United charged by FA over conduct
London:manchester United have been charged by the Football Association (FA) over misconduct of players in the 2-0 defeat by Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
United’s players surrounded referee Craig Pawson midway through the first-half after Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk challenged goalkeeper David de Gea.
Roberto Firmino subsequently scored, but his goal was ruled out following a VAR review of Van Dijk’s clash with the goalkeeper. De Gea dropped the ball which the defence failed to clear, allowing Firmino to score.
“Manchester United FC has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20(a). It is alleged that the club failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 26th minute of the Premier League fixture against Liverpool FC on Sunday,” FA said in a statement.
UNITED ARE ON RIGHT TRACK: SOLSKJAER
LONDON: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes his team has made “strides forward” this season despite 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
“We’ve lost to Liverpool, a team that you all say are fantastic, and we’ve been in the game until the last kick of the ball. For me, that’s strides forward. And of course we’re disappointed losing the game, we don’t want to be behind them in the league. But there were signs there that we are on the right track, definitely,” Solskjaer told a news conference.
MOURINHO SAYS NO ISSUES WITH ROSE
LONDON: Jose Mourinho denied on Tuesday he had had a row with Danny Rose at the Tottenham Hotspur training ground for omitting him from the team for 0-0 draw with Watford.
The 29-year-old left-back was reported by the Daily Mail to have confronted Mourinho as he was unhappy at being left out of both the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough in the third round FA Cup replay last week and then for the Watford match. Youngster Japhet Tanganga played instead and won rave reviews.
“No. Between me and Danny, no,” said Mourinho at his press conference. “I don’t know what you mean by tension in the air, I don’t have a problem with him.”
SALA’S ANNIVERSARY TO BE MARKED IN PRIVATE
LONDON: The death of Cardiff forward Emiliano Sala in a plane crash a year ago will be marked by his family on Tuesday in “private, quiet contemplation of their loss”, their lawyer said.
The 28-year-old striker was killed when the small plane taking him to join the then Premier League side after being bought from French side Nantes for $19.5 million crashed off the Channel island of Guernsey.
There are still unresolved issues surrounding the player’s death, such as who was responsible for the crash in which pilot David Ibottson also died, and, above all, the payment of the $18.85 million fee agreed for his transfer. British investigators would release their final report into the crash by end of March.