Sports
Manchester United Will Not Press The Panic Button – Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said that Manchester United would not press the panic button just because they were knocked out of the Champions League.
The 3-2 defeat at RB Leipzig last Tuesday extended United’s poor recent record in the competition.
It also brought more questions about Solskjaer’s ability to get the best from his squad.
United sources have continued to insist the club is fully behind their manager and the forward trajectory is solid.
But it is not a message that has gone down well with some fans, who feel a change is required.
United’s hierarchy rejects that view completely and the message of stability was reinforced by Solskjaer as he looked ahead to an Old Trafford encounter with Manchester City last night.
“It is important not to press the panic button every time because in football you cannot win every single game,” he said.
“There are games you lose that hurt more than others and some losses have more consequence than others.
“We have handled setbacks quite well and the reality is we are out of the Champions League for the rest of the season. We have to move on and get back into it.”
Solskjaer was also supportive of goalkeeper David de Gea, who was criticised by former United midfielder Paul Scholes for his part in RB Leipzig’s decisive third goal on Tuesday.
And the United manager avoided answering a question about Paul Pogba, whose agent Mino Raiola said the France midfielder wanted to leave the club in an interview that was published on the eve of the Leipzig defeat.
“I speak to my players on daily basis and Paul Pogba is no different,” said Solskjaer when asked if the paid had spoken in the aftermath of the Champions League exit.
“Whatever anyone’s representatives say can’t affect me. I have said all I want to about that.”
Manchester United won three of the four meetings between the sides last season including doing the Premier League double over their neighbours for the first time in a decade.
But City manager Pep Guardiola insists the result of last night’s game would not define either club’s season
“It is not a knockout game, it is three more points,” he said. “That is important, of course, for the quality of the opponent, but there are a lot of fixtures to come and we will try to win our games.”
Guardiola also expects his opposite number to handle the scrutiny.
He added: “I don’t have to give him support because he is strong enough and knows how this job works. [People say] when we win we are a genius and when we lose we have to be sacked.
“It happens at United and all around the world, it is a reality.”
On 19 December it will be two years since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho as boss.
Although there are plenty of observers who say they still cannot see a coherent plan from a side that has gone behind in eight out of 10 Premier League matches this season, the Norwegian disagrees.
“I feel we are getting better and better and looking more like the Manchester United team I want,” he said.
“We have fast, dynamic attackers and good players with individual qualities. Everyone says we don’t have consistency but we have won the last four in the league, so hopefully we can carry that on.”
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.