..::Football IV::..

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Pochettino apologises to Tottenham fans after 'worst day as a manager'

Mauricio Pochettino has described Tottenham's humiliating 5-1 defeat at the hands of relegated 10-man Newcastle United as his worst day as a manager.

Tottenham travelled to St James' Park on Sunday knowing a point would likely be good enough to see them clinch second place in the Premier League and finish above Arsenal for the first time since Arsene Wenger took the helm at their north London rivals.

But instead Spurs were hammered by Newcastle, who raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Mitrovic was then sent off for a dreadful high challenge on Kyle Walker after Erik Lamela pulled one back for Tottenham, but Moussa Sissoko's penalty and late goals from Rolando Aarons and Daryl Janmaat gave Newcastle a comprehensive triumph.

Arsenal's 4-0 win over Aston Villa ensured that Tottenham end the season in third, with Pochettino telling Sky Sports: "First of all I want to apologise to our fans, our supporters because it was a shame what happened on the pitch.

"I apologise to our families that suffered behind us. It is difficult to arrive home and explain what happened here. I'm very disappointed, I think it was my worst game as a manager."We need to learn, we need to improve our mentality. It wasn't a tactical problem it was a mental problem. When you go into the pitch you need to give 100 per cent. We need to show more character. "

Pochettino also admits it has been difficult to help the players maintain a positive mentality after their title hopes were ended by a 2-2 draw at Chelsea this month.
He added: "It's my responsibility, I'm disappointed but it's good information for decisions in the summer.

"This was our challenge to keep the mentality and I think [after] Chelsea we showed a lot of mental weakness against Southampton [a 2-1 defeat last weekend] and today [Sunday]."

 

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Emotional Ranieri thanks Chelsea fans

An emotional Claudio Ranieri thanked fans of his former club Chelsea for their warm reception ahead of their 1-1 Premier League draw with Leicester City.

Leicester completed an unlikely title triumph when Chelsea held Tottenham 2-2 at Stamford Bridge on May 2, and ended the season 10 points clear of Arsenal in second.

Ranieri and his players were welcomed onto the pitch with a guard of honour from the deposed champions, with the Italian – Chelsea manager between 2000 and 2004 – clearly emotional as he was applauded by the home faithful.

The 64-year-old thanked the supporters for creating such a positive atmosphere.
"The emotion is fantastic, it was a good atmosphere and I want to say thank you to our fans and the Chelsea fans. It was amazing," Ranieri told Sky Sports.

Danny Drinkwater's strike in the 83rd minute cancelled out Cesc Fabregas' penalty, and the manager was pleased to see his team continue fighting in the late stages."It was important to finish well and it was a good match. Both teams had great chances and well done to the players," said Ranieri.

"They made a lot of sacrifices in the hot weather to keep pressing. [I am] very, very proud because our strength is to be a unit and fight for each other. It was our motive all season."We have to realise what has happened and then look back on our season."

Ranieri rewarded the Leicester players with pizza following their first clean sheet of the season against Crystal Palace last October, but he revealed they have different plans for Sunday."No pizza tonight, our chairman has invited us for dinner," he added.

 

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Pellegrini: Guardiola announcement changed the atmosphere at Man City

Manuel Pellegrini made his strongest suggestion yet that Manchester City's mid-season announcement of Pep Guardiola as his successor was a key factor in derailing the club's Premier League title bid.

City played out a concluding 1-1 draw at Swansea City on Sunday to secure the point they required for a top-four finish at the expense of Manchester United, whose match against AFC Bournemouth must be rescheduled after the discovery of a suspicious package forced an abandonment at Old Trafford.

Pellegrini closes his three seasons in charge as a 2013-14 Premier League champion and two-time League Cup winner, but his side finished 15 points shy of surprise winners Leicester City this time around.

The Chilean saw his team beaten 3-1 by Leicester in February at the end of the week when Guardiola's forthcoming switch from Bayern Munich was confirmed and, speaking to Sky Sports after the Swansea match, he said this affected the mood in his dressing room."In the Premier League, that's so important, we finished maybe not where we wanted," Pellegrini he said.

"In the whole year we were competing for a spot in the Champions League so I think we deserved a spot in Champions League. Over year we were near top of the table. "In February a lot of things happened that I don't want to continue analysing.

"We lost two games at home against Leicester and Tottenham, at the same moment that everyone announced what would happen next year. "I think the atmosphere was not the best to fight for the title."

Pellegrini still spoke of his affection for City and the club's supporters and reflected on "a very special day" that concluded with him presenting his suit jacket to a fan in the away end at the behest of Yaya Toure.

The former Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga boss - who has been linked with a return to La Liga at Valencia next term - also feels City's cup exploits mean that have enjoyed a satisfactory campaign.

"If you analyse season we won Capital One Cup, we reached for the first time the semi-final of Champions League," he said. "Maybe we didn't play well, but only difference with Real Madrid [in the semi-final] was an own goal in our goal.

"Before then, unfortunately, we couldn't continue in the FA Cup. We had to prioritise one competition because we had too many injuries in that moment that we couldn't recover completely."If you add all those things I think it's a good season; not a very, very good season, but a good>

 

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Bilic hopes Manchester United win the FA Cup after West Ham miss out on top six


Slaven Bilic is hoping Manchester United win the FA Cup to ensure West Ham qualify for next season's Europa League following their 2-1 defeat against Stoke City.

The Hammers took the lead thanks to Michail Antonio but second-half goals from Giannelli Imbula and Mame Biram Diouf dented their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League.

Victory would have sealed a top-six finish and a Europa League place for West Ham, but they are now reliant on Louis van Gaal's United beating Crystal Palace in next weekend's FA Cup final for European football to be on show at the Olympic Stadium next term.

"I expect Manchester United to win the FA Cup," said Bilic, whose side finished seventh."It's going to be hard but they go into the final as favourites. I'll be a fan for 90 minutes."

Bilic accepts it was disappointing to see West Ham lose at the Britannia Stadium after missing a glut of chances to secure the points."Frustration is the feeling I have. It was the last game and we needed to win but we didn't do it." he said.

"I am disappointed. It's difficult to take because we were the better team for the majority of the game but we didn't take our chances. "We were dominant for long periods in a difficult away game but we are disappointed to lose sixth place on the final day.

"I want to congratulate Stoke because they didn't steal it, they just took their chances. I said to the boys at half-time that if it was basketball we would be 15-20 points up and we should have been 3-0 up and cruising."Despite seeing their season end on a low, Bilic says he is happy nevertheless with the progress West Ham have made this season.

"Of course it was a great season for us," the Croatian said. "At the start there were so many question marks with a new manager and new players."Now we go into the new stadium and we are one of the biggest sides in the league. That gives us confidence."

 

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Wenger: Second place a reward for Arsenal's spirit and quality

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal finishing as runners-up in the Premier League is a reward for his players' spirit and quality over the final stages of the season.

A dramatic final-day turnaround saw Arsenal finish second – their best placing since 2004-05 – after Tottenham's 5-1 defeat at relegated Newcastle United allowed them to pounce with their 4-0 win over an Aston Villa side who are also dropping to the Championship.

Olivier Giroud's hat-trick and an own goal from Villa goalkeeper Mark Bunn gave Wenger's men victory and ensured Spurs did not finish above them for what would have been the first time since Wenger took the helm.

"It was difficult to predict that, especially a few weeks ago, but we kept our togetherness and spirit," Wenger told Sky Sports."I think it is now nine games without losing and overall I think it is a reward for our spirit, mentality and also our quality.

"Overall we finished second in the league and we have to congratulate Leicester as well. They have done exceptionally. They have only lost three games and two of those were against us."Even Barcelona and Real Madrid lost more games than Leicester. It is difficult to explain that in Europe, but it is a fact."

Wenger still holds some frustration at Arsenal's failure to maintain their title challenge during a run of just two league wins from nine between January and March."We have recently had some players coming back from injury and that helps, but we had a difficult second part of season," he said.

"We had many difficult away games we had to go to Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool – so I knew that our position in December was a bit artificial.

"We needed an exceptional second half of the season and we didn't deliver that."

 

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Benitez: My heart is telling me to stay at Newcastle

Rafael Benitez feels a strong emotional attachment with Newcastle United, but insists the decision over his future will not simply be made due to the rapport he has struck up with the club's supporters.

Benitez's three-year contract at St James' Park has a relegation release clause, but the Spaniard has recently said he is considering staying at Newcastle to manage them in the second tier. Newcastle's fans were vociferous in their calls for Benitez to remain on Tyneside in Sunday's final game of the Premier League season, as the Championship-bound side romped to shock a 5-1 victory over Tottenham.

Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Newcastle a 2-0 lead, although the latter was sent off for an aggressive challenge on Kyle Walker after Erik Lamela had halved Tottenham's deficit.

But 10-man Newcastle ravaged Tottenham on the break, Wijnaldum netting a second from the penalty spot before Rolando Aarons and Daryl Janmaat completed the rout late on.

Asked by Sky Sports why Newcastle were not able to produce such a performance before they were relegated, Benitez replied: "It's difficult, sometimes when you're under pressure you don't play at the level you can play.

"Without fear we wanted to give something back to the fans. We know the fans have been supporting the team in difficult circumstances and I'm really pleased for them, they needed to see a game like this and at least enjoy the last game of the season.

"We can enjoy [the win], it was a very good game, obviously the atmosphere has been fantastic. I have to say thank you because the fans have been amazing, I told the players thank you very much because they were working so hard in these 10 games, it was pity in the end we couldn't stay up.

"When you have a lot of people behind you and you see the players working as they were working and everybody singing I think it's very, very emotional. I knew before that it could be like this and now we have to wait and start talking and we will do in the future."

He added: "I will talk with [managing director] Lee Charnley and after we will see where we are. I said I am quite open and really pleased with everything. Now it's just to be sure we have to do what we have to do to be sure that we can go up.

"My heart is obviously telling me yes [to staying], it is a fantastic opportunity, fantastic atmosphere. Everything is so good that my heart is very clear but at the same time you have to use the brain, both things have to go together.

"I have the same feeling as the fans, they want a strong team for next season to be sure we can go up again. It will not be difficult to have similar ideas but we have to sit down and be sure that everything is fine."

 

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Koeman keen to stay but calls for Southampton investment

Ronald Koeman says Southampton must back him in the transfer market to prove they can match his ambitions for the club.

Saints rounded off their season with a 4-1 win over FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace at St Mary's Stadium on Sunday, guaranteeing a top-six finish and Europa League football in the process.

Southampton have improved on their previous season each year since 2009-10, but Koeman has been tipped to take over at Everton following Roberto Martinez's sacking.

Though the Dutchman remains satisfied on the south coast, he shot a warning to Southampton's hierarchy that they will have to invest heavily if that trend is to continue.

"Still I have a one-year contract," Koeman told Sky Sports. "I spoke to the board, we have the meeting after this crucial game.

"It's always my wish to stay because I like the club, I like the fans, I like the players. But we understand every time it is more difficult because we need to improve and the expectation will be higher than it was two years ago."If we have the same ambition, no problem.

"In the planning, they show ambition, but I like to hear what's the ambition and how we can reach that ambition and that's sometimes all about money."

Koeman also paid tribute to the entire club after Southampton racked up a record tally of 63 Premier League points."It's a fantastic achievement for everybody in the club and to finish with the 4-1 in a difficult match," he added.

"It's incredible to have a better season than last year, a record of points, it's crazy. "Full compliments to everybody in Southampton because the support of the fans was amazing and the spirit and the belief of the players, it's very enjoyable for the manager."

 

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Howe praises Manchester United response after bomb hoax

AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has praised the work of Manchester United officials following a bomb hoax at Old Trafford on Sunday.

United's final Premier League match of the season was abandoned before kick-off after the stadium was evacuated by police following the discovery of a suspicious package.

Bomb disposal experts conducted a controlled explosion of an object described by Greater Manchester Police as "an incredibly lifelike explosive device" that subsequent tests later confirmed "wasn't viable".

Both squads were confined inside the stadium as initial investigations were conducted by police officers with sniffer dogs, but Howe says the treatment of his players and staff was commendable.

"The players were doing their warm-up as normal and everything was good," he explained to the Bournemouth Echo. "Then they came in early and we were a little unsure what was happening at that time.

"Word got back to us that there had been a suspect package spotted and there was going to be a 45-minute delay to the game at that point so we were prepared for that.

"Very quickly it became apparent the game was not going to take place."There was no way we were going to leave Old Trafford at that time due to the traffic and cordoned-off areas around the ground.

"Manchester United treated us very well. They put us in a nice area and we were able to relax and see what was going to happen next."Bournemouth were allowed to leave Old Trafford shortly before 17.30 GMT and Howe admits that they do not know when the match will be rescheduled.

"We decided to come back to Bournemouth because there was no sign of the game being played the next day," he said. "So we are returning home and will wait and see what happens."

 

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Wenger hails departing Arteta and Rosicky

Arsene Wenger paid tribute to the impacts made by Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky as they said farewell to the Arsenal fans after the 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

Arteta came on as a late substitute and it was his shot that forced goalkeeper Mark Bunn into an own goal for the Gunners' fourth goal, with he and Rosicky - who was not in the squad - given a rapturous reception after the match as the midfield duo prepare to leave the club as their contracts expire.

A positive day for Arsenal saw them finish second in the Premier League for the first time since 2005 after Tottenham's shock 5-1 defeat at relegated Newcastle United, and the manager was keen to praise the departing stars.
"They are extremely respected in the dressing room and it shows that in football there are still positive emotions," Wenger said at his post-match media conference.

 

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Police: Old Trafford 'bomb' was dummy device left over from training exercise

A bomb scare which led to Manchester United's final match of the season to be abandoned has taken a farcical turn after it was revealed that the device which led to a controlled explosion was a dummy bomb forgotten by a private company after a security training exercise.

A bomb disposal unit was called to Old Trafford to deal with a suspicious package that Goal understands resembled a pipe bomb and was found in an executive-suite toilet before kick-off.

The discovery of the item led to the evacuation of the stadium and the abandonment of the game, which has been rearranged for Tuesday evening.After initially describing the 'bomb' as a hoax, Greater Manchester Police have now revealed it was accidentally left behind after a recent training exercise.

“I am grateful to the Manchester United and Bournemouth supporters for their support and assistance today,” assistant chief constable John O'Hare of the Greater Manchester Police said.

“Following today’s controlled explosion, we have since found out that the item was a training device which had accidentally been left by a private company following a training exercise involving explosive search dogs.

“Whilst this item did not turn out to be a viable explosive, on appearance this device was as real as could be, and the decision to evacuate the stadium was the right thing to do, until we could be sure that people were not at risk.

“Everyone remained calm, followed instructions, and worked with officers and stewards to ensure that a safe evacuation was quickly completed. Those present today were a credit to the football family and their actions should be recognised.

“I would also like to thank all those involved in the operation today for such a professional response, which includes police officers, stewards, MUFC staff, media representatives and commentators and the Bomb Disposal Team.”

United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward added: “The safety of fans is always our highest priority.“I’d like to thank the support from the police which was first class and the impeccable response from fans of both teams.

“The Club takes security very seriously and staff are regularly trained with the police and emergency services to identify and deal with these incidents.“We will investigate the incident to inform future actions and decisions.”

 

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Police: Old Trafford 'bomb' was dummy device left over from training exercise

Oka karapu eka ahu unoth nam​

 

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Klopp unsure if Henderson will start Europa League final


Jurgen Klopp is yet to decide if Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will start in the Europa League final against Sevilla on Wednesday.

Henderson returned from a month-long lay-off with a knee injury to play just under half an hour as Liverpool rounded off their Premier League season with a 1-1 draw at West Brom.

The 25-year-old's return is a timely boost for Liverpool, and for national manager Roy Hodgson, ahead of the Europa League final and Monday's announcement of England's Euro 2016 squad.

But Klopp, who also welcomed back Danny Ings after seven months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, will not rush a decision on Henderson's involvement against Sevilla.

"I don't know [if Henderson will start] at this moment, hopefully nothing else happens with the other players and we have to make decisions," he told Sky Sports.

"It's very good that he's back for him and for us too. We'll see what shall happen, it's very good, no more problems anymore.

"It's the same for Danny Ings after his long break, he has no chance to be in the team for Wednesday but I think he's the happiest person in the stadium at this moment because after this long time to be playing again Premier League football it was nice to watch."

A fine individual goal from Jordon Ibe cancelled out Salomon Rondon's strike to earn Liverpool a point at West Brom and Klopp was delighted with the way his side managed to put the Europa League final to one side and maintain their focus on domestic matters on Sunday.

"I'm sure they are excited but I'm satisfied with the way they pushed it away, this squad was only [concerned about] West Brom, that's really good.,” continued Klopp.

The Reds finish the season eighth and Klopp, who replaced Brendan Rodgers in October, believes a hectic fixture list prevented them from improving their league position.

"It's not my dream position to be honest but it is what it is," he added. "We have 60 points, everybody knows about the games where we lost the points, it was not today, it was other games.

"We are not the biggest difference to European football, there have a few moments where we could have thought the gap is too big for us, but we were always in the race. There were a lot of games it was not easy for the boys."

 

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Old Trafford 'dummy bomb' has happened before

Many around the football world have been left astounded by the events at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Manchester United's match with Bournemouth was abandoned by what was thought, at the time, as a suspicious package.

Then, with fans evacuated and bomb disposal experts sent to the stadium, it transpired that the device was a dummy, giving rise to the theory that the 'bomb' was a hoax. But in a remarkable twist, it has now emerged that the so-called bomb was a training device left over from safety excercises earlier in the week.

And perhaps even more remarkably, this is not the first time such a scenario has presented itself in English football, with Wolverhampton Wanderers having to evacuate part of their Molineaux stadium in 2014 while police investigated what turned out to be a training device left over in the Steve Bull Stand.

While the match, in Wolves' case, went ahead, with 30,000 fans in attendance to see the club claim the League 1 title against Carlisle, West Midlands Police were forced to issue an apology for panicking fans who found the "imitation explosion device".

At the time Chief Inspector Ian Marsh, Silver Commander for the match, said: "An imitation explosive device was found in an executive box at Molineux Stadium on Saturday during the match against Carlisle United. It had been placed there during a training exercise.

"Whilst the device posed no danger to anyone we appreciate it may have caused concern for the supporters who found it and we apologise for any distress it caused.

“We’ve received a complaint and will respond to this in due course.“The matter has been referred to West Midlands Police Professional Standards Department who will look into the incident and advise on any learning that may arise."

 

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Man United fans group together to help visitor after Sunday's bomb scare

Sunday's bizarre events at Old Trafford may have eventually resembled a comedy of errors, but the debacle also featured a more heart-warming side thanks to the solidarity of Manchester United fans.

The decision to abandon the Red Devils' clash when a suspicious device - later confirmed to be a 'dummy' bomb left by a security company - left thousands of supporters disappointed.

Perhaps none more so than 'Moses', who had been invited from Sierra Leone by the Manchester United Supporters' Trust to take in the game against Bournemouth.

But there is a happy ending, as MUST offered to change their guest's return ticket to the west African nation and send him to the FA Cup final for good measure.

"We were at the MUST House having a few drinks before the game when news came out there was a suspect package and the game would be delayed until 3.45pm," the Trust's vice chair Ian Stirling explained.

"That was unusual but no real concern, but then when we heard the game was abandoned we had to tell Moses and the poor lad was distraught - being so close to the ground and not being able to go in, not knowing when he might get this chance again.

"We had a quick discussion between us and we've agreed to rearrange his flight - so he'll fly home next week instead of tomorrow - and sort him out with a ticket for the FA Cup final. A couple of friends will put him up in Manchester as well."He's still distraught at not getting into Old Trafford - that was his dream - but we're trying to do the right thing for a friend."

 

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Madrid down to two Liga teams as Getafe & Rayo are relegated

The city of Madrid has been left with only two teams in La Liga after both Getafe and Rayo Vallecano were relegated on Sunday evening.

Getafe, Asturias side Sporting Gijon and Rayo were all fighting for survival on the final day, with only one of the three able to avoid the drop.

Sporting secured survival by beating Villarreal 2-0, while Getafe (in 17th place at the start of the day) lost 2-1 at Betis and Rayo's 3-1 victory at home to already-relegated Levante saw Paco Jemez's side sent down as well on a dramatic day.

So Getafe's 12-year spell in Primera Division comes to an end as the Azulones ended up in 19th spot, having been in a position to stay up after taking eight points from their previous four fixtures to depend on themselves going into the final day.

But they were unable to find a result as Betis won the match in front of the watching Gustavo Poyet, who now takes over as coach of the Seville-based side.

Getafe coach Esnaider was asked about Villarreal's performance afterwards and said of Marcelino (who spent spells at Sporting as both a player and a coach: "Marcelino? He will be happy. He'll be happy."

However, had Villarreal beaten Sporting, Rayo - and not Getafe - would have stayed in La Liga.

Sporting coach Abelardo (a former Barcelona and Spain defender and friend of Luis Enrique) was in tears after the final whistle after leading his side to safety in their first season back in the top flight since 2011-12.

"What a great day! Sporting Gijon! Congratulations Pitu!" the Barca boss tweeted in reference to his friend, with a photo of himself in a Sporting shirt and wearing a huge smile too after earlier enjoying a parade through the Catalan capital to celebrate the 24th Liga title his team had won on Saturday.
For his part, Abelardo said: "I'm shattered after two really hard seasons. I want to thank Betis for being so professional."

At Vallecas, meanwhile, there were emotional scenes as Rayo were relegated despite beating Levante 3-1, with the players crestfallen following the final whistle but back out to thank their vocal supporters after initially leaving the pitch.

"It's a sad moment, but also a proud moment," Jemez said afterwards. And he revealed he hopes to stay at the club he has coached for the past four years. "The president has my word and I will stay if things are done how I want them to be," he said.

Rayo's club chief Martin Presa confirmed as much: "We are going to return the team to Primera Division," he said. "If Paco wants to, he will stay." And he also hit out at Villarreal. "They didn't prepare for the game," he complained. "They didn't even have a shot on goal. From the first minute, that wasn't a game of football."

However, Villarreal striker Roberto Soldado hit back on social media as he tweeted: "Martin Presa... please! Respect."

The relegation of both Getafe and Rayo means Madrid now has only two teams, Real and Atletico, in La Liga. However, the city looks likely to have three clubs in Primera Division next season as Leganes top the table in Segunda and are four points clear of third-placed Gimnastic Tarragona with four fixtures remaining.

 

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Neil “likely” to stay at Norwich


Alex Neil says it is "likely" he will stay on as Norwich City manager as the club looks to bounce back in the Championship next season.

The Canaries were relegated from the Premier League in midweek and their misery was compounded as they fell to a 3-0 defeat against Everton in their final game of the season on Sunday.

Neil initially said he couldn't answer whether he would remain in charge of Norwich until he held discussions with the club's hierarchy in the aftermath of them dropping down to the second tier.

But the former Hamilton boss says he has since held brief talks with the board and looks set to lead Norwich in the Championship next term, but insists more meetings are still to follow.He told The Pink 'Un: "There have been brief discussions. I'll have more tomorrow but it looks likely I will be here next season.

"I still have a few discussions to be had. It's a big job because we have a number of players who have been here for a number of years for a start. We've got a team that is getting older - a lot of players 27, 28 and above.

"It is whether we deem we need to freshen it up and how much, and if we have got the resources available to us to do that."I think we have the basis of a squad because I don't think you can have that much churn between two seasons," he added.

"There might be some changes in the summer and it depends on what we can and can't get done. I think we have got a lot of decisions to make. There is going to be a lot of discussions over these next few days. Then we'll see who is coming with us."

Norwich showed little of the attacking flair and spirit that had earned them a 4-2 victory over Watford on Wednesday in their loss at the hands of Everton at Goodison Park.

Everton raced into a 2-0 first-half lead thanks to a strike from James McCarthy and a Leighton Baines penalty, before Kevin Mirallas wrapped up the points for the hosts shortly after the interval.

And afterwards Neil pinpointed Norwich's inability to contain Romelu Lukaku as a key part of their downfall.He added: "To be honest, the first goal pretty much summed us up this season.

"We had a good chance and Cameron (Jerome) has a header from seven or eight yards out. The keeper mops it up comfortably and 20 seconds later the ball ends up in the back of our net. Three or four occasions we could have stopped it getting to that point."It is a good strike from McCarthy but I think we have to look at how we defended it.

"We played some reasonable stuff without being overly threatening and when they went forward they looked decent at times. We couldn't deal with Lukaku."

 

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Di Natale 'cried like a baby' during final game

Antonio Di Natale admits he "cried like a baby" after playing his final game for Udinese on Sunday.Di Natale, who made almost 450 appearances for Udinese since joining in 2004, announced in April he will leave the club at the end of the season.

The 38-year-old came on in the 78th minute with Udinese 2-0 down against Carpi in the final day of the Serie A season but the home side won a penalty just 60 seconds after his introduction.

Di Natale converted the spot-kick to mark just his second goal of an injury-hit campaign but Udinese eventually went down 2-1 at the Stadio Friuli.The veteran striker said he was relaxed about his final game, up until he reached the locker room of the stadium.

"I think in the end 12 years was a great journey together," Di Natale told Sky Sport Italia. "I want to thank my team-mates and the club, everyone who was with me during this time.

"I hurt myself in training, but I wanted to play those 20 minutes and the doctors allowed me to do it."Until yesterday I was relaxed, but when I sat in the locker room tonight I was crying like a baby. I saw 12 years flash before my eyes.

"I scored 227 goals. I did many things for this club, scored many goals, so I hope to remain in the history of this club.He added: "The president [Franco Soldati] is a great man, he puts everything at our disposal and this beautiful stadium is down to him. He was like a father to me and helped me throughout this career."

As for what is next, Di Natale admits he has yet to call time on his playing career."Right now I want to go home, spend some time with my family and then I'll decide what to do next," he said. "I know any day I can call the president and we'll talk.

"It was pleasing to receive so many messages, but most of all I want to thank [former Udinese boss] Francesco Guidolin. We reached the Champions League together and are very close."

 

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Pellegrini predicts bright future for Iheanacho

Manuel Pellegrini has backed Kelechi Iheanacho to enjoy further success at Manchester City after the teenage striker netted in his side's 1-1 Premier League draw at Swansea City.

Iheanacho's 14th goal of an impressive breakthrough season gave the visitors an early lead at the Liberty Stadium but they were pegged back by Andre Ayew's free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Top scorer Sergio Aguero and Iheanacho were both culpable for spurning chances to secure a City win after the break but to all intents and purposes the point secured a top-four finish and entry into the Champions League for when Pep Guardiola arrives as Pellegrini's successor next term.

And the Chilean believes the incoming Bayern Munich boss is inheriting an exceptional prospect in Iheanacho."I think he demonstrated how important he [Iheanacho] is," Pellegrini told a post-match news conference.

"He is a very good player but he also must improve a lot. But a player of 19-years-old who scores so many goals and not playing all the games, I think has a brilliant future. I think all the fans of City will be delighted with him in the next years."

Sections of City's fanbase have criticised Pellegrini for not blooding other young prospects within an ageing squad this term, while Guardiola's decorated spell in charge of Barcelona won him a reputation as one of the premier developers of youth talent in football.

Pellegrini pointed to the fact that City remain in a relatively early stage of development following Sheikh Mansour's transformative 2008 takeover and believes the club's age-group sides are only now moving towards elite level."I think maybe in the next years you will see some players from the academy," he said.

"It's not easy, you must remember that this club started a real process to be a big team in the last eight years. "So when you are trying to have a big squad, maybe at the beginning the young players must be a bit postponed.

"But I think now they are working very well in all the young divisions. We reached the [FA Youth Cup] final against Chelsea this season, so I'm sure with the way that this club wants to continue improving and growing in the future you will see young players in the first squad soon."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd v Bournemouth rearranged for Tuesday

Manchester United's postponed match against Bournemouth has been rearranged for Tuesday evening.

The fixture, originally scheduled for Sunday, was abandoned due to the discovery of a suspicious package which was later confirmed by Greater Manchester Police to be a hoax.

Old Trafford was fully evacuated shortly after 3pm after a steward had discovered the item in the north-west section of the ground, with a bomb disposal unit called.
Goal understands that the package, which was found in the toilets of an executive suite, looked similar to a pipe bomb.

"We would like to thank Manchester United's staff, the police and other emergency services for all their efforts today as well as rearranging the match for this coming Tuesday," a Premier League statement reads."Both Manchester ‎United and AFC Bournemouth's management has been extremely helpful in reaching a swift resolution, which is the best possible given today's events."

The rescheduled match will kick off at 8pm local time, with United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League all but over after Manchester City's draw at Swansea City on Sunday.

United need to produce an 18-goal swing to overtake their rivals but can retake fifth place from Southampton by avoiding defeat.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd to refund fans for rescheduled Bournemouth clash

Manchester United have announced fans who had a ticket for the abandoned Premier League clash with Bournemouth will receive a refund from the club and also gain entry for the rescheduled match free of charge.

United's game against Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday was postponed following a bomb scare which led to a disposal unit being called in to deal with a suspicious package.

However, it has since emerged that the parcel which, Goal understands, resembled a pipe bomb was actually a dummy which had accidently been left behind by a training company after a security training exercise.

The rearranged date for United's encounter with Bournemouth is Tuesday, 17 May, with kick-off set for 8:00pm, and the club have since confirmed that supporters who had a ticket for the original game from both clubs will refunded for the trouble caused and can enter the newly-arranged affair with no additional costs.

United season ticket holders, match ticket purchasers and Matchday VIP buyers, as well as all Bournemouth fans who had a ticket, will be given a refund, according to the Red Devils' official club website.

Any United supporters who would have accessed the stadium with their Season Card or Membership Card will be able to do so again, while those with paper tickets can also use them again.United also added that replacement paper tickets can be reissued and reprinted to supporters.

Louis van Gaal's men play hosts to Bournemouth knowing their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are all but over following Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Swansea City on Sunday.

City's superior goal difference means United must beat Bournemouth 19-0 in order to pip their rivals to fourth and a place in Europe's elite club competition.