Sports
Arsene Wenger admits Manchester United nightmare was still haunting Arsenal defenders at Southampton
Martin Keown was not the only Arsenal defender who failed to turn up at St Mary’s yesterday.
The BT Sport pundit was caught in snow on the M40 and, as if to show solidarity with the former Gunner, the current rearguard also went missing as Charlie Austin scored after 128 seconds.
Yet Arsene Wenger did not blame the biting weather for getting caught cold.
The Gunners manager reckoned his defenders were still haunted by what happened against Manchester United a week earlier, when they were 2-0 down inside 11 minutes.
“Last week had an influence on today’s game – it took us time to get into the game again,” he said.
“I felt that the Manchester United game was still in the heads of our defenders. That’s why sometimes it’s not too good to talk about a problem because you create even a bigger one.”
So don’t mention the score. Or a fragile defensive unit which will never win the Premier League and is again endangering the club’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Such was their early disarray that Austin could have completed his hat-trick in the opening eight minutes – Petr Cech made a fine low save from him before he hit the post after straying offside.
Per Mertesacker was finally hooked after 64 minutes as Arsenal reverted to a back four as a launchpad for the comeback.
Goalkeeper Cech said: “The first 10 minutes cost us the game against Man United and it almost did again today. It is something we have to work on.
“Every player needs to ensure that when they step out of the dressing room they are ready to compete.”
But after the horror opening, it was deja vu for the Frenchman as his side again dominated possession and chances yet failed to win.
The home defeat against Manchester United was bizarre.
This away performance was more predictable until Wenger threw on Jack Wilshere to add urgency – and then his fellow sub Olivier Giroud nodded home Alexis Sanchez’s 88th-minute cross.
The draw lifts Arsenal above Tottenham into fifth place. But Wenger could not resist criticising referee Bobby Madley – and the frustrating Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez.
He was not happy with Madley’s failure to clamp down on Southampton time-wasting. And on the Chilean (far left), he said: “I am happy with his performance in the second half but in the first half I feel he played too deep.
“He is tempted sometimes to drop a little bit deep into midfield. When you start 35 yards away from goal, it’s difficult to score.”
Southampton had chances to seal a win with a second goal but Oriel Romeu hit the bar and then Ryan Bertrand missed when clean through.
“If we had got the second goal, it is all over,” claimed Austin. “I don’t see them coming back. But a one-goal lead in this League is not enough.”
But in-form Austin promises to be the difference between a relegation battle and mid-table security for the Saints this season.
Before his first Premier League start of the season against Everton, Southampton had scored nine goals in 12 games – and only four from open play.
Austin, who was set up by the excellent Dusan Tadic, has now netted four in four to lift them up to 10th.
Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino said: “I think it was a positive performance – we were intelligent and competed well
“I feel we are growing.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
South Africa vs Nigeria: Why we failed to defeat Super Eagles – Percy Tau
Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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