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Futbol

Epic At Ibrox, Murray On Goal Hunt & Wimmer's Impact

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.

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Futbol

Sutton's Predictions V Singer-songwriter Mychelle

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.

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Futbol

Fan Jeers And A Cupped Ear - Is Postecoglou Feeling The Friction?

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."

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Worldnews

Median CEO Pay In US Hits Record High Even As Markets Tumble

Margins between CEO pay have long been a point of contention between workers and a rallying cry for progressives. Median pay among top United States CEOs rose 7.5 percent to a record $16.8m for 2024, a new study found, as big stock grants have boosted leaders’ reported earnings well beyond the pay received by US workers. The CEOs of Axon and Union Pacific were among those getting big pay boosts from stock awards, according to the review of pay among S&P 500 CEOs by ISS-Corporate, the corporate advisory arm of Institutional Shareholder Services. Other CEOs also did well, as their targets were set during the relatively stable days of 2023, said Roy Saliba, managing director at ISS-Corporate, which oversaw the study. That was before US President Donald Trump kicked off a trade war that has set off turmoil in global markets in recent weeks. “One thing that jumps out is that these numbers don’t mesh with year-to-date stock performance or current company performance, and the looming uncertainty. The time gap explains that the pay decisions for 2024 would have been made at least a year ago,” Saliba said. He said his unit is advising companies to wait before changing plans to adjust pay to account for uncertainty in the markets. Boards could use a different set of performance measures that compare an executive’s work against their peers, he said. Saliba’s study looked at 320 companies in the S&P 500 with pay data filed so far this year. The executives did relatively well. US Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows average hourly earnings for US workers rose 4 percent last year, while Department of Commerce data shows inflation ran at just less than 3 percent in 2024. Company shares performed above those rates, helping drive the CEO’s gains. Among the 320 companies Saliba reviewed, the median total shareholder return was 15.1 percent in 2024. At Axon, maker of the Taser stun gun, CEO Patrick Smith was at one extreme, officially receiving $164.5m last year, up from $40,058 in 2023. In that year, he received only a salary of $31,201 and $8,857 in other compensation, including private air transportation. The stock units that accounted for most of Smith’s 2024 pay are “an incentive for future performance in the form of a high-risk, high-reward compensation plan, and the value is realisable only if and when each set of stock price and operational goals are achieved,” Axon’s filing states. Axon declined to comment. At Union Pacific, CEO James Vena was paid $17.6m for 2024 versus $2m for his service for part of 2023, after he was hired in August of that year. The majority of his pay last year reflects big stock and option awards that a spokesperson for the railroad said are performance-based. “If the company does not perform well, his actual bonus and equity will reflect that and be less,” the spokesperson said. High CEO pay has long been a rallying cry for progressive Democrats in Washington, such as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who has introduced legislation on several occasions that would raise taxes on companies whose executive compensation is 50 to one that of the average compensation of their worker. The legislation has yet to become law. On social media, the senator has long pointed out that the gap between CEO pay and that of the average worker has become significantly wider over the last few decades. Follow Al Jazeera English:...