Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
No joy of six for the Welsh now
Andy backs Blues full-time model... even if it costs him his Windsor place
Scotland Wales
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Murrayfield, tomorrow, 4.45pm
WALES are falling apart at the seams only one game into the Six Nations, with the No6 jersey developing a particular curse.
After Dan Lydiate lasted 13 minutes in it against Ireland before his season was finished by a serious knee injury, and his replacement Josh Navidi was ruled out of tomorrow’s game against Scotland by a neck problem, Wales turned to Josh Macleod for what would have been his debut.
He did not even get to set off for Murrayfield before his campaign was ended.
The Scarlets back row tore his Achilles tendon in training and will be out for six months so Wales have been forced to turn to Aaron Wainwright instead.
“It’s really sad and disappointing for Josh first and foremost. A debut against Scotland will have been something he’s dreamed off so we’re very disappointed for him,” said Wales coach Wayne Pivac.
“He missed the last camp by getting injured in a club game the day before, then yesterday, to be named in front of his peers and have them celebrate only to be taken off on a stretcher the training field half hour later is not great for him or any of us.
“It’s a serious injury, an Achilles, but it’s just one of those things.”
The Wales backline has also been badly hit with four injuries from Sunday’s game including George North, who has a foot injury. They named a new midfield combination of Owen Watkin and Nick Tompkins yesterday.
The bench back-up will be Willis Halaholo, a 30-year-old Pivac coached in the Auckland academy but who qualifies for Wales through residency.
“He was one of those players who just had fantastic feet, something you can’t coach. He’s just got natural ability and skill,” said Pivac. “He could be a special player going forward.”
ANDY WATERWORTH has welcomed Linfield’s ambitious plans to go full-time, even if it could spell the end of his time at Windsor Park.
The Blues are set to follow Larne, Glentoran and Crusaders in adopting a professional philosophy from next season.
Despite ongoing financial pressures surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, the South Belfast giants are believed to be close to launching a five-year strategic plan.
Waterworth believes the full-time model will help push football in Northern Ireland to the next level.
But as he approaches his 35th birthday, the striker is also conscious that it might be a step too far in his own career.
“Pat (Fenlon, inset) and the chairman (Roy Mcgivern) have approached me about staying on. They have explained what it will look like with the club going full-time,” said Waterworth.
“The club is obviously embarking on a full-time model which I think is brilliant. It can only be a good thing for the league and Northern Ireland football.
“I just think I will need to take a long, hard look at myself and see what lies ahead.
“If Linfield had been staying parttime then I would sign a new deal right away. I love the club and I feel great this season. To be honest, I have to see if it is viable. It sounds lovely, but I am not sure how it would work for me.
“And I don’t want to start committing to people and then have to let
them down. It would have to be all or nothing with me, which the club would want as well.
“I am employed by the Irish FA – who have been brilliant with me during my career. Things like travelling for European games, they have been very flexible and never stopped me from playing.
“They have been brilliant in helping me continue playing football as much as I can.
“I still have a job and have contracted hours, and I don’t want to try and commit to everyone. I don’t want to be that person who tries to please everyone.
“My whole career, I have put football first. For a while there I was working every day and training every night. I was also working with Club NI on Sundays, and during the summer I worked as a tutor on a coaching education programme without having a holiday.
“And then your season starts again.” While the prospect of full-time football excites Waterworth, he accepts the terms of any contact won’t be long-term.
“I am nearly 35 years of age, so I am not going to get any longer than a one-year contract,” he added.
“The full-time terms are attractive, but I have to consider the long-term implications.
“I have been kicking the can down the road this season. I am enjoying my football so much, and I have tried not to let it cloud my thoughts because I am very focused on this season.”
JOSE MOURINHO was brought in by Tottenham to win trophies and deliver Champions League football.
The Special One failed on both fronts in his first season and his second year in charge is in serious danger of going the same way.
Tottenham are out of the FA Cup, four points off top four and in bad form while relying on the Europa League and the Carabao Cup final as the remaining hopes for silverware.
But that’s set against the backdrop of growing dissent among Spurs supporters fed-up of the playing style. The only salvation for Mourinho is that there’s no fans allowed in White Hart Lane, otherwise it might have turned toxic by now.
There are obvious concerns among the hierarchy especially after three straight Premier League defeats – their worst run in nine years – and the pressure would have seemed intolerable had they not beaten
West Brom on Sunday. But the FA Cup defeat at Everton has put the spotlight back on a manager in a turbulent season where the lows are definitely outweighing the highs right now.
With Mourinho, there is so often a trade off.
He has delivered trophies at every club he has managed but his safety first football is hardly in the best traditions of Tottenham whose proud motto is “To Dare Is To Do.”
The fans might stomach the football if it is producing results. This club is built on flair, glory and style.
There is also a sideshow with Mourinho.
Some senior players doubt Mourinho’s man management while he has always been a difficult man to get along with. Tottenham is proving no exception.
Surely Mourinho will get this season no matter what happens next, although it’s a big few weeks ahead, starting with a trip to Manchester City tomorrow, followed by a Europa
League tie with Wolfsberg and a trip to West Ham in between.
But while some believe bad results could spell danger, Mourinho’s stock with Levy remains high and there is precious little chance of change before the summer.
Pierre-emile Hojbjerg has been superb for him, looking like a shrewd signing at £15million, while Harry Kane and Heung-min Son are both enjoying brilliant seasons.
However, Mourinho has raised eyebrows with the treatment of not just Gareth Bale but Dele Alli, who has been frozen out and hammered in public before finally coming back as a substitute at Goodison.
There is a sense of negativity among some players who feel the focus is on opposition tactics, defending and not enough on their own strengths.
The proof will come at the end of the season and whether Mourinho can deliver on his side of the bargain.
SOUTHAMPTON finally stopped the rot as they clinched an FA Cup quarterfinal clash with south-coast neighbours Bournemouth.
Four defeats on the spin, including the 9-0 mauling by Manchester United, had weighed heavily on Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl’s shoulders.
But second-half goals from Danny Ings and Stuart Armstrong saw off shot-shy Wolves and left Saints fans dreaming of a Wembley final.
“We’ve not had such an easy time of things in the past few weeks so this was important,” Hasenhuttl said. “We dominated from the first minute and we deserved to win it. I’m pleased for Danny and especially for Stuart because he missed a big chance early in the second half. But that shows you should never stop believing. We’re still in the Cup and we want to go for it.”
Saints last won the Cup in 1976 and their last appearance in the final was in 2003, when they were beaten 1-0 by a Thierry Henry-inspired Arsenal.
The only surprise last night was that they didn’t put Wolves away earlier. They were left relying on a 49th-minute Ings strike until Armstrong made absolutely sure with a late second.
For Wolves the misery goes on. They’ve won only three of 10 matches in 2021 and one was against non-league Chorley. And they have failed to score in three of their last four matches. Boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: “We’re not creating and we’re conceding simple goals. It’s up to us to solve the issues and not start doubting ourselves.”
Saints went close to taking an early lead when Armstrong’s shot worried Wolves keeper John Ruddy, who failed to hold on to the ball and had to move really sharply to stop the livewire Ings from pouncing.
A few minutes later Ings deserved better reward for an audacious piece of skill which saw him flick the ball over Leander Dendoncker to set himself up for a scissor-volley which was blocked by Romain Saiss.
But Saints were so nearly caught by a real sucker-punch right on the stroke of half-time.
Joao Moutinho took a freekick 35 yards out and dropped it straight to the unmarked Saiss seven yards out but the defender somehow blazed over.
Armstrong missed a sitter just before Ings broke the deadlock, hitting his first shot at Ruddy but then getting a lucky touch as it came back to him.
Ruddy made a block to deny Nathan Redmond but then got himself in a pickle in the move that led to Armstrong’s goal.
He gifted the ball to Nathan Tella, left himself horribly exposed in the process, and was powerless to do anything when Armstrong steered the ball in off the inside of the far post.
TAMMY ABRAHAM saved new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel from an FA Cup embarrassment by breaking the resistance of brave Barnsley.
The England striker netted his fourth FA Cup goal of the season to earn the Blues a quarter-final tie with Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge.
It maintained Tuchel’s unbeaten start with four wins out of five games, but the victory came only after a half-time reshuffle when Championship underdogs Barnsley had squandered two great chances.
Abraham was presented with a tap-in by sub Reece James, who broke well into space down the right flank for the 64th-minute breakthrough. There was a strong hint of offside but, without VAR to help, ref Martin Atkinson allowed the goal to stand. And
Abraham proved as valuable in his own box 10 minutes from time when he headed Michael Sollbauer’s shot off the Chelsea line.
Chelsea had earlier been robbed of a clear penalty. A tackle by defender Toby Sibbick cleaned out Abraham in the box but Atkinson wrongly waved play on.
Chelsea went into the match on the back of three straight Premier League wins but were sloppy in the first half, lacking urgency and fight.
New boss Tuchel has cleaned the slate for players who fell out of favour under Frank Lampard, handing a start to £71million keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, explaining: “This is a new start for him, I don’t have a history with him.”
It was also a big night for Emerson Palmieri, Kurt Zouma and teenager Billy Gilmour, who all made their first appearances for the German while US international Christian Pulisic and N’golo Kante made their first starts. But they did nothing to enhance their claims for a regular place in the starting line-up.
Chelsea were stifled by Barnsley’s early energetic squeeze and could have conceded two goals. Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael, who took over in October, wanted his youngsters to show Premier League standard last night and they did for long periods.
Perhaps looking for revenge after losing 6-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup in September, they pinned Chelsea back with a bold game-plan.
Kepa (below) was forced into action after 10 minutes. Highly-rated Alex Mowatt’s in-swinging cross was flicked on by Conor Chaplin and Callum Brittain should have buried a free shot on goal but fired at Kepa, who blocked with his legs.
It was a proper examination for Tuchel’s men on a pitch that had been waterlogged and unfit for use on Saturday and against a side more than holding their own.
Just before half-time Brittain was on the end of a well-worked short corner and fired a shot that would have caused Kepa real problems but team-mate Victor Adeboyejo got in the way and deflected it wide.
Abraham’s goal settled Chelsea nerves a little but they still had some anxious moments in the closing minutes as Barnsley pressed for a leveller.
Goal hero Abraham said: “It’s not an easy place to come. I knew this from my time in the Championship but I knew a chance would come and I just had to be in the right place.”
And about the clearance? “I grew up as a defender and it was just instinct. I think I celebrated the goalline clearance more than my goal.”
Chelsea are now through to the last eight for the 15th time in 21 years.