Relegated, managerless and up for sale for half the price of 12 months ago, two consortiums are apparently giving the club the once over, one a group of Sunderland fanatics who want to give Tony Adams a key roleDuring an often proud history, featuring the collection of six English league titles, Sunderland have variously been dubbed “the team of all the talents” and the “Bank of England club”.These days the latter – attached in the 1950s – seems something of a sick joke. After a decade spent in the Premier League, the newly relegated Wearside club somehow find themselves at least £110m in debt, up for sale and managerless. Related: Toxic mood at relegation-threatened Sunderland is helping nobody | Louise...
The Premier League’s newest additions will have a big job on their hands next season but their togetherness and high-energy style may give them a chanceBefore Huddersfield’s penalty shootout victory in a grim play-off final their manager, David Wagner, was fond of comparing his side’s promotion charge with Leicester winning the Premier League last season. That might be a touch strong but Wagner’s achievement in bringing Huddersfield into the top flight for the first time in 45 years remains utterly extraordinary.Wagner was appointed in November 2015 with the immediate brief of making sure Huddersfield avoided relegation to League One. They were 18th at the time, glancing over their shoulders with profound concern. A little over 18 months later those worried...
Royals’ manager and players pay heavy penalty against Huddersfield after latest play-off final defeat sends them back to the Championship drawing boardJaap Stam had a difficult job on his hands when he took over at Reading last summer, charged with lifting a squad after two poor seasons going in the wrong direction. But that task might have felt easy in comparison with the one he faced on Monday as he attempted to pull his deflated players up from the Wembley turf, one by one, after the Championship play-off final defeat by Huddersfield Town in a penalty shoot-out.There was not a lot he could say. Tiago Ilori, the Reading defender, said few words were exchanged between team-mates in the dressing room...
Manager uses unconventional methods to keep his squad’s minds firmly rooted in buildup to Monday’s Championship play-off final against ReadingLunchtime beckons at Huddersfield Town’s attractive, canalside, training ground, and a tableau capable of turning Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and company apoplectic is fast unfolding.David Wagner’s players are happily queuing up alongside members of the public as they wait to be served by cheerful cafeteria staff. Related: Huddersfield’s Christopher Schindler: The hardest season of my life Continue reading...
The Red Devils confirm their place in the Champions League after winning the Europa League. Plus: Chelsea take on Arsenal in the FA Cup final, Huddersfield and Reading meet at Wembley with a spot in the Premier League at stake, and Crystal Palace and Sunderland hunt for a new manager … againIain Macintosh helms the ship for the first and conceivably only time for today’s edition of Football Weekly Extra, and he’s joined by James Horncastle, Michael Cox, Paolo Bandini, and a laptop on which he can continue to play Football Manager.We begin with Manchester United’s emotional victory against Ajax in the Europa League final, completing an historic though thoroughly mediocre treble for José Mourinho, but the club are back...