'Utterly incomprehensible'
Bradford City have released a strongly worded statement after damage was caused to a 'sacred' club memorial.
The League Two side condemned the act, which damaged a memorial that honours the 56 Bradford and Lincoln City supporters who lost their lives and those left with life-changing injuries in the Valley Parade disaster in 1985.
"Bradford City AFC is appalled and disgusted by the damage caused to the Valley Parade Fire Memorial at the University of Bradford Stadium this week," the statement on the club's website read.
"To say this act is wholly unacceptable does not go far enough - it is utterly incomprehensible. This memorial is sacred to our club, our supporters and the people of Bradford.
"For someone to deface or damage it in any way is not only an attack on a physical tribute but a disgraceful insult to the memory of those we lost and to the families and community still affected.
"We are reviewing CCTV footage and working closely with local authorities to identify those responsible. We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served."
Staying for Mo
talkSPORT understands that Liverpool are confident of reaching an agreement with Mohamed Salah over a new contract.
Salah's current deal at Anfield runs out at the end of the season and there have been major doubts over his future.
He has been heavily linked to a move to Saudi Arabia, but he has not been in active talks over a transfer to the Middle East.
And it now seems the Reds are closing in on keeping their star man at the club in what is a huge boost.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has made the decision to leave and join Real Madrid when his contract ends this summer.
But Salah looks set to stay if he can agree on the new deal.
If Liverpool do reach an agreement with the Egyptian, captain Virgil van Dijk will be the next to have his future decided.
Jor dropping
talkSPORT's Simon Jordan has revealed his 'maudlin interest' in talks with the Chelsea ownership.
A consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital bought the Blues for £4.25billion in 2022.
Club chairman Boehly shares an equal split of 38.5 per cent ownership with Hansjorg Wyss and Mark Walter, whilst Clearlake owns the rest.
Behdad Eghbali, a co-founder of the United States-based firm, is said to have been running the day-to-day operations at Chelsea.
talkSPORT reported in September that tensions between him and Boehly have become increasingly strained over how the club is run.
"If they fall out to such a point, he [Boehly] will lose, because Clearlake and Eghbali have got more money than him, and that will find its way to the surface," he said on White and Jordan.
"But whether they have diverging agendas or converging agendas, there's always going to be differences of opinion.
"It's not about having differences of opinion, it's about how you react to them. It's if you become entranced in ideologies or the principle of who is at the front of the queue.
"I don't know the personalities. I spent a bit of time with Todd, I don't know Eghbali, various people I know that are representing Chelsea are working with them and there's opportunities for me to perhaps go and watch Chelsea games and get myself involved in that sort of framework if I wanted to, in terms of having discussions with these sort of guys.
"But I've always believed that the Chelsea project is a very interesting one, it's a very different one."
"Would you be motivated to have a chat with these guys?" Jim White questioned his talkSPORT colleague.
After a slight hesitation, Jordan responded: "Yes and no, just out of maudlin interest.
"In the same way that I was motivated to sit talking to Boehly in Qatar, because these guys are influential people.
"Chelsea's a… whilst I consider it to be a manufactured football club, much to the irritation of Chelsea fans, is a big football club now, in terms of the scale that Roman Abramovich gave it, so it's interesting."
Sak's back
Bukayo Saka has delighted Arsenal fans by confirming his return to Arsenal training with a post on social media.
The England international has been in the treatment room since suffering a severe hamstring injury in late December.
The 23-year-old sustained the issue in the 23rd minute of the 5-1 win at Crystal Palace and was pictured leaving Selhurst Park on crutches.
After undergoing surgery, Saka has missed 19 matches across all competitions as he approaches the 100-day mark injured.
Prior to his injury, Saka had been Arsenal's standout player, with nine goals and 13 assists in all competitions.
In his absence, the Gunners have crashed out of both domestic cup competitions and have all-but conceded the Premier League title.
Their only realistic chance of winning silverware this term is in the Champions League, where Arsenal will face holders Real Madrid.
However, talisman Saka has now handed the north Londoners a huge boost by sharing a picture of him training.
He captioned the post: "Hello again."
Roo the day
Plymouth Argyle chief Andrew Parkinson insists Wayne Rooney’s doomed appointment was not ‘for profile reasons’.
Instead, the Manchester United legend proved himself to be the ‘best candidate’ from what Parkinson claimed was a 30-man list.
Rooney was appointed as the Pilgrims’ manager in May last year, four months after he was sacked as Birmingham City boss following an ill-fated 15-match tenure in which he won just twice.
A 4-0 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday in his first game in charge set the tone for what was to come as Rooney won just five out of his 25 games in charge.
He was eventually relieved of his duties following a 2-0 defeat against Oxford United on December 29, which was Plymouth’s sixth in their last seven games.
“He was the best candidate we saw when it got down to the interviews,” Parkinson said in an interview with Business of Sport.
“The biggest thing for him is that he really wanted it.
“There’s lots of other things that play into that. We went down from a long list of 30 and the process isn’t a straightforward one.
“People might be at existing clubs and might not want to come, they may have contracts where it will be expensive to get them out of it. Sometimes it is more difficult to get people to come down to Plymouth, let’s face it.
“When we got down to our final candidates, he absolutely wanted to prove himself, wanted to show he could do the job.
“He’d had a couple of difficult experiences at other clubs, but at the time we felt he was the best candidate.
“We didn’t do it for profile reasons at all.”
Lew beauty
Jamie Carragher’s son got himself a prized souvenir from his first-ever international break with Malta.
James, who plays for Wigan Athletic in League One, recently acquired Maltese citizenship through father Jamie’s grandfather and mother.
The 22-year-old then received his first call-up with Malta earlier this month for their World Cup qualifiers against Finland and Poland.
Carragher played the entirety of both games in front of his family, with Jamie recalling the experience on Stick to Football.
“Started both games,” the Liverpool legend revealed. “Wasn’t sure he would, it was his first time he’s been there.
“They played Finland in the first game where he played well, but they lost 0-1. Then they went away to Poland, where they lost 2-0, but it was great to watch him. I wasn’t nervous watching him, but I could see my dad was nervous.
“And what do you do when you’re nervous? You have a drink. But no, it was good. I wanted [Robert] Lewandowski to start, but he came on. He did alright.”
Ian Wright wondered if James was able to get hold of Poland striker Lewandowski’s shirt at full-time, and the defender was successful.
“He did actually,” Carragher confirmed. “He was up against him at the end, in the last 20 minutes.”
'Gibbs-White doesn't have to prove anybody wrong'
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has discussed Morgan Gibbs-White not getting any minutes for England.
He said: "We are proud of all of our players that went on international break. Morgan went and he was in the squad and hopefully, he gets a chance in the future.
"With Morgan, I know him so well and he knows me. We don't need to talk. For me, Morgan is a top, top player with so much talent and quality.
"The level of performance and quality he has been giving to us with and without the ball - I admire Morgan."
On whether Gibbs-White needs to prove Thomas Tuchel wrong: "He doesn't have to prove anybody wrong.
"This is not the state of mind that he should have. He has to compete and play and give his teammates and Nottingham Forest everything he has. Things will come naturally."
'He's been to a specialist'
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that Chris Wood has seen a specialist with his hip injury.
The in-form Forest striker has been on fire this season in the Premier League, but he picked up a knock on international duty.
Espirito Santo has given an update on Wood in his pre-FA Cup quarter-final press conference this afternoon.
And he's confirmed that he will miss the Brighton clash on Saturday.
Nuno said: "He went for a scan today. We are still waiting. He has been to a specialist for a scan. We will wait on the information and see.
"He will not be available for this game. He felt a kick really hard on his hip so there is pain there. We have to wait."
To be Frank
Frank Lampard has been front and centre in Coventry’s revival, and midfielder Matt Grimes gave a glowing tribute to the club manager.
The Sky Blues were 17th in the Championship, 10 points from the play-off spots and only two points above the relegation zone when Chelsea legend Lampard took charge.
However, a run of 13 wins in 23 games has propelled them into the promotion shake-up.
Lampard has overseen Coventry’s best run of form since 1970 and sit fifth in the Championship with eight games to go.
Up next for the Midlands outfit is a trip to fellow promotion chasers Sheffield United on Friday night – live on talkSPORT 2 – and a win at Brammall Lane would further cement Coventry’s playoff credentials.
“As a footballer, you want to learn your trade from the very best, and I don’t think there’s many better to learn from than the gaffer,” January signing Grimes told talkSPORT.
“I’ve only been here a short period of time, but what I can say is since I’ve been here, he’s been an absolute pleasure to work with.
“With the level of detail every day on the training pitch, you’re so engaged because you want to learn from top players and top managers like him.”
Odoi to joy
Callum Hudson-Odoi has shared his belief that he could return to playing for England - if he succeeds in impressing Thomas Tuchel at the second time of asking.
The 24-year-old, who made the last of his three England appearances in 2019, has enjoyed a career revival as a key man for Nottingham Forest this season.
Six years ago, Hudson-Odoi was tipped to be the golden boy of Chelsea's academy stars finding their feet in the first-team/
However, a rupture to his Achilles tendon saw him sidelined for seven months, and numerous setbacks after his comeback continued to hamper his development.
The arrival of Tuchel to Stamford Bridge led to Hudson-Odoi being deployed in an unorthodox wing-back role.
The German gave Hudson-Odoi his most minutes on the pitch of any Chelsea manager he had, but also publicly criticised his attitude and once infamously hauled him off 31 minutes after bringing him on as a substitute.
Fast forward to this season and Hudson-Odoi told BBC Sport: "We had our differences at times and that is normal. Every player and coach has their differences.
"Like [when Tuchel had me] playing wing-back and I am like why am I here?
"But it was to benefit the team and it benefits myself, helping me work on my defensive game.
"It's good that we had that moment and we have talked about it. He is an amazing manager and he knows how to get the best out of players.
"If the possibility and chance [for England] comes – I will have to go there and prove myself all over again.
"I just control what I can control. It's about enjoying my football once again, smiling and being positive."
You for real?
Gary Neville has made the surprising claim that Trent Alexander-Arnold won’t get in the Real Madrid team ahead of Dani Carvajal.
He said on the Stick To Football podcast: “I said that I thought he [Alexander-Arnold] had to get more serious about his defending – I’ve said that constantly – or else it will cause him problems.
“I think it will cause him a problem at Real Madrid because they have Federico Valverde, who is playing right-back currently, and Dani Carvajal when he’s back – he’s going to have some serious competition. They are brilliant players, and he’s going to find it tough there.
“[On whether Valverde and Carvajal are better than Trent] I think Carvajal, from a balance of going forward and back – the problem is that he’s 32 and has had a bad injury – but for me, Carvajal is a better full-back than Trent because of what he gives to the team.
“It’s unbelievable what Valverde is doing for them at the moment, so he’s going to have competition when he goes.
“Coming back to Trent, I said he needs to get more serious about his defending, and that was proven by the fact he couldn’t get in the England team for many years, and he gets subbed for Liverpool a lot. I’ve never known a right-back get subbed so many times in important periods of matches.
“He does have his challenges with the way he plays, but it’s right that Liverpool fans can feel let down about him leaving.
“As a fan, he’s a local kid and fans have a right to feel that way. I also think about it with my David Beckham cap on, thinking about what career he had when he went to Real Madrid, and then Milan, and he had the experiences that have led him to what he’s done since.
“He wouldn’t have had that if he stayed at United, so part of me thinks that since I’ve stopped playing football, I think differently about it. The experience of going to Real Madrid and playing there is incredible for him.”
T-Rent control
Jamie Carragher has spoken for the first time since talkSPORT revealed Trent Alexander-Arnold has chosen to join Real Madrid.
"Where I’m at is that as a local player and a Liverpool fan, Liverpool are in a position where they’re competing for the league and a European Cup every year," he said on the Stick To Football podcast.
"So, if you’re a Liverpool fan and a local player, I’m just disappointed that he doesn’t think that this is it.
"I’m putting myself in his position where I’d be thinking that we could go level with Manchester United in league trophies, I’ve got another seven or eight years at Liverpool and want to get three or four ahead of them, with a couple more European Cups.
"It seems like there’s not one thing people are unhappy with – it’s leaving on a free or that he should have come out and told the club earlier – people are angry for three or four different things,' Carragher added.
"I’m not angry about him going on a free. In an ideal world, Liverpool would get £70m or £80m for him to reinvest, but you can’t have it both ways as a supporter.
"If Liverpool sign someone on a free in the summer, we’d all be delighted, so does that mean that his former club should absolutely hate him?
"Also, when you’re a local player, you don’t cost anything – Trent going on a free is like Virgil van Dijk leaving for £75m, we’d still break even."
Good Apple
Michael Appleton has been appointed Shrewsbury head coach until the end of the season.
Shrewsbury were rocked on Tuesday when Gareth Ainsworth left the club to take over at Gillingham, but the Sky Bet League One outfit moved quickly to bring in Appleton for the final nine matches of the campaign.
Former Blackpool, Portsmouth and Oxford boss Appleton has been out of work since he was dismissed by Charlton at the start of 2024 following only four months at the helm and will be joined at the Shrews by long-serving assistant Richard O'Donnell.
"It's been a difficult seven days, but once Gareth Ainsworth made the decision to leave, it was important we acted quickly to find the right man to guide us through the remainder of the season," Shrewsbury director of football Micky Moore said.
"Michael was my number one target and I'm thrilled that over the last 24 hours we've been able to get a deal over the line.
"I know the past few days have been difficult for supporters. Nobody likes confusion and uncertainty, but hopefully now, by making this quick appointment, we can all get behind Michael and Richard for the remaining nine games of the season."
Bottom-of-the-table Shrewsbury, who are 14 points from safety, begin Appleton's tenure at Birmingham on Saturday.
'Surreal'
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been talking about winning the Carabao Cup with the Toon.
The forward scored the second in the 2-1 win over Liverpool at Wembley earlier in March, and along with his teammates, added his name to Newcastle's history forever.
The moment he connected with Jacob Murphy's header to flash the ball into the net will be replayed over and over again for years by Magpies fans as the club ended it's 70-year domestic trophy drought.
There is an enormous parade planned this weekend, where Isak will join all his teammates and likely hundreds of thousands of people to celebrate the achievement, and after enjoying a fine international break with Sweden, the striker has been speaking about winning the Carabao Cup.
He said: “You cannot describe it, almost every fan I looked up at in Wembley was crying.
“There were so many emotions in my head, it was almost surreal. The best day of my life? From a football perspective I think so.
“The party was incredible – although not too long for me as I was leaving in the morning – and I can’t wait to see what Newcastle is like as a city after that.”
Sensational reunion
Ex-Celtic and Tottenham star Victor Wanyama looks set to join Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic.
According to reports in Scotland, Wanyama is undergoing a medical to make a sensational return to the country.
The Kenyan just spent four years in Canada with CF Montreal, featuring in the MLS and playing over 140 games for the club.
He hadn't found a team since his contract expired on January 1 of this year, but now he's going to reunite with an old manager.
Neil Lennon was in charge of Celtic when Wanyama spent two years there, making 91 appearances in total.
Now, Lennon is manager of Dunfermline, and he's going to bring the 33-year-old midfielder back to Scotland.
Wanyama will be joining a side that are battling for safety in the Scottish second-tier, sitting ninth in a 10-team league.
His introduction will provide a wealth of experience that should help boost their chances of survival.
Stear-ing Swansea to safety
Swansea have announced that caretaker manager Alan Sheehan will be remaining in his role until the end of the season.
Sheehan was given the interim position following Luke Williams' sacking in February, but now he's staying on despite only winning two of his six games in charge.
He has added two new faces to his coaching staff following the announcement and fans will recognise the names.
Ex-Premier League defender Richard Stearman, who made over 200 appearances for Wolves, has left his post as assistant at Solihull Moors to join Swansea.
And former Huddersfield manager Mark Fotheringham has also joined Sheehan's backroom team.
Fotheringham was Terriers boss for four months in 2022/23 before being sacked after only winning five of 21 games in charge.
They will hope to help the club steer clear of the Championship relegation battle, as they sit 16th and six points off the drop zone.
Eyeing Isak
Newcastle are braced for a major assault from Liverpool on their star striker Alexander Isak.
Various sources have told talkSPORT that Isak features prominently on Liverpool’s list of targets, even if Mohamed Salah decides to stay.
While suggestions of a possible swap deal involving Darwin Nunez have been played down, there are other players Liverpool could be willing to bring into negotiations.
Newcastle were close to signing Joe Gomez last summer.
Jarrell Quansah also was touted as a potential makeweight when the Reds were trying to pry Anthony Gordon away from St James Park.
The Magpies plan to hold contract talks with Isak at the end of the season but realise the Swede will be hot property after scoring 50 goals in just 77 Premier League games.
With doubts over Isak’s future and Callum Wilson expected to depart, Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell has registered an interest in soon-to-be free agent Jonathan David.
But the Magpies will have competition for the Canada international, with Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham among the clubs also linked with an interest.
Early return?
Reports are suggesting that Arsenal could have Bukayo Saka back for their next Premier League game.
The England international has been out of action since December after undergoing hamstring surgery.
However, Arsenal journalist Charles Watts is reporting that Saka might be fit to feature against Fulham next Tuesday.
This would be a huge boost for the Gunners, who have crashed out of both domestic cups and basically lost all hope of winning the Premier League title in his absence.
They are still in the Champions League and face Real Madrid next month, so getting him fully fit for those two matches would be the aim.