Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has told his players they have to use the pressure and expectation that comes with playing for the club to spur them on to Hampden.
Naismith faced the wrath of some Hearts fans on Saturday when a 1-0 reverse against St Mirren left them with five defeats in their last six games.
The former Scotland international views Tuesday’s Viaplay Cup quarter-final at Kilmarnock as the perfect opportunity to atone.
“Being at a club like Hearts, when you don’t win on a Saturday, there’s that frustration and that’s something that builds,” the 37-year-old said.
“I’m comfortable and confident that by the end of the week we can look back on it being a good week and that starts on Tuesday night.
“The game at the weekend was small margins, we don’t take our chances and give up a cheap goal.
“This game coming so quickly is good because it gives us a chance to react but the bigger picture is it’s a chance to get to Hampden and one step closer to getting silverware which is something as a squad we are desperate to get. But also that expectation from the club is there, that we should be getting into these positions.
“It’s something you become aware of when you come to the club, it’s not so much any single person letting you know that.
“The crowd that travel to every away game, the crowd that are in the stadium for home games, they are there because they have a right passion for the club and want to see success.
“You could argue that over the last 10-15 years there has probably not been enough silverware.
“In terms of being in the later rounds of competitions, that has been pretty successful over the last five or six years but taking that next step to win something is the most important one and one that us as a squad need to show we are capable of.”
Naismith won six major trophies with Rangers and also played in cup finals with Kilmarnock and Hearts, the latter resulting in defeat by Celtic in one of three Scottish Cup finals Hearts have reached in the past five years.
“We were two or three penalty-kicks away from winning the Scottish Cup and never managed to do it,” he said.
“That element of pressure for me is something I have managed throughout my career to some ways enjoy and push you forward. As players that is what you have to do.
“The week to week, day to day of signing a new contract and of playing x amount of games is one achievement but if you want real success then that’s defined by winning trophies.
“As a player fortunately I managed to do it and I know what it takes, so hopefully us as a squad can do it.”
Hearts have failed to score in four of their past five matches but Naismith believes there are encouraging signs.
“The frustration from my side is that we have picked up injuries to more attacking players,” he said.
“One positive is, in the chances we have created, it’s different players that are getting on the end of them.
“It’s not as if we are relying on one player to get on the end of crosses and through-balls. We are getting plenty of men forward. It’s just converting them really.”
Nathaniel Atkinson drops out through injury for Hearts but Andy Halliday is back.
A favourable weather forecast has prompted connections of Fantastic Moon to reconsider supplementing the German Derby winner for Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Despite winning a recognised Arc trial over the course and distance in the Prix Niel, the Sea The Moon colt looked set to sidestep Europe’s premier middle-distance contest in favour of either a trip to the Breeders’ Cup or a tilt at the Japan Cup.
However, with little or no rain forecast in Paris in the run-up to Sunday’s showpiece, his team are now giving serious thought to adding him to the field on Wednesday at a cost of €120,000.
Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten of owners Liberty Racing said: “We discussed it yesterday, because the weather forecast is dry and the sun in shining in Paris, perhaps we will get good ground.
“We will decide as late as possible because every day is important for us. How the horse is, how is he looking and working.
“We have a few opportunities too with the Breeders’ Cup and the Japan Cup and now we have the option of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe again.
“We will see – our vet will check him, he will gallop in Munich and then we will see what’s going on and what the weather forecast will be in Paris.
“We decided two weeks ago that we would not run but the situation is new, the ground is better than we expected and the horse is better than we expected 14 days after the Prix Niel.
“It’s new information and a lot of horses are out of the race, so we will see.”
Hercule Du Seuil extended his winning run over fences to four with a stylish success in the Ballymore Group Irish EBF Kilbegnet Novice Chase at Roscommon.
A winner in Grade Two and Three company over hurdles, Willie Mullins’ charge suffered a shock defeat on his chasing bow at Ballinrobe back in May.
However, he has barely put a foot wrong in three subsequent starts, returning to Ballinrobe to claim a first win over fences before following up at Killarney and then in Grade Three company at Galway.
Kept to that level here, Hercule Du Seuil took up his usual position at the head of affairs under Mark Walsh and the 2-5 favourite barely had to hit top gear as he strolled home by 12 lengths from Calico, with The Banger Doyle beaten just a nose in third.
Hercule Du Seuil was encountering heavy ground for the first time and Frank Berry, racing manager for owner JP McManus, was delighted to see him rise to the challenge.
He said: “That was lovely. He jumped well, settled away and handled the ground.
“We didn’t know how he would handle the ground, but Mark said he handled it quite well. It’s loose and he got through it.
“We’ll see what happens when the better ones come out, but he’s going the right way and he’s had a good season so far. We’ll see what Willie wants to do with him.
“It’s a lovely race to find for him here and a flat track suits him well. You couldn’t have asked for better.”
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald admits his team “have their work cut out” as they seek to wrest the trophy back from the United States.
After a record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits in 2021, Donald has the unenviable task of trying to maintain the hosts’ 30-year unbeaten record on home soil.
On paper the Americans have the superior team, with 10 of their 12 players currently in the world’s top 20, and even though Europe have three of the top four, Donald is aware of the challenge which awaits in Italy .
“I know it’s going to be a difficult next few days, it really is. The US are very strong. We know that,” he said at a press conference at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome.
“We are coming off our worst defeat ever in a Ryder Cup. US players are strong, high up in the world rankings and they have some great partnerships and have had a lot of success.
“We have our work cut out but as captain you have to be confident. I certainly have a lot of belief in my team and you have to have belief that you’re going to get them into a place where they are going to be successful.”
Marco Simone is likely to prove a testing layout for both teams due to the weather forecast for the week – temperatures are expected to hit 29 degrees Celsius over the three days – and the undulations and big elevation changes around the course.
Donald has not ruled out some of his players featuring in all five sessions but is more confident that no-one, not even rookies Ludvig Aberg, Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Nicolai Hojgaard, will be left on the bench until Sunday’s singles.
“In terms of playing five, I think there’s some guys that certainly could do that, and we have done that in the past. This is a very tiring, taxing golf course,” he added.
“It’s a long build-up so I’m wary of some of that. I’ll certainly be considering that but it’s not out of the question that some people might play five.
“I very much doubt that someone wouldn’t play until the Sunday singles.”
Unusually Donald has opted to begin the first two days with the foursomes format and leave the fourballs until the afternoon.
While the Americans traditionally pick that option when it is their honour, it is the first time since 1993, the last time Europe lost on home soil, that it will be played that way on this side of the Atlantic.
“It’s pretty simple really. We feel like as a team, statistically we are stronger in foursomes within our team than we would be in fourballs,” said Donald.
“Why not get off to a fast start? That’s it.”
USA captain Zach Johnson was asked whether he had second thoughts about his captain’s picks after the overlooked Bryson DeChambeau won his second LIV event in successive months on Sunday.
Brooks Koepka is the only player from the Saudi breakaway league to feature in the team having qualified by virtue of his performances in majors after winning the US PGA Championship and finishing second in the Masters.
On Sunday DeChambeau said it would have been “nice to have a call” but Johnson has freely admitted he paid no attention to the LIV Golf tour and so the 30-year-old was never on his radar, finishing 54th on USA’s qualifying list.
“We have a points system within the PGA of America, within the Ryder Cup USA. It’s pretty evident how you garner points and which tournaments can accumulate points,” said Johnson.
“When it got down towards the end of the process, it was the top 20, the top 25 guys in that point system that I felt like had the merit and should have my full attention.”
Johnson also confirmed there would be no morale-boosting last-minute visit from Tiger Woods, who is still recovering from ankle surgery, despite him being part of the process this year and the 15-time major winner would be relegated to the role of cheerleader from back home.
“No, Tiger will not be joining us in Italy. He’s got a lot on his plate. As far as communicating with him, we have up to this point but he understands that now that our feet are on the ground, it’s probably kind of best that we navigate this ourselves,” said the USA captain.
“At this point it’s more encouragement on his side, whether he’s texting the guys or texting the vice-captains and captains, he’s there to encourage because he’s very invested in what we do year-in and year-out with Team USA.
“We are going to utilise his knowledge and his wisdom, his candour and his passion the best we can but when it comes to the week of the tournament, if you’re not in on it and inside the team room, inside the ropes, shoulder-to-shoulder with these guys, it’s not fair to ask him questions.
“At the same time, I don’t know if that’s proper and I think he would understand completely.”
Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s owners must look past their disappointment and back him to implement the plan he was hired to draw up in order to lift the club out of their slump.
Defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday means the team have taken an average of 0.85 points per game over the last 35 matches, three short of a full league season.
Over a single campaign they would have won 32 points, a tally that would have seen them relegated in every Premier League season since the league became 38 games in 1995, and would have left them bottom of the table in five of them.
That run goes back to October 19 last year when the team, then managed by Graham Potter, drew 0-0 away at Brentford.
Pochettino is the fourth manager to have led the side in that period, with Potter having been removed on April 2 and Frank Lampard taking over until the end of the campaign, with a single game in charge for caretaker boss Bruno Saltor.
Despite the turnover of coaches, the Blues have won only six times in the league in the 11 months since, drawing 12, giving them a return of 30 points from 35 games.
The squad assembled by co-owner Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium at a cost of more than £1billion over the last 16 months are currently 14th in the table after six games and have not scored in 285 minutes of play.
Pochettino encouraged supporters to keep faith and focus on the quality of recent performances rather than the club’s relegation form over the last year.
“It’s about learning, it’s about the process,” he said after Ollie Watkins’ second-half goal for Villa condemned his side to their third loss of the season.
“We are a young team (in) a process that they need to learn all together. It’s difficult to talk about positives because when you lose it’s difficult, but we need to talk about positive things.
“No doubt that with time the team is going to perform, but of course now we cannot hide the situation. It’s a situation that disappoints all the fans, the club, us and the players.
“They (the owners) are disappointed, they arrive to the club and (were) so excited to build some project. Of course they feel disappointed, but at the same time they need to support the plan.”
If there was a bright spot for Chelsea it was the return of striker Armando Broja after nine months out with an ACL injury.
The Albania international came off the bench in the second half and headed wide in the closing minutes as the team sought an equaliser.
“It was good to see Broja after nine, 10 months,” said Pochettino. “Again I think to have the possibility to have different options is good for the team. But he needs to build his confidence also.”
Watkins’ goal was his first in the league this season and the striker admitted it was a weight off his shoulders.
“The first one is always hard to get,” Watkins told VillaTV.
“I’m delighted to get off the mark now.
“It’s a bit of a relief, really, because the more the games go by, there’s a lot of talk and pressure.
“But I just try and block that out and I back myself in front of goal no matter what anyone says.
“I’m looking forward to the games coming up now and plenty more goals for the season.”
John Dalziel is adamant new recruit Johnny Matthews will prove a perfectly able deputy after Scotland’s World Cup hooker curse continued with the departure of Stuart McInally from the squad.
It was announced on Sunday night – after the bonus-point 45-17 win over Tonga in Nice – that the 33-year-old Edinburgh forward was heading home from the tournament with a neck problem less than a fortnight after being called up when Dave Cherry departed the camp due to a concussion sustained when falling on stairs at the team hotel.
In addition to the travails of McInally and Cherry, Ewan Ashman was unable to be involved against South Africa after getting concussed in the build-up, while Fraser Brown – who was on the bench for four of the Six Nations games earlier this year – would almost certainly have come into contention if not for the ACL injury he suffered at the end of last season.
First-choice George Turner is the only hooker who has stayed injury-free throughout the World Cup training camp and tournament itself, meaning coaches have had to draw on their depth of options for the specialised position.
“When we were picking the hookers initially, there were a lot of names in consideration,” said forwards coach Dalziel on Monday afternoon. “We were unlucky to lose Fraser Brown to injury prior to the tournament.
“We’ve never really had a campaign where we don’t use four hookers plus, it’s a position that’s right in the firing line, there’s a lot of injuries that come with it because of the scrummage and set-piece requirements.
“There’s been a bit of change there, with Rambo (McInally) disappointed to miss out (on the initial 33-man squad) and then he got a lifeline and thought it was going to happen for him.
“He added a huge amount while he was with us but it’s unfortunate that he’s got to go home again.
“It’s been a bit of a merry-go-round for Rambo and we’re disappointed to see him go.”
Matthews’ only previous outing with the national team came for Scotland A against Chile in June 2022. The Liverpool-born 30-year-old – whose mother was born in Glasgow – would effectively have been sixth in the pecking order if all other options were fit.
But after flying in to join up with the squad in Nice over the weekend, he now finds himself up to third behind Turner and Ashman and in contention to win his first full cap in Saturday’s World Cup pool match against Romania in Lille.
“It’s a huge opportunity for Johnny, who was another one in great form for Glasgow last season and was unfortunate to miss out on selection,” said Dalziel.
“We all know the speed and physicality Johnny brings, it’s probably his point of difference. Glasgow had an extended off-season but they were working hard away from it and they’ve been back in for pre-season.
“By all accounts, he’s been training really well. As a hooker, a specialised position, he’s always working on his craft anyway so he’s arrived in good condition and he’ll be a good addition to the group.”
Dalziel also reported that Jamie Ritchie suffered no ill effects overnight following the dangerous high tackle he was on the receiving end of from Tonga wing Afusipa Taumoepeau.
The Scotland captain was forced off in the first half off after taking a bang to the head and is now in his 12-day concussion stand-down period, meaning he will miss the Romania game and only be allowed to return to training on the eve of the potentially-critical match against Ireland in Paris on Saturday week.
“It was pretty nasty in terms of the head collision but in terms of after that and post-game, he’s been OK,” said Dalziel. “He’s not had any dramatic extra symptoms with it.
“You’ve got to take full care with anything to do with the head so he’ll just be managed along with the protocols. He’s up and about and his family are here so he’ll get a day off to chill.”
Dalziel was pleased to see the rest of the squad come through a bruising encounter intact.
“There are a couple of sore bodies this morning, it was a pretty physical game – as we knew it would be – but it’s miraculous how everybody rocks up and looks fine today and gets food into them,” he said.
“Credit to the conditioners as well, the boys were all in the pool nice and early doing their recovery. Apart from a couple of bumps and bruises, the majority of the group are OK and good to go.”
Sunday’s match was Scotland’s first for a full fortnight after their opener against the Springboks and Dalziel was delighted to see them return to action with a seven-try victory to get their tournament up and running.
“It’s been a really weird World Cup for us,” he said. “That first week seemed very busy and hectic. We felt a huge part of it building up to the first game against South Africa and then there was a real lull after that.
“Two weeks of just training and having the appropriate time off so we didn’t feel we were really part of the tournament, to be honest.
“You have to sit on those bad memories (against South Africa) and you’re just desperate to get back out there again so it was brilliant to get back out there and score some points and get that bonus point and get back on track.”
Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has vowed his side will not be taking lowly Preussen Munster lightly on Tuesday in the DFB Cup.
Tuchel’s side sit top of the Bundesliga and head to third division Munster on the back of last week’s Champions League win over Manchester United and Saturday’s 7-0 thrashing of Bochum.
The Bayern boss recalled the club’s embarrassing 1-0 defeat to German minnows Vestenbergsgreuth at the same stage of the DFB Cup in 1994 when the fourth-tier side caused one of the competition’s biggest upsets.
Tuchel told a press conference: “I remember the name Vestenbergsgreuth. I couldn’t believe it at the time. We won’t underestimate the opponent.
“We’re preparing seriously. We’ll play like Bayern want to play. It doesn’t matter who’s on the other side.
“We’re the favourites. There’s not much for us to win. We want to win. We want to get to Berlin and be in the final. We have to keep winning games for that.”
Bayern have won all 28 of their DFB Cup first-round ties since that defeat to Vestenbergsgreuth – a current record – which included a 4-1 win against Munster in the two sides’ only previous meeting in the 2014-15 season.
“Munster can play without pressure,” Tuchel added. “We want to be dominant, want possession, want to use our individual quality.
“We’re expecting an opponent who fights as a unit for an upset. They’ll probably focus on set pieces. They’ll probably also look to use their fans.”
England captain Harry Kane maintained his fine start to life in Munich in Saturday’s defeat of Bochum, scoring a hat-trick and providing two assists.
Kane has eight goals in nine appearances for Bayern and Tuchel praised his partnership with former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane.
“Leroy speaks fluent English, communicates a lot with Harry,” Tuchel said. “Harry makes his teammates better, with his character, his style.
“Leroy is in very good form, with good body language and a very good mindset. Both are combing very well at the moment.”
Tuchel said he expected Portugal midfielder Raphael Guerreiro to return to the squad after being sidelined since mid-July due to a calf injury.
“I haven’t made a decision yet about who’ll play,” Tuchel added. “Matthijs de Ligt is unfortunately out and we need to see with Dayot Upamecano and Min-jae Kim.”
Grand Alliance will not take up his entry in the Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp on Saturday after suffering a season-ending setback.
Winner of the Group Three John Porter Stakes at Newbury in the spring, the four-year-old was subsequently well held in both the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot and Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket’s July meeting.
However, stepped up to just shy of two miles for the Group Two Prix Kergorlay at Deauville last month, Grand Alliance bounced back to form to finish second under Ryan Moore, giving trainer Charlie Fellowes more options for the future.
But while the Newmarket handler had the option of sending his stable star back to France on Arc weekend, he has now been forced to draw stumps for the year.
He said: “Unfortunately Grand Alliance had a setback after France and we just decided to call it a day for the year. We’ll give him some time and hopefully he’ll be a nice stayer next year.
“He stayed the two miles well at Deauville, so it opens up a lot of doors. Ryan felt he’d stay as far as you want him to.”
Another horse who held an entry at ParisLongchamp for Fellowes is Marbaan, winner of last year’s Vintage Stakes at Goodwood and third in the Lennox on his return to the Sussex Downs last month.
However, the trainer revealed the son of Oasis Dream will not contest Prix de la Foret, having left his yard to continue his career in Dubai.
David Menuisier’s Sunway has Group One targets in France after his valiant second-placed run in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster.
The two-year-old, who is a full brother to 2021 Champion Stakes hero Sealiway, came into the race with something to prove after coming home sixth in the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July.
He was beaten 15 and a half lengths by Richard Hannon’s Rosallion that day when starting at 5-2 after making a convincing winning debut at Sandown earlier in the term.
Rosallion also lined up on Town Moor and was the 4-5 favourite, but it was Charlie Hills’ Iberian who strode to a two-length success as Sunway came home the runner-up and Hannon’s contender was a further length and a half behind.
The run could now pave the way to Group One level for Sunway as Menuisier intends to target the horse at either the one-mile Criterium International or the 10-furlong Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
“He ran really good race, he redeemed himself and that was important, for him to show what he’s truly capable of,” he said of the Champagne Stakes effort.
“He is definitely a really nice horse, he showed that he belongs to the elite.
“He is likely to go to France for one of the Criteriums next month, either the Criterium International or the Criterium de Saint-Cloud – one over one mile and one over one-mile-two.
“Mainly it is the going that will decide, because at that time of year you don’t really know what sort of ground you’re going to get.
“The main target will be the mile race, I think that is probably the most suitable for him at the moment.”
Also headed to Saint-Cloud is stablemate Devil’s Point, last seen finishing third when beaten a length and a half in the Solario Stakes at Sandown earlier in the month.
The Prix Thomas Bryon now awaits, a seven-furlong Group Three, after which the Futurity Trophy Stakes at Doncaster will come into the picture.
“Devil’s Point is good, he’s got an entry in the Group Three at Saint-Cloud on Friday and that’s where he’s likely to go,” Menuisier said.
“It’s likely to be a stepping stone to potentially the Futurity Trophy at the end of October.”
Massimiliano Allegri has called on his “angry” Juventus squad to return to winning ways when they host high-flying Lecce.
Juventus missed the chance to go top of Serie A on Saturday after they slumped to a surprise 4-2 defeat at Sassuolo.
The Bianconeri had claimed 10 points from an unbeaten start, but came unstuck at the Mapei Stadium as Sassuolo battled to a second league win.
“Tomorrow we have to get back to winning ways to immediately move on from the bad loss to Sassuolo,” said Allegri.
“The team are angry and sorry for what happened, but at the same time they’re motivated. There’s a real desire to get back on the pitch as soon as possible.
“We had a bad night, we made mistakes that allowed our opponents to win the game, but we didn’t play badly.
“We didn’t defend well, and individual mistakes cost us. I hope the home support will give us that extra boost against Lecce. We need to have the right attitude, be proactive and, above all, positive. It will be so important to get three points.”
Third-placed Lecce will head to the Allianz Stadium unbeaten from their opening five league fixtures following three wins and two draws.
They sit one point ahead of Juventus, and four back from leaders Inter Milan, who have enjoyed a perfect start to the season.
“Lecce are a solid team, and they’re excellently coached by Roberto D’Aversa,” added Allegri.
“They’re a technical side and it’s not a coincidence that they’re still unbeaten. (Director of football) Pantaleo Corvino has put together a very competitive squad, and even last year too. It will be a good game.”
Xavi believes his Barcelona contract extension reflects the faith the club has in his project as he prepares for Tuesday night’s LaLiga clash with Mallorca.
The Barca boss penned a contract extension until 2025 last week before overseeing a dramatic 3-2 win over Celta Vigo that made it five wins and one draw from their six league games this season.
Xavi believes his side did not play well on Saturday, when they scored three times in the last nine minutes to overturn a two-goal deficit, but credited his players for keeping themselves top of the table.
“We didn’t play well against Celta,” Xavi said.
“But we won and put ourselves top of the table and I got to extend my contract, which shows that the club has its faith in our project.”
Barca next travel to lowly Mallorca, who have won one of their opening six matches and lost 5-3 at Girona on Saturday, but Xavi expects a tough test.
“Mallorca is a difficult opponent,” he added.
“They have a lot to offer in defence and work very well for each other. They are physically very strong and have direct approach players like (Vedat) Muriqi and (Sergi) Darder and this won’t be an easy away trip against a team that wants to bounce back after such a big loss as the one to Girona.”
The Catalan giants have started their LaLiga title defence in style, having scored 16 times (joint most with Girona in the league), but Xavi admitted he still wants to improve in attacking areas.
He said: “We are competing well, and in general we’re playing good football. But I’d still like to see more mobility from my forwards and we need to attack spaces better.
“We can get so much more out of this attack, they need to work more on their positioning. But even though we had a bad game against Celta, we are on the right track.
“One of the best things about this squad is its versatility. We have different kinds of player for different positions. Players like Sergi Roberto, Gavi, Joao Cancelo, (Ilkay) Gundogan, Joao Felix, (Jules) Kounde and (Ronald) Araujo who can adapt so well.”
England boss Sarina Wiegman admits it will be “very special” when her side take on her native Netherlands in Tuesday’s Nations League contest in Utrecht.
Wiegman played for the Dutch national team before overseeing their Euro 2017 win on home soil and finishing as runners-up at the 2019 World Cup in France.
The 53-year-old, who has subsequently matched those managerial achievements with England, told a press conference that being back in her home country with the Lionesses was “very nice, a little bit strange too – of course I have some memories here”.
She added: “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. It’s just very special to be here and to play the opponents.
“Of course we know each other really well, I know the staff, most of the staff didn’t change that much, or the players. Lots of people will be in the stands that I know.”
The match is England’s second in Group A1 after they beat Scotland 2-1 in Sunderland on Friday, when the Netherlands opened their campaign with a 2-1 loss away to Belgium.
Wiegman said: “We had a good review on the (Scotland) match.
“We want to do a couple of things a little better, and keep doing the things that we did really well, bring that to the next level too – that’s what we talked about, and then tomorrow we go again.
“I think if you look at the stats against Belgium they (the Netherlands) had pretty good stats. You see how the game developed and they were a little bit unlucky, and Belgium took advantage of that.
“Of course they want to do well because their goal also is to come first in the group, so with the first loss they really want to do well tomorrow and have a good result. That is what we expect.”
The Nations League offers two qualification places for the Paris 2024 Olympics, with England the nominated home nations team aiming to secure a spot for Great Britain.
To do that they will need to win their group to advance to the Nations League’s last four, and then reach the final, or come third should France make the final.
Wiegman said she had every member of her squad available for Tuesday’s game, including Alessia Russo, who sat out the Scotland contest – she had joined the group later than others following some recuperation, having played in Champions League qualifying matches for Arsenal earlier this month.
Wiegman was joined at the press conference by Russo’s fellow forward Lauren Hemp, scorer of England’s second goal against Scotland.
The 23-year-old Manchester City player said of the Dutchwoman: “Sarina is a fantastic coach. Ever since she got the job I feel like she’s taken this team to a whole new level, and for me personally I’m learning every single day.
“I feel like I’m getting so much better and feeling so much more confident as the days go by under Sarina. She’s unbelievable.”
Meanwhile, Wiegman has paid tribute to Megan Rapinoe after the two-time World Cup winner, who has been an influential figure in the women’s game both on and off the pitch, played her final game for the United States before retirement, a 2-0 win over South Africa.
Wiegman said of Rapinoe’s legacy: “I think she is one of the most important players. I think the US were the trailblazers in women’s football, and also (for) the position of women in society.
“I think we should be all very thankful for what she leaves behind. I have so much respect for her.”
Of her own players driving change, she added: “I think this group of women are very conscious of society too and using the platform in a positive way to change society.
“They are so outspoken and well spoken, they articulate themselves so well.”
One-time Classic hope Nostrum is unlikely to return until next season after connections ruled out an outing in Friday’s Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes at Newmarket.
Having rounded off his juvenile campaign with a third placed finish in the Dewhurst, the Kingman colt was considered a legitimate 2000 Guineas contender before injury intervened in the spring.
A spectacular return in a Listed event at Newmarket’s July meeting suggested Nostrum was ready to make up for lost time, but he suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Epictetus on his next start at Goodwood and finished lame when trailing home last of six in York’s Strensall Stakes last month.
The three-year-old is now back in work, but he will not take up his engagement on the Rowley Mile this week and connections are preparing to draw stumps for the season.
Barry Mahon, racing manager for Nostrum’s owner-breeders Juddmonte, said: “He won’t run on Friday, I spoke with Sir Michael this morning and he just wants to give the horse more time.
“It’s more than likely you won’t see the horse until next season.”
Task Force looks set to represent race sponsors Juddmonte in this weekend’s Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket, with Saturday’s Mill Reef hero Array more likely to wait for a possible tilt at the Dewhurst Stakes next month.
The Andrew Balding-trained Array notched his second win from five career starts in Group Two company at Newbury and retains the option of turning out just seven days later for a Group One assignment on the Rowley Mile.
However, while no final decision has been made, Juddmonte’s racing manager Barry Mahon raised the possibility of the youngster instead being supplemented for the Dewhurst on October 14.
He said: “We left Array in to keep options open until we speak with the ownership group, but it’s probably less likely that he’ll run and we’ll see if the owners would like to give consideration to the Dewhurst a couple of weeks later.
“We just said we’d leave him in there (Middle Park) in case there was a lot of rain and the ground came up on the soft side, as he obviously showed he liked that on Saturday.
“He came out of the race so well Andrew just said we’d keep our options open.
“He’s not in the Dewhurst, so he’d have to be supplemented. Once we’ve spoken to the ownership group we’ll come up with a plan.”
Task Force, a son of two Guineas winners in Frankel and Special Duty, impressed on his debut for Ralph Beckett at Salisbury before landing a Listed prize at Ripon and further improvement can be expected.
Mahon added: “He’s an intended runner in the Middle Park. He’s in good form, Ralph is happy with him and he worked nicely on Saturday.
“It’s a big jump from a Listed race to a Group One, but he’s a well-bred horse and we’re hopeful he can make the jump.”
Beckett has a second string to his bow in the supplemented Sirenia Stakes winner Starlust, while Aidan O’Brien has confirmed Battle Cry, Military and Coventry Stakes hero River Tiber, with the last-named colt the obvious candidate as he looks to bounce back from defeat in the Prix Morny.
He could renew rivalry with the winner of that Group One contest at Deauville six weeks ago, Simon and Ed Crisford’s Vandeek.
The William Haggas-trained Gimcrack winner Lake Forest and Paddy Twomey’s Round Tower Stakes victor Letsbefrankaboutit also feature among 13 contenders.
Fourteen fillies remain in the mix for the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes, with Relief Rally the potential favourite for the Haggas team.
The daughter of Kodiac’s only defeat in five starts to date came at Royal Ascot when beaten a nose by American raider Crimson Advocate in the Queen Mary, since when she has landed the Super Sprint at Newbury and the Lowther Stakes at York.
Her potential rivals include unbeaten French-trained filly Jasna’s Secret, Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna, Aidan O’Brien’s Cherry Blossom and the consistent Soprano from George Boughey’s yard.
A top-class card gets under way with the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes, in which Solario Stakes winner Aablan must be considered a major player for Charlie Appleby.
Aidan O’Brien is responsible for six of the 18 acceptors, with Capulet perhaps the most interesting having pushed stablemate Diego Velazquez close in a Leopardstown Group Two last time.
Roger Varian’s pair of Al Musmak and Defiance are also on the list, as are Ollie Sangster’s unbeaten youngster Per Contra and Beckett’s Macduff, runner-up to Al Musmak in a Haydock Listed event last time in the Juddmonte silks.
Mahon added: “It’s a possibility Macduff will run, it’s not a definite. We left him in there and we’ll see how he is during the week.
“I think we’ve said a few times he’s a big horse and it’s all about next year with him, but he seems in good shape and we’ll give strong consideration to running him.
“The horse that beat him at Haydock looked a very good horse that day, but you’re always hoping on a different day, on a different track and with a different set-up you might get a different result. You should never be afraid to give it a go.”
The Juddmonte team are also responsible for the ante-post favourite for the bet365 Cambridgeshire in Harry and Roger Charlton’s Greek Order.
A winner at Sandown in May and Newbury last month, the three-year-old will look to complete his hat-trick in the prestigious handicap.
Mahon said: “I’m looking forward to seeing him – he was very impressive on his last start.
“You’re always going to need a lot of luck in a Cambridgeshire with plenty of runners, but the ground should be OK and hopefully we get a nice draw and everything goes well.”
The weights for the Cambridgeshire are headed by Daniel and Claire Kubler’s York scorer Astro King, who is 1lb above the King and Queen’s Saga.
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