Everton midfielder Ross Barkley is determined to reach double figures in both goals and assists by the end of the Premier League season, the 23-year-old has said.
Barkley has been playing in a more advanced midfield role under manager Ronald Koeman in recent weeks and has five goals and as many assists this campaign.
“I feel like I should be getting more goals and I’m working really hard on that in training. Part of my game is that I need to get more goals,” Barkley said.
“Hopefully in the last few games of the season I can get into double figures. That’s my aim at the start of every season.”
Foreign managers hurting EPL – Giggs
There are too many foreign managers in the Premier League (EPL) and little opportunity for local talents, according to Ryan Giggs.
Giggs, who was the caretaker boss for four games at United in 2014, was linked with a return to management at Swansea before American Bob Bradley’s appointment in October and was considered again before Englishman Paul Clement took charge in January.
“I don’t think there’s enough (British managers) at the moment,” Giggs told the BBC.
“I think it is (important British coaches get a chance). There’s a lot of top quality foreign coaches in the Premier League, but there’s also a lot of quality British coaches and managers out there.”
Blackburn turn to Mowbray
Blackburn have named Tony Mowbray as their new manager.
The 53-year-old has put pen to paper on an 18-month contract and succeeds Owen Coyle who left the Championship club by mutual consent on Tuesday.
Mowbray was set to take training for the first time yesterday afternoon as he prepares the team for a crucial clash away at relegation rivals Burton tomorrow.
He will be assisted by David Lowe, who makes the step up from the club’s head of academy coaching.
Shaw must raise his game – Mourinho
Jose Mourinho says Luke Shaw needs to raise his game unless he wants to remain Manchester United’s fourth-choice left-back.
Having missed the majority of last season following a horrific double leg break, the 21-year-old’s comeback campaign has been disrupted by niggles and an inability to win over his manager.
Despite being fit since mid-January, Shaw has only appeared in the FA Cup fourth round win against Wigan – and was left out of the next four squads.
“He (Shaw) stayed behind in Manchester because I am playing with Daley Blind, with Marcos Rojo, with Matteo Darmian and all of them are playing the way I like a full-back to play,” he said.
“Luke has to wait for his chance, he has to work better and better.”
Griezmann proud of scoring record
Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann said he was proud to be part of his club’s history after his goal in Tuesday’s4-2 Champions League win at Bayer Leverkusen made him the Liga outfit’s leading all-time goal scorer in the competition.
Griezmann’s 13th Champions League goal for Atletico put him one ahead of club legend Luis Aragones in the competition, and he told Spanish TV station BeIn Sports that his aim was to help his current side as much as he could.
“I am very happy for that,” Griezmann said.
“For me it makes me very proud to be part of the history of this club. I want to do the best possible, help the team as much as I can, and hopefully it can continue like this.”
‘Tottenham nearly signed Maradona’
Tottenham Hotspur came close to signing Diego Maradona in the 1990s, according to the club’s former captain Teddy Sheringham.
Sheringham says Ossie Ardiles, who managed Tottenham in the 1993-94 season, held talks with Maradona, before deciding against the move and signing Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann instead.
“I got on really well with Ossie and I think I was the captain at the time, and Ossie came to me one day and said, ‘I want your opinion, I’m thinking about signing someone,’” Sheringham revealed.
“And I was like, ‘go on,’ and he was like, ‘Diego Maradona,’ and I went, ‘Ossie, Ossie, really? Are you? Do it, just do it.’
“He came to me about three days later and was like, ‘I’ve decided not to sign Diego, he’s got too much baggage around him.’”
Banned for bizarre penalty protest
The Vietnamese Football Federation has imposed two-year bans on two players and suspended a coach for three years after their team was involved in a bizarre penalty protest during a league match .
Long An players were furious at a late penalty awarded by referee Nguyen Trung Thu to Ho Chi Minh City when the score was locked 2-2 late on Sunday.
After initially walking off the pitch, the players returned to the field but goalkeeper Nguyen Minh Nhut turned his back as the penalty was taken, conceding a goal.
The whole team then stood motionless and allowed Ho Chi Minh City to score two more goals as the margin blew out to 5-2.