Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Reece James (Chelsea). Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), John Stones (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Dan Burn (Newcastle), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Declan Rice (Arsenal). Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich). Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
More on De Zerbi and Romero from Ed Aarons.
double quotation mark Romero, who has not played since injuring a knee against Sunderland last month. has a chance of playing at the World Cup, has been criticised for opting to attend Belgrano’s game against River Plate in a league playoff final. But De Zerbi said Romero’s trip had been sanctioned by Tottenham’s medical department. pointed out that the 28-year-old cannot affect the result at home to Everton regardless.
Tony Hughes gets in touch: “ I feel Harvey Barnes gambled and lost. I don’t necessarily blame him - he’s English -. I think making even the squad for England was unlikely for him, whereas he’d have been a shoo-in for Scotland.
“The rebuttal of course is that he doesn’t feel Scottish so why play for them. Did Matt Elliott? Did Neil Sullivan? Does Che Adams? Probably not but it didn’t stop them playing and putting themselves out there on the international stage. Barnes, at 28, could have played at a World Cup, likely the only finals tournament he’d ever play in. “
Listen to Jonathan Liew on the England squad.
Breaking news…from Elgin City.
“Following the conclusion of an internal investigation conducted in accordance with the clubs policies. procedures, we can confirm that the men’s first-team manager has been dismissed with immediate effect after a finding of gross misconduct.
“The club will make no further comment on this matter. We can now fully focus on the positive process of appointing a new manager. the continuation of our player recruitment plans.
“We sincerely thank our players, supporters, sponsors and staff for their continued support whilst we complete this process.”
The manager is Allan Hale, suspended on 7 May “with immediate effect, pending an ongoing investigation”. Elgin are in Scottish League Two.
Manchester United play at Brighton on Sunday, a game far bigger for Brighton. it will be Michael Carrick’s first game as permanent United manager.
“It’s good to make steps, good to get in the Champions League, good to finish third,. (I want) to make this place better. I must admit on Sunday in the stadium it felt a little bit different. There was a real togetherness and kind of enjoyment from everyone and that was powerful for me.
“Supporting Manchester United and looking forward to what can happen should always be like that. That’s the drive (to win trophies) and for us to reward the fans would be pretty special.”
Will Unwin also did a season-by-season guide to the Pep Guardiola years.
double quotation mark 2018-19: domestic treble winners
A comparatively poor 98 points. 95 goals followed but every single one was vital as Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool fought City until the bitter end. The two clubs exchanged the lead at the top of the table 32 times over the course of the season. City won their final 14 league matches on their way to domestic glory, lifting the League Cup. the FA Cup along the way. It was an English team that would ruin the European dream once more. as Tottenham surprisingly eliminated City in the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after a dramatic tie in Manchester.
Andrew Benton gets in touch: “The big question for me is can these disparate players gel really well together as a team,. develop from there into brilliance? Well, I trust Thomas Tuchel’s experience and vision to bring it all the way home, sixty years on. Wouldn’t that be cool?!”
Will Unwin spoke to the Hull owner, the Turkish Simon Cowell. Think that’s supposed to be a good thing. It’s the Championship playoff final tomorrow.
double quotation mark “Wembley is a place that I suffered when I was a kid with Turkish national team games. now I am going to Wembley for a final as an owner of a club that I bought four years ago,” says Ilicali. “It means a lot to me. Wembley stadium, the dream of our fans filling the stands with their flags – amber. black, colours I love so much – all around … Imagining it is getting me excited.”
Similar sentiments from Nuno Espirito Santo for Jarrod Bowen. West Ham have other considerations on Super Sunday.
“He was sad. It’s something that Jarrod really, really wanted to achieve in his personal career. Being a World Cup representative is one of the most important things.
“He’s sad, but he will immediately turn the page and focus on Sunday.”
“We are very proud to have Jarrod as skipper. Sometimes things don’t go well but the work rate. the commitment of Jarrod and the way he leads by example on his team-mates makes us very, very proud of him as a club captain.
“The pressure? No, he embraced it. It’s not the reason. He embraced it and he’s a leader.
“I think it’s not the best to channel any frustration. Jarrod doesn’t have to prove nothing to anybody. He just has to be himself, the best of him and the best of all the players. That’s what we need on Sunday.”
Let’s pick up some loose ends from a big day, including Cole Palmer. His current Chelsea coach, Calum McFarlane, has proffered soothing words to one of England’s exiles.
“In life. in football, especially in football, I’ve learnt that you need to take every setback as a positive There’s going to be lots of them. There’s going to be losses, there’s going to be moments like this. If you have the right mindset, you can turn it into a positive.
“It’s not anything to do with me. I’ve spoken loads of times about how I feel and how the club feel about Cole. The England manager has made a decision. In that moment it’s probably best to speak to him.
“It’s football. You’re going to have so many moments like this, whether it be on the pitch, off the pitch. The reason they’re at this level. are able to play for a club of this magnitude is because they can deal with setbacks.”
Thanks, Michael Butler, quite the stint there.
And with that, I’ll hand over to John Brewin for the next hour. In a bit!
The specific motives for Romero going back to Argentina are unclear. although it should be flagged that his boyhood club have an Argentina Cup match on Saturday night. Maybe he wanted to watch that instead.
That the Tottenham club captain is not even on the sidelines for Sunday’s crunch clash will surely have gone down badly in the dressing room. as well as with supporters. I can’t personally see the defender being at Spurs next season, regardless of whether De Zerbi’s side survive relegation.
You may have missed the story regarding Christian Romero. the injured Tottenham captain who has sparked controversy by flying to Argentina days before Spurs host Everton in Sunday’s huge relegation decider.
Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi confirmed on Friday that Romero is back in his homeland at boyhood club Belgrano to continue his rehabilitation from a knee injury before the World Cup. whilst the Spurs boss was initially guarded about his skipper’s absence, he acknowledged the disappointment of the London club’s supporters.
double quotation mark “100%, I understand. [Romero] spoke with the medical staff. together they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with Argentinian medical staff.
“I want to be clear, I am not stupid. If I understand there is any player who thinks for himself before the club, I can’t be the same Roberto,. with Cuti Romero, I can’t say anything because with me, in my time, he has been correct from the beginning until now. The decision was with the medical staff. I think he can’t change anything if Romero is at the stadium or not.
“Finally, I have no time to lose energy and to lose thinking other things. We have to be focused on the game and we have the players good enough to achieve our target.”
I think Thomas Tuchel will have watched a lot of Bayern Munich this season, namely because of Harry Kane. I wonder to what extent Tuchel is ready to mimic Bayern’s strategy, which is to largely build the team around the Englishman, especially as England are similar in profile to the German side: a left-footed right winger that sets the tempo. cuts inside, a left winger that can get beyond Kane when he drops deep, technical but also physical central midfielders.
I’m not saying England are as good as the Champions League semi-finalists,. Tuchel will surely have taken some lessons from his former side this season. One big difference between England and Bayern are Tuchel’s full-backs. Reece James. Nico O’Reilly are huge weapons for England offensively, but obviously the more they get forward, the more the midfield and defence has to work to cover them.
A good stat from Opta. this World Cup will be the first since 1986 that there will be no Liverpool player in an England men’s squad for a major tournament.
Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez, Liverpool’s only English first-team regulars, were never really in Tuchel’s thoughts. Harvey Elliott, currently on loan at Aston Villa, hasn’t kicked a ball since March.
Plenty going on here in England, then. But we are also approaching the final weekend of action in La Liga. Álvaro Arbeloa. interim head coach at Real Madrid, confirmed today the worst kept secret in football: that he will not be at Madrid as head coach next season. The following is from Reuters:
Arbeloa, a former Real defender who has previously coached their youth team. the reserve side, joined the 15-time European champions in January to replace his compatriot Xabi Alonso, and led Real to a second-placed finish in LaLiga.
But with media reports linking José Mourinho with a return to Real as coach, Arbeloa confirmed he would not be staying on,. left the door open to return to the club in the future.
“Mou has a fantastic coaching staff; he’s very well supported. If he arrives, he’ll bring his own team with him, as it should be. There’s no chance I’ll be working with him,” Arbeloa told reporters on Friday. a day before Real’s final La Liga game of the season against Athletic Bilbao. “I’ve spent the last four months thinking about Madrid. From now on, it’s time to think about myself. I’ve taken the leap, I feel ready for new challenges.“
Alonso left Real following a Spanish Super Cup loss to Barcelona. before his replacement Arbeloa also failed to get the best out of a fractured dressing room that descended into chaos.
The breaking point came when captain Federico Valverde. Aurélien Tchouaméni engaged in a dressing room fight that left Valverde in hospital with a cut earlier this month, with both players being fined €500,000 each.
“I know what state the team was in when I arrived. What I’ve had to deal with. If I’d started from the beginning, it would have been different. But that’s what I was given, and I’ve tried to do it in the best possible way,” Arbeloa said. “I’m happy with what we’ve achieved. I’m leaving on good terms with almost everyone.“
The 43-year-old said he hoped to return to Real. “I hope it’s just a ’see you later’, I’ve always considered Madrid my home. I’ve been with Madrid for 20 years, it’s my home,” the former Spain international said. “It’s my last match of the season. I don’t know if it’ll be my last as Madrid’s manager, you never know. I’ll try to enjoy it. And I’m focused on winning.”
The goodbyes are not limited to Manchester City, of course. Here is Andy Hunter on Mohamed Salah’s farewell:
And if you missed our interview with Andy Robertson on Thursday evening, here is it.
Will Unwin charts the trophy-laden decade that followed Pep Guardiola taking over from Manuel Pellegrini in 2016.
That’s all from the Pep Guardiola press conference.
double quotation mark Sir Alex Ferguson means a lot to me. He’s the greatest in this country. For many reasons. I miss Johan Cruyff but I’m happy that Sir Alex was there to watch us. He is our neighbour.
I never thought I would stay 10 years. Impossible. I signed for three years initially. It helped that Ferran [Soriano] was here, that Txiki [Begiristain] was here. The manager was always protected.
I think I will take a while [to rest]. But I have to prove that myself. The people have been demanding trebles. I need to breathe a little bit.
Pep Guardiola is asked about his most important moment:
double quotation mark The first Premier League is important. The Champions League, I cannot deny.
I was speaking to Noel Gallagher years ago. He said to me ‘City used to be a team that could not win four games in a row. Now we are a team that wins four Premier League titles in a row.
double quotation mark I am speechless [about the new stand being named after him]. I like to feel that my vibe or my energy will be there forever. It’s the biggest honour I can get. Thank you so much to the club. On Sunday, my father will come – he’s 94 years old –. our name will be in this incredible place.
double quotation mark I told the players this morning. The speech was a disaster. I was nervous.
I know I have had incredible success. it is nice to be be talked about like that '[as the greatest manager of all time]. What made me happy is that I got messages from Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday, also from Manuel [Akanji]. Kevin [De Bruyne].
I am leaving with incredible peace that I gave everything to this club. Many, many people have been involved in that.
double quotation mark I want to say a proper goodbye to my people. That’s why I wanted to announce. I am going to rest for a while. No training. I would love to continue to be a part of this club, not as a manager. But if they need me to represent them, I will be there. This organisation has many, many clubs.
Just like Jürgen Klopp, I have that energy but I will not have it in the future. To fight for the titles. After 10 years, it’s good to shake, to move. This season we have been exceptional, fighting against Arsenal. It’s the perfect moment, the perfect time.
double quotation mark It’s the experience of my life. I cannot be more grateful for the affection that I have had in these days. It’s the time to leave. It’s a process that I felt for a while. The club have respected that, they are ready. The club needs new manager, new energy. They can write another chapter.
“I have quibbles,” emails Adam Blackwell. “I’d rather have a naturally left-sided defensive player in the squad to give us options but I ask myself ‘how likely is it that I would have picked a ‘better’ squad than Tuchel?”. it just doesn’t seem probable. In the end, Tuchel clearly has a plan. I’d rather someone execute on a plan than just pick the best players. Will it work? Probably not. It’s hard to win a World Cup. But I’ve got no real issues with this selection.”
Obviously we have to cede to Tuchel, he is a Champions League-winning manager, and we are humble fans and journalists. I agree with Adam that it’s not the exact squad I would pick, but there is a lot to be said for knowing what makes a team tick, on. off the pitch. Of all the quotes that Tuchel gave this morning, I thought this was the most telling:
double quotation mark I think from day one we were very clear that we are trying to select. build the best possible team, which is not necessarily to select and collect the 26 most talented players. Teams win championships, it is as simple as that. What we are trying to achieve in the summer can only be achieved as a team.
Few would argue that Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are not among the most ‘talented’ English players available. But fitness, form, personality and their suitability in a 4-3-3 mean they have not been selected.
That’s the end of our Q&A with Jacob. Thanks for all of your questions. A reminder that Pep Guardiola’s final pre-match press conference as Manchester City manager starts in a few minutes. We’ll bring you all the best bits.
“Does Ivan Toney’s inclusion open up the idea that English players can move to Saudi Arabia. still be noticed?” asks Stephen Aston. “Do you think we will see more players moving to Saudi?”
Good point, Stephen. Obviously there were a lot of dismissive comments around players going there when the boom initially happened. Jordan Henderson ended up missing out on a Euro 2024 spot. he wasn’t sharp enough after half a season there. There are some decent sides in the league, though. Take Manchester City losing to Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup last summer. But away from the football I guess a big unknown is whether the geopolitical situation is going to make players think twice about moving to the Middle East.
“‘How unlucky is Lewis Hall to be omitted after marking Lamine Yamal out of a Champions League game,. is it a concern that once again we are going into a tournament without a specialist left back?” emails Paul Linford.
We do have a specialist left-back – Nico O’Reilly. who’s been playing there every week for Manchester City, winning two trophies. He’ll start and I’m not sure Lewis Hall is that unlucky. Good player but Newcastle haven’t had a great season.
“What is your starting XI for England’s game against Croatia,” queries Colin Rutherford.
Pickford James, Stones (if fit), Guehi, O’Reilly Anderson, Rice, Bellingham Saka, Kane, Rashford
Sholto Maud asks: “can you give us any more insight into Jarrod Bowen’s omission?”
Tuchel said that the situation at West Ham ended up counting against him. He’s also a big fan of Noni Madueke. He thinks that Madueke can disrupt defences with his one-on-one ability.
“England’s World Cup campaigns have been always disappointing, writes Issa Hassan. “What is the target this time?”
Win it! Tuchel, as he said at his unveiling in October 2024, was hired to put a second star on the shirt. They were close under Gareth Southgate. The FA hope that hiring a manager who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 will do the trick. Easier said than done, of course. England will have to do this by playing eight games in 33 days, and in testing weather conditions.
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