Daily Mirror - 30.07.2019

DM1ST

mirror.co.uk/sport TUESDAY 30.07.2019 DAILY MIRROR^47

E BIG KICK-OFF

RESULTS &

FIXTURES

FOOTBALL

FRIENDLIES

Deeping (1) 1 Peterboro (3) 8

Dover (1) 4 Millwall (2) 2

Lincoln (1) 1 Nottm Forest (0) 1

Nuneaton (2) 4 Burton (2) 4

Welling (2) 5 Gillingham (0) 0

TENNIS

ATP GENERALI OPEN,

Kitzbuhel, Austria, 1st Rnd:

R Carballes Baena (Spa) bt

H Dellien (Bol) 3-6 6-3 6-2,

(7) L Sonego (Ita) bt F Delbonis

(Arg) 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4),

M Bachinger (Ger) bt M Klizan

(Svk) 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-4),

D Novak (Aut) bt J Rodionov

(Aut) 6-3 6-4, J Chardy (Fra) bt

M Cecchinato (Ita) 7-6 (10-8) 7-5

SPEEDWAY

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Cradley 48 Stoke 42

Kent 40 Leicester 50

TODAY’S FIXTURES

FOOTBALL

(7.45 unless stated)

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

2nd Qualifying Round 2nd Leg

Apoel Nicosia v Sutjeska (6)

Basel v PSV (7)

Dinamo Zagreb v Saburtalo (7)

Maccabi Tel-Aviv v CFR Cluj (6)

Nomme Kalju v Celtic (6)

Olympiacos v Plzen (7.30)

Valletta v Ferencvaros (7)

FRIENDLIES

AFC Wimbledon v Crystal Palace

Atalanta v Norwich (7)

Bromsgrove v Cheltenham

Burnley v Nice

Hibernian v Newcastle (5.45)

Hyde Utd v Rochdale

Kristiansund BK v Man Utd (6)

Melksham Town v Swindon (7.30)

Real Madrid v Tottenham (5)

St Neots Town v MK Dons (7)

Tavistock v Plymouth (7.30)

Woking v Portsmouth

CRICKET

T20 BLAST South Group

Kia Oval: Surrey v Kent (6.30)

SPEEDWAY

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Leicester v Isle Of Wight (7.30)

GOOD FACTOR

INSIDER: Summer tour

like ”chalk and cheese“

compared with Mourinho

moan-fest.. players are

united again under Ole

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER

has brought the feelgood

factor back to Manchester

United in his first pre-season

since taking charge.

This time last year, a toxic tour

under Jose Mourinho set the tone

for a calamitous campaign, which

ended with United finishing sixth

and sacking the self-proclaimed

Special One in December.

The contrast between that tour

and this could not be greater,

with the players having bought

into Solskjaer’s methods, ensuring

they are ready to hit the ground

running when they host Chelsea

on August 11 for their Premier

League opener.

One

senior club

source

described the

tours as being

“like chalk

and cheese”,

with players united

behind Solskjaer in a way

they never were under his

controversial predecessor.

While Mourinho snarled

and moaned about the tour,

the lack of players available to

him and the failure to land the

transfer targets he wanted,

Solskjaer ensured no

negativity has been allowed

to cloud preparations for

the new campaign.

Even though Paul

Pogba’s future

remains uncertain,

with the midfielder open to a

move and Real Madrid trying to

land him, Solskjaer has managed

to keep the record £89million

signing focused and committed

while in Australia and the Far

East.

And although Romelu Lukaku

was a passenger while

negotiations continue between

United and Inter Milan over his

proposed switch, his enforced

absence and the ongoing saga of

his future did not cast a shadow

over a hugely encouraging trip.

United, who take on Solskjaer’s

home club Kristiansund in Oslo

tonight, have won all four of their

warm-up games so far, conceding

just one goal, with youngsters

including striker Mason

Greenwood and new signings

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel

James looking particularly sharp.

Academy graduates Angel

Gomes, James Garner,

Axel Tuanzebe

and

Tahith Chong also

impressed with their

energy and enterprise,

while established

forwards Marcus

Rashford and Anthony

Martial have looked

hungry and dangerous. The other

plus from the tour has been

United’s style of play, a high-

pressing, high-intensity approach,

using pace and width when going

forward.

After the workmanlike

approaches of David Moyes,

Louis van Gaal and Mourinho,

Solskjaer’s team have established

an attacking identity harking

back to the glory days under Sir

Alex Ferguson.

Although there is concern

among fans that there have been

only two signings and transfer

deadline day is looming on

August 8, the club are confident

of adding two more new faces

before then.

There is an acceptance at

United that the gap between

them and Manchester City and

Liverpool, who broke away from

the rest last season to contest

their own title race,will take time

to bridge and is unlikely to be

achieved next season.

Instead, re- establishing United

as a top-four side and getting

back into the Champions League

is Solskjaer’s remit, with the hope

he can also land a trophy in his

first full season in charge as part

of the club’s route back to

challenging for the

bigger prizes.

So far, the

signs are

looking

good, but the

true test

begins

against

Chelsea in

just under a

fortnight’s

time,

when

Solskjaer

and his

players

must deliver.

are still working. Nothing has

ended.”

Juve enter the fray on Friday and

now look favourites to land Lukaku

with nine days until the transfer

window closes.

While Inter blame United for

overpricing Lukaku, the Reds have

made the same accusation about

Leicester after having a £60m bid

for Maguire rejected.

It is understood they will go up to

£70m, but made it clear there is no

way they will meet City’s £90m

valuation of the 26-year-old, which

could end his hopes of a move.

Centre-back Maguire called in sick

yesterday and missed training.

BY DAVID McDONNELL

@DiscoMirror

BY DAVE ARMITAGE

STOKE have slammed the

door on England keeper

Jack Butland’s Premier

League exit plan.

Butland insists he needs

to leave the Championship

club to hold on to his place

in the Three Lions squad.

But Stoke’s £25million

valuation has put off clubs.

The keeper reckons

Stoke have priced him out

of a move – but the club

insist that’s his market

value based on the £30m

Everton paid for England

No.1 Jordan Pickford.

Stoke boss Nathan Jones

said: “Anyone who comes in

now, it would leave us short

in terms of replacing Jack.

So the shut-off time has

gone for that.”

Bournemouth and Aston

Villa were keen but felt the

price was too high. Stoke

paid £3.5m for him in 2013,

but 20 per cent of profit

goes to Birmingham.

Ryan Shawcross has had

surgery on the broken leg

he suffered in Saturday’s

friendly against Leicester

which is said to be not as

serious as first thought.

Butland to

be a stayer

FROM BACK PAGE

PREMIER LEAGUE STARTS ON

FRIDAY AUGUST 9

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FROM BACKP

Mourinho set the tone

itous campaign, which

United finishing sixth

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urinho snarled

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targets he wanted,

aer ensured no

vity has been allowed

oud preparations for

new campaign.

Even though Paul

Pogba’s future

remains uncertain,

was a passenger while

negotiations continue between

United and Inter Milan over his

proposed switch, his enforced

absence and the ongoing saga of

his future did not cast a shadow

over a hugely encouraging trip.

United, who take on Solskjaer’s

home club Kristiansund in Oslo

tonight, have won all four of their

warm-up games so far, conceding

just one goal, with youngsters

including striker Mason

Greenwood and new signings

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel

James looking particularly sharp.

Academy graduates Angel

Gomes, James Garner,

Axel Tuanzebe

and

Tahith Chong also

impressed with their

energy and enterprise,

while established

forwards Marcus

Rashford and Anthony

Martial have looked

Louis van Gaal and Mourinho, August^ 8,^ the^ club^ are

of adding two more

before then.

There is an acce

United that the gap

them and Mancheste

Liverpool, who broke

the rest last season

their own title race,wi

to bridge and is unli

achieved next season.

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as a top-four side a

back into the Champio

is Solskjaer’s remit, wit

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Players are right

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the season on

a high

GUNNAR BE

DIFFERENT

£80m for the Belgium striker, which

Inter chief executive Beppe Marotta

(right) dismissed as ”too much”.

Inter have tabled £55m and

Marotta added: “We’ve made a fair

and important offer respecting the

value of the player.

“We didn’t reach an agreement so

CLUBS KICK OFF OVER PRICES