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News_Naija

Pope Francis: Humble Reformer Who Stirred The Catholic World
~10.5 mins read
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, closing a 12-year papacy marked by progressive reforms and sharp opposition from conservative elements within the Catholic Church, writes WALE AKINSELURE If there’s one trait many associate with the late Pope Francis, it’s his ability to stir debate – often with words that challenged long-held doctrines or unsettled conservative voices in the Church. Almost everything he said seemed to spark controversy, particularly for its liberal tone in a traditionally conservative institution. His stance on issues seems to create a liberal progressive, conservative divide that lasted till his death on Monday. The Vatican had on Easter Monday announced the death of Pope Francis, at 88 years, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, announced that Pope Francis died at 7.35 am on Monday. His death came hours after he greeted the Catholic faithful who were at the Vatican on Sunday for the Easter mass. The announcement by Cardinal Farrel read, “Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. “His entire life was dedicated to serving the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalized. “With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God.” His demise came 29 days after he was discharged from Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital to continue his recovery at his Vatican residence. Prior to his discharge, Pope Francis spent 38 days in a hospital where he was for a respiratory infection. The Pope was admitted on Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days. Pope Francis’ clinical situation gradually worsened, and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on Tuesday, February 18. In 1957, in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove a portion of his lung that had been affected by a severe respiratory infection. As he aged, Pope Francis frequently suffered bouts of respiratory illnesses, even cancelling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to influenza and lung inflammation. Unlikely papal choice When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, few expected the election of the 76-year-old Cardinal from Buenos Aires. He was already 76, living with a part of his lung removed. Bergoglio’s name seemed not to be widely mentioned as the conclave began. But on March 13, 2013, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, emerged as Pope Benedict’s successor. His first words spoken from the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, to a crowd that had filled St. Peter’s Square for a month were, “And now, we take up this journey: Bishop and People.” To that crowd, the newly elected 76-year-old Pope, chosen by the Cardinal Electors “from the ends of the earth,” asked for a blessing. He wanted to lead a Hail Mary with the people and struggled with the Italian he had not been speaking regularly, given his rare visits to Rome. Upon his election as Pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio took up the name Francis of Assisi, a saint’s name associated with concern for the poor. He charmed the world with his humble style. Before being elected Pope, as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he rode a bus. He denied himself luxuries. He cooked meals for impoverished people. He regularly visited the slums of Buenos Aires. The reason he took the name Francis was because was because he wanted to take the name of a 13th-century saint known for his simplicity. Papacy of many firsts Born in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first Jesuit to lead the world’s 1.4bn Catholics. He was the first pope from Latin America, the first one to choose the name Francis; the first to be elected with his predecessor still alive; the first to live outside the Apostolic Palace, the first to visit lands never reached before by a pope – from Iraq to Corsica – the first to sign a Declaration on Human Fraternity with one of the highest religious authorities of the Muslim world. He was also the first Pope to establish a Council of Cardinals to govern the Church, assign roles of responsibility to women and lay people in the Curia, initiate a Synod prepared by a worldwide consultation with the people of God, the first one to abolish the pontifical secrecy for sexual abuse cases, and to formally remove the death penalty from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis celebrated Holy Thursday masses in prisons, nursing homes, and reception centres, with a long tour of parishes in the Roman suburbs. He was the first Pope to set foot on the land of Abraham, where John Paul II was unable to go and to have a meeting with the Shiite religious leader Al-Sistani. At the age of 87, he embarked on the longest journey of his pontificate in September 2024: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore. For two weeks the Pope travelled through two continents, four time zones and four different worlds, each representing key themes of his magisterium: fraternity and interreligious dialogue, peripheries and climate emergency, reconciliation and faith, wealth and development in service of the poor. Among the Apostolic Journeys and pastoral visits, one cannot forget the first journey outside Rome to the small Italian island of Lampedusa, a site of many migrant tragedies where he threw a wreath of flowers into the Mediterranean, “an open-air cemetery.” In 2019, Pope Francis travelled to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he co-signed the Document on Human Fraternity with the Grand Imam al-Tayeb, marking the culmination of relations with the Sunni University of Al-Azharand and a cornerstone of Christian-Muslim dialogue, now also incorporated into several documents. During his pontificate, he wrote four Encyclical Letters, the first of which was ‘Lumen Fidei’ on the theme of faith, which he had written with the late Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis wrote seven Apostolic Exhortations, starting from the ‘Evangelii Gaudium ‘in 2013 to ‘C’est la Confiance’, published in 2023 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Therese of Lisieux. The role of women in the Church and society was indeed an important concern for Pope Francis. The late Pope entrusted women with important leadership roles more than any previous Pope, established two commissions to study women deacons, and constantly reminded the Church of the feminine “genius” and its maternal dimension. He placed nuns, missionaries, professors, and theologians alongside cardinals and bishops at the tables of the Synod on Synodality, granting them, for the first time, the right to vote. Mission often misunderstood His 12-year reign as Pope was largely misunderstood as Pope Francis had a mission to forge a more open, compassionate vision of the Catholic Church. He wanted to define the legacy of his papacy with this image of the Catholic Church as an open, compassionate and humble institution. His reformist spirit didn’t aim to overthrow tradition but to open dialogue and foster mercy over judgment. Church reform was a central concern throughout his pontificate. He took to heart the recommendations made by the Cardinals during pre-conclave congregations, asking that the future pope restructure the Roman Curia and especially the Vatican’s finances, which had been the centre of scandals for years. A key hallmark of his pontificate was his emphasis on “openness”, though not in the form of dramatic ruptures from tradition or radical leaps forward. Instead, his approach centred on initiating inclusive processes within the Church. This spirit of openness was reflected in several significant pastoral decisions and initiatives. One such example was the more inclusive treatment of divorced and remarried individuals, particularly in their access to the sacraments. Rather than viewing the Eucharist solely as a “nourishment for the perfect” it was reconceptualized as a “medicine for sinners”, embodying a more compassionate and restorative theological stance. Over the years, the Catholic Church has been viewed as largely conservative hence positions of the top hierarchy of the church seem to be viewed in the conservationist prism. For those conservationists, “as it was in the beginning, so it is now and ever shall it be” as far as the Catholic Church is concerned. Some accuse Pope Francis of being too liberal – some going as far as describing him as anti-pope. But there is the argument that the Pope is usually misunderstood by those who already have a certain stoic mindset about his papacy. As a result, his words are usually taken out of context or misinterpreted. While he was Pope, it became a norm for the Vatican to clarify a statement earlier put out by the Pope. But, could it be that the Pope is so vague in his assertions? This inclusive vision extended further, especially in the Church’s evolving approach to LGBTQ+ individuals. A clear call for pastoral closeness and welcome was issued, grounded in the belief that there is a place in the Church for “everyone, everyone, everyone”, as he often repeated. The same idea inspired his unwavering efforts to foster interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, seeking reconciliation and mutual understanding among Christian denominations and other faiths. This effort was often framed through the lens of an “ecumenism of blood,” acknowledging shared suffering and martyrdom across Christian traditions, which served as a unifying force against centuries of prejudice and division. Pope Francis changed the face of the modern papacy by shunning much of its pomp and privilege. That made him an enemy of conservatives nostalgic for a traditional past. He constantly made attempts to create a more inclusive and less judgmental Catholic Church. Pope Francis set out to rid the modern papacy of pomp and to make it more inclusive. His informal style and simplicity alienated many conservatives but endeared him to millions of Catholics. He faced issues of sex abuse crimes by the clergy and how to restore credibility to a damaged Catholic Church. Conservatives were perceived as unhappy with Francis’s informal style and his allergy to pomp. He had a simplicity that endeared him to millions. His stance that the church should be more welcoming to LGBTQ, whom he called children of God and divorced Catholics, faced opposition. He also clamped down on the traditional Latin mass, further raising eyebrows. Other issues he faced were allowing women and Muslims to take part in Holy Thursday, which until then was restricted to Catholic men. Pope Francis also deemed capital punishment deemed inadmissible. This is as he attacked the arms industry and called for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Under his papacy, more women took senior Vatican roles but not as many as progressives wanted. He invited Bishops to a summit, in 2019, making them accountable for sexual abuse or for covering it up. He abolished Pontifical secrecy for abuse cases, a declaration some viewed as an aberration. He particularly spoke out for refugees and countries that shunned migrants and criticized countries that shunned migrants. He was a liberal progressive Pope facing opposition from hard-line conservatives and President Donald Trump’s administration. Pope was considered a liberal progressive Pope hence attracting the ire of the Catholic conservative, even Cardinals, supposed his closest collaborators. In 2017, he spoke against those he called unnamed traitors, accusing them of holding back his institutional reform of the Catholic Church. He also alienated Christian conservatives with his criticism of things like capitalism, climate change, and open arms policy to migrants, and homosexuals. The Pope never made any secret of his disagreement with the Trump administration when it came to the treatment of migrants. His very first visit outside of Rome in 2013 was to the Italian Island of Lampedusa to meet with newly arrived migrants. He also denounced what he called the globalization of indifference shown to would-be refugees in 2016. He prayed for dead migrants at the US-Mexico border Recall that he brought 12 Syrian refugees back to Rome on his plane after visiting a refugee camp. His pleas for an open, welcome policy for migrants have often put him at odds with Europeans and the US government in particular. In February, he sent a letter to US Catholic bishops in which he said, “Government should not turn a blind eye to men, women and families that need help.” Generally, world leaders acknowledge that Pope Francis inspired millions even outside the Catholic Church with his humility, compassion and love so pure for the less fortunate, and vulnerable, guided by humility and faith. 135 cardinals to elect new Pope According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, the late Pope Francis has requested that the funeral rites be simplified and focused on expressing the faith of the Church in the Risen Body of Christ. “The renewed rite seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world,” Archbishop Ravelli said. In April 2024, the late Pope Francis approved an updated edition of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites, which will guide the funeral Mass which has yet to be announced. The second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis introduces several new elements, including how the Pope’s mortal remains are to be handled after death. The ascertainment of death takes place in the chapel, rather than in the room where he died, and his body is immediately placed inside the coffin. Mourning rites for Pope Francis will last for nine days, with the date of the funeral and burial to be decided by the cardinals. The funeral would normally be held four to six days after the death, in St. Peter’s Square. However, Francis had said that, unlike many predecessors, he would not be laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, but in Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica. He also asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket. During interregnum, the College of Cardinals oversees day-to-day business during the interregnum. They have limited power and much of the central Church administration grinds to a halt. Between 15 and 20 days after the Pope’s death, the conclave to elect a new pope starts in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. The cardinals, who would begin to arrive at the Vatican, would be confined to the Vatican for the duration of the conclave. As of April 21, there are a total of 252 cardinals, but 135 of them are cardinal electors under 80. Interestingly, 108 of the electors were appointed by Pope Francis; 22 by his predecessor, Pope Benedict; and five by Pope John Paul II. All cardinals under the age of 80 can take part in the secret ballot to be held in the conclave. They need a majority of at least two-thirds plus one to elect the new pope, so the voting can take several rounds spread over numerous days. When the election is concluded, the new pope is asked if he accepts and what name he wishes to take. The world learns a pope has been elected when an official burns the paper ballots with special chemicals to make white smoke pour from the chapel’s chimney. They use other chemicals to make black smoke indicating an inconclusive vote. The dean of the College of Cardinals steps onto the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to announce “Habemus Papam” (We have a pope). The new pope then appears and gives the crowd in the square his blessing.
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Futbol

Epic At Ibrox, Murray On Goal Hunt & Wimmer's Impact
~2.1 mins read
Last week's Scottish Premiership card looked like being a succession of largely comfortable home wins until Rangers snatched a dramatic late win at Dundee and Dundee United secured a narrow victory at Ross County. But what will this weekend - the penultimate round of fixtures before the league split - throw up? Here are some names and games that could have a big say... The last time Rangers and Hibernian met, they drew 3-3. Since then, both have been involved in goal-laden games, which whets the appetite for this encounter. Hibs are front-runners to finish third - quite the turnaround since November when they were bottom. Only Celtic - in the league and Scottish Cup - have beaten them in the interim as David Gray's side have amassed 10 league wins and five draws. They are also scoring goals for fun - 48 in the Premiership. Rangers, on the other hand, are leaking goals. They've conceded 12 under interim head coach Barry Ferguson, who bemoaned "old habits" after the win at Dundee. The former Ibrox captain is yet to enjoy an Ibrox victory since replacing Philippe Clement, but did celebrate a penalty shootout triumph over Fenerbahce in the Europa League. The table is set, the ingredients are in place, it's over to Rangers and Hibs to serve up another football feast. Among those challenging Daizen Maeda for the Premiership's golden boot is Dundee's Simon Murray. The 33-year-old forward and Dundee United counterpart Sam Dalby both sit on 13 league goals, two behind Celtic's Maeda. Murray netted his fifth in six games in last weekend's loss to Rangers. It's St Mirren at home for Dundee on Saturday and Murray scored both when the sides last met in Paisley in December, sealing a 2-1 victory for Tony Docherty's side. A repeat performance would be welcomed by his manager, with the Dark Blues still second bottom, five points above St Johnstone. Murray is no stranger to a relegation scrap, having helped County survive the play-offs over the past two seasons, and seems just the sort of character that relishes such a battle. The race for top-six places is predictably tight. Only Celtic, Rangers, Hibs and Aberdeen are assured a finish in the top half. Dundee United, Hearts, St Mirren and Motherwell are all vying for the final two places and County are not arithmetically out of the race just yet. For Motherwell and their new manager Michael Wimmer, securing a place among the elite would vindicate his recent appointment. The German has two wins and a draw from his opening five games, including a victory at Ibrox. However, Saturday's 4-1 loss at Aberdeen was a set-back as St Mirren and United made gains with wins. On Saturday, the Fir Park side take a trip to face a Kilmarnock team smarting from a 5-1 defeat by St Mirren and already consigned to the bottom six. Motherwell are unbeaten in the fixture going back almost 16 months and maintaining that record could be crucial to where Wimmer's side end this season.
All thanks to BBC Sport
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Futbol

Sutton's Predictions V Singer-songwriter Mychelle
~12.1 mins read
Ruben Amorim has already beaten Manchester City twice this season - once with Sporting, and then with Manchester United - but can he make it three wins out of three at OId Trafford on Sunday? "United don't score enough goals," said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. "That's their biggest problem, although I am still not sure City will keep them out." Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests. For week 31, he takes on singer-songwriter Mychelle, who supports Chelsea. Mychelle's latest track, You Don't Care About Me, is out now and she is joining Jorja Smith on the UK leg of her tour, in May and June. Do you agree with their scores? You can make your own predictions below. The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page. A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. Mychelle was born and grew up in Stoke Newington, north London, but says there was no chance of her supporting her local club, Arsenal. "I support Chelsea because of my step-dad - he always had their games on the TV - but my mum is a Tottenham fan and she was adamant that I could not support Arsenal," she told BBC Sport. "There were not many other Chelsea fans around my estate but funnily enough one of my neighbours was a fan too. "She was also the only other girl I knew who liked playing football too, so it was a bit of a coincidence that the one person I bonded with at school over football supported the same team I did. "My hero was Didier Drogba. He was a great player, but he had amazing charisma too. He was so exciting to watch." As well her musical career, Mychelle still plays football now - as a left-winger for Islington Borough Ladies in the Greater London Women's Football League. "I didn't play for a while when I left school but then I got spotted playing in Finsbury Park, and invited to play for Islington Borough's beginner group," she explained. "I loved it, and haven't stopped since - I played seven-a-side at first then 11-a-side for the reserves before I got into the first team. "It's been an amazing journey and I've made some great friends - I'd recommend it to anyone. It is hard to play every weekend because I might have a gig somewhere, but I always travel back when I can. "Once, I was playing up in Manchester on the Saturday night but I got the overnight coach back to London afterwards, so I could make Sunday's game. I got home at 7am, had a nap, played the game and then had to go straight to play another gig that evening. It was a bit tiring, but it was worth it!" Chris Sutton and Mychelle were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. Goodison Park, 12:30 BST This is going to be difficult for Arsenal. Everton defended so well against Liverpool on Wednesday, and they carried a real threat too, with Beto running in behind. Bukayo Saka was back for the Gunners against Fulham and he will obviously boost their attack but they have picked up a few defensive injuries, including Gabriel being out for the rest of the season. Mikel Arteta's side have got Tuesday's Champions League tie with Real Madrid to think about and, on top of that, this is an early kick-off to deal with too. None of that helps. I want Arsenal to keep on winning to put some pressure on Liverpool but Everton drew 0-0 at Emirates Stadium in December, when Sean Dyche was in charge, and everything points towards a similar outcome this time. Sutton's prediction: 1-1 Mychelle's prediction: Everton are at home and are really hard to beat - they draw a lot of games, so that's what I'm going for. 1-1 Selhurst Park, 15:00 BST There are a few derby games this weekend and this one - the M23 derby - is one of my favourites. Both of these teams surprised me a bit last time out, and not in a good way. Crystal Palace have been in great form but only drew with Southampton and I backed Brighton to beat Aston Villa, who absolutely walloped them in the end. I promise I am not going to go for a draw with every prediction I make this week but the last five meetings between these two at Selhurst Park have ended 1-1, so that scoreline seems like a decent shout this time too. Sutton's prediction: 1-1 Mychelle's prediction: I have gone with Palace here, because they have been on such a good run. 2-1 Portman Road, 15:00 BST I am going purely from the heart here, not because I have any feelings for Ipswich but purely because of what I know a Tractor Boys win will mean for my daughter's teacher, Mr Fields. I have written Ipswich off plenty of times this season and said they are already down but they simply have to win this game otherwise they really can forget any hope of staying up. What a result it was for Kieran McKenna's side to win at Bournemouth on Wednesday, especially after Wolves had beaten West Ham on Tuesday. It means that Ipswich are still one place and nine points behind 17th-placed Wolves. With eight games to go, they only have a slim chance of survival but at least they do have a chance, and they could put their nearest rivals under a bit of pressure by beating them here. They have already beaten Wolves once this season, at Molineux in December, in Gary O'Neil's final game in charge of Wolves, and beating them again at home to get their second win this week would be huge when you consider they had only won three of their first 29 league games. My head is not exactly convinced that will happen, if I am being entirely honest, even though Wolves' best player Matheus Cunha is still out suspended. Mr Fields would probably prefer me not to tip Town to win anyway because I have usually been wrong when I've done that in the past, but I am going to say they will get over the line because I want him to be happy. Sutton's prediction: 2-1 Mychelle's prediction: I am going with the home team again here. Ipswich played well against Bournemouth, and they really need this too. 2-1 London Stadium, 15:00 BST Bournemouth are out of the FA Cup and have picked up only one point from their past five league games. They have had a good season, and beaten all the teams in the top five apart from Liverpool, but it is in danger of fizzling out. That would be a shame, and not just for their players. Cherries boss Andoni Iraola could do with a strong finish to the campaign to ensure his reputation continues to grow. It finished 1-1 when these two sides met at the Vitality Stadium before Christmas and I am pretty sure the BBC readers will go for a draw this time too. West Ham have struggled at home of late, losing three of their past four there, with their only win coming against Leicester. Bournemouth's form doesn't suggest they will take the points either, but I am not sitting on the fence like I expect you lot will. Sutton's prediction: 1-2 Mychelle's prediction: I know I am going for all the home teams but I do think West Ham will have more energy and will go for it a bit more. 1-0 Villa Park, 17:30 BST Nottingham Forest are flying, but so are Aston Villa - they have now won six on the spin in all competitions. Forest nicked the points late on at the City Ground when Villa went there in December, coming from 1-0 down after 87 minutes to win it in stoppage time. This will be just as close, and I cannot really call a winner. Even if they do drop points here, I am still confident Forest will finish in the Champions League places. We saw again when they beat Manchester United on Tuesday that they are not bothered about possession because of their threat on the break and Anthony Elanga's winner in that game was one of my favourite goals of the season. The way he took it was really intelligent, because he had the option to pop the ball out to the left but the United back-line kept backing off, and he just kept on going. His finish was devastating too and, overall, it reminded me of me in my pomp with the way I used to drive up the pitch. It's going to be harder for Aston Villa to make the top five, because they still have the Champions League and FA Cup to think about, but they are on a great run and, at the moment, they have the depth in the squad they need even if they make changes here before they face Paris-St Germain next week. I don't think Villa boss Unai Emery will prioritise any of the three competitions. They are in them all, so he will go for it in all three - and so he should. Sutton's prediction: 1-1 Mychelle's prediction: I have not gone for a home win here - Villa will give them a good game, but Forest are playing so well. 0-1 Gtech Community Stadium, 14:00 BST Chelsea's issue has been consistency - they played well to beat Tottenham on Thursday but can they back it up here? I am not sure. Brentford are another team I have struggled to get right this season, but I'd always back them to score. I have feeling this is going to be an open game with a few goals. A win would be big for Chelsea in their push for a top-five finish, but I don't think they will get it. Sutton's prediction: 2-2 Mychelle's prediction: Brentford are a good side but of course I am going to back Chelsea! We are a young team and I feel like we are improving all the time - I am really excited about next season but the target for now is to make the Champions League places and win the Europa Conference League, and I think we can do both. 1-2 Craven Cottage, 14:00 BST Fulham gave Liverpool a real test when they drew at Anfield earlier in the season. Yes, Arne Slot's side had Andy Robertson sent off early on, but they were already a goal down by then. It took a huge effort for them to rescue a point with 10 men, but they have shown that kind of character plenty of times this season, to get something from a game when they have not played well. Fulham made things difficult for Arsenal on Tuesday and I am expecting them to do the same here because they are very capable on the counter-attack. They might even give Liverpool another big scare here but, with what is at stake, I still think the leaders will be fully focused and get the job done again, like they did against Everton. Mohamed Salah against Fulham's Antonee Robinson will be a key battle, and maybe Salah will make the difference in the end - he is certainly due a big performance. Sutton's prediction: 1-2 Mychelle's prediction: Fulham will give this a good go, but I don't think they can stop Liverpool's momentum. 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 14:00 BST It was almost a big week for Southampton, who would have surpassed the Premier League's record lowest-points total, currently held by Robbie Savage's Derby County, if they had held on to beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday. They came agonisingly close and in many ways I would take a Saints victory here, just so I can enjoy hosting 606 with Robbie between now and the end of the season. You will probably all have heard him recently, banging on about what a job he has done to take big-budget Macclesfield to promotion from the Northern Premier League, but I'd like to balance things a little bit with him hanging on to his record. I can't see Southampton taking three points here, though, even if the two other teams in the bottom three have already gone to Tottenham and won. Spurs won 5-0 at St Mary's before Christmas, in Russell Martin's final game as Saints boss. Ange Postecoglou's side are not playing well, so they won't score as many this time, but it should still be very comfortable for them and they might even keep a clean sheet. Sutton's prediction: 3-0 Mychelle's prediction: I don't think Spurs are playing well enough to get another big scoreline here. 1-0 Old Trafford, 16:30 BST Manchester United are short of goals, and I don't understand why Ruben Amorim went with Joshua Zirkzee to lead their attack ahead of Rasmus Hojlund in Tuesday's defeat at Nottingham Forest. I see Hojlund as a number nine, while Zirkzee is a nine-and-a-half to a 10 - anything but a centre-forward. It cannot be helping Hojlund's confidence, because it is quite obvious Amorim doesn't fancy him when he is desperate for results and he is not picking him. People are saying United played well against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, and they dominated the ball, but they looked a bigger threat when Harry Maguire came on at the end of the game. Is there a chance of big Harry playing up front from the start here? That would be funny, but it is not going to happen. Manchester City will have to try something different in their attack too, with Erling Haaland out injured. They have not clicked often enough this season, especially in the bigger games, and I still don't feel you can trust them to turn up the way they always used to - but this time I have a feeling they will find a way through. If Amorim did manage to get the better of Pep Guardiola for a third time this season, then United would probably be selling T-shirts to mark the achievement. I don't see it happening though. Sutton's prediction: 1-2 Mychelle's prediction: City have picked up a bit, and United are still quite inconsistent. 1-2 King Power Stadium, 20:00 BST Leicester should have been relegated immediately for what they did at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. For a team who are desperate for a win, they showed absolutely zero attacking intent even when they went two goals down. All they were interested in was building a wall and just stopping Manchester City. I felt sorry for their travelling fans because the team offered no threat whatsoever, and didn't even try to score. I can understand that everyone has a game plan but usually that changes when you go a goal or two behind. At 2-0, however, Leicester took their star striker, Jamie Vardy, off to put another midfielder on. That tells you where Leicester are at right now - it felt like they were waving the white flag and going for damage limitation, rather than thinking they might as well give it a go and risk conceding more goals. We know how nervy Manchester City have been this season, and Leicester caused them problems when they had a go at them at the King Power Stadium at the end of last year. This time, there was none of that. They were pretty pathetic and you have got to question what their manager Ruud van Nistelrooy was thinking. His team have lost their past seven league games and have not scored in any of them, and it is even longer since they managed a point or a league goal at home. That is not going to change here. Newcastle got an important win over Brentford in midweek to show there was no hangover from their Carabao Cup celebrations. Even if they hit the hotel mini-bar again on Sunday night, it wouldn't matter - they would still beat Leicester. Sutton's prediction: 0-2 Mychelle's prediction: I've gone for a shock here because I am really hoping Leicester do Chelsea a favour here by beating Newcastle. Surely they are going to sneak a goal at some point? 1-0 Chris, his guest Liam from DJ duo Tigerblind, and the BBC readers were all level on 80 points ahead of the final game of the midweek fixtures, which saw Chelsea beat Tottenham 1-0 on Thursday. Chris went for a 3-2 Chelsea win, while Liam and the BBC readers went for a 2-1 Blues success, meaning they all got another 10 points which resulted in the first three-way tie for victory this season.
All thanks to BBC Sport
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Futbol
Fan Jeers And A Cupped Ear - Is Postecoglou Feeling The Friction?
~6.3 mins read
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is looking more isolated than ever. The Australian directed a brief clap towards the furious travelling away fans from near the halfway line following his side's 1-0 loss at Chelsea but, by then, it could be argued the damage had already been done. Enzo Fernandez's second-half header was enough to inflict a 16th defeat of the season on Tottenham and leave them 14th in the Premier League - 10 points away from the top 10 - and the signs are growing some fans have had enough. Chants of "you don't know what you're doing" came from the away end after midfielder Lucas Bergvall was replaced by Pape Sarr in the 65th minute. Remarkably, Sarr found the net with an excellent long-range strike just four minutes later, leading Postecoglou to cup his ear and turn to the away end, only for VAR to then rule out the goal for a foul on Moises Caicedo. When asked about the incident after the match, Postecoglou said: "Jeez mate, it's incredible how things get interpreted. We'd just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer. Because we'd been through a tough time, and I thought it was a cracking goal. "I wanted them to get really excited. I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was on our [side]. It doesn't bother me. It's not the first time they've booed my substitutions or my decisions. That's fine, they're allowed to do that. "But we'd just scored a goal, just scored an equaliser, I was just hoping we could get some excitement. If people want to read into that that somehow I'm trying to make a point about something, like I said, we'd been through a tough time, but I just felt there was a bit of a momentum shift there. "If they get really behind the lads, I thought we had the momentum to finish on top of them." It's just the latest in a season of incidents between Postecoglou and sections of the fanbase. There was the recent exchange with an angry supporter after defeat by Fulham just before the international break, another similar back and forth happened after defeat at home to Leicester and he confronted the away end after they criticised players after losing at Bournemouth in December. He added when asked if he was alienating the fans: "You know what, I am at such a disconnect with the world these days, that who knows? Maybe you're right. I don't know. But that's not what my intention was." This just compounds the lack of progress on the pitch, especially with almost a full squad of players available, as Spurs look to avoid their worst season in the Premier League era. Former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp put it plainly when he said on Sky Sports: "Tottenham were awful. It could have been so much more. Not good enough in any department from Tottenham. Chelsea were so much better. "When Sarr scored, it looked like Ange cupped his ears to say: I know better. There's a disconnect between the two [Tottenham fans and Ange Postecoglou] at the moment. "It's not ideal for the manager. He's got some big games ahead. He's got to keep his head up, got to keep going, working hard and believing in what they do." Postecoglou is the first Spurs manager to lose his first four matches against Chelsea, while they have fewer points in London derbies this season than any of their neighbours - and the bigger picture offers no solace. With eight games left, Spurs are 14th, and could well finish outside the top 10 for the first time in 17 years. They are now battling to avoid their worst season in the Premier League era. Tottenham's lowest Premier League finish remains 15th in 1994 under manager Ossie Ardiles - when survival was only ensured in their penultimate match. They have now lost 16 league games this season - their record in a 20-team league is 19, set in 2003-04. Since the Premier League's inception in 1992, only six times have Spurs lost 16 or more league matches in a campaign. Spurs' lowest points tally in a Premier League season - and in fact since three points for a win was introduced in 1981 - is 44. They need 11 points from their final eight games to pass that tally. With 16 defeats in 30 matches, Spurs' loss percentage this season is 53% - and they haven't lost more than half of their league matches over a whole season since 1934-35. They lost exactly half of their league matches in 1953-94, 1974-75, 1976-77 - when they were relegated - and 2003-04. Postecoglou has only won 44 points from his past 39 league matches in charge - stretching back over the end of last season. Reports suggest Postecoglou is under severe pressure. Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva and Brentford's Thomas Frank have all been linked with his job. The 56-year-old, who became Spurs boss in June 2023 and is contracted to the club until 2027, even suggested in midweek there were plenty of outstanding candidates, external to replace him. However, Spurs are expected to at least wait until the culmination of the Europa League campaign - a chance not only to win a first trophy in 17 years, but also to qualify for next season's Champions League. They host Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their quarter-final next Thursday. A club source indicated before the match that they weren't expecting any managerial changes before the end of the season. Redknapp, again speaking to Sky Sports, said after the match: "I think for Ange Postecoglou, it feels like he's going to make history or be history. "When you lose 16 games in a season as Tottenham manager, still having great players at your disposal, it's not going to wash with the fans. The performances haven't been good enough. "If they can win some silverware, it'll be unbelievable for them." Vice-captain James Maddison, reacting to the fan frustration, said: "They have every right to be an angry bunch at the moment. "I don't really want to be here talking and I'm sure the fans don't want to listen to me. It can still be a very special season if we lift silverware. We need them as much as they need us, so the message is to stick together." Like Postecoglou, chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy has faced criticism from the fans. But Levy has given the head coach resources to shape a squad. Postecoglou has spent £214.8m, with the most recent arrivals signed in January - forward Mathys Tel, defender Kevin Danso and goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky. That extra spend was an attempt to salvage the season while alive in three cup competitions, but after elimination from the domestic cups, it is Europa League or bust. It will be Spurs' last chance to live up to Postecoglou's comment early in the campaign that he "always wins a trophy in his second season" - having done so in Scotland, Japan and Australia. With little to play for in the Premier League, a end to the Spurs trophy drought would end the season on a high. On another night, Postecoglou's post-match rant about VAR would have taken the headlines. On Thursday, it was a footnote. Tottenham thought they had equalised when Sarr struck home from distance. The celebrations followed but were cut short as VAR checked for a possible foul. After a lengthy delay, the goal was ruled out. Postecoglou told BBC Radio 5 Live he "hated VAR to his core", that there was no point in having referees - and that there would soon be AI officials. Postecoglou, who has often criticised VAR, become embroiled in a lively post-match interview with Sky Sports. Here is what he said in full: "It's killing the game, mate. It's not the same game it used to be. "We all sat on our couches last night and watched TV [when Everton's James Tarkowski was not sent off for a high challenge on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister] and I guarantee you if Jarred Gillett was VAR last night, it would've been a different outcome, so you just don't know what we're going to get. "You are standing around for 12 minutes. It's just killing the game, but no-one cares about that. They just love the drama and controversy and I'm sure there will be 24 hours of discussion about it and that's what everyone wants - they're not really interested that it's killing the spectacle of the game. "If a referee sees that and he needs to see it for six minutes, what's clear and obvious about it? "Last night we were all sat on our couches and saw one replay and thought: 'Oh my God.' "Tonight we sat there and were waiting for six minutes for something that VAR official Jarred Gillett thought was clear and obvious - it's crazy, it's madness. "We accept it and have to take the fall out from it. Clear and obvious? What does that suggest? That it's on the first replay. That's why the game is going the way it is."
All thanks to BBC Sport
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