Lascelles says that Town are feeling heat
NEWCASTLE United captain Jamaal Lascelles believes Huddersfield Town are beginning to feel the pressure of the Championship run in.
The Toon ground out a 2-1 win over Wigan at the weekend, while Town were beaten 1-0 by a tough-tackling Burton Albion side.
And the Magpies’ skipper believes Town slipped up because of the pressure they now find themselves under.
On Newcastle’s weekend win, Lascelles said: “We didn’t show any signs of complacency.
“Their goal was down to a lack of concentration – and I could have done much better – but on the whole, we were fairly comfortable.
“Obviously, it’s a different story for those fighting for their lives down at the bottom, but all of these other teams are playing with no pressure.
“Now, Huddersfield have had a glimpse of what pressure is like.
“They’ve been playing without pressure, and they’ve lost at home to Burton.
“We’ve been playing with that for a long time, which goes to show we can cope with the mental side of football as well as the tactical and technical.” ■■Everton’s teenage midfielder Tom Davies has signed a new five-year contract with the Premier League club.
Liverpool-born Davies, 18, has agreed to stay with his hometown club until at least the end of June 2022.
Davies has established himself in the first team, following his debut as a substitute last April against a Southampton side then managed by current Everton boss Ronald Koeman.
He has made 17 appearances in all competitions and started 10 Premier League matches this season, an ever-present since impressing in the Boxing Day win over Leicester. ■■Members of the Football Association council have unanimously backed the package of governance reforms proposed by the governing body’s board, the FA has confirmed.
The key vote took place after little more than an hour of the meeting starting at Wembley and the plans now go forward to the FA’s annual general meeting on May 18, when they will need a 75 per cent majority for approval.
The reforms are a response to government pressure after decades of inertia and, if they meet shareholder approval, will represent a major triumph for FA chairman Greg Clarke and sports minister Tracey Crouch. ■■FIFA’s ethics committee has banned former Guatemalan Football Association president Brayan Jimenez from all football-related activities for life.
Jimenez was arrested in Guatemala City in January 2016 and extradited to the United States on corruption charges two months later. In July, he pleaded guilty in New York to racketeering and wire fraud.