Spalletti: Galliani wanted me as Milan coach

Gary Neville was left furious by Manchester United s dismal display in the 4-0 drubbing by Brentford on Saturday, suggesting it is a real achievement to be as bad as they are with the money they have spent.

Erik ten Hag s start to life in the Premier League has been abysmal, with a 4-0 loss in the capital leaving United rock-bottom of the Premier League.

United crumbled in a woeful 35-minute spell, as Brentford took United apart and left the vultures circling following on from a defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford last weekend.

With Liverpool next up in the Premier League, the situation looks bleak for United and, amid a struggle to land targets like Barcelona s Frenkie de Jong, Neville took aim at those in charge in a fiery tirade after the match…

Canada take on Guatemala on Friday with both sides looking to build momentum ahead of the start of their World Cup qualifying games and this year s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Guatemala have never qualified for the World Cup while Canada have made just one appearance, back in 1986, and they start their respective qualification campaigns for the 2018 tournament in June.

Benito Floro s Canada face the British Virgin Islands or Dominica in the second round of qualifying, while Guatemala begin their bid for a place at the finals in Russia against either Bahamas or Bermuda.

Attention will then turn to the Gold Cup a month later with both teams keen to make an impression. Guatemala did not qualify for the 2013 tournament while Canada were eliminated in the group stages with …

Miranda welcomes Man Utd interest

Atletico Madrid defender Joao Miranda has all but confirmed that he is interested in joining Manchester United.

The Brazilian is reportedly high on the wish list of Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal, who is desperate to reinforce his back line in the summer.

Miranda has a contract until June 2016 at Vicente Calderon and with youngster Jose Maria Gimenez largely impressing this season, it is believed Atletico would consider selling the 30-year-old at the end of the season.

And while the centre-back insists he is happy in Madrid, he has welcomed the reported interest from Manchester United.

Of course this news reaches me, and it makes me happy. It shows I am doing well, the Brazilian told Estadao.

It make…

Spain handed England a sharp reminder of the limits of the progress they have made under Fabio Capello by strolling to a 2-0 friendly victory here on Wednesday.

Goals from David Villa and second-half substitute Fernando Llorente delivered the victory and the margin was a fair reflection of their comfortable superiority.

On a night that saw David Beckham equal the late Bobby Moore s mark of 108 caps the record for an outfield player England were given an indication of how far they still have to go if they are to mix it with the best at next year s World Cup finals in South Africa.

Fabio Capello s men were never completely over-run but it was hard to resist the feeling that the Euro 2008 champions had another gear in reserve that they were never required to find.<…

Market: Crystal Palace win

Odds: 1/2 @

Making the trip to the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday night, Crystal Palace will meet League One outfit Oxford United on Carabao Cup duties.

Starting with the hosts, after just missing out on a play-off finish last season, it is no secret that Oxford are desperate to go one step further this time around. However, despite managing to snatch a 1-1 draw at home against Morecambe last time out, Karl Robinson s men have struggled to find much stability since opening the 2022/23 campaign. Getting the new season underway with a deserved 1-0 defeat away at Derby, the one-time MK Dons boss has seen his side muster just a single point from their last three League One outings. With that run highlighted by 1-0 and 2-1 losses against Bristol…

England manager Gareth Southgate is not jumping to early conclusions regarding the form of his England players in the opening weeks of the season.

The start of the Premier League campaign has thrown up numerous surprises, with Manchester United losing back-to-back matches against Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion, while Liverpool remain without a win after three matches.

In Monday s clash between the two giants, which United won 2-1, Erik ten Hag dropped England regulars Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw from his starting XI, with both now facing a fight to get back into the team.

Jack Grealish, Kalvin Phillips and John Stones have managed just two Premier League starts between them over the first three weeks of the season at Manchester City, but Southgate insists…

Jose Mourinho has suggested Manchester United were not prepared to win before his appointment as manager in 2016.

The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss won the EFL Cup and Europa League within a year of succeeding Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, becoming the first United manager in history to lift a trophy in his debut season in charge.

United are second in the Premier League table with four games to play this term, having drastically improved on the form that saw them finish sixth in 2016-17, while last Saturday s 2-1 win over Tottenham at Wembley sealed their place in the FA Cup final.

Mourinho is therefore confident his time at the club has been a success, claiming there was an acceptance before his arrival that they could not guarantee a challenge for hon…

Parma cannot afford a deal for former Roma stalwart Daniele De Rossi, but are open to a move for Mario Balotelli, according to the Serie A club s sporting director Daniele Faggiano.

De Rossi called time on his 19-year stay at Roma at the end of last season and the former Italy midfielder is now a free agent.

Balotelli, meanwhile, will be able to be signed on a free transfer once his contract with Ligue 1 club Marseille expires on June 30, and reports have suggested Parma, who finished 14th in Serie A in 2018-19, hold an interest in both players.

But while confirming Parma are admirers of former Manchester City and AC Milan forward Balotelli, Faggiano has revealed his team will not be in the running for De Rossi, who is rumoured to have rejected a proposed move to…

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri concedes his team are yet to work out how to get the best out of club-record signing Gonzalo Higuain.

The Argentina international has started each of Juventus back-to-back Serie A wins over the past week as the defending champions bounced back from a 2-1 loss at Inter.

He scored in last Wednesday s 4-0 triumph over Cagliari but is yet to hit the supreme form he displayed at Napoli last term, where an incredible 36 goals in 35 league games paved the way for a €90million move to Turin.

Juventus top scorer last season, Paulo Dybala, is yet to find the net since his countryman s arrival and, while confirming Higuain will start Tuesday s Champions League Group H match at Dinamo Zagreb, Allegri acknowledges there is work to be…

Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata thinks a third straight Premier League victory at Anfield would prove his side mean business as they attempt to challenge for the title.

Despite losing out to Jurgen Klopp s side over two legs in the Europa League last 16 last season, United won Premier League meetings on Merseyside in March 2015 and January 2016.

Mata scored twice in the first of those meetings and is relishing what he believes will be an impressive spectacle, one which gives Jose Mourinho s team a chance to highlight their progress.

This has been a different week due to the international break, but it s now over and we are already focused on the Premier League, where we have one of the biggest games of the year: our visit to Anfield Road, he wrote in his p…