Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said prior to the humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Everton there would not be wholesale changes to Manchester United personnel in the close season, but Gary Neville, for one, believes he should think again.

United’s millionaire stars such as Paul Pogba and David de Gea put up a display described by the British press on Monday as “abject”, “an apology” for a performance, with the team derided as being generally “rudderless” and “spineless”.

However, whilst it came five years to the day when a 2-0 defeat by the same opponents cost David Moyes his job, it is not Solskjaer who is being targeted but the under-performing Pogba and his team-mates.

The World Cup-winning midfielder, after a series of encouraging performances when Solskjaer first assumed the reins in December, has returned to being the non-existent presence so often the focus of Jose Mourinho’s ire — although it was the Portuguese coach who was sacrificed.

His and Nemanja Matic’s failure to shore up midfield has been a contributing factor to United’s miserable run of six defeats in their last eight games and five successive away losses — their worst run on the road since 1981.

Seldom can a Manchester derby — they host title-chasing City on Wednesday — have been less eagerly anticipated by United fans.

Neville, United to the core and an integral member of Alex Ferguson’s side that accrued eight Premier League crowns and two Champions League trophies, was excoriating in his criticism of the players.

“If you’ve got weeds in the garden, you’ve got to get rid of them,” said Neville, who has become a respected pundit for Sky Sports.

“There’s some Japanese knotweed at that football club and it’s attacking the foundations of the house. It needs dealing with properly.

“I don’t need to name names, you know who they are.”

– ‘Level of happiness’ –

Former England international midfielder Jermaine Jenas, who has also turned to punditry since hanging up his boots, turned on the players as well.

The 36-year-old said such is the negativity in the team that even the younger talents have been sucked into the vortex of supine performances.

“They showed no heart, no desire and no will to win. They were woeful,” Jenas wrote in his column for the BBC website.

“Everyone was guilty.

“Even Marcus Rashford, who has got one of the best attitudes of anyone at the club, got sucked in by what I would describe as a vacuum of negativity.”

United fans may be wondering if the board jumped the gun in giving Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis — as the subsequent results appear to be reflective more of his unsuccessful stint in charge of Cardiff.

Indeed, just as his and the team’s fortunes have dipped, the man who was seen as his major rival for the job has seen his stock rise.

Mauricio Pochettino’s star has sparkled again thanks to Tottenham’s epic win over Manchester City in the Champions League.

But Neville has been slow to criticise his former team-mate Solskjaer.

The man dubbed ‘Red Nev’ after he led a players’ strike with England due to their anger over Rio Ferdinand being dropped because of a missed drugs test, took to the barricades when another unloved former United boss, Louis van Gaal, criticised Solskjaer a few weeks ago.

Van Gaal said Solskjaer was like Mourinho in parking the bus and relying on the counter-attack, only he was more popular because the results were going in his favour.

“Ole has brought in a level of happiness and excitement back to the fans,” retorted Neville.

“At least that’s something because, to be fair, it has been difficult in the last three or four years to watch what we’ve seen.”

Even Neville might be rethinking that statement in the wake of Sunday’s humiliation.

AFP

Egyptian Mohamed Salah, Senegalese Sadio Mane and Ivorian Nicolas Pepe shared the glory among the African stars in Europe at the weekend.

Salah scored with an unstoppable shot from outside the box to complete a 2-0 win for Premier League leaders Liverpool over Chelsea after Mane had nodded the first goal.

Pepe took his Ligue 1 goal tally for the season to 19 by scoring once and also provided two assists as Lille stunned runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain 5-1.

ENGLAND

SADIO MANE (Liverpool)

He set Liverpool on their way and settled some nerves after a goalless first half by taking advantage of being unmarked to head in Jordan Henderson’s pin-point chipped cross at the back post. For the 27-year-old Senegalese star it was his 18th Premier League goal of the campaign, his best return in his time in England and a reflection of his often unsung contributions to his club sides.

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

Played a major role in Mane’s goal and added a glorious second minutes later with an unstoppable drive from outside the area for his 22nd goal of the campaign and 19th Premier League strike. The 26-year-old’s celebrations were worth the admittance fee as he knelt on one knee and later kissed the turf. It was a perfect riposte to the Chelsea fans who chanted an Islamopbobic song about him prior to last Thursday’s Europa League clash with Slavia Prague.

VICTOR WANYAMA (Tottenham Hotspur)

The Kenyan powerhouse midfielder has found holding down a regular starting position this season tough through a mixture of injury and form. However, he showed his old sparkle in scoring Spurs’ first in their routine 4-0 humbling of relegated Huddersfield, benefitting from Fernando Llorente pulling an opposition defender with him. The 27-year-old Wanyama profited by getting the better of Tom Hamer and slotting the ball home.

SPAIN

STANLEY CHUKWUEZE (Villarreal)

The Nigerian scored after seven minutes as Villarreal climbed out of the La Liga relegation zone with a 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Girona. However, a tough battle lies ahead for Chukwueze and his teammates as they are just two points above endangered Valladolid.

ITALY

KALIDOU KOULIBALY (Napoli)

Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly bagged a brace as Napoli beat Chievo 3-1 to delay Juventus’ bid to win Serie A and condemn the Verona side to relegation. Koulibaly, 27, headed in the opening goal in the 15th minute and claimed his first double nine minutes from time. “We are angry. We want to show another face of Napoli,” added Koulibaly, following his first goals this season, after losing 2-0 to Arsenal in a Europa League quarter-final first leg.

FRANCK KESSIE (AC Milan)

Ivorian Kessie scored from the spot to keep AC Milan in the Champions League places with a 1-0 win over Lazio. Kessie slotted in on 79 minutes to end Milan’s four-match winless run, and stay one point ahead of Roma. The 22-year-old came under fire, however, after the game for holding Francesco Acerbi’s shirt aloft like a trophy along with teammate Tiemoue Bakayoko after the Lazio player had swapped it with French midfielder following the game at the San Siro.

GERMANY

NABIL BENTALEB (Schalke)

The Algerian midfielder returned to action for Schalke for the first time in a month after being dropped for poor discipline. Bentaleb came off the bench in Schalke’s 1-1 draw with Nuremberg to make his first appearance in a royal blue shirt since the 7-0 Champions League drubbing by Manchester City in mid-March. Interim coach Huub Stevens had banished Bentaleb to the reserves for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, but welcomed him back into the fold last week.

ISHAK BELFODIL (Hoffenheim)

Algerian international Belfodil was denied his sixth goal in three league games after his first-half strike against Hertha Berlin was wrongly disallowed for offside. The decision was not overturned by VAR because the whistle had already blown by the time Belfodil fired the ball in. Though Belfodil did not make the scoresheet, Hoffenheim won 2-0.

FRANCE

NICOLAS PEPE (Lille)

The Ivory Coast striker continued his excellent season with a goal and two assists in Lille’s stunning 5-1 thrashing of champions elect Paris Saint-Germain. The 23-year-old gave Lille the lead shortly after half-time by slotting in his 20th goal of the campaign, before teeing up defenders Gabriel and Jose Fonte late on as his side condemned PSG to their heaviest Ligue 1 defeat since 2009.

WAHBI KHAZRI (Saint-Etienne)

The Tunisian international’s 55th-minute penalty set Saint-Etienne on their way to a crucial 3-0 win over Bordeaux as Les Verts chase a Champions League spot. The 28-year-old has scored 14 goals this term since signing from Rennes.

AFP

Tiger Woods won the 83rd Masters on Sunday, capturing his 15th major title to cement an epic return from scandal and injuries that once threatened his career.

Ending an 11-year major drought, the 43-year-old American superstar – who underwent spinal fusion in 2017 fearing chronic back pain would deny him life’s simple joys much less golf wins – seized his first major title since the 2008 US Open.

Woods fired a final-round two-under par 70 to finish on 13-under 275 for a one-shot victory to capture a $2.07 million (€1.82 million) top prize and the green jacket symbolizing Masters supremacy.

An all-American trio of three-time major winner Brooks Koepka, world number two Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele shared second on 276.

“I don’t know if there are words – I’m sure he’s ecstatic about it,” Koepka said. “To have the injuries and come back and do what he has done, it has been tremendous to watch.”

PGA TOUR✔@PGATOUR

Tiger Woods’ 15 majors:

1997 Masters
1999 PGA Championship
2000 U.S. Open
2000 The Open
2000 PGA Championship
2001 Masters
2002 Masters
2002 U.S. Open
2005 Masters
2005 The Open
2006 The Open
2006 PGA Championship
2007 PGA Championship
2008 U.S. Open
2019 Masters#

It was the fifth Masters title for Woods, his first since 2005, and it moved him three shy of the all-time record 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus.

“A big well done from me to Tiger,” Nicklaus told telecaster CBS. “I’m so happy for him and for the game of golf. This is so fantastic.”

Woods served notice he had returned to form by contending last year at the British Open and PGA before snapping a five-year title drought by capturing the Tour Championship.

Racing to finish before an oncoming thunderstorm, players created their own electric atmosphere, spectators roaring repeatedly for sensational shotmaking on one of golf’s iconic stages at Augusta National, where Woods won his first major title in 1997.

Fans chant Tiger’s name

Woods then drove the green in two at the par-5 15^th and tapped in for birdie to seize the lead alone at 13-under par then sank a four-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16^th to stretch his advantage to two shots with two holes remaining.

Woods parred 17 and walked up to the 18^th green to crowds 20-people deep applauding with delight, but he kept a stoic visage until the job was complete, a tap-in for bogey followed by a fist pump and a scream of joy in celebration of a fairytale fightback like few others in sporting history.

Serena Williams✔@serenawilliams

I am literally in tears watching @TigerWoods this is Greatness like no other. Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did today? Wow Congrats a million times! I am so inspired thank you buddy.

Just off the 18^th green, Woods hugged his mother as he had his late father Earl in 1997 and held his children, his back more than up to the task as the crowd chanted his name, a rare tribute, and rivals congratulated him as he entered the clubhouse.

Woods, one shy of matching Nicklaus for the most career Masters wins, won his 81^st career US PGA victory, one shy of the all-time record held by Sam Snead.

He also set a record for the longest gap between Masters triumphs, the 14-year spread one year longer than the old mark set by South African Gary Player from 1961 to 1974.

It completes a fairytale comeback to the pinnacle of golf for Woods, whose career imploded after a 2009 sex scandal before unraveling amid injuries and personal problems.

Logjam of late leaders

After battling to overhaul 54-hole leader Francesco Molinari of Italy, Woods birdied the par-5 13^th to join a lead pack of five at 12-under.

Woods, Molinari, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Kopeka and Dustin Johnson with Australian Jason Day in the clubhouse on 11-under and Patrick Cantlay, who also hit 12-under, foiled by bogeys at 16 and 17.

Woods and Molinari, in the last trio, each birdied the par-5 13^th to reach 12-under while Johnson reeled off three consecutive birdies, the last on an 11-foot putt at 17, to make 12-under.

Barack Obama✔@BarackObama

Congratulations, Tiger! To come back and win the Masters after all the highs and lows is a testament to excellence, grit, and determination.

Schauffele got there on birdies at 14 and 15 and Koepka by answering a double bogey at the par-3 12^th with an eagle at 13 and birdie at 15.

None could go lower except Woods, with Molinari undone at the par-5 15^th when his approach struck a tree limb and his chip barely clung to the side of a damp slope on the way to a double-bogey disaster.

Augusta National moved the final round to Sunday morning due to storms expected to arrive in the afternoon, when leaders would typically be battling for the title.

The Masters, which has not had a Monday conclusion since 1983, decided to cancel its green jacket ceremony at the 18th green in order to hurry spectators to the exits faster.

(AFP)

Barcelona will take a 1-0 lead over Manchester United into next week’s second leg of their Champions League quarter-final after a 12th-minute Luke Shaw own goal gave them victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Sergio Busquets found Lionel Messi with a clever ball into the area and the Argentine carved out space on the left to deliver a lofted cross to Luis Suarez at the back post.

The Uruguayan’s header deflected off the shoulder of a scrambling Shaw and beat David De Gea to give the visitors the lead and although the linesman initially flagged for offside, the goal was given after a VAR video review.

United’s best chance of the first half fell to Diogo Dalot but the Portuguese made a mess of a fine Marcus Rashford cross, heading harmlessly across the goal from close-range.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team had struggled to get a foothold in the game during the opening 45 minutes but they were much improved after the break, applying plenty of pressure without creating any clear chances.

Barcelona could have added a second had Suarez not fired into the side-netting from a promising position after a clever through ball from Nelson Semedo.

Barcelona have not lost at home in the Champions League since 2013.

Ronaldo’s 125th Champions League goal

In the other big Champions League match from Wednesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo produced yet another quality goal to add to his collection and help Juventus to a 1-1 draw at Ajax Amsterdam in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday.

Juventus took the lead on the stroke of halftime as Portuguese forward Ronaldo began an attacking move inside his own half before sprinting down field and diving to head in a clever chip from Joao Cancelo.

Ajax equalised 30 seconds into the second half after Cancelo lost control of the ball to allow David Neres to run down the left wing, cut inside and curl the ball past Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The result leaves the Serie A side in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals in next week’s return leg in Turin. However, they will be mindful of Ajax’s 4-1 away win over Real Madrid in the last round that eliminated the holders 5-3 on aggregate.

Hakim Ziyech had several efforts at goal in a lively start for the youthful Dutch team, who have come through the pre-group phase qualifying round to reach the last eight.

Donny van de Beek scraped the outside of the upright with a 25th minute effort from close range after opening up space for himself in the penalty area in Ajax’s best chance of the first half.

But Juventus, with the 34-year-old Ronaldo central to their attacks, worked their way into the contest and came close themselves when the forward set up Federico Bernardeschi to turn and shoot in the 37th minute. But he was just off target.

Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick in the previous round against Atletico Madrid, then scored a 125th Champions League goal with the last move of the first half before Ajax opened the second period with the same intensity.

After equalising, Ajax then dominated possession but were guilty of over-elaborate passing and were also fortunate not to have given away a penalty when defender Nicolas Tagliafico was tugging on the jersey of Juventus captain Mario Mandzukic.

Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande paused briefly in the 53rd minute to presumably hear from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) but resumed play before TV replays showed that Juventus had been denied a decent claim.

However, influential left back Tagliafico will miss the second leg next Tuesday after being booked late in the first half.

Juve hit the upright in the closing stages through substitute Douglas Costa although Ajax could have had the last say as Dusan Tadic missed a good chance in stoppage time.

More than 100 Juventus supporters were detained by Dutch police before the match while home fans were also arrested as a water cannon was used outside the ground.

 (REUTERS)

Cameroon on Tuesday received the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy, which arrived in the capital Yaounde in the company of FIFA officials, as part of its global tour en route to France. The trophy came after concluding a tour in South Africa and is expected to head to neighbouring Nigeria. It is the second time the trophy is stopping in Cameroon after 2015 during the first ever participation of Indomitable Lionesses at FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Sara Booth Mbe, FIFA’s Head of Women’s Football Competitions led the delegation that presented the trophy to Cameroon’s Prime Minister and Head of government, Joseph Dion Ngute. “We hope today by bringing the trophy to Cameroon, lots of people will fall in love with the competition and the Cameroon team, the Lionesses (Cameroon women’s national football team) and will support them from home during the competition,” Mbe told reporters.

Cameroon’s striker Gaelle Deborah Enganamouit said, the arrival of the trophy served as an inspiration for Cameroon to win the World Cup for the first time. “It is a great pleasure to have the FIFA trophy here. It is also good for the development of football in Cameroon. We pray to work hard to have this cup here in Cameroon,” she said.

Cameroon will intensify training at home and abroad before the championship. “They (Indomitable Lionesses) went to China for a very important international tournament with high level of participation. We had good results though China defeated us with one goal in the finals. But it was good preparation for our girls. They will camp in Cameroon to ameliorate performance and the last camp will be in Spain just before the competition,” President of Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Seidou Mbombo Njoya said. The tour of the women’s trophy which started in February is at its 15th stop in Cameroon and will be back in Paris before the kickoff of the women’s world cup in June in France.

Source: Xinhuanet

China PR emerged as competition winners for the second time in 2019, defeating Cameroon 1-0 to claim the Wuhan International Tournament on Sunday.

The win, sealed by a lone Wang Shanshan goal shortly before half-time, follows January’s successful Four Nations Tournament campaign in Meizhou as Jia Xiuquan’s side continue their build up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 in June.

Following on from an emphatic 4-1 win over Russia on Thursday, China PR began with a strong line-up featuring the likes of Wang Shuang, Wu Haiyan and Wang Shanshan, but it was Cameroon who had the first chance, with Henirette Akaba forcing a save within the opening minute.

Chasing a sixth successive win on home soil, the Steel Roses gradually grew into the contest, and they scored what proved to be a decisive goal in the 40th minute.

It was far from the prettiest addition to the scoresheet in Jia’s 11-month spell as boss, but Wang Shanshan forced the ball home when Cameroon Ngo Ndom spilled a looping Gu Yasha cross from the vicinity of the left-hand corner flag.

Replaced in the 62nd minute, Wang Shanshan’s goal meant the striker scored three times in just 89 minutes of game time in the tournament, taking her tally to 10 in her side’s last 10 matches.

Despite the heavy involvement of Wang Shuang and Li Ying, China PR failed to extend the lead after the break, but two wins from two, including one against FIFA Women’s World Cup-bound Cameroon, was a welcome return following a disappointing Algarve Cup campaign a month prior.

China PR’s next confirmed test will be a compelling one, as they head to Paris to face the France 2019 hosts in a friendly on May 31, before the serious business of the FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage begins against Germany on June 8.

Source: the-afc.com

Mercedes’ world champion Lewis Hamilton picked up where he left off last year to reassert his authority and snatch a record-extending eighth pole position at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Briton clocked a fastest lap of one minute 20.486 to narrowly pip team-mate Valtteri Bottas, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel third, but well off the pace on 1:21.190. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fourth and Ferrari newcomer Charles Leclerc fifth.

The 34-year-old is the pole master in Melbourne, claiming it eight times and every year since 2014, although he has only twice, in 2008 and 2015, won a race at Albert Park.

He knocked out his rivals with a blistering lap at the death to claim an 84th career grid-leading time in his 230th race.

“I’m shaking, it was so close out there,” said Hamilton.

“Coming from testing we had no idea where we would be, but the guys in the factory have been working so hard towards this weekend.

“Valtteri did an exceptional job, it was so close.”

Hamilton, bidding for a sixth world title to move within one of Michael Schumacher’s record seven, topped all three free practice sessions before making it four-out-of-four during qualifying.

His dominance in qualifying in Melbourne is unsurpassed with Ayrton Senna, on six poles, the next in line.

Hamilton complained after pre-season testing in Barcelona that Ferrari was much quicker, but it appears to have been mind games with business as usual resumed this week.

Mercedes and Hamilton have been dominant in Formula One in recent years, winning the drivers’ and constructors’ titles five years in a row and Ferrari — and Vettel — are desperate to catch up.

While the German won in Melbourne last year and backed it up with victory at the next race in Bahrain, Hamilton roared back to sweep 11 of the remaining 19 Grand Prix to comfortably be crowned champion.

All Vettel’s world titles came at Red Bull, from 2010-2013, while Ferrari haven’t won a constructors crown since 2008 and no driver at the Italian outfit has tasted championship success since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

Hamilton topped Q2 in 1:21:014 from Bottas and Verstappen, with Vettel running into the gravel at Turn 12, kicking up dirt and dust and telling his team on the radio that the “floor, front wing” would need to be checked.

Daniel Ricciardo was a big casualty in Q2, finishing 12th in his first outing for new team Renault after moving from Red Bull. His team-mate Nico Hulkenberg also missed the cut, as did Toro Rosso pair Daniel Kvyat and Alexander Albon.

Leclerc topped Q1 with 1:22:017 ahead of Hamilton and Bottas.

Red Bull newcomer Pierre Gasly was among those who failed to get out of Q1 along with McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll.

Robert Kubica, who clipped the wall and sustained a puncture in his Williams, was last.

AFP

FIFA is keen on seeing the World Cup extended from 32 teams to 48 in the next edition.

It’s a feasible change, according to a study conducted by the technical teams of the football governing body.

But there’s a condition. Qatar will have to accept the idea to co-organise the event with at least one of its neighbours.

The number of matches will increase from 64 to 80, which would be intense for a single country to bear.

According to media reports, Oman and Kuwait could be chosen to host some of the games of the expanded tournament.

A FIFA delegation will meet in Miami, United States on Friday with officials from the host country of the 2022 World Cup.

The organizing committee of Qatar declined to comment on the feasibility study. But its spokesman confirmed Qatar’s presence at the Miami meeting.

According to officials, an increase in the number of teams at the next World Cup could generate additional revenues of between 300 and 400 million dollars, including 120 million in television rights.

Reuters

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday issued a final warning to the Oceanic Football Federation (OFC) while in New Zealand to attend its convention and elect a new president.

Infantino’s message came a few weeks ago following an investigation into the World Cup in Russia.

“The time when football was being abused for personal ends is gone, but from what I’ve seen, I’m sure the message has definitely gone because it’s the last chance for Oceania. and I think that from now on, and with the reforms that have been made in the last six months, in terms of good governance in the Confederation, we can really focus on football “, he said.

Last week, the world football governing body suspended Oceania President, David Chung for six years of corruption over $10 million OFC building project in Auckland.

Oceania is made up of largely small Pacific island nations and the smallest of FIFA’s six continental confederations.

The confederation has a long history of governance problems, although the new president, Lambert Matlock of Vanuatu, has said that they have embarked on “huge reforms” since David Chung’s resignation last year.

AFP