Mr.Ambrose 001

04/02/2026

Inside the sad decline of Kalvin Phillips: The problem at Man City from day one
10 hours ago / autty
Kalvin Phillips can overthink. Even while securing a move to Manchester City and all the life-changing trappings that brings, Phillips was preoccupied with the potential ramifications of leaving Leeds United.

He feared leaving them high and dry. He worried that possible relegation the following season would be all his fault. He didn’t want supporters to think any less of him. All of this was confided to his mum, Lindsay, before the ink was dry on a six-year contract worth in excess of £150,000 a week.

That probably says a lot about the man in a number of different ways. Most of all, it paints a picture of the sort of things to have gone through his mind since joining City for £42million in 2022.

Two Premier League starts for City in four seasons. Seven minutes of football this term, at Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup, which involved missing training the day before because partner Ashleigh was giving birth in London. The manager publicly questioning his weight. Two loan spells: one disastrous at West Ham United, one middling to disappointing at Ipswich Town.

There lived that constant hum, the tinnitus of a failed transfer, the scale of which had become glaringly clear months in. The growing voices of public opinion that would gnaw away at anybody who owns any pride. Going to train with no prospect of ever playing felt like a draining existence. Belief, confidence, self-esteem vanished. Eventually desire wasn’t too far behind either.

All of it led to Phillips making contact with Patrick Bamford on Monday morning to ask what Sheffield United was like under Chris Wilder. After positive feedback, Phillips was heading over the Pennines by midday and securing a six-month loan later by tea-time. He was voted England’s Player of the Year in 2021 following the run to that Wembley European Championship final and had Andrea

04/02/2026

You simply have to win' – Flick proud of Barcelona's Copa del Rey progress
3 hours ago / autty
Hansi Flick says he is "very proud" of Barcelona after they edged into the Copa del Rey semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Albacete.

The second-tier side had knocked out Barca's Clasico rivals Real Madrid in the previous round and set up a nervy finish.

Barca ultimately triumphed 2-1 thanks to Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo, but Albacete had a late goal disallowed before Javi Moreno pulled one back. They also had a stoppage-time effort cleared off the line.

However, Barcelona had done enough to clinch their place in a 63rd Copa del Rey semi-final, more than any other club in the competition's history.

It is the second consecutive season Barcelona will play in the final four, after winning the title last year. This is the first time they have reached the penultimate round of the tournament in back-to-back seasons since a run of nine between 2011 and 2019.

"This is the message. It was a tough match," Flick told RTVE.

"We had many chances, many clear ones in the first half. We play every three days. I'm very proud.

"We fought until the end, and it's good to see this attitude from the players. In this type of match, you simply have to win, and we did. We're in the semi-finals, so we're happy."

04/02/2026

Roncero: Fed up with Mourinho’s conduct; Real Madrid unfair to CR7
2 hours ago / CharlesWang
Recently, Thomas Roncero, Real Madrid socio and editor-in-chief of AS, shared further views in an exclusive interview for the show El After de Post United. In the final segment of the interview, he admitted that he once supported José Mourinho, but the manager’s eye-poking incident against Tito Vilanova left him thoroughly disappointed, directly shifting his stance from backing to opposing Mourinho.

How do you view Mourinho’s tenure at Real Madrid? Did you support him back then? Do you think that period was beneficial for Real Madrid?
I believe the end result was positive. I’m no hypocrite and I never hide it: I was a huge supporter of Mourinho for his first two years, but by his final year, I’d grown completely fed up with him. It’s like a relationship—you can love someone deeply, then fall out of love over certain things.

I liked him in those first two years because Guardiola’s Barcelona seemed unbeatable at the time, on course to monopolize every trophy. Then Mourinho arrived, and with his unique approach and personality, he reinjected the fighting spirit that Real Madrid had arguably lost, enabling the team to go toe-to-toe with Barcelona.

I still bring up that Champions League semi-final: Dani Alves’ dramatic dive led to Pepe being sent off, and later a legitimate goal from Gonzalo Higuaín was disallowed. Even so, Real Madrid could finally compete with Barcelona. What followed was a record-breaking La Liga title with 100 points and 121 goals, playing spectacular football. So for those two years, I was a self-proclaimed Mourinhista.

I even have a theory: Guardiola left Barcelona in 2012 precisely because he’d had enough of Mourinho. He thought, “I can’t stand this man anymore. He won a record-breaking league title against me and drained me completely.”

So why did you grow tired of him in his final year?
First and foremost, the Vilanova incident—the eye poke—cut me

04/02/2026

Rosenior not faulting Chelsea's fight in EFL Cup exit
11 hours ago / autty
Liam Rosenior says he cannot fault the intensity or the fight of his Chelsea players despite being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Arsenal.

Having lost the first leg of the semi-final tie 3-2, a single goal for Chelsea would have forced at least extra time.

However, the Blues failed to find a way through at the Emirates and eventually suffered a 1-0 loss, with their former player Kai Havertz rounding Robert Sanchez to win the game in the 97th minute.

It is the first time Chelsea have lost both legs of a semi-final in the EFL Cup since 1990-91 (versus Sheffield Wednesday).

Chelsea had 14 shots to Arsenal's five, though created just 0.7 expected goals (xG), with only two of their attempts testing David Raya.

"We dominated the areas we wanted to in the second half, but we didn't find that quality moment," Rosenior told ITV1.

"When you're pushing as we were, we put both defenders in the box and in the last few minutes of injury time, that [conceding] can always happen.

"Arsenal know they were in for a game, over both ties. I think there are clear improvements from the first leg to the second.

"Yes, it's painful to lose – you want to go through. We just need to keep making improvements – which I'm seeing."

Chelsea had more shots in the second leg (10 at Stamford Bridge) than in the first, but ultimately only created 1.4 xG across the two matches.

Both of Rosenior's defeats since joining Chelsea have come against Arsenal in the EFL Cup, but he refused to dwell on any regrets he had from the first leg.

"In the first leg, I'm not making excuses, but we had an illness go through the camp on the day of the game – we had four players missing – and I'd been in charge for three days," he added.

"I cannot fault the application, intensity or the fight of the players.

"What we need to do is remember this is the start, and I'm really, really happy with a lot of things I'm seeing.

"You want to ge

04/02/2026

: RM keen on Vitinha & Enzo but deals tough; Ancelotti wanted Mac Allister
an hour ago / CharlesWang
According to the latest report from The Athletic, Real Madrid are in the market for midfield reinforcements. Carlo Ancelotti pushed to sign Alexis Mac Allister during his tenure as manager, but a deal never materialized.

Madrid’s hierarchy believe the squad is strong and complete enough to compete for every remaining trophy, with the club only left contending in La Liga and the Champions League.

The club has rejected all player proposals submitted by various agents and held no negotiations over any transfers. As early as last summer, then-manager Xabi Alonso had asked the club to bring in more signings.

Real Madrid already spent €180 million last year on Carreras, Huijsen, Mastantuono and Arnold, and it is widely agreed the club still needs at least one centre-back and one deep-lying playmaker.

At centre-back, Antonio Rüdiger and Éder Militão have been plagued by injuries, a clear consequence of Madrid’s congested fixture schedule. Heylen has suffered two muscle strains, while Raúl Asencio has featured for weeks on end despite struggling with fitness.

The midfield also lacks creative spark. Alonso requested a new midfielder last summer, and following his dismissal, sources close to him complained the club had not provided the necessary resources for him to fully implement his vision.

In midfield, Real Madrid hold high admiration for Vitinha and Enzo Fernández, but signing them is financially unfeasible. Vitinha renewed his contract with Paris Saint-Germain until 2029 last year and is a key player for the French club.

Relations between Real Madrid and Chelsea are also strained. While Enzo Fernández may harbour a desire to play for Real Madrid one day, he is under contract with Chelsea until 2032, and the Blues have no intention of selling him.

Carlo Ancelotti formally asked the Real Madrid board to sign Alexis Mac Allister—now at Liverpool—during his time in

04/02/2026

Bola: Al-Nassr banned the coach & any players from commenting on CR7's protest
4 hours ago / rzr0101
On February 3, according to the Portuguese media outlet A Bola, after Monday's match, Al-Nassr's management ordered a ban on head coach Jorge Jesus and any players from making any public statements in response to the tensions caused by Cristiano Ronaldo's protests. The club has thus entered a "media blackout period."

This series of events is also seen as a dangerous sign for Saudi football's management. In recent years, they have consistently attracted world-class stars with their substantial financial resources, but now they face such a thorny internal conflict for the first time.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, has a contract worth a staggering £488,000 per day. According to A Bola, he is extremely dissatisfied with the Saudi Public Investment Fund's handling of Al-Nassr's financial problems.

For the club, the worst-case scenario is that Ronaldo may choose to leave before his contract expires in 2027. Last December, he hinted that his career might not end in Saudi Arabia: "My passion remains high, and I want to continue playing.

Whether in the Middle East or in Europe, it doesn't matter where I play."

Previously, Ronaldo, dissatisfied with the club's insufficient investment in the transfer market, refused to travel with Al-Nassr to Al-Riyadh on Monday, expressing his anger through a strike.

Therefore, Al-Hilal—currently leading the Saudi professional league by only one point over Al-Nassr—was allowed to sign Benzema, one of his most important allies during his time at Real Madrid, a blow to Ronaldo.

A key background point to note is that Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al Ahli are all controlled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

It is understood that since Ronaldo joined in the 2022-23 season, Al-Hilal's net investment has exceeded Al-Nassr's by approximately £180 million. During this period, Al-Hilal is poised to win their second league title in thre

04/02/2026

Favourite Opponent: Chelsea is Arteta’s most beaten side, 10 wins from 16 games
an hour ago / CharlesWang

According to the latest figures from Transfermarkt, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has recorded 10 wins in 16 matches against Chelsea in his managerial career, making the Blues his most beaten opponent, level with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the top of the list.

The data also confirms that Arsenal under Arteta have held the upper hand in recent west London derbies.

04/02/2026

04/02/2026

Former France star labels Liverpool as 'suckers' who sign £60m Jeremy Jacquet
2 hours ago / autty
Liverpool won a race against Chelsea to secure the £60million signing of Jeremy Jacquet on deadline day, but the deal has failed to impress a former French international who has accused the Reds of 'losing their minds'.

Jacquet completed his medical on Monday, with Liverpool confirming he will move to Anfield on July 1.

The deal is worth £55m guaranteed with potential add ons up to £5m. Jacquet is understood to have agreed a five-year contract with the option for a further year.

Jacquet was subject of longstanding and significant interest from Chelsea and other major European clubs.

The 20-year-old had been on loan in the French second tier 12 months ago, before Rennes recalled him and made the defender a part of their first team line-up.

Jacquet has now made a total of 36 appearances in Ligue 1 and will add more as he completes the season with Rennes.