List of All Articles with Tag 'person'

Manchester City’s bid for a treble of major trophies is up and running

Erik ten Hag says Casemiro has exceeded expectations since arriving at Manchester United after his goal to beat Bournemouth took the team to within a point of Champions League qualification. The 1-0 win puts United on the brink of a return to Europe’s top club competition next season, with Liverpool’s draw against Aston Villa meaning Ten Hag’s side need only a draw from their final two games. Casemiro’s brilliantly improvised strike was the difference at the Vitality Stadium, the Brazilian finishing off Christian Eriksen’s cross with a wonderful overhead volley after nine minutes. United were not at their best but did enough to contain Bournemouth, who went close to levelling late on through Kieffer Moore after David De Gea had denied them with a string of reflex saves. Ten Hag’s team need only to avoid defeat against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Thursday to ensure they will go into the final game with their objective in the league this season secured before turning attentions to the FA Cup final. The manager singled out match-winner Casemiro’s contributions as being key on the south coast and throughout his time at the club. “He keeps surprising us, Casemiro,” said Ten Hag. “He’s such a brilliant football player. We know him as very good (at) organisation, positioning, anticipating, intercepting a lot of balls, winning duels, a fighter. Also in possession, his passing and distribution, but also finishing. Just a great football player. We’re happy we found him and his contribution is massive Erik ten Hag on Casemiro “Absolutely (he has exceeded expectations), by far. One of the things that came when we analysed, we missed a player in the midfield. We searched and it was not easy because there are not many in the profile whose standard fits the standard of Manchester United. We’re happy we found him and his contribution is massive.” United had been within minutes of wrapping up their place in the top four with two games to spare, only for a late equaliser for fifth-placed Liverpool against Villa at Anfield to ensure that, mathematically at least, Jurgen Klopp’s side remain in the hunt. But it would take a total collapse from United during the Premier League’s final week to deny them from here. If they take a point at home to Frank Lampard’s side it will render the result of the meeting with Fulham on the final day irrelevant and mean preparations can begin for the showdown with Manchester City at Wembley on June 3. Ten Hag said he had not been aware of the score at Anfield but stressed their goal had been in their own hands all along. “It’s not important, I’m telling you already for weeks it’s not about our opponents,” he said. “We are in the lead, it’s only up to us, we have everything in our hands, we don’t have to look behind. We have to make our performance. It’s nothing to do with any other team. It’s to do with the opponent on the day. “Very happy. First 25 minutes was a very good performance from our team, maybe one of the highest levels this season. It’s the way we want to play football. “Pin the opponent back, good on the ball, a lot of movements, good counter-press. Against a good team, Bournemouth, they can really play very good structures, I like them and their way of play. “You can see they’re already safe two games before the end. They didn’t have any chance to play out because we dominated them totally. We created chances and we scored a brilliant goal.” Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil, whose team went into the game already secured of their top-flight status for next season, felt the Cherries matched United on the day and reflected on his side having beaten the drop with room to spare. “I was pleased, I thought it was a good performance,” he said. “United are full-throttle at the moment and we were obviously understrength. Five key players missing, a little bit short today. I didn’t think there was much in it, our chances were as good as theirs. I don’t think anyone could have complained if Kieffer Moore had scored and it had finished 1-1. “I think everyone felt the Everton game (next week) would be pivotal. The fact that it isn’t shows what a big achievement it’s been from the players to stay up with four games to spare.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sean Dyche calls for one final push from Everton in Premier League survival bid Dean Smith turns to ‘big influence’ Jonny Evans to help Leicester’s survival bid Ryan Mason encourages little to be read into Harry Kane’s wave to Spurs fans

A horse trained by Bob Baffert has been euthanized on the track after going down with injury and unseating his jockey during a race on the Preakness undercard

Sinn Fein has become the biggest party in Northern Ireland’s local government for the first time ever, a

49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is walking back an earlier comment he made about his ex-team -- probably for the good karma.San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey appears to be enjoying life on his new team, but he doesn't want to seemtoohappy about it.The star running bac...

King Felipe VI of Spain went to his daughter's graduation ceremony at the college in Llantwit Major.

La Rochelle launched a stunning fightback from 17-0 down to edge out Leinster 27-26 and retain the Champions Cup in a dramatic...

She's one of the most celebrated actors of her generation, but Cate Blanchett wants to branch out even more into other filmmaking pursuits.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals is Sunday night

Debt limit talks between the White House and House Republicans stopped, started and stopped again heading into a weekend where President Joe Biden and world leaders watched from afar, hoping high-stakes negotiations would make progress on avoiding a potentially catastrophic federal default. In a sign of a renewed bargaining session, food was brought to the negotiating room at the Capitol on Saturday morning, only to be carted away hours later. No meeting was likely Saturday, according to a person familiar with the state of the talks who was not authorized to publicly discuss the situation and spoke on condition of anonymity. Biden's administration is reaching for a deal with Republicans led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. The sides are up against a deadline as soon as June 1 to raise its borrowing limit, now at $31 trillion, so the government can keep paying the nation’s bills. Republicans are demanding steep spending cuts the Democrats oppose. Negotiations had came to an abrupt standstill Friday morning when McCarthy said it was time to “pause” talks. Then the teams convened again in the evening, only to quickly call it quits for the night. Biden, attending a meeting of global leaders in Japan, tried to reassure them on Saturday that the United States would not default, a scenario that would rattle the world economy. He said he felt there was headway in the talks. “The first meetings weren’t all that progressive, the second ones were, the third one was,” he said. The president said he believes "we’ll be able to avoid a default and we’ll get something decent done.” Negotiators for McCarthy said after the Friday evening session that they were uncertain on next steps. “We reengaged, had a very, very candid discussion, talking about where we are, talking about where things need to be, what’s reasonably acceptable," said Rep. Garret Graves, R-La. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. was asked if he was confident an agreement over budget issues could be reached with the White House. He replied, “No.” As the White House team left the nighttime session, Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti, who is leading talks for the Democrats, said he was hopeful. “We're going to keep working,” he said. McCarthy had said resolution to the standoff is “easy,” if only Biden's team would agree to some spending cuts Republicans are demanding. The biggest impasse was over the fiscal 2024 top-line budget amount, according to a person briefed on the talks and granted anonymity to discuss them. Democrats contend the steep reductions Republicans have put on the table would be potentially harmful to Americans, and they are insisting that Republicans agree to tax increases on the wealthy, in addition to spending cuts, to close the deficit. Wall Street turned lower as negotiations came to a sudden halt. Experts have warned that even the threat of a debt default would could spark a recession. Republicans argue the nation's deficit spending needs to get under control, aiming to roll back spending to fiscal 2022 levels and restrict future growth. But Biden's team is countering that the caps Republicans proposed in their House-passed bill would amount to 30% reductions in some programs if Defense and veterans are spared, according to a memo from the Office of Management and Budget. Any deal would need the support of both Republicans and Democrats to find approval in a divided Congress and be passed into law. Negotiators are eyeing a more narrow budget cap deal of a few years, rather than the decade-long caps Republicans initially wanted, and clawing back some $30 billion of unspent COVID-19 funds. Still up for debate are policy changes, including a framework for permitting reforms to speed the development of energy projects, as well as the Republican push to impose work requirements on government aid recipients that Biden has been open to but the House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York has said was a "nonstarter." McCarthy faces pressures from his hard-right flank to cut the strongest deal possible for Republicans, and he risks a threat to his leadership as speaker if he fails to deliver. Many House Republicans are unlikely to accept any deal with the White House. Biden is facing increased pushback from Democrats, particularly progressives, who argue the reductions will fall too heavily on domestic programs that Americans rely on. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Josh Boak in Hiroshima, Japan, and AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Will Biden's hard-hat environmentalism bridge the divide on clean energy future? Russia warns of ‘colossal risks’ if F-16 fighter jets sent to Ukraine G7 'outreach' an effort to build consensus on global issues like Ukraine, China, climate change

Russia's private army Wagner claimed Saturday the total control of the east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the epicentre of fighting, as Kyiv said the battle was continuing but...

Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker has formally joined next year’s race for North Carolina governor