Howe: Anderson's Forest move 'most reluctant transfer Ill ever do'
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said seeing Elliot Anderson scoring the equaliser against them in their 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest really hurt" and reiterated that his sale to Forest was the most reluctant transfer Ill ever do.
Andersons move to the City Ground from the Magpies in 2024 was essentially a 35m transfer to satisfy his boyhood clubs PSR demands.
It was something we regretted when we were doing it, he said. We knew that would be a very, very painful transfer, one that we had to do.
We had no choice, but it was probably the most reluctant transfer Ill ever do, because we knew the quality of the player.
Wed seen him close up for a number of years training with us. He was beginning to break into the team and he was being for me, the back end of that season, really effective in a number of different positions.
It really hurts to see him do that against us today, hes going to go and have a fantastic career, wherever he goes, wherever his career takes him.
Hes a great lad as well, so its painful for us to take but hes an outstanding player.
Meanwhile, Forest boss Vitor Pereira said he "cannot say" whether Anderson would stay at the City Ground this summer.
.
The Portuguese said: I cannot say (whether he will stay), I dont have the answer. I know he deserves the top of the world.
I know that hes our player, and we need to enjoy him because I have worked with the top talent players, but to find a top player with this character is not easy.
Im not thinking about the next season. Im thinking about finishing this season in the best position that we can.
'He must be leaving' - Gordon left on Toon bench again in Forest draw
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon was an unused substitute for the second consecutive game.
The England international was left on the bench in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest, having also failed to make an appearance in last weekend's home win over Brighton.
Your Site News revealed earlier this week that over a potential summer deal for the 25-year-old.
Asked why Gordon was left on the bench, Toon boss Eddie Howe said at his post-match press conference: "Obviously, he's returned from an injury.
"I'm looking at the team, and I've been pleased with how the team's performed the last three games, so I haven't had to make changes."
But Ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara believes Gordon's benchings signal a St James' Park summer exit.
"It tells me he's leaving, if Howe isn't playing him," O'Hara told Your Site News.
"I like Gordon, he's a player they need, but for whatever reason, it hasn't gone to plan.
"If Howe isn't playing him at this stage of the season, it suggests he's going to get rid of him."
Edwards planning summer clear-out at Wolves after atrocious Brighton loss
Wolves boss Rob Edwards is intent on having a summer clearout after accusing some of his players of failing to follow instructions and showing a lack of interest during a woeful 3-0 defeat at Brighton.
The Premier Leagues bottom club, whose relegation to the Championship was confirmed last month, fell behind inside 35 seconds at the Amex Stadium to a Jack Hinshelwood header.
Albion captain Lewis Dunk escaped the marking of Joao Gomes to nod home from a corner with just five minutes played before Yankuba Minteh completed the scoring late on.
Its incredibly frustrating, it looked like we were still in our nice hotel for the first five minutes, said Edwards.
The start of the game was atrocious. We find ourselves 1-0 down before weve really had a kick and then the defending for the corner was horrible. A couple of people not doing their jobs.
Two-nil down after five minutes against a team thats already better than you, youve got slim to no chance.
Asked about midfielder Gomes marking towering centre-back Dunk for the second goal, Edwards said: It wasnt planned. It was a decision that they just decided to make at that moment.
I cant (account for it) but weve had a lot of it and thats why we are where we are crazy decision.
There was a lack of focus there from the beginning, people not valuing doing their job.
Asked if he has given up on some members of his squad, Edwards, who replaced Vitor Pereira in November, replied: Yeah, definitely. Some of them have got to go, were bottom of the league. Its been embarrassing. Theyve got to go.
Weve got two more games, so suck it up, keep our head down, take whatever were gonna have to take for the next couple of weeks and then we can really get to work.
We know theres going to be a lot of change.
Palace not giving up hope of appointing Iraola
Latest by Your Site News' Lyall Thomas:
Crystal Palace are not giving up on appointing Andoni Iraola as their new manager - although they currently expect him to join a bigger club this summer.
Palace want him to succeed Oliver Glasner. He is still understood to remain the preferred candidate despite interest from other clubs in the soon-to-be out of contract Bournemouth boss.
One of those is Chelsea but he is not the only person on the list. Iraola was believed to be a candidate for Athletic Bilbao in his native Basque reason of Spain - but that job has been handed to Edin Terzic this week.
Palace are understood to be working on other targets but still hold out hope that Iraolas other options run out and the chance to appoint him moves back onto the horizon.
Portsmouth skipper Pack signs one-year extension
Portsmouth captain Marlon Pack has signed a new one-year contract to remain at Fratton Park.
It ensures that the midfielder a boyhood Blues fan extends his stay with the club into a fifth campaign.
Pack made 35 appearances during the 2025/26 season to help the side finish 18th in the Championship standings, scoring twice.
Im over the moon to sign a new contract and extend my time at the club for another year, Pack told the club's website.
I think everyone knows just what Pompey means to me and weve achieved so much together during my four years here so far.
Im very grateful that will continue and Ill have more opportunities to represent this magnificent football club and our excellent fans.
What this group was able to do during this past season was a big achievement and now we want to keep building.
As soon as the final whistle was blown on the last game, you immediately start thinking about how we can continue to improve and really establish ourselves in the Championship.
Slot: Liverpools changes this summer will not be as drastic as last year
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists his squad will undergo a little transition this summer but nothing as drastic as 12 months ago.
However, he denied more experienced players were needed to improve the mentality of the personnel at his disposal.
Last week Mohamed Salah, one of two confirmed senior departures alongside Andy Robertson, said the bond of the team is changing so I really hope the guys hold it together.
Slot argued the unity between the players was different to their character and mental strength.
Indeed it will be another little transition, probably not as drastic as it was last summer, but we have to change a bit of personnel because of the players who are leaving, said the Dutchman, who has had to integrate 450 million-worth of talent with a much younger age profile.
There is a difference between bonding and mentality.
When it comes to bonding, it makes complete sense that players who have played six, seven, eight, nine years together have more bonding than when there are a group of players that are new with each other.
When it comes to mentality, I think this team has shown many times this season that when we were in difficult circumstances even last week at [Manchester] United being 2-0 down at half-time.
Again they showed the mentality to come back into the game and when we were back in the game at 2-2 we probably deserved to get the third goal, which we didnt get, which has happened also many times this season.
Liverpools average age this season is 26, but that is set to fall. There are currently nine players over that age one is third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, Salah and Robertson are leaving and the futures of Alisson Becker, Federico Chiesa, Joe Gomez, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister are all up for debate.
Last summers signings were a conscious attempt to lower the age profile and, with owners Fenway Sports Group having a policy of generally trying to buy players before their peak years of 27 to 29 and not more established ones, the experience within the squad is set to diminish.
For me mentality has nothing to do with age and I think you know, because when Mo was 26 and these players were all in their prime they were able to win the Champions League, to win the Premier League, to pick up 99 points, so you dont have to be 32 to know what standards means, added Slot.
Recently we have quite a good example of players that are not that old, the ones of Paris St Germain who definitely have the standards, what it takes to win a game of football in terms of attacking with 11 and defending with 11.
For me mentality has absolutely nothing to do with age, but more with the character and personality of a player.
Of course you can inject this in the transfer market, but we also have a lot of players, maybe all of them, that have the right mentality to play for this club.
Jeglertz remains hopeful Shaw will sign new deal at Man City
Manchester City boss Andree Jeglertz says he is still hopeful that Bunny Shaw will sign a new contract despite heavy links to a departure.
Shaw is expected to leave the recently crowned Women's Super League champions City when her contract expires at the end of the season.
Your Site News reported this week that after months of cordial talks over a potential new contract, Shaw is understood to want to explore her other options.
There is believed to be interest in the striker from Chelsea among other clubs, including from the USA.
Asked about Shaw, who was also on course to win the Golden boot, Jeglertz said:
"I still hope she's signing a new contract for Manchester City, definitely.
"But that's more of a discussion for Therese and for people in the club you'd like to have that resolved as soon as possible.
I think we right now are the most thing we banish all is our player, and she is here to compete with us and do everything she can these weeks that we have left of the season and what happens after that is a discussion not for me to talk about. It's more for Therese and other people that is communicating with her and so on. So we'll see."
Pressed further about whether City can afford to lose a player of her calibre, Jeglertz added:
"It's not my place to comment that I think that my job is to work with the players I have.
"The first thing I said when I started in this club was that we have this quad. How do I optimise each player? How do we play do we get maximum out of Hasegawa, Viv Miedema, Shaw, or Lauren Hemp?
"And how do we play football so we get the best out of them, which we have done this year, getting the best out of a lot of players.
"Next year, it will look different. It might look different. Some players are coming in, some players are leaving.
"Then we have another squad, or we have the same squad when we start in July.
"But I don't know. I don't know how that looks when we're starting in July, but when we start there, no matter what, I will do everything I can to play a way where we get maximum out of the players, and I would like to have the best players in my squad, and we'll see where we are in July."
'There's a lot to change!' | Bothroyd questions what manager would join 'toxic' Chelsea
Villa trio to leave this summer
Aston Villa Women have confirmed Ebony Salmon, Gabi Nunes and Sabrina DAngelo will leave the club upon the expiration of their contracts in June.
Salmon graduated from the club's academy before leaving the club in 2018.
After a spell at Manchester United, Sheffield United and Bristol City before a move to the US, Samlon returned to the club in 2023.
Nunes leaves Villa following two years at the club, while goalkeeper D'Angelo joined the club in 2024.
Pep confirms Foden's new deal 'close'
Pep Guardiola has confirmed Phil Foden is close to agreeing a new contract with Manchester City.
It was widely reported this week that an agreement had been struck in principle between Foden and his boyhood club over a new four-year deal.
Foden's existing contract is set to expire in 2027, but his fresh terms will tie him to City until 2031 and include the option of a further year.
Asked for an update, Guardiola said: "I asked my sporting director. He said they are close and hopefully it is going to happen. It is not done [yet]."
