Tottenham set to sign Southampton’s Victor Wanyama for knock-down price June 20, 2016 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is poised to sign Victor Wanyama for a second time after Spurs agreed a knock-down fee of £11m for the Southampton and Kenya midfielder. The price is less than the £12.5m Saints paid Celtic in 2013 and Tottenham have been able to drive a hard bargain because Wanyama has only one [...]
Didier Deschamps shrugs off criticism as France secure favourable last-16 draw with point June 19, 2016 France boss Didier Deschamps rebuffed criticism of a lacklustre showing after Les Bleus snared the point they needed to secure their passage to the last 16 as group winners with a goalless draw against a resilient Switzerland in Lille. Recalled midfielder Paul Pogba twice struck the woodwork in the first half and substitute Dimitri Payet did likewise [...]
Roy Hodgson ignores contract talk and plans to make as many as six changes for Slovakia clash June 19, 2016 England boss Roy Hodgson has shrugged off renewed speculation over his future as the Three Lions bid to seal top spot in Group B with victory over Slovakia in Saint-Etienne on Monday. The issue of Hodgson’s contact, which expires at the end of Euro 2016, was reignited by outgoing Football Association chairman Greg Dyke who [...]
Euro 2016 betting: England can get the win they need to top Group B June 19, 2016 At half-time against Wales Roy Hodgson must have been wondering if the man upstairs had something against him. England completely dominated their opening fixture against Russia yet succumbed to a 92nd minute equaliser by Vasili Berezutski. And then Gareth Bale’s free-kick just before the interval crept past Joe Hart to leave the Three Lions in serious [...]
Euro 2016 betting: Wounded Welsh look ready to bounce back and make history June 19, 2016 Wales can book their place in the last 16 by beating Russia in Toulouse on Monday evening. In fact, even a draw should be good enough for Chris Coleman’s men to prolong their stay in the tournament. Only a last-gasp Daniel Sturridge winner prevented them from earning a point against England last Thursday and it [...]
Euro 2016: What England need to know about Group B opponents Slovakia – head-to-head, tactics, danger men and form preview June 17, 2016 With wins against both reigning European champions Spain and world champions Germany in the last two years, Slovakia will consider England beatable opposition when they face each other on Monday. Tactics After narrowly negotiating a spirited Wales side both adept at frustrating the opposition with bodies behind the ball and in possession of one of [...]
Ukraine 0, Northern Ireland 2: Kings of Lyon Northern Ireland prove their point and make history June 16, 2016 Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley refused to hide his satisfaction at proving his side’s doubters wrong after Michael O’Neill’s minnows boosted their hopes of a place in the last-16 with victory over Ukraine in Lyon. McAuley became the first Northern Ireland player to score at a major tournament since 1986 when he powered home a [...]
England 2, Wales 1: Sturridge and Vardy late show gets England’s Euro 2016 back on track as manager’s gamble pays off June 16, 2016 Relieved England boss Roy Hodgson revelled in the depth of his squad after his game-changing substitutions conjured a pivotal last-gasp victory over Wales in Lens. Hodgson gambled with England looking increasingly bereft of inspiration and losing 1-0 at half-time, courtesy of Gareth Bale’s free-kick and a Joe Hart howler, and unleashed strikers Daniel Sturridge and Jamie [...]
Credit to Roy Hodgson for saving the day – and his job – with the boldest decisions of his England reign June 16, 2016 Roy Hodgson cut a worried figure during the first half. His team were made to scrap by Wales; it was not going well. He rubbed his brow and knew that, as things stood, he probably only had 45 minutes left as England manager. Defeat to Wales would surely have meant he was out of a job [...]
Betting: France set for lift-off against Switzerland June 16, 2016 France have been late to their own party in the opening two matches of Euro 2016, relying on last-minute magic in wins against Romania and Albania. It may have been far from convincing, but those results put Les Bleus safely through to the next round with a game to go. With the pressure off, we [...]