Tottenham had sacked Antonio Conte at the end of March and while they were then fourth in the table, they had exited all the cup competitions and weary fans had grown disillusioned over their team’s playing style. “The circumstances were very difficult,” said Mason, who urged the club to get their next managerial appointment right. “I think anyone in the world coming into this situation for six games coming off the back of what had happened and the position we were in was going to find it tough. “Also if you add into that being on an interim basis, where there’s uncertainty it makes it even tougher. “But we’ve stuck to what we believe in, we’ve transitioned a little bit I believe in a short space of time and the players have responded, they’ve given us everything and ultimately that’s all I can ask.” Throughout his six games in charge, Mason has called for the club to rediscover their identity and feels that is the biggest factor as they continue their search for a new manager. “The most important thing for any club in world football is to have an identity, know who you are and who you want to be and stick to that,” he said. Mason also paid tribute to Harry Kane, who scored twice at Elland Road – in what could be his last game for Tottenham – to take his league tally to 30 for the season. “I think he probably doesn’t get the appreciation he should,” Mason added. “The goals yes, outstanding, a 30-goal season in the Premier League is incredible but also his overall performances are just outstanding. “I also think as well to go through what happened in the World Cup, from a mental point of view, to come back and do what he’s done for the past four or five months, I think it speaks volumes for the player and the person.” Read More Tottenham need to figure out ‘who we want to be’, interim boss Ryan Mason says Leeds’ relegation confirmed as Harry Kane hits double in Tottenham win Abdoulaye Doucoure the saviour, Tottenham’s crossroads and 6 Premier League final day talking points

Roy Hodgson’s future at Crystal Palace is up in the air but outgoing midfielder James McArthur believes the veteran manager breathed fresh life into the Eagles during his second stint at the club. Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park two months ago on a deal until the end of this season, taking over at a side that were winless in 13 games and hovering three points above the Premier League drop zone. Palace won five of their remaining 10 fixtures under Hodgson to quickly banish thoughts of a relegation tussle and they finished 11th – above Chelsea – after a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Afterwards, Hodgson was tight-lipped about whether he will still be at Palace next season and McArthur revealed he and his team-mates expressed their gratitude towards the 75-year-old. “In the changing room all the boys thanked him,” McArthur said in quotes on the Palace website. “We don’t know what’s happening next year, but we thanked him for his effort this year. “The coaching staff have been brilliant, the team are playing with real confidence right now and he’s instilled that in the lads.” McArthur, who announced last week he would leave Palace after nine years, made his 253rd and final appearance for the club at the weekend, replacing Cheick Doucoure midway through the second half. Forest took the lead just after the half-hour through Taiwo Awoniyi but Will Hughes struck moments before McArthur was brought on as a substitute as the spoils were shared on the last day of the season. “It was (an emotional moment) but I was just focused on trying to get back into the game and winning it,” McArthur said. “I don’t think we were as good as we have been in recent weeks, but Forest are a good side who make it hard for you. When they get that goal it’s tough to break them down. “Thankfully we got that goal and were pushing for another one, but it wasn’t to be. We’ve got strong characters in that changing room. “We’re one of the best teams in the league for coming back and we showed once again what we’re made of.” The draw extended Forest’s unbeaten sequence to four matches at the end of the campaign, with narrow wins against Southampton and Arsenal this month preserving their top-flight status. Hughes’ strike denied them just a second victory away from home this term but Forest head coach Steve Cooper hailed the effort of his side before turning his attention towards the next few months. “The guys have all stepped up recently,” Cooper said. “They deserve a lot of credit. “We’ve now got to have a productive summer. There will be a little rest, but we’re going to be working during the summer to make sure we return for pre-season in a better place on and off the pitch. “We cannot stop, we cannot stand still. By staying in the Premier League, we’ve given ourselves such a good opportunity to build and keep growing.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Cameron Norrie comes through five-set battle with home favourite Benoit Paire Coaching trio follow Gregor Townsend’s lead and extend Scotland deals until 2026 A closer look at how managers to lead both Chelsea and Tottenham have fared

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi admits the Seagulls will need to spend ahead of their European debut. They have qualified for the Europa League for the first time in their history after finishing sixth in the Premier League. Brighton had already wrapped up sixth spot before Sunday’s final day 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa and De Zerbi knows they will need to expand their squad to cope with the demands of European competition. “We are not ready to play three games in a row, three games per week. We are not used to playing three games in a row,” he said. “We have to work in the transfer market, we have to build a stronger squad, with more players and then we have to improve. “The result we achieved this year was incredible, Tony (Bloom), me and Paul Barber, we have the dream to improve this result. “The season is finished which is bad news for me – it’s difficult without football. I will go to Italy and will work with Tony Bloom and the club to improve the squad. “This season was fantastic and we have to try and repeat it.” Deniz Undav’s goal was not enough to rescue a point after Brighton fell 2-0 down inside 30 minutes at Villa following strikes from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins. Victory earned Villa seventh in the Premier League and a Europa Conference League play-off spot, returning to Europe for the first time in 13 years. Boss Unai Emery said: “It’s important because we’re going to be one step ahead in our objective to be in Europe. To play in the Conference League is very important. “We’re adding the possibility of another trophy because it’s very difficult in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Our objective and ambitions will be to try and always be a candidate to get a trophy. “To play in Europe for the club and the coaches, because I was playing 15 years in a row in Europe, so to get that again next year is fantastic for me individually and I’m very happy playing in Europe.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘We will be back’ says Leicester chairman following relegation James McArthur hails Roy Hodgson’s impact at Crystal Palace Coaching trio follow Gregor Townsend’s lead and extend Scotland deals until 2026

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland and his Hibernian counterpart Kevin Nisbet have both been included in the Scotland squad for the next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia. The Edinburgh-based pair take the places of Stoke’s Jacob Brown, who missed the end of the Championship season with a hamstring issue, and Southampton forward Che Adams, who recently suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury he sustained in Scotland’s win over Cyprus. Shankland, who previously made four appearances in 2019 and 2020, was called back into the fold for the Spain game in March and he has kept his place at the end of a season in which he has scored 28 goals for Hearts. Nisbet, who won all of his 10 caps in 2021, is recalled for the first time since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2022. The 26-year-old has scored 12 goals for Hibs since returning to action in December. Rangers defender John Souttar is recalled after missing much of the season through injury. The 26-year-old, who has not played for the national team since last summer’s Nations League defeat in Ireland, takes the place of Norwich City centre-back Grant Hanley, who has been sidelined with an Achilles problem since early April. Blackburn centre-back Dom Hyam has retained his place after earning a late call-up for the last camp in March, while Steve Clarke has opted for consistency in the goalkeeping department with Angus Gunn, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly again called up in the absence of Craig Gordon, who remains sidelined as he tries to fight back from a double leg-break sustained on Christmas Eve. Scotland, who are top of Group A with two wins from their two games so far, face Norway in Oslo on Saturday, June 17 before welcoming Georgia to Hampden three days later. Scotland squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia: Goalkeepers: Zander Clark (Hearts), Angus Gunn (Norwich), Liam Kelly (Motherwell). Defenders: Liam Cooper (Leeds), Jack Hendry (Club Brugge), Aaron Hickey (Brentford), Dominic Hyam (Blackburn), Nathan Patterson (Everton), Ryan Porteous (Watford), Anthony Ralston (Celtic), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), John Souttar (Rangers), Greg Taylor (Celtic), Kieran Tierney (Arsenal). Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Lewis Ferguson (Bologna), Billy Gilmour (Brighton), Ryan Jack (Rangers), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Kenny McLean (Norwich), Scott McTominay (Manchester United). Forwards: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth), Lyndon Dykes (Queens Park Rangers), Kevin Nisbet (Hibernian), Lawrence Shankland (Hearts). Read More Time for yet another Everton reset – but this time with a dose of boring reality Farce amid the failure: How 2023 saw Leeds fall apart We’ve done a great job – Ryan Mason Time for yet another Everton reset – but this time with a dose of boring reality Farce amid the failure: How 2023 saw Leeds fall apart We’ve done a great job – Ryan Mason

This week's MLB Power Rankings takes a look at winning percentage for all 30 teams against clubs with a .500 or better record.Run differential is one way to differentiate the frauds from the teams with something serious to play for. In this week’s MLB Power Rankings, we look at a differ...

Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment at Chelsea on a two-year contract continues the strong managerial connection between the Blues and Tottenham. The Argentinian becomes the fifth man to manage both clubs in the Premier League era and here, the PA news agency looks at the records of his predecessors. Glenn Hoddle Chelsea 1993-96: P157, W53 (33.7 per cent), D54, L50 Tottenham 2001-03: P104, W41 (38.3 per cent), D18, L45 The long-time Spurs midfielder finished his career as Chelsea player-manager for two seasons before a third solely in the dugout. His sides never finished higher than 11th in the league but reached an FA Cup final, losing 4-0 to Manchester United, and semi-final as well as a Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final. After spells with England and Southampton, he took charge at White Hart Lane with similar results to his Chelsea spell – Spurs reached a League Cup final, losing to Blackburn, but finished ninth and 10th in the league before he was sacked six games into the next season. Andre Villas-Boas Chelsea 2011-12: P40, W19 (47.5 per cent), D11, L10 Tottenham 2012-13: P80, W44 (55.0 per cent), D20 L16 After their success with Jose Mourinho, Chelsea once again turned to Porto to recruit Villas-Boas, who had worked as part of Mourinho’s staff. He was unable to work similar magic as manager, lasting just 40 games and less than a season in the role. He lasted twice as long at Spurs but narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification in his first season and was dismissed with the club lying seventh shortly before Christmas in his second, having failed to make the most of the then-world record fee received for Gareth Bale’s move to Real Madrid and lost 6-0 to Manchester City and 5-0 to Liverpool in his last five league games in charge. Jose Mourinho Chelsea 2004-07, 2013-15: P321, W204 (63.6 per cent), D69, L48 Tottenham 2019-21: P86, W44 (51.2 per cent), D19, L23 Announcing himself as a “Special One”, Mourinho lived up to that billing in his first spell at Stamford Bridge with back-to-back league titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups. His unbeaten home record in the league lasted 77 games in all and into his second spell, when he won the Premier League and League Cup for a third time each. After another League Cup and a Europa League with Manchester United, Spurs banked on Mourinho as Pochettino’s replacement to end a trophy drought amounting to a solitary League Cup since 1991. With Spurs finishing sixth and then seventh in the league, though, Mourinho was sacked just days before his chance to bring silverware in the 2021 League Cup final – which Manchester City won 1-0 against a team led by caretaker manager Ryan Mason. Antonio Conte Chelsea 2016-18: P106, W69 (65.1 per cent), D17, L20 Tottenham 2021-23: P77, W41 (53.2 per cent), D12, L24* Conte brought a Premier League title and an FA Cup to Chelsea, but was sacked after they finished only fifth in the league in his second season. His volatile style never meshed easily with Tottenham and his exit in March, railing at “selfish players” and Tottenham’s “story” of failing to win trophies, has left them still searching for a permanent successor, Mason again at the helm after Conte’s assistant Cristian Stellini was remarkably sacked as interim manager. (*includes 3-0 loss to Rennes by forfeit in Europa Conference League, December 2021) Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham 2014-19: P293, W159 (54.3 per cent), D62, L72 Chelsea: appointed 2023 Unlike the other names on this list, Pochettino moves to Chelsea having first managed Tottenham rather than the other way round. He took Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final, where they lost to Liverpool, and his return was widely craved by sections of their fanbase – any notable success at Chelsea will therefore be all the more painful for their London rivals. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Shoulder injury forces Jack Draper out of French Open ICC chief Wasim Khan accepts Tests and franchise leagues must learn to coexist Leeds squad not good enough to stay in Premier League – Sam Allardyce

The reasons why Mauricio Pochettino is the best candidate to take the Chelsea head coach role. The Argentine has been appointed on a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.

Make enough decisions and the law of averages dictates that even Todd Boehly will get the odd one right, sooner or later. In Mauricio Pochettino’s case, it is certainly later: Chelsea could have appointed him manager eight months ago and plumped instead for the sadly miscast Graham Potter. And so, as Pochettino’s task involves clearing up Boehly’s mess and turning chaos into something cohesive, it feels rather fitting that he begins with first-hand evidence that poor decision-making has consequences. If Pochettino is potentially the solution in this belated union, Chelsea may represent the problem. But it is significant that the supposed ethos of the new regime – before they instead became indelibly associated with chronic, clueless overspending and extraordinary underachievement – actually matched Pochettino’s principles. Much of his work at Stamford Bridge is simply to repeat the job he did at Tottenham, albeit with the significant caveat of adding trophies on top. But restoring a club to the Champions League, rebuilding relations with the support, engendering a feeling of positivity, developing young players and producing an exciting, attacking brand of football: Chelsea do not need to look far across the capital to see that Pochettino has already done that. And this, supposedly, was what Clearlake Capital was going to be about, not the hire-and-fire short-termism of Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea. Now, after two sackings in a season, Chelsea are in greater need of a Pochettino-style reboot. Admittedly, a complication is that, while Potter had a contract to 2027, Pochettino’s deal is only until 2025, with an extra year a club option. The undistinguished David Datro Fofana’s contract will still be twice as long as Pochettino’s; Mykhailo Mudryk’s will have a further six years. He begins hamstrung, to some extent, by Chelsea’s conviction that they had owned the future with their transfer-market business. If Thomas Tuchel used to describe the squad he took over as a “gift”, Pochettino’s inheritance is part present, part hospital pass. He needs the owners to have the competence to clear out the players he does not want; a task they seem to have underestimated amid the influx of signings. Part of Pochettino’s initial success at Tottenham entailed identifying a new core as he dispensed with senior figures such as Younes Kaboul, Emmanuel Adebayor, Aaron Lennon, Paulinho and Etienne Capoue. Chelsea could do with similar decisiveness and clarity of thought. They have used 32 players in the Premier League this season, second only to Nottingham Forest, and made over 130 changes to the starting 11, by far the most, which speaks of Potter’s unsuccessful compromises to involve everyone and Lampard’s muddled attempts to find a fix. With no European football next season, they have still less need of a cast of thousands. If Pochettino, with his prowess as a man-manager, may have to reengage some of the disillusioned and to unite the disparate parts of Chelsea’s squad, the actual number of players has to be manageable. He may have the initial impediment that Mason Mount, one of those best suited to his style of football, is a potential departure; Chelsea’s extravagant outlay has created a need to sell and too many others look either deadwood or unlikely to bring in meaningful fees. The danger is they lose those they want to keep and keep those they want to lose. Somehow, amid 16 signings and £600m of expenditure, Chelsea have created the perception that they still require at least three major additions: a goalkeeper, an actual defensive midfielder as their £107m midfielder, Enzo Fernandez, may not be one, and a striker. It is a difficult juggling act: one of the telling factors could be if Romelu Lukaku proves his Stamford Bridge version of Adebayor or Harry Kane. It was one of the damning elements of Potter’s reign that, despite an ability on the training ground that helped players at his previous clubs to progress dramatically, no one got better at Chelsea and many regressed. The exponential improvement of Tottenham’s youthful players – personified, in their different ways, by Kane and Dele Alli – and the way everyone reached new levels under Pochettino always offered reasons to choose and trust him. The latter element may be significant: the feeling is that too many of Clearlake Capital’s off-field appointments are yes men for Boehly and co. They have proved woefully poor judges and negotiations ought to have given Pochettino the licence to pursue his own path. Perhaps, after the madness of Paris Saint-Germain – though Chelsea is a different sort of madness and it is notable that Tuchel, the first manager Boehly sacked, accomplished more in the French capital than Pochettino – the Argentinian needs a project. Chelsea provide one: Andrey Santos and Malo Gusto will arrive in the summer and Levi Colwill is due to return to add to the battalion of young players – Mudryk, Fernandez, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Armando Broja, Noni Madueke, Marc Cucurella, Cesare Casadei, Lewis Hall – who provide the raw materials that could be shaped into something. In some cases, Pochettino will first have to repair dents to their confidence or game done in a disastrous season but at least some of that potential could be realised. It is nevertheless a remarkable scenario that a team who won the Champions League two years ago now seem to have to start from scratch but Pochettino has to provide an identity, to add a style of play to a team with none, to get goals from a side who have only outscored Wolves, Bournemouth, Southampton and Everton this season. It amounts to an astonishingly big job, because, in footballing history, elite clubs have rarely got as many things wrong as Chelsea have in the last year. But he has the pedigree and personality required to manage a superpower, which Potter lacked, and perhaps this year will engender an understanding that could buy him time. Because taking over Chelsea at such a low ebb means that, however quickly or slowly, there is surely only one direction in which they can go. Read More Football rumours: Barcelona set sights on Bruno Guimaraes Frank Lampard believes Chelsea standards have slipped as cheerless campaign ends Easy in the end for Manchester City – same again next season? Chelsea still a ‘fantastic’ job insists Lampard - but also a ‘problem’ Frank Lampard: Chelsea must avoid knee-jerk decisions if they are to recover Tottenham identify leading candidate to be next manager

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland and his Hibernian counterpart Kevin Nisbet have both been included in the Scotland squad for the next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Georgia. The Edinburgh-based pair take the places of Stoke’s Jacob Brown, who missed the end of the Championship season with a hamstring issue, and Southampton forward Che Adams, who recently suffered a recurrence of the ankle injury he sustained in Scotland’s win over Cyprus. Shankland, who previously made four appearances in 2019 and 2020, was called back into the fold for the Spain game in March and he has kept his place at the end of a season in which he has scored 28 goals for Hearts. Nisbet, who won all of his 10 caps in 2021, is recalled for the first time since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament in February 2022. The 26-year-old has scored 12 goals for Hibs since returning to action in December. Rangers defender John Souttar is recalled after missing much of the season through injury. The 26-year-old, who has not played for the national team since last summer’s Nations League defeat in Ireland, takes the place of Norwich City centre-back Grant Hanley, who has been sidelined with an Achilles problem since early April. Blackburn centre-back Dom Hyam has retained his place after earning a late call-up for the last camp in March, while Steve Clarke has opted for consistency in the goalkeeping department with Angus Gunn, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly again called up in the absence of Craig Gordon, who remains sidelined as he tries to fight back from a double leg-break sustained on Christmas Eve. Scotland, who are top of Group A with two wins from their two games so far, face Norway in Oslo on Saturday, June 17 before welcoming Georgia to Hampden three days later. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Leeds manager Sam Allardyce said the club’s players had not been good enough after Sunday’s 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham sealed Premier League relegation. Allardyce had been Leeds’ last throw of the dice with four games remaining, but after three defeats and a draw the 68-year-old was unable to mask the club’s systemic failings and save them. He said: “Most of it comes down to how good are your players? These players have tried very hard while I’ve been here and I can’t fault their effort. “But as a squad, they haven’t been good enough by the fact that they’re in the bottom three in the Premier League. “I would have hoped I could have got a little bit more out of them, so I take responsibility for that. “But it’s a tough old world when things start failing and when they start failing and confidence starts going then it’s very difficult to claw it back and we’ve been unable to do that.” Leeds’ three-year stay in the top flight is over and Allardyce made it clear poor player recruitment had been the biggest factor in their demise. “General recruitment is the number one factor for any manager or any coach or any head coach or any club to be successful,” he said. “Without top-level recruitment, a manager and a coach and the staff are only as good as the players they have available and their ability. “Actual quality is all about recruitment because better players and more intelligent players make you a better coach, make everybody at the club better, make it a happy club going forward.” Leeds’ ultra-slim hopes of avoiding the drop on the final day appeared dashed in the only the second minute against Tottenham when Harry Kane fired the visitors into an early lead. The Elland Road faithful responded with raucous defiance and that quickly turned to anger as they vented their fury at the Leeds board. Leeds wasted several first-half chances and were duly punished – as they have been all season – when Pedro Porro put Tottenham 2-0 up with a brilliant angled finish two minutes into the second half. Jack Harrison reduced the deficit, only for Kane to curl home his 30th league goal of the season two minutes later. Tottenham substitute Lucas Moura then compounded Leeds’ misery when he waltzed through to add a fourth in stoppage time. Leeds fans chanted ‘sack the board’ and called on chairman Andrea Radrizzani to sell his majority stake in the club to American co-owners 49ers Enterprises. I haven’t said I’m staying yet so there's a lot of discussion that needs (to be had) both ways on what's going to happen Sam Allardyce The financial arm of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers holds a 44 per cent stake with a deal in place to buy the remaining shares before January 2024. But that was contingent on Leeds being in the top flight and relegation has muddied the waters. Allardyce urged the club to quickly resolve their ownership issue, but it remains to be seen who will be in control as they bid to bounce straight back from the Sky Bet Championship. “I haven’t said I’m staying yet so there’s a lot of discussion that needs (to be had) both ways on what’s going to happen,” Allardyce added. “Whether that’s me or whoever that might be if it’s not me. I’m not committing myself to say I am or not staying just yet.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lawrence Shankland earns Scotland call ahead of June double-header Luciano Spalletti set to leave Napoli after leading club to Serie A success Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to build on the foundations laid this season

The eastern Canadian city of Halifax declared a state of local emergency late on Sunday after a wildfire