WHAT’S HOT WHAT’S NOT
HOT CESAR AZPILICUETA
THE Chelsea defender passes under the superstar radar but few have given more for the cause this season. Ahead of today’s FA Cup final, the Spaniard is one of only four players in history to have played every single minute of a Premier League winning season. The others are John Terry, Gary Pallister and Wes Morgan.
MANCHESTER RUNNERS
AFTER being given clearance by the security experts, more than 40,000 runners will take part in a 10k and half marathon through Manchester city centre tomorrow. It will be an even more uplifting event than usual. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo has cancelled a press conference for a product he endorses because it is ‘too dangerous’ to travel to London. I will leave that one with you.
TYRONE MINGS
BOURNEMOUTH defender Mings only made nine appearances for the club last season and clearly had restless feet when appealing on Twitter for a chance to ‘kick some ball’ on Tuesday night. Within an hour and a half, the 24-year-old was playing seven-a-side with a group of Bournemouth fans on a local AstroTurf.
NOT LIONEL MESSI
BURIED beneath the headlines of another busy week of football was news that Messi’s 2016 conviction for tax evasion was confirmed by the Supreme Court in Spain. Messi and his father saw fit not to pay £3.5million of tax on the 29-year-old’s earnings and, though Barcelona are standing by him (I can’t think why that may be), it’s worth pointing out here that Messi is a criminal just like any other. Just so we are clear.
LEEDS UNITED
SO, now the once-great Yorkshire club know how it feels. Having worked their way through seven managers in three years, Leeds thought they had a keeper in Garry Monk, only for him to walk out. No doubt Monk knows there is a better offer coming from somewhere else, but he knows another thing, too. A bad start in the Championship at Leeds next season and he would have been out of the door.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
WITH Serena Williams missing this year’s French Open, the field looks a little short on recognisable faces for those of us who only tune in for Grand Slams. The German Angelique Kerber has pedigree, but her form has been poor in recent weeks. Meanwhile, our own No 1 Johanna Konta has a lousy record on clay. This would be a good week to put that right.