MANCHESTER, England: Wayne Rooney endured a tough final year at Manchester United while his status at the club was slowly eroded, and his first return to Old Trafford since his offseason departure might be just as uncomfortable.
Everton, Rooney’s new club, heads there for an English Premier League match on Sunday in dreadful form, puncturing the optimism generated over the summer by Rooney’s homecoming after 13 years away and a slew of other expensive signings.
Back-to-back 3-0 losses — to Tottenham in the league and Atalanta in the Europa League — over the past week followed Everton’s lackluster 2-0 defeat at Chelsea before the two-week break for internationals.
Hardly ideal preparation for a trip to United, the Premier League leader and highest-scoring team in the division.
Already, the preseason talk of Everton, whose last trophy was the 1995 FA Cup, finally being in a position to close the gap to England’s established heavyweight has evaporated.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman acknowledged on Friday there was “enough reason to be worried” and called for his “experienced players to stand up.” Koeman said he has set up a meeting with the senior members of his squad to address his concerns.
“I saw a team with a lot of doubts,” Koeman said of the chastening loss to Atalanta on Thursday.
The biggest problem for Everton is the lack of pace and presence up front. The club spent 140 million pounds ($190 million) in the transfer window — bringing in attacking midfielders Gylfi Sigurdsson, Davy Klaassen and Nikola Vlasic, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and defender Michael Keane — but didn’t successfully replace Romelu Lukaku, who was sold to United for at least 75 million pounds (then $97 million).
Sandro Ramirez and Rooney were forward signed by Koeman in the offseason but neither player is in the mold of Lukaku, a powerful target man who stretches defenses with his pace.
Sigurdsson, Klaassen and Rooney all like playing the No. 10 role, behind the striker, and their attributes appear too similar to fit in the same team. Koeman tried to do so against Atalanta, and it didn’t work out.
Put simply, Everton is too easy to defend against. In four Premier League games, the team has scored two goals — both coming from Rooney, who has been one of the few players to escape criticism.
So far, anyway.
Rooney is expected to get a warm reception from United’s fans at Old Trafford. He spent 13 years at United, and was its most recent captain and all-time record scorer with 253.
“He will get the welcome he deserves,” United manager Jose Mourinho said on Friday. “In this country, the word ‘legend’ comes too easy. That’s not his case. He is a real legend at this club.
“The stadium will show him the respect that he deserves, I hope before the match and after the match but not during the match.”
After being marginalized last season in Mourinho’s first year in charge, Rooney — a player who always takes the field feeling he has a point to prove — will be determined to show he can still cut it on the highest stage.
Current form suggests, however, that Everton and Rooney are in for a difficult afternoon. It also remains to be seen if Rooney is in the right frame of mind to play, considering he is due to appear in court on Monday to answer a charge of drunk-driving.
Asked whether his own job might be under pressure, Koeman said he knew modern-day soccer was “all about winning and results.
“I’m too long in the job to think any different,” he said.
What will help Everton is the absence of United midfielder Paul Pogba, who picked up a hamstring injury in the Champions League in midweek.
But in Lukaku, United has a player who can remind Everton of exactly what they are missing.
With Everton wobbling, Rooney set for tough return to United
With Everton wobbling, Rooney set for tough return to United
Team Brady lead the way in Jeddah’s UIM E1 World Championship
- Tom Brady-backed outfit top breathless qualifying session
- Team AlUla provide fierce competition on the water
JEDDAH: Team Brady on Friday secured pole position in the 2025 UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s first all-electric race boat series, which is taking place in Jeddah.
The 2024 Champions of the Water reigned supreme on the Red Sea, as the Tom Brady-backed team topped a breathless qualifying session.
The team’s Emma Kimilainen proved the fastest pilot in qualifying following a day of intense competition to put her team in the driving seat at the E1 Jeddah GP.
Her side overcame fierce competition from Team AlUla, championed by LeBron James, in second place and Aoki Racing Team in third.
Kimilainen said: “As reigning champions the pressure was always going to be on us. But as Tom (Brady) tells us, we should embrace it, and that’s exactly what we did today.”
E1 newcomers Team AlUla, competing for the first time after entering the championship this week, proved to be the surprise package thanks to a blistering qualifying time trial by their Canadian pilot Rusty Wyatt.
The result paved the way for a gripping race day on Saturday with the championship’s nine teams looking to establish an early lead to take the fight to Team Brady.
Friday marked the championship’s return to Jeddah, the location for E1’s first-ever race.
Maresca happy with Chelsea wide men as Garnacho rumors swirl
- The 20-year-old Argentina international has reportedly been the subject of interest from Chelsea and Napoli
- The Italian said the club were keeping a close eye on options in the transfer market
LONDON: Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said Friday he is happy with his wide options despite reports linking the London club with a move for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho.
The 20-year-old Argentina international has reportedly been the subject of interest from Chelsea and Italian side Napoli during the January transfer window.
Representatives of Garnacho were in attendance as Chelsea beat Wolves at Stamford Bridge on Monday.
Maresca, who is likely to be without Mykhailo Mudryk for an extended period as the Ukrainian awaits the outcome of a doping investigation, handed a Premier League debut to academy graduate Tyrique George during the 3-1 win, after being left with only three available senior wide forward.
Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho have shared the two wide starting berths since Mudryk has been unavailable, while Joao Felix can also operate on the wings.
Maresca, whose team face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, was asked at his pre-match press conference about the Garnacho reports.
“I’m happy with the ones that we have in this moment,” he said. “We said many times, on the right side is Pedro (Neto) and Noni (Madueke) and on the left side is Jadon (Sancho).
“Misha (Mudryk) was with us but now he is not with us but (we also have) Tyrique, I think it’s a young profile that can help us. In this moment, we are OK.”
The Italian said the club were keeping a close eye on options in the transfer market, with the window closing on February 3.
Fourth-placed Chelsea are seeking to open up a five-point gap on the champions in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Maresca was employed by City, first as coach of their elite development squad then latterly as an assistant to manager Pep Guardiola, either side of an unsuccessful and brief spell in charge of Italian Serie B side Parma.
The Chelsea boss spoke warmly about City, referring to the “trust, confidence and faith” they showed in him after his sacking by Parma.
And he downplayed suggestions that it was a good time to face Guardiola’s men, who have had a miserable season.
“It is probably on the other side,” he said. “I think this kind of club with these kind of players, when they are in a difficult moment, it’s when they want to show how good they are.
“They want to come against everyone and say: ‘OK, if you think we are not good enough, we are going to show you how good we are’, so I don’t think there is a good moment to play against City.”
UIM E1 World Championship begins in Jeddah
- Event ‘represents yet another big step,’ says Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Salman
- E1 CEO Rodi Basso: ‘We look forward to a continued and long-lasting association with Saudi Arabia’
JEDDAH: Chairman of the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Salman has said that the Kingdom is fully equipped to host major sporting events on water — including the UIM E1 World Championship which began on Friday — for many years to come.
At a press conference on Friday at the Jeddah Corniche, the chairman said: “Hosting E1 Jeddah GP represents yet another big step toward bolstering Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading global destination for sports and an active contributor to the international sporting community.
“We are thrilled to host this major race here in Jeddah for the second year in a row. We have gained more experience and everything is in place to make this race a success.
“Now, we really know what our partner wants to do much better. I always tell people that when you go to another season and work with other people, you become one family in order to contribute to the Saudi sports community. To keep this going is always great.”
Rodi Basso, the CEO at E1, said he was excited at the return to Saudi Arabia.
He added: “Last year it was the first ever in Saudi Arabia and definitely we had some doubts and uncertainties on the technical side, but the power of our collaboration with the SWSDF allowed us to be very ambitious and we managed to have an amazing round in Jeddah.”
Basso added: “I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and cooperation, which have enabled us to consolidate our racing footprint in Jeddah, and we look forward to a continued and long-lasting association with Saudi Arabia.”
The first round of the UIM World Championship began with its first race of the year at the Jeddah Corniche on Friday morning in front of thousands of water sports enthusiasts.
The weekend’s events span two days. Teams had free practice sessions early in the morning on Friday, allowing pilots to get a feel for the course, and qualifying rounds were taking place in the afternoon, including sprint and match races.
Saturday will include the semifinals and finals. The top teams from the semis will compete in the finals.
Pakistan stick with spin as they chase West Indies series sweep
- Pakistan completed a 127-run win inside three days in the opening Test, with spinners Sajid Khan taking nine wickets
- West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican also grabbed a career-best 7-32 as 34 of the 40 wickets in the match went to spinners
MULTAN: Head coach Aaqib Javed brushed aside criticism of Pakistan’s reliance on spin bowling as they seek a clean sweep against the West Indies in the second Test starting on Saturday.
Pakistan completed a 127-run win inside three days in the opening Test, with spinners Sajid Khan taking nine wickets, Noman Ali six and Abrar Ahmed five for their third straight win at home.
West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican also grabbed a career-best 7-32 as 34 of the 40 wickets in the match went to spinners.
The second Test will also be played on a dry and grassless pitch in the central city of Multan.
Former Pakistan players and analysts hit out at the spin-heavy strategy, saying the team would struggle on away tours where pitches may not be as conducive to spin.
Aaqib, a fast bowler from an era dominated by the great pacemen Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, insisted the spin assault would continue.
“We found that the West Indies have a weakness in dealing with the spin bowling, so we exploited that and will do that again,” Aaqib told a news conference on Friday.
West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite had no qualms about Pakistan’s tactics.
“Pakistan are playing at home and if they believe spinning pitches are their strength then that’s fine and that’s how cricket is played,” Brathwaite said.
“I have played on pitches which took turn from day one but not like this, which had cracks from day one,” he said.
West Indies will be without injured pace bowler Jayden Seales, who took three wickets in the first match and will be replaced by the experienced Kemar Roach.
Pakistan are unlikely to make any changes.
Brathwaite said his batters need more faith after the first Test, in which his team managed just 137 and 123 in their two innings, with Alick Athanaze the only one to reach a half century.
“It was a difficult pitch to bat in the last game,” Brathwaite said.
“I would say you need to believe in your plan from ball one and not think of the third or fourth ball.”
Pakistan are eighth and the West Indies ninth and last on the World Test Championship table.
Another victory in Multan could see the hosts rise to seventh.
Pakistan were forced to make radical changes last year after losing the first of three Tests against England, their 11th straight home Test without a win.
The Aaqib-led selection panel dropped out-of-form batter Babar Azam and rested pace spearheads Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.
The tactics worked on the spin-friendly pitches in Rawalpindi and Pakistan went on to win the series 2-1.
“If we had taken these decisions earlier we would have been in the race for World Test Championship final,” Aaqib said.
Former AC Milan coach fined 10,000 euros for ref rant
- “The referee decided the result of this match, and it is not the first time,” insisted the Portuguese coach.
- Fonseca was sacked in December after just six months in charge with compatriot Sergio Conceicao taking over
ROME: Former AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca was fined 10,000 euros ($10,466) by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Thursday for a post-match rant against the referee last year.
“During interviews after the match against Atalanta, the former AC Milan coach expressed judgments detrimental to the reputation of the referee and the arbitration institution as a whole,” the FIGC said.
AC Milan were fined 5,000 euros.
At the end of the Italian league match which AC Milan lost 2-1 in Bergamo last month, Fonseca said that the result had been “determined” by referee Federico La Penna.
“The referee decided the result of this match, and it is not the first time,” insisted the Portuguese coach.
Fonseca was sacked in December after just six months in charge with compatriot Sergio Conceicao taking over.
“I have always respected the work of referees, but there are so many mistakes every weekend, always at the expense of the same clubs. The way the referee officiated during this match is a lack of respect toward Milan,” he added.
AC Milan won the Italian Super Cup at the beginning of January under Conceicao but remain stuck in eighth place in Serie A — 19 points behind leaders Napoli.
