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Manchester City : Pep Guardiola compare Erling Haaland à Lionel Messi

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Le manager de Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, a déclaré que Lionel Messi était “le joueur le plus complet que j’aie jamais vu” alors qu’il se demande si Erling Haaland peut atteindre le même niveau que l’ancien attaquant de Barcelone.

EN SAVOIR PLUS: Erling Haaland: l’attaquant de Manchester City peut encore s’améliorer – Pep Guardiola

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Premier League fantasy football tips: Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, Son Heung-min

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Alistair Bruce-Ball

The fixture calendar for the rest of the Premier League season is pretty much set so now it’s up to you to decide on your strategy depending on what chips you have left in the game.

We know there are seven teams with a double gameweek 34 – Arsenal, Liverpool, Wolves, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Everton and Sheffield United.

Tottenham don’t have a fixture in gameweek 34, which makes things slightly trickier if you don’t have a Free Hit chip, because they will then have two double gameweeks before the end of the season.

Chelsea will also double twice in the last four gameweeks of the season, while Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and Brighton will all have a double gameweek, which is almost certainly going to be in gameweek 37.

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Managers who still have their second wildcard available will rightly be debating whether to play it now, either in gameweek 30 or 31, or in gameweek 35 to really attack the last four weeks of the season with a potential Bench Boost in mind for gameweek 37.

If you’ve still got that Free Hit chip then the earlier wildcard could be tempting because you can bring in as many Tottenham and Chelsea players as you like without having to worry about gameweek, 34 when Tottenham blank and Chelsea are away to Arsenal.

I like that strategy because the fixtures look good for both Tottenham and Chelsea in the next few weeks – but if you’ve already used your Free Hit then you might want to hold on to the wildcard until gameweek 35 and focus your transfers on Liverpool and Arsenal in the short-term as we start to build up towards gameweek 34.

Captaincy

Those managers who can get Mohamed Salah into their squads this week will certainly want to consider him for Liverpool’s game against Brighton at Anfield on Sunday as his ownership is relatively low.

Many will be taking a points hit to get him because they can’t afford him in a straight swap or they may decide to wait until next week, which will give those of you who get him on the wildcard a nice little edge.

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If you don’t own Salah then I would suggest a Tottenham attacker for their game at home to Luton, preferably Son Heung-Min, or the man I’m looking to as a slightly differential captaincy pick this week in Cole Palmer, who has a home game against Burnley.

Fixtures to target

This is one of those gameweeks when two of the best teams in the Premier League go head-to-head and we own four or five of their players, in this case Manchester City and Arsenal, who face each other at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

I would be very happy to field my attackers in this game, the likes of Bukayo Saka and Erling Haaland, but I would try to bench my defenders if I could.

Arsenal’s defence has been superb this season and we know all about their prowess at set-pieces so fielding one of Gabriel, William Saliba or Ben White isn’t really too much of a problem, but I wouldn’t want to have two of them in my starting line-up if I could avoid it.

If you’re looking for a defender to bring into your squad this week then Statman Dave and Chris Sutton each had a suggestion in this week’s Fantasy 606 podcast – Dave has gone for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, while Chris likes the look of Conor Bradley for Liverpool – and both come in at only £4.2 million.

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Bradley has the advantage of the double gameweek 34 but if Trent Alexander-Arnold returns to fitness in the next few weeks then he is less likely to start every game. Gusto looks undroppable for Chelsea at the moment and we still don’t know when Reece James may return to action to provide competition for him.

Differentials

Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz was one of the rare successes in gameweek 29, his two goals in Fulham’s 3-0 win against Tottenham taking his tally to seven goals in his past seven games and his next three matches are against Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.

He only costs £4.6 million, which also makes him a great makeweight if you’re having to use two transfers to get to Salah this week.

Gamble of the week

We run a listeners’ team on the Fantasy 606 podcast whereby a different listener comes on each week to manage the side. This week’s listener, Alex from Vancouver, has taken the gamble to remove Haaland from the squad to enable the signing of Salah.

Haaland obviously has the tougher fixture this week, he doesn’t have a double like Salah in gameweek 34 and it enables the listeners to have Salah, Son and Saka in their midfield.

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It comes down to your budget – if, like me, you can’t afford to have all four of Haaland, Salah, Son and Saka then which one makes way? It’s Son for me, who will be replaced by Salah next week, but I might then have to turn to a cheaper Tottenham attacker to try to fill Son’s boots.

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Aberdeen in ‘very final stages’ of new manager search

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Aberdeen in ninth in the Premiership after winning at Motherwell last time out
Aberdeen in ninth in the Premiership after winning at Motherwell last time out

Aberdeen are close to finding a new manager but an announcement before Saturday is “unlikely”, admits chief executive Alan Burrows.

The Pittodrie club had said their aim was to make an appointment during the international break, but Peter Leven is now set to continue his second interim spell at home to Ross County.

“The search is ongoing,” chief executive Alan Burrows told RedTV.

“I would like to think it is entering the very final stages.”

Almost two months have passed since Barry Robson became the fourth manager to depart Pittodrie in three years.

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Since then Leven has been placed in caretaker charge either side of Neil Warnock’s five-week tenure.

“We had hoped to make an appointment during the international break, that looks unlikely,” added Burrows.

“The reality is that during this part of the process things happen all the time, that sometimes you expect and sometimes you don’t expect, and you have to react.

“There are so many different variables. Some people are in jobs, some aren’t, some are abroad, others aren’t.

“You have to be patient if you believe it’s the right guy. That’s where we are as a board. Don’t panic, don’t risk going to the wrong person. Let’s stick to the outcomes we want to achieve.

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“We are still hopeful that the person we have earmarked is someone we can appoint very soon.

“I want to emphasise how important it is we get this appointment right rather than quick.

“While the whole process has gone on longer than anyone had hoped or anticipated, the key focus is to ensure the accuracy of the appointment. That it’s right in the long term.”

Leven steered Aberdeen to a first win in 12 Scottish Premiership games when they beat Motherwell 1-0 in their last outing before the international break.

But they remain just three points above Saturday’s visitors County, who occupy the relegation play-off spot.

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Manchester City v Arsenal: Pick your combined XI from Premier League title rivals

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Manchester City and Arsenal meet in a Premier League title battle on Sunday – but who has the better players?

We want you to pick your combined XI below – which you can share with your friends on social media.

Manchester City tried to sign Declan Rice in the summer. Would you play him with Rodri in midfield?

Would you pick Arsenal’s centre-backs – or City’s? Phil Foden or Martin Odegaard?

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Choose your combined starting XI from Manchester City and Arsenal.

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Alessia Russo: Arsenal striker admits first campaign has been ‘tough’ as she aims for first club trophy

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Alessia Russo
Alessia Russo (second left) is Arsenal’s top scorer in the WSL this season with six goals
Venue: Molineux Date: Sunday, 31 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website

Having been at the centre of arguably the biggest and most drawn out transfer saga in Women’s Super League history, it was always going to be tough for Alessia Russo to live up to the hype.

Russo, who has been one of the most recognisable names in English women’s football since her starring role in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, has had a solid start to life at the Gunners with six goals in 16 WSL appearances this season.

But Arsenal have underwhelmed this campaign – knocked out of the Champions League in qualifying and six points off the WSL title pace – and Russo has found herself out of the team for some of the biggest games.

She started on the bench for the recent WSL blockbusters against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius preferred as the starting number nine.

Russo, speaking to BBC Sport before the Continental Cup final on Sunday, 31 March, took a philosophical view of her first season at Arsenal – while admitting it has not been smooth sailing.

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“I have learned a lot about myself as a player and as a person,” the 25-year-old said. “It has been tough at times, but as a player at a new club you want to be able to contribute as much as you can, then you find your feet. But I have been loving it.

“It’s always tough – every player wants to play, and they are lying if they don’t say that.

“But we also have such a talented squad, and we work so hard in training every day that if anyone’s moment comes, we can be called upon. You have just got to keep working hard and keep your head down.”

‘It will be a special one’

Stina Blackstenius and Alessia Russo
Stina Blackstenius (left) and Russo have rarely started games together for Arsenal this season

While Russo and Arsenal have not had the stellar seasons they may have expected, they can end the campaign with a trophy should they beat Chelsea at Molineux on Sunday.

The Blues have largely held the upper hand over Arsenal in recent seasons, knocking them out of the FA Cup in the past two campaigns, as well as beating them 3-1 in the recent league meeting to all but end the Gunners’ title ambitions.

But Arsenal did get one back on Chelsea with a 3-1 win in the League Cup final last seasonexternal-link – and Russo has additional impetus to ensure a repeat in 2024.

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While Russo is a European champion with England and enjoyed trophy success in US college soccer, she has never won a club trophy in English football. The closest she came was last season, when United finished second in the WSL and were beaten in the FA Cup final – on both occasions losing out to Chelsea.

“It’s exciting,” she says of a possible first trophy for her current, or any club. “As a player you want to compete for every kind of trophy there is. It will be a really exciting game and the occasion around it, it will be a special one.”

Even at only 25, Russo is a veteran of major finals – including the 2023 World Cup final, which she started for England. She hopes to draw on those experiences here, including the memories of how hard it was to lose that final to Spain in Sydney.

“It’s really useful,” she said. “I’ve been on the winning and losing side of cup finals – it hurts to lose.

“But on the flip side there is no greater feeling than winning a trophy, knowing the work that has gone into it and winning it as a team.”

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It remains to be seen what role Russo has in this final, given Arsenal’s preference to pick either her or Blackstenius in matches. The pair have only started two league matches together this campaign, and both were before November.

‘I have had to do lot of work on my game’

Alessia Russo
Russo suffered double final disappointment last season, with Manchester United in the FA Cup and England at the World Cup

Blackstenius started the recent meetings with Manchester United and Cheslsea, and has impressed.

The Swede has scored four goals in 399 WSL minutes, an average of 0.9 goals per 90 minutes this campaign according to Opta. In comparison, Russo’s six goals from 1,230 minutes leaves her with an average of only 0.44.

Per 90 minutes Blackstenius has also created more expected goals compared to Russo – 1.39 to 0.51 – and has averaged 12 touches in the opposition box per game, double Russo’s number.

Russo, however, says she is glad to have Blackstenius as a team-mate and has learned a lot this season, with the situation comparable to that of goalkeepers – a competitive friendliness, knowing only one of them is going to be picked.

“I get on really well with Stina, we have a good relationship,” she says. “She’s a great player, and we make each other better – all the forwards. We are competing with each other and doing our best for the team.”

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Blackstenius having more touches in the opposition area is a key indicator as to why she is being picked ahead of Russo, with Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall speaking earlier this seasonexternal-link about wanting his forwards to be in better goal-scoring areas.

Eidevall singled out Russo as needing to improve in this aspect, and that he aims to turn her into a 20-goal a season striker.

Russo is not one to shirk a challenge, saying she is thankful for her manager’s belief in her potential and thrilled by learning a new role well into her career.

“I have had to do lot of work on my game, on and off the pitch, analysing stuff,” she said.

“I am new to the position, I have only really been a centre-forward for three seasons, but it is a position you never stop learning. The more work you do, the better it will be.

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“It is exciting. What I love about football is it is always changing, and there are different things you can do to add to your game and help you as a player. I love trying new things, trying to get better, and trying to make myself into different things and fit into different things, it’s cool.

“I love scoring goals and being around the box, ever since I was a kid that was my favourite part of football. It’s tough in a league of such a high level against such good defenders, but I want to score more goals, create more. It takes time, but it is nice to have something to aim for.”

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My Mate’s A Footballer: Patrick Bamford tests podcast co-host Joe Wilkinson’s free-kicks

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Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford meets up with his My Mate’s A Footballer podcast co-host, comedian Joe Wilkinson, for a free-kick challenge.

Can Wilkinson finally prove himself to be the elite free-kick “specialist” that he claims he is?

Listen to episodes of ‘My Mate’s A Footballer’ here

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Steph Houghton retirement: An iconic figure who leaves women’s game in better place

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Steph Houghton
Steph Houghton has played for Sunderland, Leeds, Arsenal and Manchester City

There is one moment among many highlights during Steph Houghton’s extraordinary career that helps paint a picture of her as a person.

When England were knocked out by USA in the 2019 Women’s World Cup semi-finals – after Houghton’s 84th-minute penalty was saved – she clasped the hands of the team-mates pulling her up from the ground at full-time, held back her tears and went to speak to the media.

“I’ve let the team down. I’m gutted and heartbroken. We were so close but I’m proud of everyone because we gave it everything,” she said.

It was the mark of a true leader – one of England’s greatest – that she would publicly shoulder such responsibility.

This was one of the lowest moments of a brilliant career which has spanned three decades and yet she reacted with the same humility, professionalism and honesty as when enjoying success.

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The Lionesses’ record goalscorer Ellen White once said she felt “very privileged” to have played alongside Houghton.

Coming from the north-east – a hub of female football talent in the 2000s – Houghton would go on to captain her country for eight years and make 121 appearances.

She represented Great Britain in two Olympic Games and was one of the first female players to be given a central contract by the Football Association and, for a while, was the face of women’s football in England.

“There will be girls who have seen Steph play with talent, determination and integrity and gone home and said ‘I want to be Steph Houghton’,” Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA’s director of women’s football, said on Wednesday after Houghton announced her retirement at the end of the season.

It was Houghton’s face which first broke through in pictures dominated by England’s male stars, her name which featured regularly on the back pages of newspapers and her achievements that helped drive investment in the women’s game.

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She was the first female player to appear on the cover of Shoot magazine, was awarded an MBE by the Queen and received the Freedom of the City in Sunderland.

She also led England during a significant period of growth for women’s football, managing increased scrutiny, expectation and media attention, as well as guiding the next generation.

“The women’s game has changed so much in the period that she has been involved in it – she has been at the forefront of it,” former Scotland winger Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live.

‘We could get through anything with her in the team’

Steph Houghton gives a team talk before City's FA Cup quarter-final
Steph Houghton has won eight major trophies with Manchester City

Houghton said on Wednesday she hoped to “leave the game in a better place than when I started”.

There is absolutely no doubt that she has done so.

When the country celebrated Houghton’s goal against Brazil at the 2012 Olympic Games in front of 70,584 at Wembley Stadium, it felt like a turning point for women’s football.

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Since then, she has continued to advocate for professional standards, while improving her game to compete with a new generation of fully professional athletes.

Houghton has won eight major trophies with Manchester City since 2014 and could yet add another WSL title this season.

City boss Gareth Taylor said Houghton would “sacrifice herself” for the team and even when injured, she travelled to games on crutches and gave team talks on the pitch. England team-mate Alex Greenwood said she “set the standards” in training.

Former England defender Gilly Flaherty, a team-mate during Houghton’s spell with Arsenal, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “.You knew when you played with her – you went to war with her.

“Even when games got tough you used to look at her, with her armband, and think ‘we can get through anything when we have got her there’. I think she gave so much to this country and women’s football.”

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‘She could be a coach or a manager’

Steph Houghton
Steph Houghton’s husband Stephen Darby was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2018

Houghton has been tested in her personal life too.

Her husband, former Liverpool defender Stephen Darby, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2018 and Houghton, while still captaining England and playing for Manchester City, began helping to raise awareness of the illness.

Three days before announcing her retirement, Houghton helped complete a 178-mile march from Bradford to Liverpool, raising £130,000.

Continuing to raise awareness for The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation will no doubt remain a priority but Houghton will not be short of offers to stay in football.

Houghton told BBC Sport in January she hoped to “give back to the game” in her hometown and she has enjoyed doing punditry in recent years for broadcast media.

But having already become a mentor to so many of her younger City team-mates, Houghton could have a “phenomenal career” in coaching, White believes.

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“She’s so technically gifted and tactically astute – she could be a coach or a manager when she retires. She has a phenomenal career ahead of her – big places to go,” White told City’s club websiteexternal-link.

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes backed that up on Wednesday, adding: “I don’t wish coaching on anyone but if she wants to do it, I think she would be a great asset to someone.

“I’m sure she has some other really important life challenges ahead. She’s someone I really admire and respect for the way she carries herself. I wish her the best of luck in whatever she does.”

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Declan Rice: How England midfielder has improved title-chasing Arsenal

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Declan Rice
Declan Rice is having the best goalscoring and assisting season of his career in the Premier League

When Arsenal spent £100m to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice last summer there was a suggestion in some camps that the Gunners had overpaid.

But those voices have quietened as the England international, with some brilliant performances in a more attacking position, has helped fire Arsenal to the top of the table with 10 games to go.

Maybe his biggest test yet will come on Sunday when they visit title rivals Manchester City, who also tried to sign Rice last summer and had a bid of £90m rejected.

The Gunners may be top of the Premier League – but they were in the same position after 28 games last season and fell away – so will Rice help them get over the line? Arsenal, Liverpool and City are only separated by a point in a gripping three-way title tussle.

So what has Rice changed at Emirates Stadium this season?

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What’s different this season at Arsenal?

Most of Arsenal's statistics are better this season than last season in the Premier League
Most of Arsenal’s statistics are better this season than last season in the Premier League

There have been two areas where Arsenal’s personnel have changed this season compared to last term – in goal, with David Raya replacing Aaron Ramsdale, and in midfield.

Last season Arsenal’s most common midfield trio was captain Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

Rice and fellow summer signing Kai Havertz, a £65m recruit from Chelsea, are the most frequent central midfield combo with Odegaard this time.

Rice has started every Premier League game since his move, with only centre-back Willian Saliba playing more minutes in the league than he has for the Gunners.

The England international has the third best passing accuracy for midfielders in the league for teams currently in the top six of the table (including players with 1,000 or more minutes).

His 91% passing rate is only behind Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma and Manchester City’s Rodri (92% each).

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Current boss Mikel Arteta is the only Gunners midfielder to have a higher passing accuracy in a Premier League season (of players to play in at least 50% of the minutes).

Of central midfielders in the league to have played 1,000 or more minutes, only Rodri (14.2) has carried the ball more than five metres upfield more times than Rice (10.4) per 90 minutes.

Arsenal are creating more chances and scoring more goals and conceding fewer chances and goals per game than last season.

However, at this stage last season – after 28 games – Arsenal were on 69 points, eight points clear of City at the top, compared to 64 this season – above Liverpool on goal difference.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, in his Telegraph columnexternal-link earlier this month, said Rice has proved to be a “bargain”.

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“He is not a holding midfielder. He is a complete midfielder,” said the former England centre-back.

“When Arsenal travel to the Etihad, they will feel they have the equal of City’s Rodri, capable of dominating the key midfield battleground.

“Should Arsenal do it, the signing of Rice will be regarded as one of the most important in the club’s history – the final piece of the jigsaw turning a team of potential into champions.”

In December, former Newcastle and England striker Alan Shearer wrote in a BBC column: “It is clear the Gunners have improved from last season, when they pushed City close until the final few games, and it is Declan Rice who has made the biggest difference.

“I would go as far as saying he has been the stand-out signing from the summer, and the £100m he cost from West Ham looks like money well spent.

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“Rice has made the Gunners more solid and also gives them an extra little bit of bite in midfield, but everything he does on the ball is top class as well.”

How has Rice changed?

Declan Rice's touches have been in more advanced positions this season
Declan Rice’s touches have been in more advanced positions this season

Rice is having more touches in central attacking positions compared to last term, aided by playing in a better team – and in a more attacking role. West Ham finished 14th last season with a goal difference of -13.

Arsenal have an average possession of 62% this season, while West Ham never managed 50% in a season with Rice.

As a result of all this, Rice is scoring more goals and assisting more for his team-mates than ever before.

His six Premier League goals and five assists are already higher than he managed in any campaign for West Ham.

Rice said of Arsenal’s midfield positions: “Mikel wants his six and eight to play completely differently. When I’ve played eight I have been the highest on the pitch sometimes which is strange to me. I have said that I think six is my best position.”

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Declan Rice's stats compared between last season and this season

Many of Rice’s defensive statistics – like possession won and interceptions – were higher last season.

And his attacking ones, such as shots and touches in the opposition box, are higher this campaign.

His contribution has grown as the season has gone on too, taking only three corners in the first 20 games – before becoming one of their set-piece specialists.

Rice added: “You look at Rodri at [Manchester] City who is probably the best, always in the middle of the pitch linking the back and the front players. The more I’ve played under Mikel I have got better every time.”

England boss Gareth Southgate, who named Rice as captain and handed him a 50th Three Lions cap for Tuesday’s friendly with Belgium, said: “It’s brilliant for him. We know he’s a brilliant finisher.

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“We know he can play it in a more advanced role. He’s improved so much in that role and working so much with his club.”

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Robert Page: Wales boss looks to future after Euro 2024 play-off final heartache

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At a moment like this, it was hard to look too far ahead. It was hard to look anywhere, in fact.

Robert Page stood with his players on the Cardiff City Stadium pitch, staring into space as they wondered how they might begin to digest what had just happened.

It hurts to miss out on a major tournament. The pain is greater when it happens in a play-off. Then the heartache is on another level when it is delivered on penalties.

“I’m absolutely gutted for them,” Page said afterwards, his eyes still glazed.

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“It’s a horrible way to go out. It’s a cruel game. I’m really disappointed right now but I’m really proud of them.

“That was the message in the changing room. For the campaign overall and the journey we’re on, I couldn’t be more proud.

“It’s a horrible way to go out but hopefully we’ll learn and become stronger for having gone through the horrible experiences of tonight.”

You could see Page was still trying to make sense of it all as the words fell from his mouth.

Yet no matter how raw the emotions, at this level, you do not get much time to simply live in the moment.

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When yours is a young squad with potential for the future and when your own position has been scrutinised like Page’s has been, you are required to look ahead.

Page knew the questions about his future would come so, when he was asked if he would be the man to take this Wales team on, he said: “Absolutely.

“We’re a team in transition and, while we’re in transition, we’re one penalty kick away from qualifying.

“We’ve got games in June, Nations League in the autumn and then the start of a World Cup qualifying campaign.

“So that’s my full focus now, building on what we’ve already started and the transition we’re in at this moment in time.”

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Wales were absent from major tournaments for 58 years following the 1958 World Cup but, since ending that drought with a mesmerising run to the semi-finals at Euro 2016, qualification has become the expectation rather than a mere pipedream.

It is with good reason when it comes European Championships. The expanded 24-team format and Nations League-assisted play-offs meant that, had Wales beaten Poland on Tuesday, more teams would have qualified from their original five-team qualifying group than would have failed to.

Even with the back-up route of the play-offs, though, Wales could not take advantage of their many reprieves.

The real damage was done during the regular campaign, when back-to-back defeats against Armenia and Turkey last summer left Welsh hopes of qualifying automatically in tatters.

The home loss to Armenia was particularly galling, an embarrassment in truth, and put Page under severe pressure.

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Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney would later publicly state that Page’s position was being reviewed. And although Wales recovered with a stirring victory over Croatia last October, they still missed out on automatic qualification after a disappointing draw in Armenia.

Now, with defeat against Poland confirming that Wales will not be in Germany this summer, Page’s future will be a talking point once again.

“I’ve got a great relationship with Dave Adams, the technical director [of the FAW]. We’ve had our issues in the past, haven’t we? It’s been well documented,” said Page.

“But everything’s fine. Everything’s great. I think they appreciate it. The board, the chief exec, the president, I think they see the journey we’re on and what we’re trying to do.

“In 12 months from retirement of senior players to introducing younger players and being one kick away from qualification. I think they see the work we’re doing and the supporters do too.”

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Page is the only manager to have led Wales at two major tournaments and his contract runs until 2026.

Neither fact is a guarantee of job security, though, given how turbulent a campaign this has been, and following a deeply disappointing performance at the 2022 World Cup.

Page will continue to field questions about his future but, for the time being, he still believes he is the man to guide Wales through these challenging moments.

“I just know I’ve got a good group players, great staff, and we’re going on the right path,” he said.

“There are younger players to be introduced as well, so that’s my next aim.

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“They’ve said it in the changing room, they’ve said it on the pitch with Ben [Davies, Wales captain]. We’re a good group and we’re going places.

“We have learned lessons, I’ve learned lessons from the campaign overall. If we get our values right, with or without the ball, we’re a force to be reckoned with.

“We’re disappointed but we’ll build on it.”

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Scotland 0-1 Northern Ireland: ‘Belief is back but NI will stay level headed’

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“We’ve got that belief again. We won’t get too ahead of ourselves but it’s something to build on.”

Northern Ireland captain Paddy McNair said it best after Michael O’Neill’s youthful side took another stride forward in their development by stunning Scotland at Hampden Park.

Conor Bradley continued his remarkable year with the winning goal in Glasgow – his first for Northern Ireland with a curling strike that deflected into the top corner just after the half hour.

With a starting team with an average of just over 23, Northern Ireland dropped deeper and deeper as the game progressed.

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As much as the hosts huffed and puffed, it was the travelling Green and White Army who could be heard at the final whistle amid a chorus of boos from the home support, as Scotland made it seven games without a win.

If you had said Northern Ireland would have been in this position six months ago, few would have believed you. In a injury-hit Euro 2024 campaign, O’Neill’s side were wilting as the chances of qualification from a promising campaign slipped away.

With key player after key player missing through either injury or retirement O’Neill, in for his second stint, had no option but to turn to youth.

It was painful at the time, and O’Neill himself admits there still might be the odd difficult night ahead, but Tuesday’s win was the latest step in the development of his team.

The win makes it three games unbeaten – all against sides who will be at Euro 2024 this summer. Denmark were first to fall at Windsor Park, but the draw with Romania away from home and Tuesday’s win at Hampden were almost more impressive.

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“We have played two very good sides who will be off to Germany in the summer and it gives us a target,” O’Neill said.

“We’re obviously not going to be there, but it builds confidence and it builds belief in the players.

“That was the purpose of taking these games. Tonight was about the discipline of the team and the application of the team, and it showed again in terms of how we defended. There are still areas we need to improve on, of course there is, but the players were brilliant tonight.”

‘There’s a lot of togetherness’

Michael O'Neill and Conor Bradley talk after the match
Michael O’Neill praised Conor Bradley after the Liverpool defender’s crucial moment in Glasgow

While the outstanding Bradley will claim the headlines, there were others who really stood up.

Brodie Spencer, playing out of position at left back and himself only 19, produced a stunning block to deny Lawrence Shankland an equaliser and Eoin Toal, Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard all stood up in the rigorous defensive effort.

“I thought we battled so well to get a win. It was only a friendly, but to get the win is just brilliant,” said Liverpool right-back Bradley said.

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When asked how much confidence the young NI team can take from their current run, Bradley added: “I think it will be massive.

“It’s a big confidence boost for us knowing we can beat a team going to the Euros, and against Romania as well, we can battle with a team going to the Euros.

“It’s brilliant for us. We are still a young team and there are loads of places we can still improve. We’re going in the right way and hopefully we can continue to do that, go into the Nations League and do well.

“We’re all buzzing to be fair and we’re really happy, but we all know a lot of hard work needs to go into it. We all know we can play a bit better in the game and have a bit more control, but the way we defended was outstanding.

“We were up against it for most of the game, so for us to come out of it with a clean sheet is just brilliant.

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“There is a lot of togetherness because we are all around the same age. We all did grow up together as well. If you mix in a couple of experienced ones like Josh [Magennis] and Jamie Reid as well, it’s brilliant and really good.”

Northern Ireland will have two more friendlies in June before the Nations League starts in the autumn. Then, the business of 2026 World Cup qualification begins.

There may still be the odd painful night ahead, but the shoots are there for this team to keep growing in the right direction.

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Where it all went wrong for Wales as Euro 2024 dream ends with gut-wrenching Poland loss

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Disbelief instead of Dortmund, heartbreak instead of Hamburg.

Wales’ bid to reach their fourth major tournament in eight years ended in tears at Cardiff City Stadium last night as Poland’s penalty shoot-out success took the final place in Germany.

The play-off disappointment was the cruel climax to a turbulent attempt at Euro 2024 qualifying.

There were two dramatic nights against Croatia, and a fine semi-final win over Finland.

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But it was also a campaign marked by missed opportunities and marred by continuing questions over manager Rob Page.

And despite the harsh manner of Wales’ exit, there are still those who will argue the side should never have had to leave it to luck and trying to qualify via the play-offs.

Here BBC Sport Wales looks at the key moments that cost Wales a place at Euro 2024.

Wales boss Rob Page applauds fans
Rob Page oversaw what was Wales men’s first ever penalty shootout

A World Cup hangover

Qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Wales’ first for 64 years, was the pinnacle of Page’s tenure so far. But once Wales got to Qatar, that dream turned into something of a reality check.

One of the biggest issues Wales have faced in recent years has been their players’ lack of regular football at club level, and that was plain to see at the World Cup.

Wales started slowly in their opening game against the United States and were fortunate to escape with a draw, and then they were thoroughly outplayed by Iran and comprehensively beaten by England.

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All the while, the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey looked well off the pace having come into the tournament with limited game-time.

Nothing can change how proud a moment it was for Wales to finally qualify for the World Cup – but their performances in Qatar made the experience of being in the tournament itself an underwhelming one.

Page and his players were deflated and, with Bale retiring just a month later, it was hard to shake the feeling that Wales had come home with a hefty World Cup hangover.

Armenia agony

There is rarely one moment alone that leads to disappointment – yet there is one night that glaringly and grotesquely sticks out in Wales’ failed campaign, long before Daniel James’ penalty miss.

Wales’ 4-2 defeat by Armenia was not only a shock in terms of result, it was shocking in its manner, and the type of night Welsh football thought it had left behind.

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This was Moldova, Georgia et al for the millennials, a home humiliation from which Wales’ automatic qualification hopes never truly recovered.

Wales were unquestionably poor in their defending, but an imbalanced team selection provided too much of an invite for Armenia – and prompted significant levels of pressure on Page.

Turkish early bath

Turkey is a proud footballing nation and, with its national side back on the rise, an away game there was always likely to prove challenging.

Wales had made things infinitely more difficult for themselves by coming into that game last June off the back of that humiliating defeat at home by Armenia.

They were nowhere near that bad in Turkey but, even then, Page’s side were straining to keep their opponents at bay during the first half in Samsun.

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Wales rode their luck at times, with Turkey having an early goal disallowed, but then in the 41st minute Joe Morrell was sent off for a reckless challenge on Ferdi Kadioglu.

If Wales were already up against it, that red card rather sealed their fate. Although they battled gamely, Wales succumbed to a 2-0 defeat and their hopes of qualifying automatically were dealt a massive blow.

Wales player Joe Morrell is sent off
Joe Morrell has featured in just one of Wales’ eight matches since being sent off against Turkey in June 2023

A very public disagreement

Question marks over Page’s future came close to being turned into statements after those summer defeats.

And while it’s not unusual for managers to feel the heat after poor results, to have it turned up in public by your own chief executive was – at best – unnecessarily disruptive. More tension than together stronger.

While Noel Mooney would describe reports of Roy Keane being lined up to replace Page as “baloney”, it was accepted that the FAW had looked at Page’s future – while an interview on matchweek made no denial of Page’s need to win games.

It saw Page’s backroom staff attend a news conference in a show of support, and Ben Davies tell the world such “noise” wasn’t helpful.

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As it turned out, Wales were galvanised and delivered a superb performance to beat Croatia – with players performing ‘zip it’ celebrations.

Nevertheless, even after peace talks between Page and Mooney, the public split between hierarchy and team still had a damaging impact.

Noel Mooney
Noel Mooney took over as the FAW’s chief executive in the summer of 2021

Ramsey regret

When summer turned to September, a victory in Latvia appeared to settle the nerves. Certainly, Aaron Ramsey showed little signs of being fazed as he tucked home a first-half penalty in Riga to turn pressure into an opening for a much-needed victory. The midfielder had been majestic.

Yet within four minutes of the restart, Ramsey signalled to the bench to come off. A precaution, he said later, and he was duly fit to inspire Cardiff to a South Wales derby win later that week..

And just like that, and a knee and a calf problem later, so ended Ramsey’s involvement in the campaign.

While Ben Davies came into his own taking over as captain, replacing Ramsey’s playmaking and experience was too much for a Bale-less Wales to bear.

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And despite being named in the squad, it was strange not to see him even appear off the bench as the play-off against Poland ebbed away from Wales.

Armenia agony… again

Ramsey’s absence was perhaps none more felt than in Yerevan where Wales somehow managed to trip up when opportunity had opened the backdoor.

A memorable win over Croatia had not only overturned the damage done in the summer, it had shown Wales had found a balance and new verve to their play.

Throw in some surprise results elsewhere, it left automatic qualification in Welsh hands heading to Armenia for the penultimate fixture.

Two wins would be enough, but it was effectively over long before thoughts of the home tie with Turkey. Five minutes was all Lucas Zelarayan needed to make an awkward fixture another embarrassment as Wales failed to add a second to an Armenian own goal in a dispiriting draw.

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And for all the huff and puff, a panicked and pedestrian Wales were desperately short of quality and creativity in the final third, despite the array of attacking options.

Wales player Kieffer Moore looks dejected in Armenia
Wales claimed just one point from the six on offer against Armenia

Limitations exposed

While Wales have slowly been expanding their pool of talent, and some suggestions that the squad are stronger in their options than for many a year, the reality of that came into frustrating focus as the Poland play-off began to creep away from them and into the shoot-out.

With defensive options Ben Cabango, Wes Burns, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Tom Lockyer all absent before the camp, an injury to Connor Roberts saw Page turn to Dan James to cover at wing-back rather than turn to his bench.

It ended James’ attacking threat and Wales began to run out of ideas and initiative. Ramsey’s lack of fitness and an untimely David Brooks illness limited options further just when Wales needed to find something different to avoid the penalty jeopardy.

And while the side had undoubtedly recovered to find a better balance and identity from earlier in the campaign, it ultimately ended in disappointment.

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