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    FM-News
    Brentford have promoted Thomas Frank to the role of head coach.
    The Dane was assistant to Dean Smith, who joined Aston Villa over the weekend, and he has now been made his successor.
    Frank was previously head coach of Brondby in Denmark, twice making the Europa League qualifiers, as well as Denmark's youth teams.
    Co-sporting director Phil Giles said: "Ras and I have used Dean's departure as a chance to pause and review what we need to add to the coaching staff to keep moving forward.
    "We feel the club is in a good place and we don't think it is time for big changes. Promoting Thomas to head coach ensures that we can keep building on the foundations that are already in place and working."
    Co-sporting director Rasmus Ankersen said: "Thomas knows the club's strategy inside out and he is both respected and supported by players and staff at the training ground.
    "He has played a major role in the development of our style of play over the past couple of years and we believe he is ready for the job as head coach."
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    FM-News
    England midfielder Eric Dier has claimed that he "put a marker down" with his crunching challenge on Spain defender Sergio Ramos on Monday night.
    The Tottenham Hotspur man was shown a yellow card for the 11th-minute tackle on the Roja captain inside the hosts' penalty area.
    However, the incident seemed to set the tone, with England taking control of the first half as two goals from Raheem Sterling and a Marcus Rashford strike had Gareth Southgate's side 3-0 up at the interval.
    Spain rallied after the break, with substitute Paco Alcacer pulling a goal back before Ramos grabbed a second with the last touch of the Nations League contest as the visitors secured a famous 3-2 success.
    "I think it's really important that we respect our opponents and Ramos is one of the best of all time, really," Dier told Sky Sports.
    "It's important to respect them, but at the same time, once we start the game, it's every man for himself and we have to put our foot down, put a marker down and be aggressive - still with respect, but we have to be aggressive, be on the front foot and show that nothing is going to intimidate us.
    "That's just as important as playing good football and all the other aspects. I think Ramos is a great example of that. He does everything so well, but at the same time he puts his foot down and he's not going to be bullied. We have to be the same way."
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    FM-News
    Luis Enrique has praised England's "world-class" front three for inflicting "severe punishment" on Spain in the UEFA Nations League.
    Raheem Sterling's first international goals since October 2015, either side of Marcus Rashford's strike, secured a 3-2 victory at the Estadio Benito Villamarin - England's first win in Spain since 1987.
    It was the first time in history that Spain had conceded three goals in a competitive game on home soil, and Luis Enrique was left in no doubt who was responsible.
    "Right from the beginning they were fluid," the Spain boss is quoted by Sky Sports as saying.
    "They defended very well, were well positioned in their half and then came out on the counter with world-class players like (Harry) Kane, Rashford and Sterling.
    "Sometimes a rival is better than us and they were in the first half. The punishment was severe. We were not expecting to suffer that much.
    "They created a lot of transitions on the ball and were very strong. We made mistakes individually under pressure and the goal was medicine for them and venom for us. In the end it became very hurtful."
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    FM-News
    Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith has claimed that it was his decision to bring John Terry back to the club as part of his coaching staff.
    Smith was confirmed as Steve Bruce's replacement on Wednesday, with Terry and Richard O'Kelly acting as assistant coaches to the former Brentford manager.
    Terry was tipped to join Villa as Thierry Henry's assistant before Smith's appointment but the new Villa boss insists it was ultimately his choice to bring the former Chelsea and Villa captain back to the club.
    "I was told there was an opportunity to take John and I said if I speak to John I think we can both come up with good enough honest answers to see if we both want to move on with it or not," Smith told Sky Sports.
    "That's what we did. John and I spoke about it and decided it was right. If it wasn't we both could have said no but I felt it was a win-win for both of us. It was my decision to bring John in, yes.
    "It was probably an hour of Facetime meet. He was warming up for a pro-am golf event and he probably wanted it to be a bit quicker. But to be fair we both had really good questions that we wanted to ask.
    "He'll be the first to admit he was nervous this morning. You're going in front of people who you were once in the dressing room with, having banter with, and getting involved in coaching them and trying to improve them."
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    FM-News
    Gareth Southgate has expressed his delight with an "incredibly mature" and "brave" performance from England after they stunned Spain 3-2 in the UEFA Nations League on Monday.
    Raheem Sterling scored twice either side of a goal from Marcus Rashford in an impressive first-half display from the Three Lions.
    Spain struck back after the break but England held on to become the first side to beat Spain in a competitive game on home soil since 2003.
    Southgate, who had named England's youngest average starting XI in 59 years, told Sky Sports: "They should be incredibly proud of their performance.
    "We spoke to the forward players in particular before the game to remind them what a threat they are. The three of them were outstanding and caused all kinds of problems. Then it was for the rest of the team to provide and be brave enough and I thought at times we did that really well.
    "You have to accept at times we will concede possession in dangerous areas as we are encouraging people to take risks, but for a very young team I thought it was an incredibly mature performance. We withstood pressure reasonably well and they should all be very proud of what they have done.
    "We knew it would be unlikely to get a result if we came here and defended for 90 minutes, so we needed to be brave on the ball. We talked about the threat that our front three have, they need to believe in themselves, but then also we need to get the ball to them.
    "We knew today the way that Spain press that we had to get the first couple of passes out. We ran the risk of losing the ball in front of goal but when we got out of that press we were a huge threat on the counter-attack. The quality of the play and the bravery of the players was the thing that pleased me the most."
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    FM-News
    Gareth Southgate has claimed that England's players are lacking "psychological freshness" following their World Cup exploits due to the Premier League season beginning too early.
    Following the Three Lions' fourth-placed finish at Russia 2018, key members of the team have suffered injuries during the early stages of the new season.
    Captain Harry Kane, meanwhile, has regularly dismissed suggestions that he is in need of a rest.
    When asked about tiredness ahead of England's Nations League match against Spain in Seville on Monday, Southgate told Sky Sports: "I think it's psychological freshness, rather than physical.
    "Everyone adapts their training load appropriately. But I think when you see the league, there are probably a lot of teams that haven't started yet at the level when they are at their maximum.
    "There have been lots of injuries across our league, I don't know about the rest of Europe. It is a balance.
    "I don't really understand why our league started so early, but they did, so it is a really difficult situation for the clubs."
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    Joe Jones
    Roma striker Edin Dzeko has left himself open to a Premier League return but admits it might be too late given his age.
    The ex-Manchester City forward was on the verge of joining Chelsea in a double-deal with Emerson Palmieri in January.
    However, the deal collapsed late on and the Blues signed Olivier Giroud instead.
    The 32-year-old scored 72 goals in 189 appearances across five seasons with City, winning two Premier League titles between 2011 and 2015.
    Dzeko has scored 78 goals in all competitions since joining Roma and he remains "happy" as first-choice up-front, scoring twice in seven starts in Serie A so far this season.
    "Regarding the Premier League, maybe it's too late," he told Sky Sports. "You never know.
    "I had four-and-a-half great years there, and had fun every minute of every game. I love the Premier League and England, so we'll see. At the moment I'm happy in Rome."
    FM-News
    Granit Xhaka has praised Arsenal boss Unai Emery for improving him as a player in a short space of time.
    The Switzerland international has become a permanent fixture in the Gunners line-up under Emery and has been instrumental in the club's recent winning run.
    The Gunners are now on nine consecutive victories in all fixtures, and Xhaka has started every Premier League game for his club this season.
    Speaking recently in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Xhaka admitted Emery has done a lot for his game tactically and the benefits are now showing.
    "We needed some time to get to know the character and philosophy of the new manager. It is going well and I am improving," he said.
    "On a tactical level, the manager has really helped me. But we can still improve."
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    FM-News
    England captain Harry Kane has denied that his form has suffered since the World Cup.
    However, the Tottenham Hotspur talisman admits he would like to score more often for his nation after equalling his worst run without a goal at international level.
    Kane failed to find the net as the Three Lions were held to a goalless draw by Croatia on Friday and the striker has now gone six games without a goal for his country.
    The 25-year-old took a short break away from football after the World Cup before returning to Tottenham for the start the new season.
    Nonetheless, he has denied suggestions that he is suffering from fatigue.
    "I don't think my game has dipped," he told Sky Sports. "It's been tough after the World Cup not getting much rest, but I think I dealt with it well. I've stayed fit and stayed healthy.
    "That was my main priority at the start of the season. Now it's building on that and pushing forward over the winter.
    "I set a standard for myself and I want to reach that standard every game I play. Sometimes you fall below it for one reason or another.
    "It's about learning and improving and that is what I will do for the rest of my career.
    "I just stay focused on my job and what I need to do. In the Premier League, I'm second top goalscorer. I'd like to have scored more for England recently."
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    FM-News
    Joachim Low has admitted Germany are suffering from a lack of confidence after losing 3-0 to the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday.
    The four-time world champions had 21 shots in the match against their rivals but failed to score as their poor run of form continued.
    Germany have lost six of their last 10 matches and were knocked out of the World Cup at the group stage in what was seen as a disastrous tournament for the Mannschaft.
    "It's not only about converting the chances. We played OK until we conceded and did not use our chances," Low told Sky Sports.
    "After conceding, you could see that recent results have led to a lack of confidence.
    "Why are we not scoring? That's difficult to answer, we have clear chances. Had we lost 1-0, it would have been acceptable but breaking apart like this in the last 10 minutes is not good."
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    Bainbridge NCFC
    UEFA decided that in 2018 their would be a new competition launched as the UEFA Nations League where teams would be split into 4 separate leagues. A, B, C and D. Based on World Rankings. Then split further down into groups of 3 teams per group, with some groups having 4 teams in the mix. After playing each team twice, teams will then be promoted or relegated from their leagues.
    The competition is well and truly underway with a couple of games already been played. Many are still to be convinced. Every even numbered year, the matches will be played from September to November. Which would be the group stages. For every odd numbered year, the matches will be played in June for the Finals of League A where a Nations League champion will be crowned.
    Does the UEFA Nations League have a valid reason for being a part of the footballing calendar or is the whole tournament as pointless as many believe it to be?
    The main factor behind the creation of this newly found competition was to eliminate what many believed to be meaningless and pointless international friendlies. Fans were always vocal in their opinions against international friendlies with many suggesting that it disrupts club football.
    Whereas fans enjoy to watch major tournaments such as the World Cup due to this being played every 4 years during the summer time after the club season has finished. Managers are also known to show frustrations with the international break due to key players being called up to play in 'nothing' games only to be injured while out on international duty which could affect their club teams.
    Even with the reason being made clear that the whole point of the competition being created to prevent pointless and meaningless friendlies being played, we are still seeing international friendlies being played during the club season inbetween Qualifiers and the Nations League. Could just be due to this being a newly introduced competition but if that is the reason for it being created it will need addressing.
    Despite all the negativity surrounding the Nations League, some have found a positive to take from this competition. The positive being that teams who don't qualify for the Euro's in qualifiers may be given the chance to qualify for the tournament through the Nations League. Which would make for a lower ranked team being able to compete in a major tournament where before they wouldn't of thought possible. Also partly due to the Euro's increasing the number of teams that will be competing at the tournament.
    Many still argue against this one and only positive about the Nations League by stating that 'weaker' teams should not be allowed to qualify for major tournaments if they don't make it through the usual route of the qualifiers. After all, that is the whole reason for having qualifiers for teams to compete for a place in a major tournament.
    Rather than eliminating 'meaningless' international friendlies, have UEFA added more 'pointless' matches by introducing the Nations League during the footballing calendar which already seems to be mounting up and disrupting club seasons?
    If 'weaker' teams are being allowed a route to major tournaments through this newly formed tournament, maybe it just needs reformatting as a qualifier itself making higher ranked teams play each other for the right to be in tournaments?
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    FM-News
    Gareth Southgate said he was left frustrated by the result but not his side's performance as England drew 0-0 with Croatia in the Nations League.
    Three months after meeting in the World Cup semi-finals, the sides lined up at the virtually-empty Stadion HNK Rijeka as the hosts completed a UEFA stadium ban for having a swastika on the pitch during a Euro 2016 qualifier against Italy.
    A few hundred officials and journalists were all that were in attendance for the Group A4 encounter, but there was a small group of England fans perched on a hill overlooking the stadium - and their efforts were nearly rewarded with a win.
    Eric Dier and Harry Kane hit the woodwork either side of half-time in Rijeka, where Ross Barkley saw a penalty appeal rejected and Marcus Rashford wasted two great chances as the match ended goalless.
    "It feels like a game we should have won," Southgate said. "I think the performance deserved that.
    "First half, pretty even but a very good chance from the corner, which we probably should have got on the end of. They had one from a cut-back.
    "They had one reasonable chance in the second half, but I thought, really, we dictated the flow of the game for a long period and the second-half performance was excellent.
    "We were pushing and pushing right to the end, so I couldn't ask more of the players. I am pleased with the chances we created, and we just have to make sure we finish them which on another day we will."
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    FM-News
    Eden Hazard has revealed his regret at how his time with Jose Mourinho ended and says he wants to work with the coach again.
    In an interview with Belgian newspaper HLN, Hazard has explained how Mourinho's second spell as Chelsea manager descended into a "negative cycle" in his third season that saw him criticising players and taking the "fun" out of training.
    But Hazard admitted guilt for what he described as his worst season in football, which saw Mourinho sacked midway through the 2015-16 campaign - months after winning the Premier League.
    He says he sent a text to Mourinho shortly after the dismissal, apologising for his performances.
    "In 12 years I've only had one bad season, the last six months under Mourinho, and it was partly my own fault," he said. "After the title, we asked Mourinho for extra holidays. I came back totally out of shape."
    He added: "The last season under Mourinho was not enjoyable. We didn't win, we got into a sort of routine, training without having fun, it was better for all parties that we parted ways. But if I'm asked now about one coach with whom I want to work again, I would say Mourinho.
    "I don't regret many things in my career, but that I have not been able to work with Mourinho at Chelsea anymore is one of them. We had a team that could win more trophies. We just ended up in a negative cycle.
    "I sent him a message to say I was sorry he had gone and that I was sorry. We'd enjoyed all that success together, but this time we hadn't. I felt a little bit guilty because I'd been player of the year. I'd been one of the most decisive players, and then I performed less."
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    FM-News
    Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been appointed as head coach of Monaco until June 2021.
    The 41-year-old Frenchman, who had been Belgium's assistant manager, began his professional career at the Principality club and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997.
    However, Monaco are struggling at present, sitting third from bottom in Ligue 1, prompting the dismissal of former manager Leonardo Jardim on Thursday.
    The former France forward, who won the World Cup with Les Bleus in 1998, was linked with the Aston Villa job following Steve Bruce's sacking last week, but Dean Smith was eventually appointed.
    "I am very happy to come back to Monaco and extremely determined to meet the challenges ahead," Henry told reporters.
    "I cannot wait to meet the players to start working together."
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    FM-News
    Theo Walcott has expressed his hopes of Everton finishing in the top four of Premier League this season but admits sixth place may be more reachable.
    Since coming fifth in the 2013/14 campaign, the Toffees have finished 11th on two occasions, seventh and then eighth last season.
    However, Walcott feels the club is now moving in the right direction under new manager Marco Silva, with back-to-back league wins lifting them up to 11th and within four points of sixth.
    "Me personally, I'm hoping for a top-four finish, I really am. I've set my goals really high," he told evertontv.
    "I'm a positive guy so I genuinely think we're going in the right direction.
    "You need to be realistic as well and think maybe that's a bit too far-fetched, but I think sixth is reachable.
    "We just have to start turning those draws into wins, it's as simple as that.
    "We're not far off, I really don't think we are. I think you can judge us fairly when everyone is back fit."
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    FM-News
    Scotland captain Andrew Robertson has criticised himself and his teammates following their 2-1 defeat to Israel on Thursday night.
    Alex McLeish's side spurned a 1-0 half-time lead in Haifa to lose their UEFA Nations League C1 clash, a result that now leaves all three teams, including Albania, level on three points after two games.
    Robertson, however, refused to blame the arrival of a new manager - McLeish took charge of the national side for a second time in February - and the subsequent change in system for Scotland's defeat.
    "When a new manager comes in and under the old manager near the end the system started to work, and obviously the manager started to change it," he told Sky Sports.
    "But that is the way he wants to do it, it will take us time to get used to it, but unfortunately we do not really have the time.
    "So the lads need to go out and perform and we have not done it. But tonight, I won't speak for any of the other lads, I was not good enough and that is what I have to look at.
    "So people can say about formations and all that, but at the end of the day if we do not show up - like I did not tonight - then that is a problem."
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    FM-News
    Ryan Giggs has claimed that Wales were unable to do "the basics right" in their 4-1 defeat to Spain on Thursday.
    Without Gareth Bale - who was missing with a groin problem - the Dragons were lacklustre as Paco Alcacer netted twice while Sergio Ramos and Marc Bartra also headed home.
    Sam Vokes scored a late consolation for the hosts but Giggs did not see too many positives in the performance.
    "We came up against a very good team," he told Sky Sports.
    "They are comfortable on the ball and when they lost it they got it back quickly - all the things we knew. The disappointing thing for me was not doing the basics.
    "In football you have to do the basics right, even if you come up against an average team. But when you come up against a really good team and don't do the basics right, you're in trouble.
    "There was so many mistakes - we conceded some poor goals. To concede that early against this team so early, you're up against it and you have to chase."
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    FM-News
    Toby Alderweireld has refused to provide an update on his Tottenham Hotspur future but insists he is "10 out of 10" happy at the club.
    The Belgium defender's current deal expires at the end of the season, with reports suggesting that Manchester United failed to agree terms with Spurs for him in the summer.
    The 29-year-old recently became a father for the first time when his daughter Ayla was born, and he told Sky Sports : "I'm the old Toby again. I try to do my best and help the team.
    "How happy am I on a scale of one to 10? When you have a daughter it's 10 out of 10.
    "It doesn't matter what happens. The joy that I get from that, I try to give it to my football."
    However, when asked whether there is an update on a new contract, he said: "Not that I can say, no.
    "I'm focused on Spurs and trying to help the team. That's all I can do."
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    FM-News
    Aston Villa have confirmed the appointments of Dean Smith as their new head coach and John Terry as assistant coach.
    The Championship club also announced Jesus Garcia Pitarch has been appointed as the club's new sporting director.
    Smith joins from Brentford, who will receive compensation from his new club, while former Villa and Chelsea defender Terry moves into coaching after announcing his retirement last week.
    CEO Christian Purslow said: "These three appointments represent the start of a new era and direction at Aston Villa and we are delighted to secure their services after an extensive search.
    "Dean has a clear and successful coaching philosophy as well as a real understanding of Aston Villa Football Club. He is also knowledgeable about the Championship.
    "The board welcomes him to the club and is looking forward to working with him and his staff.
    "John is one of the most decorated players in English football, has an affinity with the club and is ready to make the next step in his career working alongside Dean.
    "And Jesus also brings a huge amount of experience in his particular role having worked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe.
    "He will ensure the club has an integrated approach running from the academy through the U23s and into the first-team."
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    FM-News
    Burnley defender Kevin Long has signed a new contract until the summer of 2021.
    The 28-year-old centre-back has been with the Clarets since joining from Cork City in January 2010.
    Long's new deal replaces the three-year agreement he signed in August 2017.
    He made 19 appearances for Burnley last season, including 16 in the Premier League as he helped them finish seventh.
    "Talks started at the end of last season and moved on from there," Long is quoted by Sky Sports as saying.
    "I came back in the summer to go again and I still really enjoy being here and I'm delighted that it will be for another three years.
    "Ever since I've been here the club has gone from strength to strength. It's progressed massively, and I think it will continue to do, as long as we keep making sure the performances on the pitch are moving forward."
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