{"id":28730,"date":"2025-10-17T17:11:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T17:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=28730"},"modified":"2025-10-17T17:11:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T17:11:30","slug":"postecoglou-defends-trophy-record-arteta-backs-gyokeres-palmer-injury-blow-football-news-as-it-happened-premier-league","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=28730","title":{"rendered":"Postecoglou defends trophy record; Arteta backs Gy\u00f6keres, Palmer injury blow \u2013 football news as it happened | Premier League"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<br \/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>That\u2019s a wrap on today\u2019s live blog<\/strong>. So now attentions can fully turn to the weekend, and what a weekend of football it promises to be, concluding with that titanic Liverpool v Manchester United clash at Anfield. Well, if you don\u2019t count West Ham v Brentford on Monday night, which may not provide as many fireworks. You never know.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Thanks as always for your correspondence and just generally for reading and engaging with myself and the other writers today. A pleasure as always!<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Jordan Pickford just goes on and on and on, for England and Everton.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">David Moyes described the goalkeeper\u2019s new four-year contract with the Toffees as \u201creally good news\u201d \u2013 Pickford has recently hit 900 saves for the club too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Moyes said: \u201cWhen I left Sunderland, people connected to Everton asked me about my players. I told them my young goalkeeper was outstanding. Then they went and signed him that summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Pickford is now a \u201cbig voice, important figure and senior player\u201d, according to Moyes. And he\u2019s still England\u2019s No 1 \u2013 for now.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>We\u2019ve not got long left<\/strong> for today\u2019s football countdown blog, so how about some <em>predictions<\/em> from yours truly? Feel free to screenshot, save, remind me on social media etc etc \u2013 but let me know yours first:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Nottm Forest 1-2 Chelsea<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Brighton 2-2 Newcastle<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Burnley 1-0 Leeds<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Crystal Palace 3-2 Bournemouth<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Manchester City 2-0 Everton<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sunderland 2-1 Wolves<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Fulham 1-3 Arsenal<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Spurs 2-0 Aston Villa<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">West Ham 1-0 Brentford<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>So there you go.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Brendan Rodgers has been reflecting<\/strong> on the sacking of former Rangers adversary Russell Martin, speaking at a Celtic press conference today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rodgers and Martin only faced off in one Old Firm derby, which ended in a 0-0 bore draw at Ibrox at the end of August.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re always disappointed when any manager loses his job and Russell will be no different. It was a challenge that he\u2019ll learn from in his career, he\u2019s got many more years left as a coach and a manager and I\u2019ve always said, when you manage here at Celtic or Rangers, the pressure really is relentless.<\/p>\n<p>And you find out things about yourself in this role, in this job, and I\u2019m sure he will have done that. I wish him all the best and he\u2019ll probably have a bit of time out and then look to go again and use this experience.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Our handy guide to your sporting weekend. <\/strong>Quiet one.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Glasner on chances of signing new Palace contract<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Oliver Glasner has been talking about the prospect of him signing a fresh Crystal Palace contract. He spoke about his discussions with chairman Steve Parish during the international break and their vision for the immediate future of the club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Glasner said: \u201cI met Steve on Sunday and we had dinner and talked, I met him on Tuesday and Wednesday and we talked, and we talked today \u2013 so we\u2019re talking almost everyday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s not that I need conditions or I want something, Crystal Palace wants to be successful, it wants to continue this pathway. Not just the last 18 months, it was always between 10th and 11th to 14th, 15th. We\u2019re discussing how we can continue this pathway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIn any company if you have two leaders with different visions, you go separate ways and then you can\u2019t achieve your goal. If we can find the same goal for Crystal Palace, not for Oliver Glasner, we will enter the talks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a012.27 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Get around the latest Football Daily<\/strong> via Mr Brewin himself. And of course it has a Liverpool v Manchester United flavour. Don\u2019t forget to subscribe. It\u2019s free!<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Tottenham<\/strong> are no stranger to new manager bounces. They got one in the early Ange days, of course. And hosting Aston Villa on Sunday, they\u2019ll be favourites to make it 17 points from a possible 24 under new broom Thomas Frank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">With Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai, Yves Bissouma and Dominic Solanke all out injured right now, Frank deserves some praise. How long can the honeymoon period last? Their fixtures after Sunday look rather tricky.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Thanks John.<\/strong> We\u2019ve got one final hour in us. There\u2019s been far more correspondence about Ange Postecoglou than anything else, which is interesting.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>And with that, I pass over to Dom Booth<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>John Swan joins the Ange train:<\/strong> \u201cThis has all the appearances of a pile-on, but Ange appears to me to be a busted flush. I\u2019m not a Forest fan, but I do have a soft spot for them having been to Uni in Nottingham during the latter Brian Clough period where I regularly stood in the Trent End watching Des Walker, Stuart Pearce, Ian Woan and a young Roy Keane among others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAnyway, my heart sank when Nuno got the push and sank further still when I saw who they had lined up to replace him. I fear we\u2019re going to get more of these snarky, pass-agg pressers and, worse, one-dimensional and self-defeating team performances. I hope I\u2019m wrong, but you know what they say about hope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>A memorial service was held in Liverpool<\/strong> for Matt Beard, the former manager of Liverpool FC\u2019s women\u2019s team.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>The latest on the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv story.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>More Ange, courtesy of Jamie Glover:<\/strong> \u201cAnge Postecoglu\u2019s opinion of himself is truly staggering. He\u2019s incapable of humility or of being willing to learn a lesson. I\u2019ve been a Spurs fan for the best part of 56 years and the football that we were playing in the league at the end of last season was truly some of the worst that I can ever remember.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWith all due respect to the Australian and Japanese leagues, success there is of virtually no importance when compared with a league like the Premiere League. And Celtic have won 11 of the last 12 Scottish Premierships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cHe had a period of short success when he first arrived at Spurs because people were understandably dazzled by his own sense of self. But it quickly became clear that there was no Plan B and if that you peeled away those layers of self-aggrandrisement, there was absolutely nothing there &#8211; no plan, no pragmatism, no clue. I feel genuinely sorry for the Forest fans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">No holds barred there. Ouch.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Bit of Ange positivity to follow but first Owen Harris gets in touch:<\/strong> \u201cI am a Spurs fan and have \/ had quite a soft spot for Ange. However I think he made a mistake coming back to manage in the same league so quickly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cHe was on a terrible run of form in the league (and to be honest we were pretty lousy for large portions of the the Europa league. We were lucky to scuff a goal in against a similarly abject team). If he had gone elsewhere and done well, or just taken some time off, he would have hit the ground at a new club with some excitement and would be able to style out the \u2018I win a trophy\u2019 bravado. But after being sacked and the subsequent manager being lauded as sorting out many of the problems left by Ange means his statements just look hubristic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Justin Madson:<\/strong> \u201cBig Ange is really facing a difficult task which isn\u2019t being helped by the constant questioning and over-analysis over the validity of his work by a media who critical of his hiring since it was rumored. It\u2019s enough to drive any sane man over the edge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cA note that wasn\u2019t mentioned in the blog here is his very valid point that losing one of England\u2019s all time best strikers in Kane would have an impact on any team. Not to mention multiple injury issues to important players like Kulusevski, and questionable reinvestment of funds after Kane\u2019s departure. While nobody will argue that Thomas Frank is an excellent coach, it would have been interesting to see what Ange could have done with this team. Some might say he even deserved the chance to try.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a011.40 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Rangers latest: the new favourite to succeed Russell Martin<\/strong>, Steven Gerrard having decided to not grasp the chalice last week (mixed metaphor alert). Muscat, a player with a mixed reputation, played 22 SPL games for the Gers. The rest of his CV seems rather familiar, as a former South Melbourne player, and a J-League-winning coach with Yokohama F Marinos. It\u2019s just who he is, mate?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rangers play Dundee United on Saturday, with Under-19s coach Steven Smith taking on duties for the foreseeable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Asked at the pre-match media conference if Muscat was the type of character Rangers needed to go forward, Smith said this about the prospective manager\u2019s time at the club: \u201cProbably. It\u2019s an interesting question. We\u2019ve had every type of manager, but the priority is always to win. I was a young player, so I only came across him a few times. When I was a young player, my job used to be to clean Alex McLeish and the coaching staff\u2019s boots, so I used to pass him in the corridor and, again, as a person, he was really pleasant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI know there\u2019s a reputation there as a player. But the communication I had with him, he was always very pleasant to the younger players.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Earlier, Eddie Howe spoke about the long-awaited appointment<\/strong> of Ross Wilson, a name you may recognise from Nottingham Forest, as Newcastle\u2019s sporting director.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI\u2019ve known him for a number of years but not to any depth. He has been around the game for a long time. He has had a number of jobs and done really well from the outside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWorking with him now, the first impressions of him and his work have been very good. He is a really good person and has fitted in really well so far. I am sure he can make a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI wasn\u2019t heavily involved. I wasn\u2019t totally away from the process, but not heavily involved. I certainly back his appointment and hope we can bring further success.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Newcastle had a difficult summer with the Isak affair but have ended up with a decent squad and a new folk hero in Nick Woltemade. They are at Brighton on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Peter Oh gets in touch:<\/strong> \u201cSpeaking of music, when I read the \u2018Me and a trophy\u2019 quote by Ange Postecoglou, I instantly heard the opening guitar strums of this Paul Simon tune in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a011.08 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Jamie Jackson heard from Ruben Amorim today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sunday\u2019s game is the 100th staging of the fixture. \u201cI know that it\u2019s special for our club, I know that they are fighting all the time for the titles, the number of titles [with Liverpool],\u201d said Amorim. \u201cI know what it means to the fans. But, again, it\u2019s one game that we need to prove again that we are playing better. I think we are playing better, we need to do better in both boxes. So it\u2019s one more game that we need to win.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>David Hopkins gets in touch:<\/strong> \u201cA minor point towards the end of the Ange rant perhaps, but I\u2019m really not sure that citing his having allowed the Spurs team to go out on the lash prior to a Premier League game is quite the mitigating factor he seems to think. There\u2019s one thing prioritising a cup competition, but another in downing tools altogether.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Not yet seen much support for Ange yet. Perhaps he is right that he doesn\u2019t fit in.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Talking of the murky world of multi-club ownership<\/strong>, Everton fans may recall Josh Wander.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment charging Wander with wire fraud, securities fraud and conspiracy to commit those crimes was unsealed Thursday in federal court in Manhattan. Most of the charges carry a maximum prison term of 20 years.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Nuno Espirito Santo is still in Forest fans\u2019 hearts<\/strong>. He\u2019s at West Ham now, who face Brentford on Monday. It\u2019s his first game in charge. Typically calm stuff here.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe haven\u2019t changed anything specific, just implementing routines. For me, it\u2019s hard to analyse what\u2019s happened before. We want to improve, and we know home form factor is important. It\u2019s always hard to work in the international break, but those who stayed here worked really hard, which pleased us and gave us confidence moving forward. Looking ahead isn\u2019t important &#8211; what\u2019s important is what\u2019s next and that\u2019s Brentford.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Contrast Ange to Vitor Pereira, the Wolves manager<\/strong>. Who would you rather have a pint with? Wolves play Sunderland in a huge game for the team still to win a Premier League match this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI don\u2019t feel the pressure from the outside because I don\u2019t read anything, I don\u2019t see anything and I don\u2019t watch TV. I live in my world &#8211; and my world is about me and my team. The pressure that I put on myself is the pressure that I feel. I know we can do better because we have good players and we have a good team. With the way that we\u2019re working every day, the results will come for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>The murky world of multi-club ownership takes another turn.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The former Crystal Palace owner John Textor has suffered another setback with the UK commercial court ruling he has a case to answer in a $97m (\u00a372m) claim from an investor in his multi-club group, Eagle Football.<\/p>\n<p>The dispute stems from Iconic Sport\u2019s $75m purchase three years ago of a 15.7% stake in Eagle, which holds majority stakes in Lyon, Botafogo of Brazil and the rebranded Belgian club RWD Brussels (formerly RWD Molenbeek). Eagle was also the biggest shareholder at Palace until July, when Textor sold his 43% stake to former US ambassador Woody Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Lovely feature on walking football, the game for the more senior citizen. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>David Estherby gets in touch:<\/strong> \u201cIf only Ange could develop just a suggestion of self-awareness he would save himself a whole heap of the criticism he gets; everything he just said in that presser is demonstrably true but when delivered in that sarky, snooty, eyes-looking-at-the-floor way that he seems incapable of not doing, he does himself no favours whatsoever. Thin ice and it ain\u2019t getting any thicker.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>So does Jack Kirkby-Lowe:<\/strong> \u201cFirst up, I thought you\u2019d be the perfect person to ask if the Guardian would ever consider doing a Knowledge column, but for music. I can\u2019t be the only nerd out there who\u2019d like to ask obscure music history questions to the finest minds at The Guardian and by proxy the wider readership. This is a multi-million pound idea that could save journalism as we know it and I\u2019m offering it for free!<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cSecondly, speaking as a Spurs fan, I was never as taken with Postecoglou\u2019s \u201cstraight talking\u201d as so many others seemed to be. To me, he always seemed to be a pretty aggy and contrarian so-and-so, especially after results stopped going our way. His multiple run ins with fans I think further indicate that Big Ange just Loves the Drama, personally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI\u2019d feel a lot more kindly towards him if he exercised a little humility &#8211; I don\u2019t see why he doesn\u2019t acknowledge that the Premier League is a more challenging environment than anywhere else he\u2019s worked and his achievements, whilst excellent, simply aren\u2019t like-for-like. If he truly believed he\u2019s been operating at the same level, why would he have left Scotland\/Japan\/Australia in the first place?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Thanks, Jack. In my formative years reading the music press, there was a chap called Fred Dellar who used to carry out that function. Fred is no longer with us, sadly, but I could never repeat that level of knowledge. There\u2019s plenty of heads out there of far deeper cuts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Feels like not many people are buying Ange\u2019s latest rant.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Senne Lammens was backed by Ruben Amorim<\/strong> with these words, rather sullied by him comparing the Belgian keeper to the greatest of all, give or take Paddy Roche.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt is possible, you have to prove during the week. It is possible he is going to start the game. The first impression in this game is really important. To maintain the level is even more important. He is not [Peter] Schmeichel yet. But he show a lot of composure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Krishna get in touch:<\/strong> \u201c\u2018The club wishes to thank\u2026\u2019 Who will be the first? Forest or United?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Has to be Big Evangelos rather than Big Sir Jim.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-16bg4qr\">John Brewin<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>For Rafa\u2019s rant read Ange\u2019s angry outburst?<\/strong> Angry Ange-son, for you Neighbours fans out there. He certainly dealt out some cold chisel there. It\u2019s not his first, of course.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>I\u2019m sure there will be plenty of reaction to that Postecoglou rant.<\/strong> I think it is a certified rant, in press conference terms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Maybe <strong>John Brewin<\/strong> can make some sense of it. He\u2019s taking the live blog now.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Here is the main thrust of what Ange Postecoglou said<\/strong> amid the pressure he\u2019s feeling at Nottingham Forest, referring to the stick he got at Spurs and as he took the job at the City Ground.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI guess I just don\u2019t fit. Not here [at Forest], just in general. If you look at it through the prism that I\u2019m a failed manager and I\u2019m lucky to get this job \u2013 and I can find the print where that\u2019s said \u2013 then of course this first five weeks looks like \u2018wow, this guy\u2019s under pressure\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cOf course there\u2019s an alternative story you can look at. I came into the Premier League two years ago, I took over \u2018Spursy\u2019 Tottenham and I was told by the chairman that the club has to win a trophy. Spurs had finished eighth with no European football, we finished fifth in my first year. But somehow that year has disappeared from the record books \u2013 the first 10 games were an anomaly apparently, whereas the first 10 games here are very important.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cBut all I\u2019ve heard about my time at Tottenham is that we finished 17th last year. But there are some basic explanations about why we finished 17th, look at what I prioritised. The last game against Brighton the players were out partying beforehand, which I sanctioned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a008.57 EDT<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Postecoglou: &#8216;Give me time \u2026\u00a0it ends with a trophy&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Ange Postecoglou is the latest Premier League manager<\/strong> to have held his press conference and has just issued an approximate four-minute long monologue on why he needs more time at Nottingham Forest to implement his ideas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">One of the quotes is: \u201cIf you give me time it always ends the same, with me and a trophy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">More to follow.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a008.55 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Here\u2019s Amorim on the prospect of going to Anfield on Sunday:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I remember [last season] we played really well but it was a draw. I was really upset at the end of the game. We proved at the end we can compete against any opponent. I know it is special for our club. I know they [Liverpool] competing for a number of titles. It is one more game we need to prove again that we are playing better. We need to be better in both boxes. It\u2019s one more game that we need to win.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Amorim responds to Ratcliffe&#8217;s &#8216;three years&#8217; comment<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Today was the first opportunity for journalists to put Sir Jim Ratcliffe\u2019s comment about Ruben Amorim needing three years to prove himself at Manchester United, to the manager himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Amorim revealed similar conversations have been held between himself and Ratcliffe, plus other members of the United hierarchy. Whether he gets such time is another matter, as the Portuguese also admitted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cHe [Ratcliffe] tells me all the time, sometimes with a message,\u201d said Amorim. \u201cThe most important thing is the next game. Is really good to hear the support also because of the noise. Omar [Berrada] and Jason [Wilcox] tell me that all the time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI feel the support everyday. The pressure I put on myself is often bigger. It is really good to hear that and helps our fans understand that the leadership knows it will take time. It is good to feel the support but focus on next game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Speaking of Manchester United,<\/strong> Ruben Amorim has just wrapped up his press conference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He\u2019s revealed that Noussair Mazraoui and Lisandro Martinez are United\u2019s main injury absences for the Liverpool game. There were concerns over Bruno Fernandes after he missed a training session coming back from Portugal duty but Amorim said \u201cthe guys returning from national teams are ready to play\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Prepare yourselves, Manchester United fans.<\/strong> Jamie Jackson tackles the club\u2019s near decade-long run without a victory at Anfield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Deep breath \u2026<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>And again from Guardiola on his City future.<\/strong> Is there a little flicker that he may walk away? If there is, he\u2019s hiding it brilliantly.<\/p>\n<p>I have the feeling you want to sack me! I\u2019m fine, we changed a lot in the last years before but especially the last time and still the energy that my staff brings me and the new players. I had the feeling in Barcelona, I had the feeling in Munich and now here that if I am a problem I will step aside. I still have the feeling that I have the energy to help the players make better season than last season. This is my target. I never sit here in November saying we\u2019re going to win this or this. I don\u2019t know what is going to happen against Everton but before the international break we were far away from the top of the league and now we are closer. We want to arrive in competitions being close. That is the target I have and I see things that we are doing things much better than last season and every game we are better and better. That gives me the energy that it is not job done, it is unfinished business and that is why I am here.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>More from Pep.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On whether he will take a break from City\/management: \u201cIn 2035, I will start to think about it. When you do the same thing for many decades, it\u2019s completely different. It comes naturally. The relationship I have with the chairman is so close and we are incredibly honest when we feel this moment to make another step, for the club, for everyone. So I am still here in front of you. We will see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Jack Grealish, with City facing Everton this weekend: \u201cHis impact has been massive since day one. He is playing well \u2013 it\u2019s what he wanted. The position we have with him, he is a lovely unbelievable guy but he didn\u2019t play for us for different reasons. He is back to real business. He is playing every game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On Rodri\u2019s fitness: \u201cNo news. He is not ready for tomorrow. I don\u2019t know when he will be back.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Guardiola warns that Haaland&#8217;s levels will drop<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Pep Guardiola has rallied around his Manchester City players to ensure they pick up the slack when Erling Haaland\u2019s form finally hits the buffers this season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Haaland, who helped Norway take a huge step towards qualifying for the World Cup this week, has bagged 12 goals for club and country so far this season \u2013 15 if you include the Club World Cup.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Guardiola was full of praise for the striker. He said: \u201cI think it\u2019s the best shape he has been in. He is doing really well right now. His performance levels are outstanding. But you cannot sustain this level always. When he is going to drop, I will be there. We will be there. We just have to sustain his levels. He doesn\u2019t need compliments and anything special.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cTo go to the World Cup, for him and Norway, it\u2019s really nice and important.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Are Pep Guardiola\u2019s Manchester City over-reliant on Erling Haaland right now?<\/span> Photograph: Adam Vaughan\/EPAShare<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a008.16 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Pep Guardiola has been talking about various things at his Manchester City press conference,<\/strong> including Erling Haaland\u2019s form and the manager\u2019s own future at the Etihad (or beyond). We\u2019ll run through his comments next.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>I think Arsenal very much hope Gy\u00f6keres will quickly become a Porsche,<\/strong> or a Lamborgini or whatever the cool kids are driving these days. At 27 they decided to sign a No 9 for the here and now \u2013 the only option they had given their recent title near-misses \u2013 rather than considering Benjamin Sesko or a younger \u2018development\u2019 striker.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Arteta clearly would love more goals from the Swede, but his attacking options are so rich that the pressure has been lifted a tad.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature That\u2019s a wrap on today\u2019s live blog. So now attentions can fully turn to the weekend, and what a weekend of football it promises to be, concluding with that titanic Liverpool v Manchester United clash at Anfield. Well, if you don\u2019t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[13197,1348,4045,2086,1413,9318,419,796,3504,150,14930,15462,1706,1099,17044],"class_list":{"0":"post-28730","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-arteta","9":"tag-backs","10":"tag-blow","11":"tag-defends","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-gyokeres","14":"tag-happened","15":"tag-injury","16":"tag-league","17":"tag-news","18":"tag-palmer","19":"tag-postecoglou","20":"tag-premier","21":"tag-record","22":"tag-trophy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}