Teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has shone for England in the Caribbean to such an extent that Adil Rashid’s absence has gone unnoticed, according to all-rounder Liam Livingstone.
Rashid is arguably the greatest white-ball bowler England have ever produced and, even though he has previously intimated he has many more years left, the double World Cup winner turns 36 in February.
He will be back for the T20 series against the Windies this month after being rested for the ODIs, but the hole left by the Yorkshireman has been filled seamlessly by Ahmed.
Ahmed is England’s youngest senior male player in all three formats and has furthered his blossoming reputation against the Windies by recording identical figures of 10-1-40-2 in two ODIs in Antigua.
Livingstone believes he is getting the rub of the 19-year-old’s reliability after taking three wickets with his own spin on Wednesday, where England’s win set up a series decider in Barbados on Saturday.
“The flexibility that we’ve got – Rehan has obviously come in and replaced Rash, we don’t even know that Rash isn’t here,” Livingstone said.
“Rehan’s been incredible for us, he’s an exceptional talent we’ve got coming through.
“What one of our strengths has been for years is the depth we have, not only in our batting but our bowling as well. As a spin department we’ll be happy with (the win).”
With Rashid out of the side and Moeen Ali likely to become a T20 specialist, Livingstone is now one of the senior players in the set-up and is keen to take more responsibility.
“Mo and Rash have been incredibly supportive and helpful of me bowling over the last couple of years,” the 30-year-old said.
“I guess it’s my turn to kind of take that over from them and maybe try and help Rehan and (fellow spinner Will) Jacks along the way.”
By his own estimation, Livingstone is currently a bowler who bats rather than the other way around as his runs have dried up since ending the English summer with a flourish against New Zealand.
Following a sparkling unbeaten 95 at the Ageas Bowl in September, the Cumbrian has a top-score of 28 in his last nine innings, while he averaged a paltry 10 in six knocks during England’s miserable World Cup.
Asked to pinpoint where he might be going wrong, Livingstone said: “If I had the reason I’d have probably changed it by now. I keep turning up to training, trying as hard as I can.
“I guess maybe just try to put a little bit less pressure on myself and go out and enjoy myself like I have done my whole career. It only takes one innings to change it around.
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“I’ve had it before and I’m sure when things do change around, I’ll look back on this time in my career as something that was probably a massive learning curve for me.”
Even if he is in a trough with what first brought him into England’s limited-overs sides, Livingstone is happy to provide an increasingly useful option with the ball.
“Being able to affect the game and getting key wickets for us at key times, is probably a little bit more satisfying than getting runs at certain times,” Livingstone added.
Gavin Sheehan could be set for another Saturday in the spotlight having successfully appealed the 14-day ban he received at Huntingdon last month.
The 31-year-old was riding Lucy Wadham’s Zain Nights when the raceday stewards deemed the jockey failed to ask his mount for a “timely, real and substantial effort to obtain the best possible placing”.
Zain Nights and Wadham also incurred the wrath of the stewards with the gelding receiving a 40-day ban and his handler fined £3,000 for schooling and conditioning the horse on a racecourse.
However, at a hearing on Thursday an independent panel ruled in favour of both Sheehan and Wadham with their respective punishments quashed.
“It was something I didn’t think was ever going to happen, I felt the ride was good on the day and everything,” said Sheehan.
“But, it’s come this far and I’m delighted that we got the right result.”
The result of the hearing allows Sheehan the chance to build on the brilliant season he is enjoying alongside trainer Jamie Snowden and having partnered the Folly House handler’s Datsalrightgino to a famous Coral Gold Cup victory last weekend, has another pair of high-class operators waiting in the wings at Sandown.
The Irishman can now look forward to linking up with his Cheltenham Festival heroine You Wear It Well as she challenges Constitution Hill in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle, while he will also take the reins aboard highly-touted novice chaser Colonel Harry in the Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase.
“Obviously I had a brilliant weekend last weekend and I’m now hoping for another one this weekend,” continued Sheehan.
“Things are going great and Jamie is definitely a trainer that is progressing and all it is is getting better horses. Better horses make life easier and he’s got them.
“It’s exciting that we’ve got Datsalrightgino who has just come out and won the Coral Gold Cup, but now we’ve got a contender for the Fighting Fifth and the Henry VIII.
“Things are going well and I know better than anyone that this game is a rollercoaster and things are going great now, but you can get put back down pretty quick.
“I’m just enjoying it at the moment, that’s what I’m trying to do, and trying to keep the ball rolling. You can’t take the foot off the gas now. Last week was brilliant, but that’s in the past now and I have got to look forward to my one ride tomorrow and doing my best on that and then look forward to Saturday.”
Shaun Murphy hit the first 147 maximum break at the BetVictor Shoot Out as he blasted past Hungarian teenager Bulcsu Revesz into the second round in Swansea.
Revesz, 16, broke off in the quickfire tournament, where matches are played over one frame of 10 minutes’ duration, and hit the blue on the way back up the table.
Murphy, who won the world title in 2005, needed no second invitation, as he swiftly cleared up the reds and was about to take the blue into the top-right pocket when someone from the audience shouted “don’t bottle it now”.
The 41-year-old Englishman showed nerves of steel as he sank the blue off the cushion, before coming back for the perfect angle off the pink and onto the black, which he rolled in the bottom left pocket with two minutes and 26 seconds of the frame left.
The previous best break in the competition was Mark Allen with 142.
Speaking to Eurosport after his victory, Murphy said: “On the (final) blue a fella shouted out ‘don’t bottle it’. Goodness me, my heart’s going. It was great fun.
“I love the event and can’t believe what’s just happened. It was a real buzz. You get excited out there playing this event, win or lose.
“I’ve done both, played really nicely and really badly, but for the fans here, they’ve seen something special, it was a pleasure to play for them.”
Elsewhere in Thursday’s first-round action in Swansea, Mark Joyce ended the hopes of Rebecca Kenna, amateur Steven Hallworth knocked out Welshman Jamie Jones, while 16-year-old Jack Borwick beat Adam Duffy for a maiden professional victory.
World Championship semi-finalist Si Jiahui defeated Liam Highfield to secure his place in the second round and 17-year-old Stan Moody saw off Rory McLeod to also progress to the last 64.
Oisin Murphy still hopes to “one day” ride over hurdles – but following the abandonment of Wincanton on Thursday he has nothing lined up in the foreseeable future.
The three-times champion Flat jockey was due to have his first spin over obstacles aboard the Cian Collins-trained Lets Do This in the Danny McNab Bookmakers “National Hunt” Novices’ Handicap Hurdle at the Somerset track.
However, the fixture was called off following significant rain, with clerk of the course Daniel Cooper able to make a decision well ahead of the planned 8am inspection.
As part of his Flat commitments, Murphy is due to head for a stint in America on December 22.
“Unfortunately I don’t have any plans to ride over jumps after today. It will be difficult now with my schedule. One day!” said Murphy.
Cooper is also clerk at Exeter, where Friday’s planned card fell victim to a waterlogged track.
Sunday’s card at Huntingdon, which is scheduled to feature the Grade Two Peterborough Chase, is subject to a further precautionary inspection at 7.30am on Friday after passing an initial check on Thursday.
Friday’s Sedgefield card and Saturday’s meeting at Wetherby have both been lost to waterlogging, with the British Horseracing Authority adding an additional all-weather card at Wolverhampton on Sunday.
Kevin Sinfield has completed his latest energy-sapping fundraising challenge to help people living with motor neurone disease.
The 43-year-old former rugby league star crossed the finishing line to a rapturous welcome on The Mall in London on Thursday afternoon after running seven ultra marathons in seven different cities in as many days, once again inspired by former team-mate Rob Burrow’s MND diagnosis.
Shortly afterwards, he told the gathered crowd: “You all know why we’re here. Hopefully we’ve sent the right message out. The MND community is a beautiful community and it needs al of us to keep fighting. The awareness we have generated this week has been enormous again in Rob’s name.
“Fundraising is so important. We tried to push this morning how important the money is because that’s the thing that’s going to shift the dial for us. That’s the thing that’s going to get us a cure.
“It’s also the thing that’s going to make sure families are looked after properly, If there’s one thing you leave today with today from our team, it’s that.”
Sinfield and his team took to the roads once again to raise awareness of MND and funds for five charities supporting people affected by the condition and their families, and also to fund research into effective treatments and ultimately a cure.
Each leg has comprised 27 miles – the conventional marathon distance with an extra mile added to signify how much further people can go to help friends in need – with the aim being to complete it in under four hours.
Thursday’s course took the team from Twickenham to Africa Gate on The Mall via Hyde Park, Bond Street, Regent Street, Leicester Square, Tower Bridge, Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square with former England cricketer Stuart Broad and Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood among the guests who joined them.
Their target was to raise £777,777 to help around 5,000 people currently living with MND in the United Kingdom, among them Burrow, ex-Gloucester and Leicester forward Ed Slater, former professional footballers Marcus Stewart and Stephen Darby, with the late Doddie Weir, who died at the age of 52 in November last year almost six years after being diagnosed with MND, another inspiration.
As Sinfield untied his shoelaces, the total had passed the £630,000 mark with more than £94,000 pledged in Gift Aid.
The former Leeds Rhinos, England and Great Britain rugby league loose forward, who is currently defence coach for England’s rugby union team, has spearheaded a campaign which has already raised more than £8million.
He and his team set off from Twickenham at 12pm on Thursday having already completed 27-mile routes in Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin and Brighton.
Speaking before embarking on the final leg of his gruelling challenge, Sinfield told BBC Breakfast: “What’s been really important this week again is the awareness that’s been generated, but as we’ve seen, it’s the money that’s going to make the difference.
“Every spare bit that anybody’s got. if they can donate, it would be much appreciated because these people really need us.
“Yes, we’re alright running, but running doesn’t find a cure, it’s the money that does so if you can donate, please do.”
Proceeds from Sinfield’s latest initiative will go to mainly to the MND Association and Leeds Hospitals Charity appeal to build the Rob Burrow MND centre in the city, but there will also be donations to the My Name’5 Doddie, the Irish MND Association, the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation and support for the 4ED campaign.
:: To donate to Kevin Sinfield’s 7 in 7 in 7 quest, see https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/kevin-sinfield
A festive outing at Ascot is next on the agenda for Hansard following his coming-of-age victory at Newbury.
A bumper winner in Ireland for Charles O’Brien, the five-year-old was subsequently snapped up for 48,000 to join Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates and was sent to Gary Moore.
He won his first two starts over hurdles for his new connections last winter, finished fourth in a Grade One at Aintree in the spring and finished second to a race-fit Rubaud on his seasonal reappearance in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton last month.
Making his handicap debut in the Gerry Feilden at Newbury, Hansard showed his class to get back on the winning trail and is now being readied for the £150,000 Betfair Exchange Trophy on December 23.
Fehily said: “We were delighted with Hansard in Newbury the other day. I think riding him for speed in a fast-run handicap suited him.
“We were probably a bit disappointed after Wincanton, but he hasn’t had that much racing and I think he’s just learning to settle and learning to do his job properly, hopefully.
“We’re looking towards Ascot with him just before Christmas.”
Another horse who will look to carry the colours of the successful ownership group to big-race honours over the Christmas period is the Fergal O’Brien-trained Kamsinas.
Having landed the Grade Two Newton Novices’ Hurdle on his latest start, the six-year-old is poised for a Grade One bid in the newly-named Formby Novices’ Hurdle – formerly the Tolworth – which for the first time will take place at Aintree on Boxing Day.
“That is probably the plan. He’s come out of the race at Haydock really well, so we’re probably looking at going to Aintree with him,” Fehily added.
“We were delighted with him the other day and Aintree should suit him well, I’d say.
“He’s an improving horse, so hopefully there’s more to come from him.”
Insurrection bids to provide trainer Paul Nicholls with back-to-back victories in the Betfair Beacons Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown on Friday.
The champion trainer plundered the Grade Two prize with Henri The Second 12 months ago and will have high hopes of striking gold once more with a horse who looked an exciting prospect when making a successful hurdling debut at Exeter last month.
The six-year-old won in the Irish point-to-point field before being snapped up to join the Noel Fehily Racing ownership group – and the former jockey is looking forward to seeing how he fares at a higher level.
“He won well at Exeter, we were very happy with him there, so we’ll step him up in class at Sandown and see how we get on,” said Fehily.
“We liked him a lot going to Exeter. We probably didn’t expect him to win in the fashion he did, but we were very happy to see him go and do what he did.
“The step up in trip (to two and a half miles) won’t do him any harm, I think. I’m not sure about the slower ground, but we won’t know until we run him in it.”
Insurrection is opposed by four rivals, all of whom also won on their most recent starts.
Dan and Harry Skelton team up with Deafening Silence, who like the Nicholls runner impressed at Exeter four weeks ago, while the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Josh The Boss is two from two over timber following victories at Warwick and Aintree.
Southoftheborder was bought for £145,000 after winning an Irish point-to-point and has since struck gold in a Ffos Las bumper and a maiden hurdle at Sandown for Nicky Henderson.
“He’s already won around Sandown and it was pretty soft that day,” said Henderson.
“He’s a lovely horse – he’s won a point-to-point, a bumper and his maiden hurdle but this might be very soft ground, it’s going to be horrible but we may as well find out if he handles it.”
Completing the small but select field is Personal Ambition, who won on his introduction at Warwick for Ben Pauling.
Nicky Henderson will be monitoring the situation at Sandown ahead of the rearranged Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle in which Constitution Hill is set to make his seasonal reappearance.
The race was frozen off last weekend at its usual home of Newcastle but swiftly rescheduled for Saturday’s Tingle Creek card.
With Jonbon already odds-on for that Grade One, Henderson then added another of his stable stars to the Esher cast when confirming that Shishkin, not long ago the number one attraction at Seven Barrows, would have his prep for the King George in the Fighting Fifth after refusing to start at Ascot last month.
However, as ever the British weather is doing its bit to put a spanner in the works and while the meeting at Sandown is not in any apparent doubt, the going on the hurdles track is already soft, heavy in places with plenty more rain forecast over the next 48 hours.
“It’s going to be horrible ground and it’s going to make everything very tricky,” said Henderson.
“We’ll just have to wait and see how it all pans out tomorrow and we’ll be monitoring the situation closely.
“He’s declared so obviously we want to run him but it is close to the Christmas Hurdle, so it just might not be in his best interests.
“We all want to run, I just want to warn people that we will be assessing the conditions and I cannot guarantee that everything will take part on Saturday.
“The others are intended runners at this stage. Willmount is in the first race (Claremont Novices’ Hurdle) and he’s never run on heavy, so we need to find out if he handles this ground.
“As for Jonbon, we’ve always felt he was at his best on better ground, but he has won on soft and I’m pretty sure we’ve got stamina in our pocket.”
At present Nico de Boinville will be riding Constitution Hill leaving his understudy at Henderson’s yard, James Bowen, to come in for the ride on Shishkin.
The multiple Grade One winner was last seen planting himself at the start in the 1965 Chase at Ascot, and was denied a subsequent outing in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on the Fighting Fifth card.
“I’m really excited to be riding Shishkin and it is an honour to ride him,” said Bowen.
“I didn’t know I was definitely on him until the declarations today as there was a chance I could have gone to Aintree, but it has ended up working out well for me.
“I’ve ridden a few nice horses, but he would be by far the best horse that I’ve ever ridden in a race. It is great they have rescheduled the race, and it is great to be part of it.
“I’m not saying he is going to go and win, but hopefully he can run a good race to get his season up and running after what happened at Ascot.
“This was not Plan A or Plan B. It is a case of it being Plan C, but it is a good stepping stone for him and his targets later on in the season.”
Jonbon is odds-on for the Tingle Creek in which he will face four rivals – Boothill, Edwardstone, Haddex Des Obeaux and Nube Negra.
Also on the Esher menu is the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, where the Joe Tizzard-trained JPR One bids to atone for an unfortunate mishap at Cheltenham last month.
Henry de Bromhead had a change of heart with Captain Guinness and his two-miler will now run at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting instead of in Saturday’s Tingle Creek.
The eight-year-old made a winning return to action in the Fortria Chase at Navan and looked set to be the main challenger to Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon at Sandown.
However, with the Navan race only being three weeks ago, De Bromhead felt his charge would be better served with a longer break and he will instead remain closer to home for the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase on December 27.
“We changed our minds with Captain Guinness and decided to go to Leopardstown over Christmas instead. He is great and not a bother on him, but we went that route last year and said we’d stick to that,” said De Bromhead.
“The Leopardstown race is always good but with travelling and everything and it being just three weeks since the Fortria, we said we’d wait until Christmas.
“He was brilliant in the Fortria and we were delighted with him.”
Jack Draper has opened up about the heartbreaking impact of his grandmother’s battle with dementia in announcing his new partnership with Alzheimer’s Society.
The 21-year-old’s maternal grandmother Brenda has been one of the biggest supporters of his career but she no longer recognises him after being diagnosed with the condition in 2015.
Draper is the latest ‘sports champion’ for Alzheimer’s Society and will use his role to raise awareness of dementia.
“Tennis comes from my nana,” said Draper. “She was a tennis coach when she was younger. My mum played. I was always very fortunate in my family that it seemed like everyone could hit a tennis ball. Me and my brother played when we were young.
“She was always our biggest fan along with my granddad. Very, very hard-working people. Just loved sport in general.
“She has lost all physicality now. She doesn’t know who anyone is. My pa (grandfather) has done an incredible job to keep her going almost. It’s a full-time job. He is essentially her carer.
“It has definitely been really difficult for all of us. That’s why I think it’s important that this is something I want to do. Be an ambassador and support the Alzheimer’s Society. It is something that comes from my heart.
“My pa says that now I have got to the point where you can watch it on TV and I’m playing against great players, she’s looking at the wall. Which is difficult.
“He appreciates what I am doing. He says he is always very proud of me and she would be, too. Without her, I wouldn’t be playing.”
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity and helps those living with the disease as well as funding research.
Chief executive Kate Lee said: “We’re so incredibly moved that, in order to raise much-needed awareness, Jack has decided to share publicly the heartbreaking details of his nana’s dementia.
“It’ll make so many others feel less alone. Every day we hear stories about people losing the ability to communicate, socialise and enjoy the sports they once loved.
“We must end the devastation caused by dementia, and we’re delighted to have Jack on board as our new Alzheimer’s Society sports champion to help us do that.”
Sport England has raised concerns after a survey revealed fewer than half of the country’s children are taking part in the recommended amount of physical activity.
The latest Active Lives Children and Young People report indicates 47 per cent of young people are taking part for an average of 60 minutes a day, with data from the 2022/23 academic year remaining stable from the previous 12 months. A further 22.8 per cent are rated as ‘fairly active’ while 30.2 per cent are categorised as ‘less active’ with less than 30 minutes a day on average.
Figures indicate a maintained recovery in participation following the pandemic, with the current statistics in line with pre-Covid findings from 2018/19, but also shine a light on areas that require improvement.
Most strikingly, the number of children classed as taking no physical activity at all in the previous seven days has increased by 127,000 since the survey was first taken in 2017/18, a rise of 1.4 per cent.
There remains broad inequality in the uptake of regular physical activity, with 40 per cent of black and Asian children in the recommended range and 44 per cent from less affluent families. Boys (51 per cent) are also more likely than girls (44 per cent) to be classed as active.
On the positive side, the success of England’s Lionesses at Euro 2022 saw 68,000 more young girls playing football – part of a four per cent rise over the five-year period.
Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England, said: “While today’s figures reveal some positives and is further evidence of our sector’s ability to recover from the pandemic, they also underline how much more work there is to do to get our children and young people active.
“The fact that fewer than half are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines demonstrates the scale of challenge facing our country. Too many children and young people are missing out on the benefits of living an active life – to their physical health but also mental well-being and positive social connection with friends and their community.”
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew appeared at an event with former England rugby union star Ugo Monye on Thursday to coincide with the report, and Hollingsworth reiterated the importance of political backing.
“This underlines the need for more action – and greater concerted focus across Government departments, as well as across the sport and physical activity sector,” he added.
“We welcome the launch of the new Physical Activity Taskforce, which meets next week, as a chance for this action to be debated.”
The Detroit Lions are strong contenders as they close in on the NFL playoffs and Duron Harmon believes his former side are succeeding due to the understanding and relatability of head coach Dan Campbell.
Campbell's Lions lead the NFC North after going 9-3, inspired by an energetic running game and experienced quarterback Jared Goff, who made Super Bowl LII with the defeated Los Angeles Rams.
Only C.J. Stroud (3,540), Sam Howell (3,466) and Tua Tagovailoa (3,457) have passed for more yards than Goff's 3,288, while the Lions' 1,648 rushing yards can only be bettered by the Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens.
Enjoying a fine season to date, Harmon – a Lion for a season in 2020 – lauded the qualities his former Detroit side have to offer in their quest for a first playoff berth since 2016.
"What I've seen is a team that has taken the approach and the mindset of their head coach," Harmon, now of the Cleveland Browns, told Stats Perform.
"A gritty team, a tough team, a team that will not quit, a team that will fight for all 60 minutes, and a team that is continually going to be on the rise this year and for years to come.
"They have a great thing cooking in Detroit.
"I was privileged enough to sit down with coach Campbell when he got hired. Right then and there, I knew they hired the right guy.
"He said it was going to be a year-to-year thing, it wasn't what happened overnight. He understood that he understood the process that it was going to be."
As the Lions continue in their search for a first Super Bowl triumph, Harmon lauded Campbell for restoring pride among a devoted Detroit faithful.
He added: "I'm happy for what he has done for the city of Detroit because they have one of the most loyal fan bases in sports, not just in the NFL.
"All they've ever wanted was a team to compete and a team that they can be proud of and Dan Campbell has given that to them – so hats off to him.
"We still have a long season, but what they've been able to accomplish this year up to this point, and just over the last two years, it shows that they're heading in the right direction to compete for years to come."
Touching further on Campbell's qualities, Harmon believes more NFL teams should follow suit in appointing former players looking to get into coaching.
Former tight end Campbell played for the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints – as well as a spell with the Lions – in a playing career that ended in 2009.
"It was a brief, probably 20-25 minute conversation, and the energy he gave off to me was, a lot of coaches say, I'll do any and everything for you, but you can just tell he meant it," Harmon continued.
"Not only did he mean it because, obviously it was his chance to be a head coach, but because he could relate. He was in the player's shoes.
"That's one thing that I think the NFL and these owners should start doing more is looking to hire former NFL players because they can relate.
"They understand the grind, not only physically, but mentally. They understand what it means to be an NFL player.
"What better way to have a head coach, who not only can motivate the players, but also relate? So they hired the right guy and we all see it. I wish him nothing but luck."
Joel Embiid was praised for an "effortless" shooting performance after he led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 131-126 victory over the Washington Wizards with a season-high 50 points.
The reigning NBA MVP, who also grabbed 13 rebounds, hit the 50-point mark for the sixth time in his career on Wednesday.
Washington (3-17) was in with a chance of an upset as they led in the fourth quarter but the 76ers prevailed to improve to 13-7 on the season with a key road win.
Embiid was 19 of 24 from the floor and 11 of 13 from the foul line. He also had seven assists and six turnovers in just over 38 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and De'Anthony Melton chipped in with 19 as Philadelphia averted a third straight loss.
"I felt like it was one of those nights where I had to be aggressive and get it going," Embiid said after the game.
"Sometimes your team needs you to be a playmaker, but sometimes they need you to score.
"But they made passes, they made the right plays every single time and I just finished them."
Melton felt it was a game that showed how important Embiid is to the team, with the 76ers now set to play three of their next four games at home, including another clash with the Wizards on Monday.
"That's why he's the MVP," Melton said. "He's our safety valve – offensively and defensively.
"He covers up for a lot of our mistakes defensively and then offensively he can bail us out late and make some shots.
"He was just going out there effortlessly shooting the ball and scoring."
Philadelphia is fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and are next in action at home to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Scott McTominay says Manchester United are focused on consistency rather than their current place in the pecking order after Erik ten Hag’s under-fire side moved within three points of Manchester City.
This has been a challenging, and at times chastening, second season in the hotseat for the Dutchman, who won the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League during a promising first campaign.
United also lost the FA Cup final to a City side that went on to match their neighbours’ historic 1999 treble triumph by lifting the Champions League trophy after beating Inter Milan.
Last season’s dominance and October’s 3-0 Old Trafford loss to Pep Guardiola’s men highlighted the gap in quality, yet the stumbling Red Devils are now within touching distance of their rivals.
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City fell to a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa as United bounced back from the lifeless loss to Newcastle by beating Chelsea 2-1 thanks to McTominay’s brace, moving them within three points of their fourth-placed neighbours.
When that was pointed out to the matchwinner, along with the bunched-up standings, McTominay said: “We barely pay attention to that in terms of we just concentrate on how we’re playing and if the style of football that we’re playing is how the manager wants.
“In games like tonight it was and against Newcastle it wasn’t, so we have to find that balance between us where we try and do that every single week.
“I felt like that was a game where we had to come out and show to the fans that we have full focus on this game, we want to play well and give a reaction.
“It has to be like that every week, though, which is something that (when) I was in the dressing room… there was players speaking about it.
“(It) can’t just be one game where we need to show a reaction. It has to come out and show that every week.”
McTominay said he was grateful to the United fans for “sticking with us throughout anything that goes on at this football club” after another difficult few days.
Reports over some player unhappiness with Ten Hag emerged after the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle, which the Scotland international knows saw them fall well short of what is required.
“We know the fans are extremely demanding and so are we as players, so that’s what we expect,” the six-goal midfielder told MUTV.
“Going back to the game against Newcastle, we know that was nowhere near good enough and that’s still stinging us.
“We can’t have them anomalies where we go somewhere and we don’t play as well as what we can, and maybe not show as much fight as what we could as well.
“But tonight is a building block and something that we can take step by step without getting too carried away.”
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United now refocus on Saturday’s home match against Bournemouth, with stuttering Chelsea heading to Everton the following day.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men were second best for large parts at Old Trafford but could have scored more than Cole Palmer’s intelligent equaliser.
Chelsea captain Reece James, who came off the bench at half-time, said: “We go out there wanting to win but it’s still a young squad and we are learning game by game.
“At the moment it’s quite tough, but we know we have the capabilities to win every game.
“We need to go back to the drawing board and review the game, and then prepare for Everton. We need to prepare right and start climbing the table.”
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