After Liverpool’s dominating 7-0 victory overManchester United, Jordan Henderson has cautioned his teammates not to overestimate their abilities.
In Sunday’s lopsided match at Anfield, the Reds handed their fierce rivals a record Premier League defeat and their joint-heaviest loss ever.
While Liverpool took particular pleasure in humiliating United, the outcome also brought them closer to fourth-place Tottenham with a game remaining by three points.
Newcastle, meanwhile, has two games remaining to catch Spurs and is four points outside of the Champions League spots.
Although Liverpool has now taken 13 of the last 15 available points, Henderson does not want his teammates to get too confident.
“Hopefully we can use it in the right way but you can’t get too confident or overconfident, for sure,” he told Liverpool’s official website.
“There are different tests along the way from now until the end of the season that will come and you need to stay positive, stay ready and stay hungry like we were [on Sunday].
“That will give us a good chance to finish the season well.”
Henderson made his 400th start for Liverpool in all competitions in their memorable victory over United, 20 of those coming in the 2022-23 campaign.
It has been a disappointing season for the Reds on the whole, but captain Henderson is pleased to have seen the Liverpool of old against United.
“The performance for the whole game was really good. Intensity and energy levels were high, and something that we have been missing for a while this season,” he said.
“I thought we performed to the levels we are capable of and when you do that you get your rewards with the goals.”
Liverpool scored from seven of their eight shots on target in a ruthless display, scoring as many goals as they managed in their previous eight league games combined.
“Everything seemed to go in,” Henderson added. “There was some great finishing, some great runs, movement and the delivery was good, so everything seemed to work.
“Hopefully this gives everyone the confidence to keep building, keep working and keep going right until the end of the season and see where we can get to.”
Liverpool return to action on Saturday with a trip to bottom side Bournemouth, before facing Real Madrid in the second leg of a Champions League last-16 tie they trail 5-2.
The Black Stars will play Angola in the 2023Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers during the first international break of the year.
Some athletes are presently recovering from injuries, but they might not be ready for the qualifiers in March 2023.
In the final week of March 2023, new Black Stars manager Chris Hughton is anticipated to select his team for the doubleheader.
At the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on March 23, Ghana will host Angola before leaving for the second leg four days later.
The Black Stars and Angola are tied for first place in Group E with four points each.
Here are players who would miss the games
Tariq Lamptey
Tariq Lamptey is doubtful for Ghana’s games against Angola are low due to an injury he suffered during Brighton and Hove Albion’s win over West Ham United.
The right-back was substituted on the 16-minute after what is believed to be a knee problem.
Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi said, “It’s not a big problem. It’s a small injury.”
His season is over and thus will not be available for the doubleheader.
Alidu Seidu
Black Stars defender, Alidu Seidu is currently going through his recovery process after suffering a meniscus injury.
Seidu has undergone surgery and is expected to be out of action for a month. Therefore, the right-back will not be available for Ghana’s AFCON qualifiers in March.
The two contend that it is impossible to display weakness at Anfield, but Manchester United misunderstood the venue and as a result, they were humiliated by their fiercest rivals.
On March 5, 2023, Manchester United, the newly crowned Carabao Cup champions, were humiliated and reduced to nothing at Anfield as Liverpool defeated their longtime rivals Manchester United with a crushing victory.
United has suffered its joint-heaviest defeat ever in competitive play since the club was founded in 1878 after conceding seven goals without a response.
Reacting to the defeat, Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson used to blacklist them for more than two weeks if they lose to Liverpool at Anfield so they were always afraid to disappoint him at the venue.
“Until you go to Anfield and play as a Man United player, you will never know what it is. It’s a cauldron and it’s fire. Ferguson used to rest players before our games at Anfield and it was not because those players were tied but was to prepare them mentally.
“Winning at Anfield is the best feeling and losing there is the worst feeling ever. Sometimes when we lose at Anfield, Fergusson won’t talk to us for two weeks,” the duo said in a podcast.
Andre Ayew Dede, the captain of theBlack Stars, is undoubtedly in the latter stages of his career, but the Nottingham Forest forward still has a lot to say.
Since making his national team debut in 2007, he has played a significant role. For 16 years and counting, he has had a successful international career.
With 113 appearances and 24 goals so far, Ayew holds the record for the most Ghanaian caps ever.
With eight goals, he holds the record for being Ghana’s top scorer at the AFCON. He has participated in seven editions of the tournament.
Many contend that Ayew has outlived his time with the national team because he has competed in three different World Cup competitions.
However, Andre Ayew appears to have some more to offer with the 2023 AFCON just around the corner.
Here are five reasons why Dede Ayew Andre
Experience
At age 33, Andre Ayew has literally gone through all the lessons football has to offer a player who played the highest level for this long.
In terms of national team football, Ayew has also gone through the highs and lows and has vast experience in adapting and solving certain situations.
He was the last skipper to lead Ghana to win silverware at the World Stage when the Black Satellites won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2009.
In the event that Antonio Conte’s team is eliminated from the Champions League, Manchester United reportedly believes they can lure Harry Kane away from Tottenham.
The prolific England captain, 30, is highly desired by the Red Devils, who are in the market for a star No9.
While United reportedly expects Spurs to lower their £100 million asking price if they do not place in the top four, The Sun reports that the North Londoners are frantically trying not to sell.
Tottenham would run the risk of losing their talisman for nothing if they allowed Kane to complete the remaining 12 months of his contract because his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season.
Conte’s side currently sit in the final Champions League spot but are coming under pressure from Liverpool, who hammered United 7-0 to continue their recent revival on Sunday.
That Anfield humiliation has highlighted the need for improvement at Old Trafford and spending is expected — especially if the Glazer family decide to sell the club.
Saliba has answered all Arsenal’s doubts – Arteta
Kane has 18 league goals this season — the ninth campaign in a row he has hit double figures in the top flight — and would offer a superstar option alongside Marcus Rashford, who is in the form of his life.
He was strongly tipped to move to Manchester City last summer and may see this as his final chance to make a career-defining move as he looks to break his trophy duck.
Napoli sensationVictor Osimhen is another United target but there will be aqueue of clubs fighting for the 24-year-old’s signature.
David Bettoni has been appointed boss of Sion, the club where Mario Balotelli plays, and that may mean Zidane will be looking for a new second-in-command when he returns to football.
Zidane recently has made no secret of his eagerness to get back into work, having walked away from the Madrid hotseat after the 2020-21 season.
A post with a big club likely awaits the France great, while Bettoni begins his life as a head coach with a ringing endorsement from his friend and former boss.
Bettoni has been appointed on a short-term basis initially, taking the job until the end of the season.
Sion president Christian Constantin told newspaper Le Matin he spent over an hour on the telephone with Zidane, joking that was more than former French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet was willing to give of his time.
Le Graet caused uproar in France at the start of the year when he said he would not even have answered his phone to Zidane if he had called to enquire about the France job. That was after Zidane saw his hopes of being made boss of Les Bleus scuppered by Didier Deschamps signing up for another World Cup cycle.
Constantin said of his chat with Zidane: “It made me very happy to be able to talk about football with him for an hour and a quarter. He had a much better reception with me than with Le Graet!
“He told me how loyal David had been to him, that he had never sought to find fault with him in his mission. Without him, he told me again, I would never have succeeded in doing what I achieved at Real during all his years.”
🔴 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘́ 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗟
Le FC Sion annonce l’arrivée de David Bettoni comme entraîneur principal de la première équipe jusqu’au terme de la saison.
Bettoni, who first got to know Zidane when they were teenagers at Cannes, initially joined Madrid when Zidane was in charge of the youth side, before stepping up and helping his compatriot lead Los Blancos to three Champions League triumphs.
As Thomas Frank’s team defeated fellow unlikely European contenders Fulham 3-2 in the Premier League, the 26-year-old again stroked the ball into the bottom-right corner from 12 yards.
For Brentford, Toney has taken 22 penalties, 10 of which have been in the Premier League. He has successfully converted all 22 of them.
Only Yaya Toure, who scored on all 11 penalty attempts for Manchester City, has a better 100 percent conversion rate in the competition, but Toney explained that his penalty procedure is all about relaxation.
After being made to wait before putting Brentford 2-1 up in the 53rd minute at the Brentford Community Stadium, he told Sky Sports: “The wait doesn’t matter, the longer the better really because I can get away and think of other things like being away on holiday and chilling.
“The goalkeeper didn’t move but I have always got a spot where I put the ball.”
Toney has scored 27 of his 28 penalties in his professional career, with the only blemish a saved attempt for Peterborough United in a 4-0 defeat against Barnsley back in October 2018.
That miss was the catalyst for a technique alteration.
When asked when he changed his approach, he replied: “When I missed… I thought of different techniques to make sure I had a better chance of scoring and it’s working out alright at the moment, so touch wood, it continues.”
10/10 – Only Yaya Touré (11/11) has a better 100% record from the penalty spot in Premier League history than Ivan Toney (10/10). Inevitable. pic.twitter.com/eqMaSw7Rzi
Another strike against Fulham took Toney’s Premier League tally to 15 this season despite off-field issues.
He has been charged with 262 alleged betting violations by the Football Association, which took place over a four-year period, but hit out at English football’s governing body last weeks after reported media leaks.
Reports suggested Toney, who missed out onEngland’s World Cup squad in Qatar, would be banned for six months after pleading guilty to some charges – claims the forward strongly denied on social media.
Brentford head coach Frank previously defended his star attacker and reiterated his backing for Toney after the Fulham win.
“I take all the praise, it is solely me,” Frank initially joked to Sky Sports. “No it is Ivan, that is the technique he had when he arrived at Brentford.
“He is the best penalty taker in the world for a few reasons, his strategy, he practices it and he is very cool. He keeps doing it all the same.
“It is a unique skill with him. This situation with the [betting] case going on, he has a unique ability to focus on games and training and he has kept doing that so that doesn’t surprise me.
“He doesn’t like the situation but he has top focus. He is a special footballer, I think his character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team.
“His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates around in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-round football player.”
This comes in response to a protest made by Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the minority leader and ranking committee member.
Adansi Asokwa MP, who is visiting the Trades ministry on Thursday, lamented that the committee’s report was still pending more than ten (10) days after the nominees were vetted.
Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the majority chief whip, prayed for the report to be laid before the house.
Ato Forson disagreed, claiming that despite his contributions to the draught report, he had not seen the final version.
The objection however did not go down well with vice Chairman of the committee and deputy majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin who explained there was an agreement with the front bench of the Minority for the report to be laid.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin then ruled the report should go back to the committee for approval by members before a presentation to the plenary.
Subsequently, Afenyo-Markin stated the hurdles had been cleared for the report to be laid. That, however, could not happen to mean the nominees will have to wait a while longer to know their fate especially given the directive by the leadership of NDC for its MPs to reject the nominees.
The speaker took the opportunity to reprimand the leadership of some committees for failing to produce reports on time.
He singled out the Constitution, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee which has failed to produce a report of the Anti-gay bill since last year for a mention. The former Nadowli-Kaleo MP warned of consequences if Committees fail to work as directed.
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, according to certified economist Bernard Oduro Takyi, is the only one who can assist Ghana in overcoming the current obstacle preventing it from receiving the $3 billion bailout from theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to him, the only obstacle remaining before the government can convince the IMF board that Ghana’s debt is manageable and the $3 billion bailout should be approved is the Chinese government, which is now the only obstacle.
“The Chinese government is going to drag its feet and will not meet Ghana over the money we owe them. What they are likely to do is demand control of key assets of Ghana because we have failed to honour the agreement, we had with them.
“The only way out is for the government to fall on the Otumfuo. It took Otumfuo for Kufuor to get debt cancellation. The only way out is for the Otumfuo to lead the delegation anybody else forget it, it won’t wash.
“The Otumfuo’s seat goes beyond the country… in Africa, he is one of the most respected monarchs. He can speak to Buckingham Palace for the King of England to intervene for Ghana. If any other person leads Ghana’s delegation will not wash,” he said in Twi in an Onua TV interview, on Thursday.
Oduro Takyi, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who has defected to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), added that the last person to be leading the country to seek reprieve for its international debt is the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
He explained that international lenders to Ghana including China see Ofori-Atta as the cause of the problems in Ghana and they will not be willing to sit with him to discuss the country’s debt.
The government of Ghana started engaging external debtors with the view to getting debt cancellation, especially from the Paris club of creditors.
China holds a third of Ghana’s external debts amounting to $1.7 billion out of a total of $5.7 billion.
Ken Ofori-Atta, according to a Joy News report, told Svenja Schulze, the German Development Minister that China has committed to a bilateral negotiation.
“The big elephant in the room is China as in how they will comport themselves in the comparability of treatment because China wants to do bilateral. We would be visiting China by the end of the week to really discuss how they can envelop as quickly as possible,” he said.
Svenja Schulze on her part assured of German support in helping Ghana to get fair treatment at the Paris club.
Jorginho was replaced by the 29-year-old as Arsenal defeated Newcastle to increase their lead atop the English Premier League standings.
After a shaky first half, Arsenal dominated the second half thanks in large part to another masterful performance from Partey.
Following Partey’s performance in the second half of the 4-0 victory over Everton at the Emirates, Arteta praised his tenacious performance.
“I’m really happy. It was a game that we had in hand against an opponent that we knew was going to make life really difficult for us, and we expected that at Goodison. We started the game with some frustration and not really understanding what we had to do, allowing them to run in certain transitions, but after 25 minutes I think we started to get much better and the timing of the two goals was key,” said Arteta after the game.
“We needed a magic moment there and Alex and Bukayo produced that, and then I think the team grew, especially with Thomas because Jorginho wasn’t feeling good today. When he came on he really gave us some presence and stability to the team, and I think the second half was superb,” he added.
Partey was making just his second appearance after his injury in February.
Asafa Powell, a Jamaican sprinter, has requested that running tracks be installed at stadiums all over the nation to help develop athletics in Ghana.
The former world champion in the 100 metres who visited the Accra Sports Stadium expressed his surprise and concern that the venue lacked running tracks for sporting events like athletics.
The retired athlete believed that the development of athletics facilities would advance the sport and inspire young athletes to remain committed to it.
The Jamaican Sprint King urged the government to support the growth of athletics by providing venues while visiting the National Sports Authority.
“I was surprised not to see running tracks walking around the Accra Stadium in the capital city and I believe something should be done about it.
“Athletics is big and I think it has a lot to offer talented athletes, especially from poor backgrounds by moving them out of poverty,” Powell said.
“I think the government must do something about it by ensuring every sporting facility in Ghana has a running track to help unearth and nurture talents for the future,” he said.
Asafa Powell who is married to Ghanaian-American, Alyshia Akua Miller arrived in Ghana on Monday, February 27, 2023.
Asafa Powell is expected to visit some schools in Ghana to inspire upcoming athletes in the country.
The Jamaican has also been scheduled to meet President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Asafa Powell is the fourth-fastest man in history with a personal best of 9.72 seconds.
Graham Potter is not going to hide behind the backing he has received fromChelsea’s owners and is not paying attention to the commotion surrounding his future ahead of a match with Leeds.
Blues head coach Potter, who was only hired in September of last year, is under a lot of pressure as a result of an 11-game winning streak.
Chelsea lost its third straight game without scoring, falling to 10th place in the Premier League after a 2-0 London derby loss at Tottenham last Sunday.
When relegation-threatened Leeds visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Potter, who has the support of the Blues hierarchy, knows his team needs to stop the bleeding.
Asked if he still has support from the owners, Potter said: “There is support and I’ve spoken to them. But I’m not going to hide behind that. The results haven’t been good enough.”
He added: “My position is that I need to focus on the next game. Whatever the discussions are, that’s not for me.”
The former Brighton and Hove Albion boss is not paying much attention to speculation over his job during such a challenging period.
Asked how he copes with the noise, he replied: “By not listening too much to it is the honest answer. I take it step by step, focus on the next thing. You get through the days and the week.
“We’re fighting for improvement. Talking is one thing, we have to do it on the pitch.”
He said: “Supporters care and how that comes out is understandable. They’re hurting and we are too. We thank them for their support – and when you lose to the team that are bottom you expect a negative response.
“We’ve not given them enough to give them a reason to be excited about the team.”
Potter revealed Thiago Silva is expected to be out for around six weeks after suffering a knee injury, while Mason Mount will miss the game against Leeds due to an abdominal issue and Reece James is a doubt because of a tight hamstring.
N’Golo Kante (hamstring) came through a first full training session on Friday but needs time to step up his fitness, while Edouard Mendy (finger) is making progress.
The new facility will be a gathering place for fans of sports betting and provide a distinctive and engaging gaming experience. It is situated at No. 9 Adjoate RD. in Osu behind the Koala Shopping Mall on Oxford Street.
The centre, which is open seven days a week, will give customers access to a variety of sports betting and gaming options, including the creation of new accounts, insider knowledge about special promotions, customer support, and live streaming of sporting events.
Magnus Rex Danquah Jr., Country Manager, Operations for Betway Ghana, claimed that the new experience centre was created to provide sports betting enthusiasts with a top-notch gaming experience.
“We are delighted to be opening our new customer experience centre in Osu. This new facility will serve our patrons in the Greater Accra Region and offer them a world-class online betting and gaming experience. We are open to everyone, and we invite patrons to visit us to experience the new customer experience centre.”
During the launch event, Samuel James Nii Adjei Tawiah, the Municipal Chief Executive of the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, extended a warm welcome to Betway in Osu and urged them to actively participate in the development of the local community. He emphasized the significance of businesses in fostering sustainable economic and social growth in the area.
The launch of this new experience centre is a major milestone in the brand’s expansion within Ghana and brings the total number of centres in the country to three, with the other two located in Takoradi and Kumasi.
Neymar is anticipated to miss the second leg of Paris Saint-Champions Germain’s League match against Bayern Munich due to an ankle injury, according to head coach Christophe Galtier.
After being carried off the pitch during PSG’s dramatic 4-3 victory over Lille on February 19, scans revealed Neymar had damaged ankle ligaments.
As PSG needed to overturn a 1-0 deficit after losing the first leg at the Parc des Princes, where fellow attacking star Kylian Mbappe was forced to play only as a substitute due to injury, the Brazil international’s injury put his participation against Bayern in doubt right away.
PSG’s fears were confirmed as Galtier previewed Saturday’s Ligue 1 meeting with Nantes, saying: “In the next two games, we won’t have Neymar available.”
“I think he will miss out against Bayern Munich.”
A medical update issued by the club, meanwhile, said Neymar was continuing his rehabilitation and would be reassessed on Monday—two days before PSG’s trip to Germany.
Neymar’s absence did not hamper PSG last time out, as Mbappe and Lionel Messi starred in a 3-0 thrashing of Marseille to move the Ligue 1 leaders eight points clear at the summit.
That win saw Mbappe move level with PSG’s all-time record scorer Edinson Cavani with 200 goals for the club, while Messi claimed the 700th senior goal of his club career.
Having exchanged assists for all three goals, Messi and Mbappe have now combined for 10 goals in Ligue 1 this season, which is the most in the division and four more than Neymar and Mbappe.
However, Galtier dismissed suggestions PSG were a more balanced side with Neymar sidelined, saying: “Our block is much more compact, denser.
“With the absence of Neymar, instead of having two midfielders, we will be with three midfielders and two attackers.
“To tell you that Neymar’s absence is trivial… no. It’s a detrimental absence for us.”
While Wednesday’s trip to Bayern is viewed as make-or-break for PSG’s season, Galtier knows Nantes – who have won two of their last four league games against the Parisians – will provide a stern test.
“The most important game is the one that’s coming. Our squad is weakened by suspensions and injuries, we have to make our way in the league,” he said.
“I hope the players don’t have the game against Bayern on Wednesday in a corner of their heads. It’s important to have a third consecutive victory in the league.”
Chris Hughton, the yet-to-be-announced coach of the Ghana Black Stars, has lost his Ghanaian father.
Although Chris Hughton was chosen to lead the Black Stars, his introduction coincided with the passing of his father, Willie Houghton.
Chris is currently arranging for his father’s burial in the UK. After two weeks, it is anticipated that he will travel to Ghana to complete his introduction as the new Black Stars coach.
A Ghanaian living in London, Willie Houghton, has since passed away. He was married to Christine Bourke and worked as a postman before passing away.
Henry Asante Twum, the Ghana Football Association’s communication director, announced his passing tothe public.
In a tense first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal, Barcelona defeated Madrid 1-0.
Prior to the match, however, Los Blancos supporters staged a protest outside their stadium, TalkSport reported. The protest was in relation to the recent news that Barcelona paid the former Vice President of the Referee’s Committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.
The Blaugrana have maintained that there was nothing untoward about the payments. Madrid fan’s don’t agree, and carried fake Euro notes to the game with Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s face on it. They also displayed a banner with “Corruption in the Federation” written on it, Goal noted. Following the game, Madrid fans continued to claim that Barcelona had paid off the referee, because they were unhappy with some of the decisions in the game.
Details about Barcelona refereeing payments
Earlier, Sports Brief reported things are not looking good for FC Barcelona. The club have denied any wrongdoing after allegations surfaced that they have been paying the Enriquez Negreira over the years, but new information could suggest otherwise. A registered letter from Negreira to Barcelona in 2018 has been made public. In the letter, Negreira threatened Barca after they tried to stop the payments.
Tebas wants Laporta to resign
Sports Brief reported that Joan Laporta’s reign as Barcelona president could be set for an abrupt end following the latest financial scandal rocking the Catalan club.
The five-time Champions League winners have been accused of paying more than €1.5 million to a company owned by the former Vice President of the Referees Technical Committee in Spain from 2016-18 La Liga president Javier Tebas has now called for Laporta to step down as the Barcelona president if he cannot explain the club’s 33 payments.
Agent to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, Rafaela Pimenta, says Real Madrid is still the “dreamland” for all footballers.
Incredibly, Haaland has 33 goals for City this season, four more than any other player in the top five leagues in Europe. He has also broken numerous records.
The Norwegian international is currently playing at Etihad Stadium in the first year of a five-year contract, but he is still linked with a transfer to LaLiga powerhouse Real Madrid.
Haaland reportedly has a release clause in his contract that will allow him to join Madrid at the end of the upcoming season, but City manager Pep Guardiola previously denied those rumours.
But Haaland’s agent did little to quash talk of a future switch to the Spanish capital when asked about the 22-year-old’s future at the FT Business of Football Summit in London.
“There is the Premier League, and there is Real Madrid. Real Madrid has something of its own that makes it the dreamland for the players,” Pimenta said.
“Madrid keeps this magic going. They don’t have the league competition every week, but they do have the Champions League.”
Haaland has previously said the attractiveness of playing under Guardiola at a club where father Alf-Inge once played was too much to turn down.
However, Pimenta suggested the former Borussia Dortmund star already knows which club he will join next.
“We have to make a plan, we need to have a goal,” she said. “Maybe we won’t achieve it, but if we don’t know where we’re going, then for sure we don’t get there.
Haaland is one of a number of high-profile clients represented by Pimenta, along with the likes of Paul Pogba, Matthijs de Ligt, Marco Verratti and Ryan Gravenberch.
All of those players have either played in or been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, which Pimenta feels is still the elite division in world football.
“When I started in this business, if I told [a player], ‘you’re moving to England’, they would ask me, ‘what did I do wrong?’,” she said.
“Now when we talk to players, and ask them what is their goal, they say the Premier League. They don’t say a team, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, they say ‘the Premier League’.
“This is the first time in 25 years that I hear so many players say I want to go to a league, not to a club. This is the place to be for an agent.
“An agent needs to be where a player wants to be. It’s a fantastic league. It’s so competitive, every game is a challenge, everyone wants to watch it.”
Slavko Matic, the head coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, was seen at the police headquarters in Accra after receiving threats from the team’s supporters.
Following a string of disappointing results in the current season, Accra Hearts of Oak supporters have been on the management and board’s tail to fire the Serbian manager, whom they believe is not the right fit for their club.
On Sunday, March 5, 2023, the Accra Sports Stadium will host the Super Clash match between rivals Asante Kotoko and the fans have threatened him not to attend.
Though Accra Hearts of Oak issued a statement on the morning of Friday, March 3, 2023, telling them to refrain from any violent act targeted towards their manager Slavko Matic, the fans ignored the directive.
The directive from the club didn’t work as the fans trooped to the training facility at Pobiman and prevented the coach from supervising the training session.
Graham Potter’s choice to leave at least four Chelsea players out of the matchday squad against Tottenham Hotspur is said to have disappointed them.
Chelsea’s first loss came by a score of 2-0 at their rival’s new home pitch, which made Potter’s issues even worse and made the possibility of missing out on playing in Europe next season a reality.
Harry Kane and Oliver Skipp both scored goals in the second half to tie Chelsea, who had only two victories in their previous 15 games.
Football London reports that at least four players were shocked to learn they wouldn’t be on the team before the game.
Chelsea’s huge squad
Apart from churning out good results, Potter is struggling to satisfy a bloated squad after the club’s intense forays in the transfer market that saw at least eight new players arrive in the January window alone. The former Brighton boss is spoilt with options, with many senior players struggling for game time.
For the Spurs clash, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka, David Datro Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah were reportedly disappointed after they failed to even make the bench. There was a place for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who hasn’t been involved a lot in recent times for the Blues.
With time quickly running out for Potter, he will have to find a way to maintain squad unity as he attempts to get things in order. Chelsea’s next two games are vital clashes against Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge.
What Potter needs to fix at Chelsea Sports Brief had earlier given a guideline of the things Potter needs to fix immediately at Chelsea to save his job.
He is arguably facing the greatest test of his career as he struggles to save a sinking Chelsea ship. Talks have been rife that perhaps managing a ‘top-six’ club came a tad bit too soon for a coach who had shown so much promise at Brighton and Östersunds.
As he may know by now, a draw and an ‘excellent performance’ without the results does not cut it at a club of Chelsea’s stature. His favourite excuse of the players giving everything after a loss has rubbedfans the wrong way.
Switzerland shipped 58.3 tonnes of gold to Turkey for a total value of 3.3 billion Swiss francs ($3.6 billion), according to Swiss customs data released on Tuesday according to records dating back to 2012,
Turkish demand for the metal has skyrocketed as astronomically high inflation erodes the value of the local lira currency. Gold is traditionally regarded as a safe way to store wealth.
The largest hub for the transit and refining of gold is in Switzerland. In contrast to just 11 metric tonnes in 2021, it shipped 188 metric tonnes of gold to Turkey last year, valued at 10.1 billion Swiss francs.
The shipments in January, however, show an increase. According to Swiss data, the amount of gold exported from Switzerland to Turkey in a single month has never surpassed 34 tonnes.
The quantity of gold flowing into Turkey has worsened Turkey’s current account deficit, which rose to $48.8 billion last year.
After earthquakes struck Turkey this month, causing thousands of deaths and huge economic damage, the government moved to reduce the amount of gold entering the country by suspending some imports and asking banks to widen the spread for gold transactions, making them costlier to curtail demand.
Switzerland’s shipments to Turkey accounted for 42% of its total gold exports in January.
The country sent 3.2 tonnes to India in January, the lowest for any month since May 2021, and 26.1 tonnes to mainland China, the least since May 2022.
India and China are the two biggest gold consumer markets and demand often rises when gold prices are low and falls when gold prices increase.
A treasure hunter is more convinced than ever that there is a cover-up and is equally committed to proving it as a result of the court-ordered disclosure of a vast collection of official photographs, videos, maps, and other documents relating to the FBI’s covert search for gold from the Civil War.
In Dents Run, Pennsylvania, where local lore holds that an 1863 shipment of Union gold vanished on its way to the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, Dennis Parada engaged the FBI in a legal battle to compel the agency to turn over records of its excavation. The FBI has long maintained that the dig at Dents Run, where they went after cutting-edge testing suggested tonnes of gold might be buried there, turned up nothing.
Parada and his advisers, who have spent countless hours poring over the newly released government records, believe otherwise. They accuse the FBI of distorting key evidence and improperly withholding records in an apparent effort to conceal the recovery of a historic, extremely valuable gold cache. The FBI defends its handling of the materials.
Parada’s dispute with the FBI is playing out in federal court, where a judge overseeing the case must decide whether the FBI will have to release its operational plan for the gold dig and other records it wants to keep secret. The judge could also order the FBI to keep looking for additional materials to turn over to the treasure hunter.
“We feel we were double-crossed and lied to,” Parada said in an interview at his cramped, wood-paneled office, where huge drill bits and high-end metal detectors compete for space with rusty miners’ picks, Civil War-era cannon parts and other odds and ends he’s dug up over the years.
“The truth will come out,” said Parada, co-founder of the treasure-hunting outfit Finders Keepers. Solving the mystery is not his only goal — he had hoped to earn a finder’s fee from the potential recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of gold.
An FBI spokesperson declined to answer questions about the agency’s gold dig records or respond to the coverup allegations, citing the ongoing litigation. Last year, the FBI released a statement publicly acknowledging for the first time that it had been looking for gold in Dents Run. The statement said the FBI did not find any, adding the agency “continues to unequivocally reject any claims or speculation to the contrary.”
There is little evidence in the historical record to suggest that an Army detachment lost a gold shipment in the Pennsylvania wilderness — possibly the result of an ambush by Confederate sympathizers — but the legend has inspired generations of treasure hunters, Parada among them.
He and his son spent years looking for the fabled gold of Dents Run, eventually guiding the FBI to a remote woodland site 135 miles (220 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh where they say their instruments identified a large quantity of metal. The FBI brought in a geophysical consulting firm whose sensitive equipment detected a 7- to 9-ton mass suggestive of gold.
Armed with a warrant, a team of FBI agents came in March 2018 todig up the hillside. An FBI videographer was on hand to document it, at one point interviewing a Philadelphia-based agent on the FBI’s art-crime team who explained why the FBI was in the woods of one of Pennsylvania’s most sparsely populated counties.
“We’ve identified through our investigation a site that we believe has U.S. property, which includes a significant sum of base metal which is valuable … particularly gold, maybe silver,” the agent said on the video, his face blurred by the FBI to protect his privacy.
Calling it a “155-year-old cold case,” he said the FBI had corroborated Parada’s information about the location of the reputed gold through “scientific testing.” He stressed the test results did not prove the presence of gold. Only a dig would help law enforcement “get to the bottom of this story once and for all,” the agent said.
Parada obtained the video and other FBI records through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, hoping they would help answer lingering questions about what took place at Dents Run five years ago. Parada was mostly kept away from the dig site while the FBI did its work.
He suspects the agency conducted a clandestine, overnight dig between the first and second days of the court-authorized excavation, found the gold, and spirited it away. Residents have previously told of hearing a backhoe and jackhammer overnight — when the dig was supposed to have been paused — and seeing a convoy of FBI vehicles, including large armored trucks. The FBI has denied it conducted an overnight dig.
Parada and a consultant, Warren Getler, have focused on a handful of FBI photos and an accompanying photo log that have them questioning the FBI’s official gold dig timeline. At issue is the presence or absence of snow in the images and the timing of a storm that briefly disrupted operations. For example, an FBI image that was supposed to have been taken about an hour after the squall does not show any snow on a large, moss-covered boulder at the dig site. That same boulder is snow-covered in a photo that FBI records indicate was taken the next morning — some 15 hours after the storm.
They accuse the FBI of altering the sequence of events to conceal an overnight excavation.
“We have compelling evidence a night dig took place, and that the FBI went to some large effort to cover up that night dig,” said Getler, co-author of “Rebel Gold,” a book exploring the possibility of buried Civil War-era caches of gold and silver.
There are other seeming anomalies in the records, according to Finders Keepers’ legal motion. Among them:
— The FBI initially turned over hundreds of photos, but rendered them in low-resolution, high-contrast black-and-white, making it impossible to tell the time of day they were taken or even, in some cases, what they show. The treasure hunters went back and requested several dozen of the photos in color, which the FBI provided.
— The agency did not provide any video of the second and final day of the dig. Nor did it produce any photos or video showing what the FBI’s own hand-drawn map described as a 30-foot-long, 12-foot-deep trench — which the treasure hunters claim could have only been dug overnight. Government lawyers acknowledged these gaps in the photo and video record but did not elaborate in a court filing last week.
— The consulting firm hired by the FBI to assess the possibility of gold produced a report on its findings, but the version given to the treasure hunters seems to be missing key pages.
— The FBI did not provide any of its agents’ travel and expense invoices, which could shed further light on the dig timeline.
The records released so far “cast doubt on the FBI’s claim to have found nothing and raise serious and troubling questions about the FBI’s conduct during the dig and in this litigation, where it has gone to great lengths to distort critical evidence,” Anne Weismann, a lawyer for Finders Keepers, wrote in a legal filing that seeks records, including the FBI’s operational plan, that she says were improperly withheld.
The Justice Department did not address the treasure hunters’ most explosive claims of a possible coverup in its latest legal filing. The government instead told a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that the FBI had satisfied its legal obligation to the treasure hunters to search for its records of the dig, and asked for the case to be closed.
“I will stick at this until the end, until I know everything that happened to that gold,” he said. “How much, where it went to, who has it now. I gotta know.”
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Real Madrid lost the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final 1-0 to a Barcelona team, according to Carlo Ancelotti,who is confident that Real Madrid has the strength to recover.
Thursday’s smash-and-grab victory by Barca at the Santiago Bernabeu gave them a slim lead heading into the second meeting at Camp Nou the following month.
The game-winning goal was scored by Franck Kessie in the 26th minute after Thibaut Courtois blocked his initial shot. Eder Militao assisted on the play.
Barca had the least amount of ball possession in a single game since Opta records began, with just 35.3% of the time, while Madrid dominated the other areas (2013-14 season).
Similarly, Barca had less than 50% of the ball in a game for just the third time since the beginning of last year.
Ancelotti was unimpressed by Barca’s performance and remains confident Madrid will reach the final, despite Los Blancos failing to get a single shot on target for only the third time in a decade.
“The team played well,” he told reporters. “Barcelona played like they didn’t want to play.
“We haven’t been good in the last third. Defeat hurts, but if we do the same in the second leg, we have a chance to progress.
“We played the game we had to play: pressing, playing with intensity. We lacked a goal, but they did nothing to score. They were lucky with the rebound. We have 90 minutes [to turn it around].”
He added: “We’ve failed, but we did not deserve to lose. But in 90 minutes we can score a goal in Barcelona.”
Despite the obvious frustration in his voice, Ancelotti was undoubtedly impressed with how Madrid managed to control the majority of the game, forcing Barca to play mostly on the edge of their own box.
Chris Hughton will be introduced as the new Black Stars coach prior to Ghana’s AFCON qualifying match against Angola, according to Henry Asante Twum, director of communication for the Ghana Football Association.
The former Tottenham Hotspurs manager Chris Hughton was promoted from his role as technical advisor to head coach of the Black Stars in February 2023, but he hasn’t yet been introduced.
There have been complaints regarding the delay, but Henry Asante Twum has clarified that the reason Chris Hughton hasn’t been introduced to Ghanaians as the new Black Stars coach is that he needed time to resolve some issues and because a family member passed away.
“Chris had to stay in the UK because he lost his dad and needed time with his family and plan the burial service. That’s why he’s not been to Ghana yet.”
“We expect Chris in Ghana next week if everything goes according to plan. We are constantly engaging on his unveiling, media engagement, and build-up to the games,” he told 3 Sports.
Henry Asante Twum added that the squad for the doubleheader against Angola will be announced shortly after Chris Hughton’s unveiling.
“He is working; Chris and his assistants will be unveiled together. When he arrives, we will communicate the date and venue for his unveiling and then use that as part of the build-up to the game against Angola. There will also be squad announcements, details of the contract, and targets set for the new technical team.”
Chelsea is thinking about signing Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer, according to reports.
Blues manager Graham Potter is under fire because his team has only scored 23 goals in 24 Premier League games this season.
Romelu Lukaku’s season-long loan at Inter Milan is set to expire, and there is no true No. 9, so Todd Bohely and company appear ready to spend big money once more before the start of the upcoming season.
Football Insider predicts that Chelsea will be successful in persuading Juve, who is short on cash, to sell 23-year-old Vlahovic for a reasonable price.
In other news
Multiple sources suggest Real Madridare monitoring Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, 25.
The Times claim Chelsea have reignited their interest in RB Leipzig centre-backJosko Gvardiol, 21.
reportedly eyeing a summer swoop for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
The Blues have netted just 23 goals in 24 Premier League games this season, and under-fire boss Graham Potter is desperate to beef up his attack.
Lacking a true No9, and with Romelu Lukaku’s future uncertain when his season-long loan at Inter Milan comes to an end, Todd Bohely and Co are seemingly set to splash the cash once again before next term.
And Football Insider believes Chelsea will be able to persuade cash-strapped Juventus to part with 23-year-old Vlahovic at a reasonable price.
Liverpool are said to be in the driving seat to lure Mason Mount from Stamford Bridge if the England midfielder, 24, fails to agree a new contract, according to The Daily Mail.
Although Haaland, 22, is seemingly loving life in Manchester, Rafaela Pimenta has confirmed it would be a dream for her client to sign for the LaLiga giants.
In response to the team’s dismal run, Accra Hearts of Oak have pleaded with their supporters to abstain from any acts of violence directed at Slavko Matic, their manager.
The club noted that it had observed comments made in the media to incite the supporters against the manager in a statement issued on March 3, 2023.
Heart of Oak begged the supporters to keep their composure and take their complaints to the management for resolution.
“The management of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club PLC has taken notice of comments made in the media inciting supporters to stop the Head Coach Slavko Matic from performing his duties.
“We kindly entreat All Phobians to desist from any act of violence but remain calm.
“We urge all Phobians to rather channel their petitions and or grievances if any, through the management to the Board for redress,” part of the statement reads.
The fans got triggered after Hearts lost 1-0 to their local rivals Great Olympics, who are positioned mid-table.
The club has been inconsistent in their last five matches winning two, losing two, and drawing one.
Disgruntled fans threatened to lock up the gates of their training ground to their coach Slavko Matic ahead of their game against Kumasi Asante Kotoko on Sunday, March 4, 2023.
The fans have sent word of caution to the Serbian trainer to stay away from their training ground and the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
They believe that the club’s poor run in the league is due to the coach’s poor tactical tweaks and that they will not allow him to handle the game against Asante Kotoko.
One of Europe’s top wingers, Bukayo Saka, is a young player under Mikel Arteta who is trying to help Arsenal win the Premier League for the first time since the 2004 Invincibles. The Nigerian-born Saka’s career hit rock bottom in 2021 when he missed England’s fifth penalty attempt in the Gli Azzurri’s victory over England in the postponed Euro 2020 final.
Along with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho of Manchester United, he also faced racist taunts. Unexpectedly, a young fan who wrote Saka a letter and included some pocket money offered him comfort.
Saka meets young fan who gave him his pocket money
As revealed in an episode of Arsenal’s All or Nothing documentary on Amazon Prime Sport, the 21-year-old met the boy named Teddy, who was invited to Emirates Stadium.
The most wholesome video you will watch today 🥰
Teddy sent Bukayo Saka a letter and his pocket money after his Euro 2020 penalty miss.
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) March 1, 2023
Saka showed up in the dressing room, where the boy was already dressed in an Arsenal kit and asked what flavour of ice cream he wanted in reference to his request in the letter, and he responded with strawberry flavour.
When asked why he wrote the letter, the kid responded heartwarmingly and correctly pronounced the name Saka like the Yoruba people of South Western Nigeria, where Saka’s parents originated. ”Because people were being racist to Saka. Bullying him,” he said.
Arsenal target and AC Milan forward Rafael Leao has raised the excitement of the Gunners after he commented on Saka and Teddy’s video on Twitter.
Due to the Black Stars’ recent inability to consistently score goals in games, the team’s striking unit has become a major source of concern.
The Black Stars have scored seven goals and given up eight in their last five games combined.
At the FIFA World Cup 2022, Ghana’s goals were primarily scored by talented midfielders like Andre Ayew, Osman Bukari, and Mohammed Kudus.
Ghanaians would be hoping that Chris Hughton, the new Black Stars coach, would produce a lethal goal scorer who will enjoy the goals under his tutelage.
At Baba Yara Sports Stadium on March 23, Ghana would play Angola in the first leg of the 2023 AFCON qualifiers before facing them again days later.
Here are 6 strikers who could make Chris Hughton’s squad for Ghana’s clash against Angola.
Ernest Nuamah:
From the staples of Right to Dream and FC Nordsjaelland comes another Ghanaian star waiting to explode. At the age of just 19, Ernest Nuamah is doing great work in the Danish league. Ernest Nuamah has scored 8 goals with 4 assists in 20 matches for his side. The youngster’s 3 goals in 2 matches for FC Nordsjaelland in February is enough to win the heart of Chris Hughton to hand him a call-up. Ernest Nuamah was named in Ghana’s provisional squad for the world cup before it was reduced to 26. He has not made any appearance for Ghana at any level.
Patrick Twumasi
Not many remember Deportivo Alaves as a forward because of hisshort stint in the national team, playing just 3 matches after his 2017 debut. Twumasi, who has been away from the public buzz, has been doing the talking on the pitch. This season, though, the forward scored 8 goals with 2 assists in 21 matches for his Israeli club. Twumasi’s five consecutive goals in February are enough justification for his inclusion in Chris Hughton’s squad for the AFCON double header against Angola.
Bernard Tekpetey
The 25-year-old Ghanaian is arguably the most in-form striker abroad. Last season he netted 10 goals with 12 assists to be awarded the Best Foreign Player in Bulgaria. This season though, the forward has already equalled his 10 goals from last season and is on the verge of scoring more. However, despite his sharp form, Tekpetey has been overlooked by the national team. Since his two appearances at the 2017 AFCON, the striker has never been given a call-up. However, coach Chris Hughton might find him worthy in his squad for the Angola clash.
Jordan Ayew
Jordan is the most experienced striker in the Ghana national team but is experiencing a goal drought. His last goal was on the final day of 2022 when he scored in Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth. Despite his deep form, Chris Hughton can count on the 31-year-old to create chances for his teammates as he did at the 2022 World Cup. Jordan Ayew has scored 19 goals in 87 appearances for the Black Stars since making his debut in 2010. Hughton might prefer to use Jordan as a substitute due to his age.
Inaki Williams
Despite being Ghana’s lead striker at the World Cup,Inaki Williams was unable to score a goal at the tournament. However, that has not stopped him from scoring goals for Athletic Club. This season, the striker has scored five goals with four assists in 26 matches. Although he has yet to score a goal in six matches, Ghanaians are assured that Inaki will start netting goals when he finally finds his footing; maybe his first match on Ghanaian soil will break the spell.
Antoine Semenyohttps://www.youtube.com/embed/Hu9E9vWulvg
Call him the super-sub because he knows how to score whenever he comes on as a substitute. He scored his first goal for the Black Stars as a substitute in the 2-0 win over Switzerland. The Black Stars striker is currently having a difficult time since joining Premier League side, Bournemouth. He scored 3 consecutive goals at the start of the season for his former side, Bristol City. It would be a big surprise if Hughton left him out of his squad.
On March 2, 2023, gunmen who attacked a supermarket inLionel Messi’s hometown of Rosario left him a threatening note. Messi is a forward for Paris Saint-Germain.
The family of Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, who is also a native of the city, owns the grocery store “Unico,” which is situated in the Lavalle neighbourhood.
Police were called to the scene early on Thursday morning after it was reported that 14 shots were fired at the store’s shutters and front door.
After leaving the PSG with a menacing message, two people riding a motorcycle were seen escaping the scene.
“Messi, we are waiting for you,” the note read. “Javkin is a drug dealer. He is not going to look after you.”
The messages refer to Rosario’s mayor, Pablo Javkin, who after the incident spoke out on the level of violence and need for more policemen in a city where crime is on the rise.
Rosario is the largest city in Argentina’s central province of Santa Fe, located 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Buenos Aires.
No people were harmed in Thursday’s attack, but significant damage is thought to have been done to the store.
Messi won FIFA’s Best Men’s Player 2022 award at an awards ceremony in Paris on Monday, having led his nation to their third world title in Qatar.
Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph was, of course, Messi’s first in an otherwise immaculate career, as he is widely considered one of, if not the, greatest players of all time.
The 35-year-old recorded a mammoth seven goals and three assists during the tournament, including a brace in a pulsating final in Lusail, as he got his hands on the coveted trophy at the fifth time of asking.
Messi’s heroics in Qatar came a year and a-half after winning his first major international trophy, the 2021 Copa America in Brazil.
The reaction of Argentina’s players at the full-time whistle,who ran to embrace Messi in unbridled joy, reflected the sentiment shared across the country for his endeavours over the years.
Because after years of hurt, including nearly calling time on his international career, Messi finally brought Argentina back to the top of the world stage. And for that, the PSG man enjoys hero status across his country and beyond.
No stronger is that felt than in his hometown of Rosario, where he left as a child to join Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. Murals eulogising his greatness are commonplace, such as the 100ft-tall masterpiece unveiled after Argentina’s Copa America triumph.
Roccuzzo’s ties with Rosario are also strong. The 35-year-old grew up in Santa Fe’s largest city alongside Messi, where it is thought the couple’s relationship blossomed from 2007 onwards. They even returned to their hometown back in June 2017 to get married in a star-studded ceremony.
Thursday’s attacks, then, are all the more harrowing given the strong connection to Rosario shared by both Messi and his wife, especially considering the specific target of Roccuzzo’s family’s business.
Thus far, neither Roccuzzo nor Messi have commented on the matter. The couple is now based in Paris with their three children, with PSG next in action on Saturday at home to Nantes.
The owners ofNewcastle United chose to invest in the Magpies over clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham because it was less expensive, according to director Amanda Staveley.
In October 2021, Staveley’s consortium bought Newcastle for about £300 million, along with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. She stated that one of the main reasons for doing so was so more money would be left over to invest in the club than if they had chosen a more expensive alternative.
Staveley mentioned the fans in his speech at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit as another factor in his decision to purchase the team.
“I think if we look specifically at Newcastle, we were very clear that prior to buying the club, we wanted a club with a very passionate fanbase,” she said. “But we also wanted a club that we could buy affordably, because we’re also partners with PIF and they are, effectively, a pension fund, managing money for future generations.
“So we wanted something that was very sustainable, and that we could build. We didn’t go for the wonderful Tottenham and Chelsea and Liverpool and obviously, everybody knows I was a massive Liverpool fan.
“We tried to buy Liverpool, and when we walked into the Newcastle game, we said ‘why spend x billion when you can actually spend 300 and some million and put in?’ I think we’ve put in £200+ [million] to date of new money since we bought the club. We had a particular business plan based on a five, 10, 15-year timeline.
“Critical to that plan was making sure we had the right partners…PIF are very long-term investors.”
‘Sports now is a real asset class, and it’s something that’s coming from the US’
Staveley also explained why it is unlikely that the PIF would also look to invest in another Premier League club, despite previous links to Manchester United.
“Mehrdad [Ghodoussi, co-owner and Staveley’s husband] and I are not wealthy,” she said.
“Jamie [Reuben, co-owner] obviously is an extraordinarily wealthy gentleman, we’re the poor partner, but that helps govern a lot of the decisions – so there’s no scenario where Saudi Arabia will decide to sell Newcastle to buy one of the mega clubs like Manchester United.”
Staveley spoke about the challenges since arriving at St. James’ Park, including in player recruitment where the owners are mindful about what head coach Eddie Howe wants for his team.
“If I did it all again. I think we should have probably brought in more people more quickly,” she said. “Players or staff… the players we had to be just very careful and analytical on everything we did and we still do that.
“Because we have an FFP budget we keep to… that guided a lot of our transfer policy but we couldn’t afford to have a dud player. And so we had to make sure that we built at the back so that we [could] start to play the football that Eddie wants to play, this fantastic pressing football that we love and exciting attacking football.
“But to do that we needed to make sure that we could really strengthen because we had, I think, the weakest defence in the whole league, and now we have one of the strongest. And that was really important.
“So we always want more players. But the problem is, especially when you’re running a football club, you don’t really want to lose the players that you’ve worked with, and Eddie’s the same, and so it’s really difficult. So we’ve got to do that.”
Andrey Santos,a Chelsea prospect, has taken a loan back to his old team, Vasco da Gama.
Up until the end of June, the 18-year-old midfielder will return to Brazil.
Before joining Chelsea in January and reportedly costing the Blues £18 million, Santos assisted Vasco in gaining promotion to the top flight the previous season.
Santos, despite being highly regarded, was unable to obtain a work permit for the United Kingdom, but reports suggest Chelsea is confident he will next year.
Although negotiations were said to have broken down over a disagreement over the loan’s term, Palmeiras had reportedly been in the lead for Santos.
It was claimed Chelsea wanted Santos back for next season, whereas Palmeiras wanted him until the end of their campaign, meaning he would not have been back at Stamford Bridge until December.
Due to a foot injury, Anthony Davis will join LeBron James in sitting out the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against theOklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
Davis missed 20 games earlier this season due to a stress injury to his right foot, according to the Lakers.
James (ankle) and D’Angelo Russell (foot) are already out for Darvin Ham’s 29-33 team as they attempt to mount a playoff charge. The Lakers are currently ranked 12th in the Western Conference heading into Wednesday’s game schedule.
Los Angeles was playing the second of a back-to-back after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies 121-109 in the first game on Tuesday.
Joel Embiid will also not play on Wednesday due to a sore foot, missing the Philadelphia 76ers’ clash with the Miami Heat.
The 76ers said it was left foot soreness, forcing him to miss a game for the 13th time this season.
Coach Paa Kwesi Fabin of the Aduana Stars, Karim Zito of Dreams FC, and Umar Abdul Rabi, who recently left his position as coach of Medeama, are all on the short list.
In the month of February, the trio was in charge of their teams’ impressive performances.
Out of the four matches played last month, Paa Kwesi Fabin’s Aduana Stars won three and drew one. Without giving up a goal, his team scored five.
In the four games, Karim Zito’s Dreams FC won two, drew one, and lost one. They scored four goals while also giving up two.
Umar Abdul Rabi guided Medeama to three wins, and one draw in three games last month. They scored seven goals and conceded two.
The winner will receive a 43-inch NASCO television set from Electroland Ghana Limited.
The winner will be announced on the GFA News bulletin on Friday,March 3, 2023.
After undergoing surgery for a fractured right ankle, LaMelo Ball, a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, will miss the remainder of the NBA season.
Ball was hurt during Monday’s 117-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons by the Charlotte Hornets.
During the third quarter, the 21-year-old fell awkwardly while holding the ball.
Ball underwent a successful operation, according to Charlotte, who also said that he will receive more updates on his recovery.
Ball, the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, had 36 games this season with an average of 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, and 1.3 steals.
He became the fourth-youngest All-Star in NBA history when he featured in the 2021–22 season finale.
Ball was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2020-21 season, having averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals.
OFFICIAL: LaMelo Ball has undergone successful surgery to address a fracture in his right ankle.
All eight teams that qualified for the last eight of the FA Cup quarterfinal draw have now learned who their opponents will be. Grimsby is the lowest-ranked team currently vying for a semi-final spot, while both ends of theManchester United spectrum are among the top teams still competing.
According to Metro UK, United defeated West Ham United 3-1 in the fifth round on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, securing a spot in the quarterfinals. Burnley stunned Fleetwood 1-0, while City advanced after defeating Bristol City 3-0 on Tuesday.
In other matches, Sheffield United eliminated Southampton while Grimsby Town eliminated Tottenham Hotspur by a score of 1-0.
FA Cup quarter-final draw Fulham’s qualification for the quarters has now earned them a trip to Old Trafford to face quadruple-chasing Man United. Elsewhere, Vincent Kompany will return to his former club as his Burnley side take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
League Two side Grimsby Town have earned themselves a tie with Brighton, while Sheffield United are scheduled to face Blackburn Rovers in the next round.
FA Cup last eight draw in full: Manchester City vs Burnley Manchester United vs Fulham Brighton vs Grimsby Town Sheffield United vs Blackburn Rovers.
Man United fans in love with Rashford
Earlier, Sports Brief reported Manchester United fans could not help but admire Marcus Rashford’s reaction to his side conceding the first goal against West Ham in the FA Cup on Wednesday, March 1.
David Moyes’ side took the lead through Said Benrahma in the 54th minute, but they were pegged back as Nayef Aguerd scored an own goal after being put under pressure from Wout Weghorst.
The Arsenal supporters are in a festive mood as they applaudThomas Partey for the impact he had during his 45 minutes of play in Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Everton.
The manager of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, substituted Partey for the Italian midfielder Jorginho in the second half.
Before he entered the game, Arsenal had a 2-0 advantage and appeared to be in complete control. The addition of the Ghanaian, however, enhanced the performance.
Partey takes charge and performs his duties with skill and steel as the Gunners stroll to a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings.
Thomas Partey contributed the assists for both of Arsenal’s goals in the second half.
He could have bagged two assists had Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli connected to ridiculous dinked passes.
Partey’s return to the side is good news for Mikel Arteta as the midfielder missed three of Arsenal’s last four matches.
Black Stars coach Chris Hughton will also be happy with his return as he is now in the frame for selection for Ghana’s doubleheader against Angola later this month.
Saka and Martinelli got the first-half goals for Arsenal on Wednesday night before Ordegaard and Martinelli again capped off a splendid night for Arsenal with a goal each in the second half.
Arsenal now have sixty points, five points above second-placed Manchester City, and look set to qualify for the Champions League.
Sadio Mane was a member of Liverpool’s fearsome attacking trio, which also included Brazilian striker Roberto Firmino and Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, which won every trophy under Jurgen Klopp. At the conclusion of the previous season, the Senegalese international announced his departure from Anfield and asked to be transferred; his request was granted. He joined Bayern Munich, the winning German team.
Due to a leg injury he sustained a few days prior to the tournament, the former Southampton forward missed the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He made his comeback from the bench against Union Berlin at the weekend.
Mane confident in Klopp’s abilities
Liverpool are having a shaky season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies in performance and results, but the former Reds is confident in Jurgen Klopp to turn it around.
”Liverpool will be back. I’m convinced they will overcome this situation. They had many injuries and tough tests, but Jurgen Klopp is definitely the right man. He will lead Liverpool back up, from this season – the players love him,” he told German newspaper Bild.
The AFCON winner’s confidence is showing early signs of being right. After the 2-0 win over Wolves last night, Liverpool are six points behind Tottenham, who have played a game more in fourth.
As reported by Mirror UK, Mane scored 120 goals in 269 appearances for Klopp before he left for Germany. He won all possible trophies, including the UEFA Champions League and Liverpool’s first Premier League title in 30 years.
Klopp admits Liverpool miss Mane
It was earlier reported that Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool misses Mane, as the Senegalese’s departure has opened a void in the team’s front three. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino formed a devastating front three, but with Mane’s departure and Firmino’s inconsistencies due to injury, the Egyptian is the only regular left among the three.
Avi Hernandez has announced the roster for Barcelona’s Copa Del Rey match againstrival Real Madrid. The Catalan powerhouses will travel to the Spanish capital to face Los Blancos in the first leg of the match on March 2 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
The Barcelona trio of Robert Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, and Pedri won’t be making the trip to Madrid for the upcoming El Clasico, claims Sports Mole. Lewandowski suffered a left hamstring strain in La Blaugrana’s unexpected 1-0 La Liga loss to Almeria on February 26.
Due to separate thigh issues, Dembele and Pedri are also out of the running and not on the 21-man roster.
Youngster, Ansu Fati is expected to deputise for Lewandowski through the middle but Ferran Torres should get the nod as the number nine, allowing Raphinha to return out wide after his peculiar post-Manchester United injury – damaging his foot by kicking a fridge out of anger following his substitution.
Lewandowski’s absence huge for Barcelona
Barcelona missing Lewandowski’s goalscoring services for the Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid is regarded as a big problem, Goal reports. The Polish international is the Catalan club’s top scorer this season, with 25 goals in 31 matches, despite only joining the La Liga leaders in August.
Xavi’s team travels to Madrid to face their rivals in the first leg of a cup match that could also set the tone for the title run-in, following back-to-back losses to Almeria in La Liga and Man United in the Europa League.
Five memorable El Clasico games Real Madrid and Barcelona will once again serve football fans another spectacle when both teams clash in the Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg on March 2.
Sports Brief reported on the 252nd meeting between theSpanish giants defining both their seasons as Barca chases a domestic double and Real seeks redemption. Over the years, this fixture has given both sets of fans something to cheer on and has consistenly produced some of the best and most heated matchups in Europe.
All of the Argentina players and staff who won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will receive an impressive 35 gold-plated iPhone 14s as gifts from Paris Saint-Germain’s Lionel Messi. The brilliant number 10 led his nation to its third world championship, scoring seven goals, including two in that legendary final match against France.
The 35-year-old wants to thank his teammates for helping him realise a long-held dream because their support has helped him earn individual accolades that have helped him solidify his place among the pantheon of greats and garner praise as the GOAT.
How Messi rewarded his teammates
To recognise his teammates’ role in winning the World Cup after five attempts, Messi has teamed up with iDesign Gold to treat all his teammates and Argentina’s coaching staff to 24-carat Apple devices, per Roy Nemer.
According to a report by the Sun, the luxurious gifts have reportedly been successfully delivered to the French capital for distribution. Messi acknowledges his Argentina teammates After Messi was bestowed with the honour of being the best player in the world following a landmark year, he thanked his teammates at the awards ceremony.
“It’s amazing. It’s been a tremendous year, and it’s an honour for me to be here and win this award. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t be here,” he said via the BBC. “I achieved the dream I had been hoping for so long. Very few people can achieve that, and I have been lucky to do so.”
Messi named world’s best player
Sports Brief previously reported on Messi being announced the best player of 2022 at FIFA’s The Best Awards held in Paris on February 27. The legendary Argentine forward beat his PSG teammate, Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid star, Karim Benzema, to win the top award. Messi led the South American nation to a third World Cup title in Qatar, capping off his tournament with a brace in the Mundial final.
On Tuesday, March 1, 2023, Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell and a few executive members of the Ghana Olympic Committee paid a visit to the home of the late Ghanaian footballerChristian Atsu.
Christian Atsu, a member of the Ghanaian Black Stars, lost his life in the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Turkey.
Following his passing, a number of athletes have paid their respects to the former Newcastle player, with Asafa Powell, the fourth-fastest man in the world, being the most recent.
The sprinting champion offered the grieving family some words of comfort and promised to be there for them during this trying time.
Asafa Powell also signed the book of condolence which has been opened at the family house of the late Ghanaian international.
Members of the Ghana Olympic Committee, were led their President, Ben Nunoo Mensah also made a financial commitment to the family as they prepare to lay their loved one to rest.
Asafa Powell, who is married to Ghanaian-American, Alyshia Akua Miller, arrived in Ghana on February 27, 2023. Asafa Powell is expected to visit some schools in Ghana to inspire upcoming athletes in the country.
The Jamaican has also been scheduled to meet President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Marcus Rashford’s response after his team’s FA Cup match loss to West Ham on March 1 was something that Manchester United supporters could not help but admire. The United team overcame a goal deficit to defeat the struggling Hammers 3-1 in the Premier League.
Said Benrahma gave David Moyes’ team the lead in the 54th minute, but they were soon beaten when Nayef Aguerd scored an own goal while under pressure from Wout Weghorst.
As the game lurched towards a draw, Alejandro Garnacho rose to the occasion and curled a stunning goal past Alphonse Areola. Midfielder Fred then sealed the victory by steering in a goal in stoppage time.
Rashford was ready for action It was yet another win for Erik Ten Hag’s side, who are now unbeaten in 19 games at Old Trafford. The win was a bit different from what fans have gotten used to in recent months, as Rashford was not on the scoresheet this time.
However, the 24-year-old was ready for action as soon as United conceded the first goal. An interesting photo has emerged online showing Rashford asking Anthony Elanga for his shirt as he prepared to come on for his side, who were trailing at the time.
The photo, shared on ESPN’s Twitter, was a clear demonstration of the elite mentality Rashford currently has and the confidence that scoring for his team has brought to his game. Rashford clearly believed he was going to come on and score and help his side to extend their unbeaten run at Old Trafford.
The England forward currently has 25 goals this season across all competitions. Meanwhile, United’s quadruple hopes are still alive as they will face Fulham in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.
Kante has experienced injury problems, which have limited his playing time this year to just two games.
The summer marks the end of the Frenchman’s current contract at Stamford Bridge.
Kante has declined the chance to move elsewhere, despite the arrival of Enzo Fernandez and the anticipated signing of another central midfielder.
Instead, Kante is currently on the verge of signing a new contract with Chelsea as he resumes training under Graham Potter, who is currently facing criticism.
Kante “loves” the Blues, according to Fabrizio Romano, and wants to remain in London.
His report states an agreement is close, but the length of the deal remains under discussion.
Previous reports have suggested Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool were all interested in signing the 31-year-old.
Injury issues are becoming progressively worse for Kante since the 2019/20 season.
Indeed, his last game for the club this season came in the 2-2 draw with Spurs on August 14.
His first season at Stamford Bridge in 2016/17 saw him miss just three league games, one of which was through suspension, as Chelsea lifted the title under Antonio Conte.
He then missed just five league games through injury in the next two seasons.
The 2019/20 season saw Kante miss 16 league games, before missing a further 18 league games in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
The 22 games Kante has missed this season is his worst injury at Chelsea to date.
Regardless, when fully fit there are few better ball-winners in world football.
The allegations made by Matthew Hoggard, Tim Bresnan, and others in the Azeem Rafiq racism case that they were not invited to participate in the investigation have been refuted by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
On Wednesday morning in London, the public Cricket Discipline Commission hearing into allegations of racism made by former Yorkshire player Rafiq got underway.
Michael Vaughan, a former captain of England, Hoggard, Bresnan, John Blain, Andrew Gale, and Richard Pyrah are all accused of using racially insensitive language.
The accusations made against former England bowler Hoggard by CB attorney Jane Mulcahy KC included the creation and use of the term “Rafa the Kaffir,” frequent use of the word “P***,” calling Rafiq and other players “you lot,” and the use of the term “you lot” and the term “TBM” (token black man) towards teammate Ismail Dawood.
Mulcahy then moved to “correct a number of misrepresentations” made by Hoggard, Bresnan and Pyrah, who have refused to attend the hearing along with Blain and Gale.
She said former Yorkshire all-rounder Pyrah asserted that ‘during the ECB investigation I was never once accused of, or asked about, any specific racism point against me. Then I found out I had been charged by the ECB on racism points that I had never heard of or (been) questioned on before’.
Mulcahy revealed the ECB had written to Pyrah on February 9 last year and received a response “in some considerable detail” on February 20.
Pyrah then requested an interview which was conducted on April 8, during which the allegations were put to him, Mulcahy said.
Matthew Hoggard claimed he was not invited to take part in the investigation (Simon Cooper/PA)
Former all-rounder Bresnan also claimed not to have been interviewed, saying “they just charged me… without even speaking to me”, which the ECB insists was “evidently incorrect” as it has a transcript of the interview.
Hoggard made a similar claim, with the ECB saying he “was provided with the opportunity to provide written responses to the allegations, which he did, before informing the ECB that he did not intend to respond further”.
oggard claimed that the ECB was “refusing to hand over evidence”, but the governing body insists this was incorrect and stated it had “provided the respondents with hundreds of documents and voluntarily waived privilege over all of its communications with individuals who are not witnesses in these proceedings”.
The ECB also highlighted that the five non-attendees had “denied themselves the opportunity to challenge Rafiq’s allegations” by withdrawing from the process.
Rafiq, 32, first spoke out about his experience of racial harassment and bullying across two spells with Yorkshire in 2020.
The ECB brought charges against seven individuals andYorkshire in June last year, with Rafiq succeeding in having the case dealt with in public by an independent panel (the CDC).
It was confirmed that the case against Vaughan would begin on Thursday. The former England captain denies the charges.
Another former player, Gary Ballance has already admitted a charge related to the use of racially discriminatory language. Yorkshire have also admitted four charges.
The CDC panel consists of former Derbyshire batsman Tim O’Gorman (chair), Mark Milliken-Smith KC and Dr Seema Patel.
While a third wrote: “We need him permanently, we need to have a big squad with quality.”
However, some fans noted the reason behind the number of posts could be related to United’s PR and marketing departments.
One fan argued: “Tbf the club definitely makes our players do this – look how suddenly two or three of our players have made TikTok accounts at the same time.”
A second user commented: “Man United have a PR team that handles Social Media for players. Bayern seem like they don’t.
“I am pretty sure it has been mentioned that a lot of United players have contractual obligations in their contracts regarding social media as well.”
“I mean, probably has a clause in his contract stating he has to post x-amount of posts for engagement/global branding,” added a third.
On the subject of a permanent deal for Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst, Erik ten Hag was coy.
He said: “I think it is much too quick [to decide]. [It is] much too soon to talk about that.
“First, we are in this season and that is where the focus has to be.
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has hailed Mary Earps following her “thoroughly deserved” FIFA Best award.
Monday’s FIFA ceremony in Paris saw the 29-year-old United player, who was part of the England side that won the Euros last summer, named best women’s goalkeeper.
Skinner, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of Sunday’s Women’s Super League home clash with Leicester, said: “It’s a wonderful achievement and thoroughly deserved.”
“You never know how these awards are going to go, you never know whether the best person actually wins the award. But in this case, she certainly did.
“She brought it in this morning, the girls gave her a huge round of applause. They’ve all been in contact throughout anyway. And I felt the speech she gave afterwards was truly beautiful.
Earps on Monday said the award was “for anyone who has ever been in a dark place”, adding: “Just know that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Keep going, you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
“Sometimes success looks like this, collecting trophies, sometimes it’s just waking up and putting one step in front of the other. There’s only one of you in the world, and that’s more than good enough. Be unapologetically yourself.”
Skinner spoke about Earps as an inspiration for youngsters, saying: “I think what it says is there is a platform here (at United) for you to go on to produce the qualities.
“You still have to do what Mary has done, which is to produce the qualities every day that make her better. But there is always an opportunity.
“What I think the power in it is, and I think Ian (Willcock, United’s goalkeeping coach) is going to try to capitalise on this, is that especially within England, especially within the local Manchester area, is to try to grow our own Mary Earps going forward, to promote that young players, who I’m sure she has inspired, can go on to aspire to be like Mary.”
A tricycle-mounted “fold-out health clinic,” the first of its kind in the UK, will be used by doctors to treat homeless people as they cycle around London.
The “Find and Treat” team at University College London Hospital aims to screen thousands of the capital’s most at-risk, homeless, and high-risk individuals each year for diseases like tuberculosis, HIV,and COVID-19.
As a result of their inability to access a GP because of a lack of documentation, many homeless people are forced to go to A&E for treatment or endure lifelong illnesses that are incapacitating.
After receiving a diagnosis of aphasia, which affects speech and language, the actor, 67, ended his 40-year career in March.
His ex-wife Demi Moore, wife Emma Heming Willis, daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn have all released a joint statement on Instagram providing “an update” on his health.
“Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support, and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce’s original diagnosis,” the caption reads.
“In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.
“Since we announced Bruce’s diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce’s condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).
“Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces.” “While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.”
The family also explained on the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration website, “FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.
“Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead.”
With them keen to “shine a light on this disease”, here’s what we know about the signs and symptoms of different types of dementia, including frontotemporal.
Watch: Bruce Willis diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia
What is dementia?
Dementia is a syndrome (a group of related symptoms) associated with an ongoing decline of brain function, according to the NHS. There are many different types, with many different causes, and it is not a natural part of ageing.
For example, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are two different types, with both of them making up the majority of cases. Other types include frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), young-onset, as well as mixed dementia (more than one at the same time).
The condition can affect memory, as well as the way you speak, think, feel and behave.
There are currently around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK, projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.
The likelihood of developing dementia increases significantly with age. One in 14 people aged over 65 has the condition, which rises to one in six for those aged over 80. However, it can affect younger people too.
Alzheimer’s disease
The first signs of Alzheimer’s disease are usually minor memory problems. (Getty Images)
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the UK. It is a progressive condition, meaning symptoms develop gradually over many years, slowly becoming more severe.
The exact cause isn’t yet fully understood, though factors that can potentially increase your risk include age, a family history, untreated depression and lifestyle factors associated with cardiovascular disease.
The first sign is usually minor memory problems, such as forgetting about recent conversations or events, or forgetting the names of places and objects.
As the condition develops and symptoms become more severe, as listed by the NHS, these include:
Confusion, disorientation and getting lost in familiar places
Difficulty planning or making decisions
Problems with speech and language
Problems moving around without assistance or performing self-care tasks
Personality changes, such as becoming aggressive, demanding and suspicious of others
Hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not there) and delusions (believing things that are untrue)
Low mood or anxiety
Vascular dementia
Vascular dementia can make you feel disorientated. (Getty Images)
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, such as problems with memory and language (many people with vascular dementia also have Alzheimer’s disease)
This can make daily life increasingly hard for someone with the condition, eventually preventing them from being able to look after themselves.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB)
DLB can make you feel sleepy or disturb your sleep. (Getty Images)
DLB, also known as Lewy body dementia, is another common type of dementia. It is caused by the Lewy bodies, which are clumps of protein that appear in the nerve cells of the brain. As it shares symptoms with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, it is often wrongly diagnosed.
Symptoms listed by the NHS include:
Hallucinations – seeing, hearing or smelling things that are not there
Problems with understanding, thinking, memory and judgement – this is similar to Alzheimer’s disease, although memory may be less affected in people with dementia with Lewy bodies
Confusion or sleepiness – this can change over minutes or hours
Slow movement, stiff limbs and tremors (uncontrollable shaking)
Disturbed sleep, often with violent movements and shouting out
Fainting spells, unsteadiness and falls
Frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal dementia can affect your motivation. (Getty Images)
Generally speaking, frontotemporal dementia is an uncommon type of dementia.While dementia generally mostly affects people over 65, this type typically starts at a younger age. Most cases are diagnosed in people aged 45-65, though it can also present in younger or older people.
Frontotemporal dementia affects the front and sides of the brain, and causes problems with behaviour and language. Similar to other types of dementia, it usually develops slowly and gets gradually worse over a long period of time.
Symptoms listed by the NHS include:
Personality and behaviour changes – acting inappropriately or impulsively, appearing selfish or unsympathetic, neglecting personal hygiene, overeating, or loss of motivation
Language problems – speaking slowly, struggling to make the right sounds when saying a word, getting words in the wrong order, or using words incorrectly
Problems with mental abilities – getting distracted easily, struggling with planning and organisation
Memory problems – these only tend to occur later on, unlike more common forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease
As well as mental symptoms, there may be physical ones too, such as slow or stiff movements, loss of bladder or bowel control, muscle weakness or difficulty swallowing. Frontotemporal dementia can also lead to someone being unable to care for themselves.
Sex education has been suspended in schools on theIsle of Man after allegations that a drag queen told 11-year-olds there are 73 different genders.
Parents raised concerns about the “graphic, disproportionate, and indecent presentation” of sexual acts and various gender identities that were allegedly taught in lessons, prompting the Isle of Man government to launch an independent review of its personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) curriculum.
The Year 7 students at Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel, Isle of Man, were instructed by a drag queen, who informed them that there are 73 genders, according to the parents of students there.
There are only two, and one “upset” student allegedly responded, to which the drag queen allegedly responded, “You’ve upset me,” and ordered the student to leave.
Some 11-year-olds at the school were taught about oral and anal sex, while another group learned about sex change operations and was shown how skin grafts taken from a girl’s arm could be used on an artificial penis, according to reports.
“A lot of children are just too traumatised to even talk to their parents,” Eliza Cox, vice chairwoman of the Marown Commissioners, told Energy FM Isle of Man. “As a parent, you don’t know what children are being taught.”
She said that one teacher on the island had told her she had to teach a group of boys and girls in Years 7 and 8 how to masturbate. Another teacher was said to be so uncomfortable with the content of the PSHE curriculum that they told pupils: “Please don’t listen to me” while they taught the lesson.
‘Alienating students’
A petition by parents of pupils at Queen Elizabeth II High School has been launched, calling for an “immediate investigation into the alleged actions of teachers delivering age-inappropriate material to children”.
The petition, addressed to the school’s headteacher and signed by more than 500 people, stated: “We consider the attendance of a ‘drag queen’ in class and alienating students who are clearly confused about the information discussed during this session wholly inappropriate.
“How, who and why was this guest speaker permitted to discuss gender issues to an inappropriate child audience by an inexperienced and untrained adult?”
The Isle of Man government said it would commission an independent review to “gain an independent understanding of what has taken place”.
Julie Edge, minister for education on the island, said the Department of Education, Sport and Culture has “taken the decision to pause all RSE delivery across primary and secondary schools, and will be unable to comment further until the facts have been established”.
Miriam Cates, the Conservative MP who sits on the House of Commons’ education select committee, has warned that parents in England are also being kept in the dark about age-inappropriate content being taught to children in sex education.
She said: “When parents raise serious safeguarding concerns about inappropriate and sexualising materials being used in sex education lessons in schools, the right response is to pause these lessons whilst the matter can be investigated.
“I applaud the authorities in the Isle of Man for making this decision. But similar – and worse – materials are being used in schools across the UK and the Department for Education has persistently ignored whistleblowers who raise concerns. The UK Government needs to take its lead from the Isle of Man.”
Charlotte Clarke, head of Queen Elizabeth II High School, said: “Having viewed a video which is currently circulating on social media relating to the school’s RSE curriculum and its delivery, we are concerned that there could be a number of inaccuracies with the information being shared.
“Given the concerns being raised, and in order to be open and transparent, we requested an independent review into the situation. As such I am happy to take part in the independent review which is being deployed by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture and would encourage our community to avoid speculation at this time.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “Schools must make sure all content they use is factual and age-appropriate, and engage with parents so they are aware of what their children are being taught.
“We will write to all schools this term to emphasise the rights of parents to see teaching materials being taught to their children in schools.”
“Blended” royal families have never received a lot of favours in fairy tales. The evil stepmother and ugly stepsisters in the story of Cinderella attempted to prevent the rightful owner of the glass slipper from marrying Prince Charming. The stepmother is always portrayed as the antagonist in Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Snow White.
There hasn’t been much done to dispel the myth of the “wicked stepmother,” not even in our own Royal family.
When it comes to adjusting to the arrival of their father’s second wife after the passing of their cherished mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex at times have resembled a modern-day version of the Brothers Grimm folk tales.
Indeed, Harry’s autobiography Spare, which was highly critical of the Queen Consort, did little to alter perceptions of tensions at the heart of the monarchy over the woman Diana famously described as the “third person” in her marriage to Charles.
Yet there is a changing of the guard under way in the Royal family which looks set to finally propel Camilla to the top of the House of Windsor hierarchy after two decades spent as her husband’s “plus one”.
As she prepares to be crowned alongside the King on May 6, the 75-year-old divorcee is set to be given equal billing at the biggest royal event in 70 years.
It is not only a reflection of Charles III’s sense of devotion to the woman he describes as the “love of my life” but also designed to reflect a sense of the Royal family’s “realness” back to the public.
Not so much a nuclear family, as a thermonuclear one, over recent decades The Firm’s family sagas have played out somewhat like a running soap opera.
Extramarital affairs, divorces, and separations used to be the common thread of the most sordid royal headlines—until Harry and Meghan started lobbing even more explosive grenades from across the pond.
Yet while the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes’ popularity has nosedived in the UK since they first started washing the family linen on Oprah Winfrey’s primetime laundrette, in the wake of “Megxit” the public appears to find the Royals even more relatable.
Yes – William and Kate’s reputations took a bit of a kicking with tales of hormonal disagreements and fights over dog bowls.
But one unintended consequence of Harry’s memoir has been to make his nearest and dearest appear, as the late Queen once put it, as “like all the best families” with its “share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of disagreements”.
King Charles has insisted that Camilla be placed on an almost equivalent footing to his own – a reflection of his devotion to her – Chris Jackson/Pool via REUTERS
While described by one royal source as a “bold move”, the decision to include Tom Parker Bowles’s children Lola, 15, and Freddy, 13, in the coronation alongside Camilla’s daughter Laura Lopes’s children Eliza, 15, and twins, Louis and Gus, 13, speaks to a generation for whom blended families are now the norm.
It is still to be decided how the youngsters, who affectionately call the Queen Consort “GaGa”, are to be included in the ceremony amid suggestions they may be asked to carry the Coronation “canopy” under which their grandmother will be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
But regardless of the finer details, the inclusion of the five teenagers is designed to send a strong message that Charles and Camilla are a couple who reflect the realities of modern life.
Unlike in 1953, when royal children were seen and not heard at the coronation of Elizabeth II, step-parents and stepchildren are now common as a result of divorce. And as Buckingham Palace has stressed from the very beginning, the coronation “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in long standing traditions and pageantry”.
A significant role is also being planned for Prince George, nine, not only as the King’s oldest grandchild but second in line to the throne. As one source told The Sunday Times: “It sends a nice signal and is quite a bold move. It is another example of the King and Queen Consort being unafraid to shake things up a bit to reflect the realities of modern life, of which a blended family is a central element.”
Yet what might this mean for frosty royal relations with Harry and Meghan? With the couple set to be invited to the long bank holiday weekend of celebrations, but with no word yet on whether they will actually attend, the move to include some grandchildren but not others is likely to ruffle feathers in Montecito.
Harry already felt forced out by the late Queen and his father seemingly prioritising public appearances with William and George to his own immediate family. What he is likely to make of the Parker Bowles clan being front and centre is anyone’s guess (although he is said to get on well with his stepsiblings Tom and Laura, who were both invited to the royal wedding in 2018).
Laura’s daughter Eliza has already had a taste of a major royal occasion having been bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding in 2011, when a then Prince Charles was pictured holding her on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Charles holding Eliza – James Devaney/FilmMagic
Although now estranged from his youngest son, the truth is that Charles has grown extremely close to Camilla’s children and grandchildren, who spend a great deal of time at her private property, Ray Mill House, in Lacock, Wiltshire, which boasts an outdoor swimming pool. Although these teenagers may be strangers to the public – they are as much a part of the King and Queen Consort’s everyday lives as the likes of George, Princess Charlotte, seven, and four-year-old Prince Louis so it is only natural that the couple would want to include them.
As one royal aide stressed: “It is important to remember that this is a double coronation of both HMK and HMQC”.
With growing talk that she will soon drop the Consort title and be known simply as “the Queen”, the days of Camilla being the “other” woman are long gone.
Royalty has long been a family affair and the blended nature of Charles and Camilla’s brood shows the world that life in the monarchy isn’t a fairytale existence – but a lived experience.
Who’s who in the blended family
Tom – the Queen Consort’s eldest child – is an Eton-and-Oxford-educated food critic who is now in the unique position of having King Charles as both a stepfather and godfather. He started his career in publicity but made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 1999 – an incident involving cocaine at the Cannes Film Festival for which Charles gave him a stern telling off. That didn’t stop him carving out a successful career in food writing, which began with a column in Tatler magazine and has led to a career on television. He married magazine editor Sara Buys in 2005, with his cousin Ben Elliot as his best man. They have two children and separated in 2018.
At one point, there were two Parker-Bowles working at Tatler,as Camilla’s daughter Laura started there as motoring correspondent in 2001 before opening an art gallery in London called Eleven. Laura keeps a low profile. She married Harry Lopes, a Calvin Klein model-turned-chartered-accountant, in 2006, a year after the mother-of-the-bride tied the knot with Prince Charles. Prince William came to her wedding, with his brother and – in one of their early public appearances – Kate. The guests ate fish pie and the wedding cake, made of thousands of chocolate muffins, was cut with Brigadier Parker Bowles’s military sword. The couple have three children.
Harry has impeccable antecedents: on his father’s side he is grandson of Baron Roborough and great grandson of Earl of Mount Edgcumbe (a Royal aide to Queen Victoria), and on his mother’s, he is grandson of Baron Astor of Hever and great grandson of Field Marshal Douglas Haig. There are two stately homes, Gnaton Hall in Devon and the Skelpick estate in the Scottish highlands, in the family.
The Queen Consort’s eldest grandchild is the daughter of Tom Parker Bowles and Sara Buys. It was puzzle-loving Lola that Camilla referred to in a British Vogue interview last year. “I do Wordle every day with my granddaughter. She’ll text me to say, ‘I’ve done it in three’, and I say, ‘Sorry, I’ve done it in two today,’” she said. As a Parker Bowles, her ancestors include Dame Ann de Trafford, commissioner of the Commonwealth Girl Guides Association, and the Earls Cadogan.
You may remember Eliza from her role as the tiniest bridesmaid at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011, when she was just three years old. Now, she’s all grown up. The Queen Consort has said: “The girls are beginning to get into clothes and make-up… it’s rather frightening when you see them, coming out with pierced ears and a lot of new make-up and funny-coloured hair and stuff.”
Twins Louis and Gus were born in 2009. They are similarly close to their royal Grandma, who is known as GaGa, and regularly visit when they are in London. Camilla says her grandchildren have given her TikTok training and shown her how to use the video-calling app Houseparty.
The youngest of Camilla’s grandchildren is Freddy, 13, son of Tom and Sara. He has grown up as one recipient of Britain’s most regal bedtime stories: Camilla is said to have loved reading with her grandchildren and favours Gangster Granny by David Walliams.
Royal Mail has unveiled the final set of stamps honouring the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth gave her blessing to the Flying Scotsman-themed Special Stamps collection before she passed away.
It will be the final set to feature Her Majesty’s silhouette before the new King Charles-themed stamps become available on April 4.
Stamps include London North Eastern Railway poster artwork from 1920s and 1930s
The Queen’s silhouette has been in constant use on Royal Mail’s Special Stamps since 1968 and for more than 50 years the programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events related to UK heritage and life.
Stamps feature a close-up of the train at Shildon, Durham, as well as at London’s Victoria Station
The images feature the train in various locations across the country, such as in a blizzard at Heap Bridge on the East Lancashire Railway or steaming through the town of Blyth in Northumberland.
A further four stamps were released in a miniature sheet that show images of the Flying Scotsman and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) poster artwork from the 1920s and 1930s.
The train is pictured in a blizzard at Heap Bridge on the East Lancashire Railway
The stamps will be available to pre-order from Feb 28 on Royal Mail’s website, while the collection goes on general sale from March 9 priced at £17.70.
The other images on the stamps include the Flying Scotsman in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, crossing the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed and as a close-up at Shildon, Durham, as well as at London’s Victoria Station.
Four stamps show images from London North Eastern Railway poster artwork
David Gold, the director of external affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: “Flying Scotsman is a national treasure of engineering and design that conjures up the golden age of steam travel.
“This remarkable locomotive epitomisesthe romance of rail travel and is loved by people all over the world. We are honoured to mark this landmark milestone with a set of Special Stamps.”
Images of Flying Scotsman were chosen from amongst hundreds of period photographs
Royal Mail worked closely with Bob Gwynne, the associate curator at the National Railway Museum, to select the images featured on the stamps. They were chosen from among hundreds of period photographs.
