Gary Neville offered a hilarious analysis of Everton’s penalty at Luton Town by playfully shoving his co-pundit Jamie Carragher. The Toffees were awarded a spot-kick in the first-half of their 1-1 draw against the Hatters on Friday night. Mengi fouled Branthwaite and Everton were awarded a penaltyGetty After a VAR review, Teden Mengi was penalised for having his arms around Jarrad Branthwaite and bringing him down inside the box when defending a corner. Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville and Carragher analysed the incident and used their Premier League experience to explain what was wrong. “I’ve always said this about holding shirts, you’ve got to know when to let go,” Carragher said. “You can have a little bit of a jostle, a little bit of holding here and there but there’s a time and a place where you think, ‘I’ve held on for too long now.’ “You can probably get away with a second but you’ve got to let go, and he just doesn’t let go and this day and age, you’re not going to get away with it.” Neville then added: “The element of surprise as a defender is that you look like you’re not marking him. Just as the ball is about to be kicked, if I’m marking him, you do that…” Neville then puts his arm into Carragher as if he’s trying to hold him off on the pitch and slightly shoves him, before looking at his reaction and jokingly saying: “He’s not happy now.” “You make sure just before the ball comes in, you do that,” he then said before repeating what he did to send the Liverpool legend off the screen. Host Kelly Cates laughed but when Carragher gave the same back to Neville, she warned him: “Oi careful, don’t get me involved in this!” Neville tried to explain how defenders should hold off attackers in the box@SkySportsPL X He cheekily grinned after shoving Carragher to the side@SkySportsPL X Neville did it again, this time with much more force@SkySportsPL X But Carragher rushed in to get his own back in a playful bit of punditry@SkySportsPL X The art of marking as told by @GNev2 and @Carra23 Enjoy… pic.twitter.com/EkUZfsp1DM— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 3, 2024 The Manchester United icon continued to demonstrate what the defender needs to do before imitating Mengi putting his arms around Branthwaite. Neville further said: “You can’t do that, that’s just not a movement that any defender does so he’s a little bit naive, a lot naive there. “Look it happens, but that’s not a movement a defender or a motion a defender should do.” Cates then joked to cuddle Carragher again or he’ll have to ‘buy him dinner’ having been on the receiving end of some playful roughness. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the resulting penalty at Kenilworth Road before Elijah Adebayo equalised for Luton just minutes later. Everton are already safe from relegation but the point still keeps the Hatters in the bottom three with two games left to play.
Thomas Tuchel would be keen on taking over at Manchester United should Erik ten Hag leave, talkSPORT understands. The German is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season after just a little over a year in charge of the Bundesliga giants. Tuchel is a potential managerial target for United this summerGetty Bayern have endured an underwhelming campaign having missed out on the league title for the first time since the 2011/12 season. Champions League success is still on the cards but Tuchel remains on course to leave in the summer. He could find himself returning to work sooner rather than later though as he is one of the names on a list of managerial candidates at United. Ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford has come under uncertainty this season amid their poor efforts in the Premier League. United are sixth in the table and unable to secure a top four finish this season, although could still qualify for Europe. They will also face Manchester City in the FA Cup final but it remains to be seen if Ten Hag will still be in charge next season. Should Tuchel be the next appointment, he will arrive with Premier League experience under his belt following his stint at Chelsea. The 50-year-old joined the Blues in January 2021 and guided them to Champions League glory just four months later. Ten Hag is facing an uncertain future at the clubGetty Tuchel knows what it takes to manage in the Premier League after his spell at ChelseaGetty Tuchel also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup in his first full season before sealing third place finish in the league. However, he faced a shock dismissal at Stamford Bridge in September 2022 to make him available for the Bayern job six months later. He previously managed fellow European giants Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain with whom he won other major honours. United are facing another big summer of change as they continue to eye an return to the top of English football. Recent reports have claimed that the club are willing to listen to offers for all but three of their players – Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. However, Ten Hag insisted that the speculation is ‘untrue’ and ‘totally crap’ as he continues to work towards a strong end to the season.
Martin Keown challenged talkSPORT colleague Simon Jordan over a perceived leniency towards Chelsea owner Todd Boehly. The Blues’ on-field performances have slipped during Boehly’s two-year spell at the club, resulting in the west London club missing out on European qualification last season. Boehly has endured a challenging start to his Chelsea reignRex Chelsea’s 12th-placed league finish last term came as a surprise but a poor start to this campaign, coupled with a whopping £400million spent on squad reinforcements under the American’s ownership, has raised questions over the club’s direction. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have begun to show signs of improvement in recent weeks and Thursday night’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham has given them a genuine shot at a return to European football. While Chelsea are yet to see adequate return on their hefty investment, Arsenal legend Keown believes the Blues are edging in the right direction. However, the Invincibles great, who has been critical of Chelsea’s scattergun approach to transfers, believes Boehly has got off lightly with criticism and says former Crystal Palace owner Jordan has been too lenient on him. Jordan met with the Chelsea owner during the World Cup in Qatar and Keown believes a possible friendship between the pair is why the usually outspoken Jordan has steered clear of direct criticism of the billionaire American. “I want to take a point up with Simon,” Keown said on Friday’s White and Jordan show. “I was [previously] saying this was madness [Chelsea’s spending] and all I could hear from Simon was, ‘Oh the manager is complicit with this, he helps to pick the players’. “The message comes from the board, it was crazy the amount of money they were spending. The club has gone backwards; they are now having to rebalance and come forward. Keown asked Jordan to explain why he hasn’t yet been overly critical of BoehlytalkSPORT Jordan believes the Blues are slowly edging in the right direction under BoehlytalkSPORT “It was a finesse situation at Chelsea. It was to come in and spend a bit more money and put the icing on the cake, but instead they’ve got to go back to the foundations because the spending they had was ridiculous. “I think Todd took you out for lunch, you came in here saying all things Chelsea. Did he take you out to lunch?” Jordan refuted the idea of having a dinner date with Boehly and replied: “No, of course he didn’t. I was in Qatar in a football stadium with him and Jim [White] was sitting next to me. “The context of what was said was that it evades me the idea that the £400million-odd that was spent when Pochettino was appointed manager had none of his fingerprints over it. “The conversation was about Pochettino and his involvement in what they may or may not have bought. They’ve spent far too much money, they’ve had their pants pulled down and they’ve bought the wrong players at the wrong time. “But I do not believe the manager was on completely one side of the conversation and the £400m worth of players brought in whilst he was the manager and whilst he was courted by Chelsea since February, March of last year, wasn’t involved in these decisions. “I think Chelsea are moving in the right direction.” Jordan continued. “I still maintain that in a reasonable period of time they will be challenging for the Premier League.” Keown singled out the £88.5m signing of Ukraine star Mykhailo Mudryk as evidence of poor transfer dealings. Keown pointed to the signing of Mudryk as evidence of Chelsea poor recruitment planGetty Mudryk is yet to show his best form since arriving at the club in January 2023 and Keown hinted that Chelsea gambled on the winger because Arsenal were close to sealing a deal for him. However, Jordan pushed back on Keown’s claim and said while multiple signings haven’t worked out for the club, other suitors were interested in the club’s players. “Mudryk was a player that other clubs wanted,” Jordan added. “It’s the same with [Moises] Caicedo and [Marc] Cucurella. Whether they’ve worked at Chelsea, that conversation is clearly at this moment in time, not to the level they want them to.” But Keown had the final say and summed up in his own words the state of Chelsea’s current plight: “They’re now having to sell people like Conor Gallagher who have come through the academy system to meet the rules of Financial Fair Play! “It’s been madness, there’s no other word for it.”
With just a year left to run on his current deal, Liverpool should be planning for life beyond Mohamed Salah. Both player and club expect the Egypt star to be at Anfield next season but even so, Salah, who turns 32 years old in June, will leave sooner rather than later and Liverpool need to make contingencies. GettySalah will leave sooner or later and Liverpool must be prepared[/caption] Here, WhoScored.com have picked out six right wingers the Reds could target to succeed Salah on Merseyside. Jarrod Bowen – West Ham Jurgen Klopp has previously spoken highly of Jarrod Bowen, though his opinion won’t mean much further down the line with the German departing at the end of the season. Nevertheless, Bowen gave a great account of himself once more in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool last weekend. The England international scored one and assisted another in the stalemate, returning a WhoScored.com rating of 8.43 in the process. The 27-year-old is a versatile operator, too, and an ability to play out wide of through the middle would certainly appeal to incoming head coach Arne Slot. With 16 goals and six assists to his name, there is proven Premier League pedigree that would help the Dutchman settle in at Anfield. He is a potential Euro 2024 impact player for England too, although that could potentially increase his transfer fee. GettyBowen showed what he could offer Liverpool at the London Stadium[/caption] Mohammed Kudus – West Ham Bowen isn’t the only West Ham attacker that Liverpool should be eyeing up this summer. Mohammed Kudus only moved to east London from Ajax last year but has quickly established himself as a key man for the Hammers. And his form at the London Stadium have certainly caught the eye. West Ham may find it difficult to retain the 23-year-old’s services in the off-season especially if Kudus is viewed as the ideal long-term successor for Mohamed Salah. The Ghana star has completed more dribbles (103) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, so is a more direct attacking threat than the Egyptian wideman. Kudus is also able to play in a number of roles that the Merseyside outfit may find appealing. GettyKudus has been a fine signing for West Ham this season[/caption] Johan Bakayoko – PSV Arne Slot, though, may elect to look a little closer to home in a potential pursuit of a right winger, or at least press Michael Edwards to do so. In this instance, Johan Bakayoko would tick the right boxes in a potential quest to land Salah’s successor. The 21-year-old has been a revelation for champions-elect PSV this season, scoring 11 and providing nine assists. A WhoScored.com rating of 7.74 is the third best in the Eredivisie. Like Kudus, Bakayoko is a more direct attacking threat than Salah, and he also has a fine end product to his game when he does beat a man. The Belgian ranks second for dribbles (87) and fourth for key passes (63) in the top tier of Dutch football. While his game does need refinement, the future is bright for Bakayoko, who shows the same desire as Salah to cut in from the right and go for goal. GettyBakayoko is having a brilliant season and could star at Euro 2024 for the Netherlands[/caption] Yankuba Minteh – Feyenoord, on loan from Newcastle Well versed in Arne Slot’s demands, Yankuba Minteh would prove a bit of a wildcard option for Liverpool. The 19-year-old has excelled for Feyenoord this season, having scored nine and provided five assists despite registering just 1365 minutes of league action for the Dutch side. Crucial, too, is that Minteh elects to cut in from the right to go for goal, with six of his nine goals coming with his left foot. In addition, when he does cut inside, Minteh is difficult to stop. A total of 55 dribbles ranks sixth in the Eredivisie, despite a lack of regular minutes, while the Gambia international works tirelessly off the ball, too, as evidenced by an average of 2.8 tackles per 90. A sticking point, though, will be that Minteh is currently on loan from Newcastle and they’ll be keen to retain his services given his good form this season. GettyMinteh has huge potential and would already pocket Newcastle a pretty profit[/caption] Bryan Mbeumo – Brentford It’s no coincidence that Brentford’s form improved once Bryan Mbeumo returned to fitness. While much was made about Ivan Toney‘s return to action following his ban, Mbeumo has proven to be the Bees’ most important forward. The Cameroon international sat out a substantial spell due to injury and it’s no coincidence that Brentford’s performances nosedived in his absence. Mbeumo has scored eight times and provided five assists for Thomas Frank‘s side this season, and that has seen him garner a better WhoScored.com rating (7.03) than any other player for the west London side. Toney is likely to dominate the gossip columns this summer but it’s his Brentford teammate who deserves the fanfare. AFPMbeumo is now a seasoned Premier League performer[/caption] Matias Soule – Frosinone, on loan from Juventus While managerial uncertainty in Turin may impact whether Juventus cash in on Matias Soule this summer, the Argentine has been exceptional during his loan stint with Frosinone. The 21-year-old has scored 11 times and laid on an additional three assists for the relegation threatened Italian outfit and his performances under Eusebio Di Francesco haven’t gone unnoticed. The 21-year-old has completed more dribbles (90) than any other player in Italy’s top tier this term and, like so many other right wingers, is keen to cut inside when he gets on the ball, thus opening up space that can be exploted by marauding full-backs. Of course, if Max Allegri is dismissed at the end of the season, the new man may well seek to utilise Soule but he’s one that Liverpool, among others, should be keeping tabs on. GettySoulé has had an impressive loan spell and is definitely one to watch[/caption]
TNT Sports have swiftly responded to Jurgen Klopp stating he’ll ‘never watch’ them ever again. The Liverpool boss is making sure to make his thoughts on the football TV schedules known before he bows out at the end of the season – just in case he hadn’t been clear enough already. If there’s one thing Klopp has disliked during his time in England, it’s the early kick-off The German has been vocal in his criticism of English football’s packed schedule over the years, but on Friday he launched into a rant about TNT Sports in particular, telling them to be a ‘partner of football again and not a squeezer’ of the game. He did joke, however, that although he will no longer be a subscriber, he is available if they need a pundit for next season. Sure enough, just a few hours later, the broadcasters have come back with a response… Taking to X via their official account, TNT posted a photoshopped image of Klopp sat at a computer filling out a TNT job application. The quotes ‘But if you’re looking for a pundit, I speak English! I could do it!’ are written above the German’s head. Klopp in the photoshopped picture has ticked three out of four job requirements on their TNT pundit job application. Champions League winner, Premier League winner and multilingual were all checked off, with the Reds boss achieving the first two with Liverpool in 2019 and then in 2020. However, the final requirement, ‘Willing to work 12:30 on Saturdays’ was left blank. TNT’s admin hit back with this It appears the broadcasters are poking fun at Klopp stating his side having to play at 12:30 in the early kick-off on a Saturday is a ‘crime’ on Friday. It’s not the first time he’s done so, with him bemoaning the lack of recovery time it gives his players after they’ve been playing in mid-week. He’s even mocked himself for being so opposed to the 12:30 before, stating in September that fans would say he’s ‘moaning again’ after raising the issue once more. The Liverpool boss also snapped at a presenter after he joked about the 12:30 being his favourite kick-off time, too. Now, TNT Sport have now had their own say. Over to you, Kloppo!
Martin Keown had defended ex-Arsenal teammate Jens Lehmann’s recent purchase of branding rights to the ‘Invincibles’ name. Lehmann, who was part of the Invincibles team that went the entire 2003/04 Premier League season unbeaten as they won the title, splashed out £30,000 on the trademark ahead of the 20th anniversary of the feat. Lehmann has splashed the cash to trademark the name ‘Invincibles’ The ex-Arsenal goalkeeper is to set up a company with the support of his former teammates and legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. “I had the idea because the name ‘Invincibles’ becomes more and more popular approaching the 20th anniversary,” Lehmann told the Daily Mail. “Nobody had it, so I was looking into it. I was ready to get the branding rights for our group, so everybody who’s using it is violating our brand. The club were probably a little surprised because nobody thought about having the brand name registered. At least they know it’s now being controlled.” Reports have claimed that Arsenal were not made aware of Lehmann’s move and the rights for the Invincibles name has been taken ‘from under the club’s nose’. Hweover, responding to questions as to whether Lehmann’s venture contained underhand tactics, Keown was keen to set the record straight. “It’s been a very open process – what Jens has done is taken out a patent on the word ‘Invincibles’ and shared that with all the players and all the staff,” Keown told the White and Jordan show on talkSPORT. “He’s set up a company where everybody would benefit if anything could be benefited from. It’s not for himself, it’s for the whole group… with our approval. “Everybody’s been in the WhatsApp group of 40 people – of players and members of staff… lots of people played their part in this incredible success. Keown defended his former teammate and explained that his intentions are pure GettyKeown says Wenger also gave his backing to the trademarking of the name[/caption] “I wouldn’t put a negative on this,” he continued. “I think it’s about unity. The club is completely in tandem with it and we’ll look to do things going forward for charity with the club. “For me it’s a positive, I don’t see this is as a negative story. Jens has done this for the group, he’s done it for the masseur, the kit man, the people who didn’t really earn the monies. “Arsene knows and is aware of it, he’s part of that group, as are all the staff members. Jens is not taking this for himself, he’s just making sure it’s protected going forward.” Keown explained one of the reasons for the new ‘Invincibles’ brand is to stage Arsenal legends games to raise money for charity, having been inspired by Premier League rivals Liverpool. The Merseysiders hold a number of legends matches at Anfield each year, with club icons Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Ian Rush, Steve McManaman and more taking to the field again in front of a family-friendly crowd – with all proceeds being donated to worthy causes. The Gunners greats are looking to do the same, starting from next season. “What they are looking to do is a documentary, they are negotiating with broadcasters, and we’re hoping to hold a game next season. Lehmann played a key part in the Gunners’ incredible feat of 20041990 The Arsenal Football Club Plc Former England boss Eriksson sat in the iconic Anfield dugout, fulfilling a lifelong dream, after an invitation from Liverpool for their most recent charity match at AnfieldGetty “There was an opportunity to do a game, the club has offered a date but it clashed with UNICEF’s Soccer Aid on June 9, which is a major event they didn’t want to go up against – but there will be a game and a link with a charity. “I like what Liverpool have done, I like their legends community matches, that game with Sven [Goran Eriksson] – they’re the pioneers in this, and I’d like Arsenal to follow that in some capacity going forward.” Keown also revealed that he, along with his former teammates, will be paraded on the pitch at the final home game of the season against Everton later this month, to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of the Invincibles campaign. “There is no divide between us, the former players, and the club – it’s completely the opposite,” Keown added. “In fact, we’ve all been invited to the last game of the season. “The Invincibles will be on the pitch and I hope to be there with a new Premier League success for the current team. That’s all we want, the former generation.”
