Jose Mourinho has cheekily named Millwall as the next club he would like to manage in English football.

Mourinho is currently in charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahce and has previously enjoyed success in Portugal, Spain and Italy with the likes of FC Porto, Real Madrid and Inter.

However, it’s in England where Mourinho is arguably most fondly remembered, especially for his two spells at Chelsea, where he won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups.

The Portuguese tactician was also Manchester United manager between May 2016 and December 2018, winning League Cup, Europa League and Community Shield titles — while he took charge of Tottenham between 2019 and 2021.

Jose Mourinho to… Millwall?!

Mourinho caused a stir following Fenerbahce’s recent Europa League clash with Man Utd, telling journalists his next job would be a club ‘at the bottom in England’.

The 61-year-old has since clarified his comments, telling Sky Sports: “I made a joke. I’m never going to a team fighting relegation. I will never go.”

He added: “I get upset, and I’m not in the period of my career to get upset. I’m in the period of my career to be happy all the time and at this moment playing in European competitions, I am getting upset all the time.

“But I’m not going to fight relegation. It’s too hard! Honestly, I believe that has to be the hardest thing. It’s more difficult than playing for titles. It has to be very hard emotionally, because it’s something that changes lives.

“I think it’s brave guys that do it.”

Even so, Mourinho still joked about the possibility of managing one notorious South London club, based on geographical convenience more than anything else.

“Millwall. Millwall,” he laughed. “I just cross the bridge from my house. Millwall!”

It’s not one we can see happening, but it’s hard to deny that Mourinho wouldn’t prove incredibly popular at Millwall.

The post Former Man Utd manager cheekily names potentially ideal next job in English football appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool youngster Calum Scanlon is expected to be sidelined for around three months after running into injury problems and has returned to the Premier League club from his loan spell at Millwall.

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, the 19-year-old is suffering from a stress fracture in his back and as a result is expected to be out of action for at least three months. Liverpool wanted to assess the defender’s issue and oversee his treatment, hence why they have called the player back to the club. 

This is a big blow for Scanlon who has now seen his loan spell at Millwall disrupted having joined the Championship club during the summer.

The left-back didn’t see much action during the opening part of the 2024/25 campaign having featured for just 11 minutes in Millwall’s 1-0 defeat to Luton Town on 14 September.

First-team minutes are going to be key for Scanlon’s development and the Liverpool youngster will be eager to overcome his injury issue and return to London as he tries to make his way up the ladder at the Merseyside club.

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

Does Calum Scanlon have a future with Liverpool? 

It is still too early to say if Scanlon will be a success at Liverpool but the youngster will have his eye on the left-back role at Anfield as Andy Robertson’s contract with the Merseyside club comes to an end in 2026.

The 19-year-old has been with the Reds since joining their youth set-up in 2020 and the defender trained a lot with Jurgen Klopp’s squad last season as the legendary coach saw potential in the player.

The German manager also handed Scanlon his debut as the full-back featured in Liverpool’s 5–1 win over Toulouse in the UEFA Europa League back in October. This is one of two times the defender has featured for the Premier League club and he will hope that there are many more to come.

The post Liverpool journalist expects Reds talent to be out of action for three months after fresh injury appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup has been made, with the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United and Everton learning their fate.

After round one saw Championship, League One and League Two sides kick things off, we’ve reached the stage where the Premier League clubs not competing in European competition enter the tournament.

All-Premier League ties of Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle and West Ham vs Bournemouth are among the most eye-catching, while there are also some local derbies like Millwall vs Leyton Orient, Barnsley vs Sheffield United and Blackburn vs Blackpool.

Read on for the full Carabao Cup round two draw, with all ties to be played the week commencing August 26.

Carabao Cup draw

Northern section

Grimsby vs Sheffield Wednesday

Everton vs Doncaster

Blackburn vs Blackpool

Fleetwood vs Rotherham

Shrewsbury vs Bolton

Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle

Barrow vs Derby

Leicester vs Tranmere

Middlesbrough vs Stoke

Barnsley vs Sheffield United

Harrogate vs Preston

Walsall vs Huddersfield

Wolves vs Burnley

Southern section

Coventry vs Oxford United

Swansea vs Wycombe

AFC Wimbledon vs Ipswich

Birmingham vs Fulham

Watford vs Plymouth

West Ham vs Bournemouth

QPR vs Luton

Brighton vs Crawley

Crystal Palace vs Norwich

Cardiff vs Southampton

Millwall vs Leyton Orient

Colchester vs Brentford

The post Carabao Cup R2 draw: Newcastle, West Ham, Everton and other Premier League clubs learn their fate appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool are ready to allow left-back duo Calum Scanlon and Owen Beck to leave Anfield this summer as the Merseyside club are happy with their options for the role. 

Arne Slot is set to finalise his squad at the Merseyside club over the coming weeks and there could be several outgoings at Anfield before the transfer window shuts as a number of youngsters search for minutes ahead of the new season getting underway this weekend.

Liverpool have already loaned out Calvin Ramsay to Wigan this summer while also selling Fabio Carvalho to Brentford as part of a £27.5m deal.

This week is set to be a crucial one for the futures of several of Liverpool’s young stars and it could see left-back duo Calum Scanlon and Owen Beck depart Anfield on a temporary basis.

According to DAVEOCKOP, Bristol Rovers have shown interest in Scanlon who has only made two senior appearances for the Reds since joining the Premier League giants academy in 2020.

Millwall are also interested in the 19-year-old talent but that loan move is not as likely to happen.

The same outlet also reports that Beck is close to leaving Liverpool this summer as Celtic want to sign him on a permanent deal. Leeds and QPR are also interested in the defender, with a move to London looking the most likely at the moment.

The 22-year-old has played just 18 minutes in total for the Reds’ first team and at this stage of his career is unlikely to break through at Anfield.

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

Arne Slot set on his left-back options at Liverpool

Slot will use Andy Robertson as his starting left-back at Liverpool throughout the upcoming season as the Scotland star has held the role for many years now. The 30-year-old has missed the majority of the Reds’ pre-season preparations through injury, which could result in him not playing from the off against Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Kostas Tsimikas looks like he could start against the newly promoted Premier League club and has shown since his arrival in 2020 to be a capable backup for Robertson.

The duo are to be trusted by Slot for the 2024/25 campaign which is why Scanlon and Beck will be allowed to leave over the coming weeks.

The post Liverpool ready to let left-back duo leave Anfield with key week ahead for several stars appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Saturday morning brought the terrible news that Millwall goalkeeper, Matija Sarkic, had passed away at just 26 years of age.

Sarkic had been the Lions No.1 during the 2023/24 campaign after signing for the club from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Over the past few seasons he has had loan spells at Shrewsbury Town, Birmingham City and Stoke City, and he joined the South Londoners on a permanent deal last August.

During his time at the club he made 33 appearances in all competitions according to WhoScored.

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

The official Millwall website paid tribute to him on Saturday morning with a statement which read:

Millwall Football Club is completely devastated to announce that Matija Sarkic has passed away at the age of 26.

Sarkic, The Lions’ number one goalkeeper, made 33 appearances for the club since joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2023.

A Montenegro international, Matija proudly represented his country on numerous occasions.

Everyone at the club sends their love and condolences to Matija’s family and friends at this immensely sad time.

The club will make no further comment at this time and asks that the privacy of Matija’s family is respected.

The post Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic has passed away aged 26 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Japhet Tanganga could leave Tottenham for just £3m this summer but it all depends on how well the defender plays between now and the end of the season. 

The 24-year-old is on loan at Millwall in the Championship and is finally getting some competitive minutes as he looks to rekindle his career. The Englishman spent the first half of the season on loan with Augsburg but didn’t kick a ball due to injuries before returning to Hotspur Way.

Tanganga is out of contract at Spurs in the summer, although the North London outfit can extend his deal by an extra year. Therefore, Tottenham have to decide whether to chase a small fee or let the player go for free.

According to Spurs insider John Wenham, Tottenham could get £3m for Tanganga if he plays well at Millwall until the end of the season.

Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham said: “If Tanganga doesn’t play between now and the end of the season, I think that Tottenham will simply just release him

“If he does play, then I think Spurs will take up the option to extend his contract by one year, and then look to sell him for somewhere around the £3 million mark.

“Time will tell, but I expect that either way he will be gone in the summer.”

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

The post Bad business as Spurs looking to sell first-team player for only £3m appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Tottenham loanee Japhet Tanganga has admitted he was surprised by how quick Micky van de Ven is and has heaped praise on the centre-back in a recent interview. 

The 22-year-old joined Tottenham this summer and has been a big success for Ange Postecoglou. The defender has been receiving praise from many Premier League watchers and it was clear the North London club missed him when he was out for a long time through injury.

The Dutch star’s recovery speed has been his stand-out trait and it allows Spurs to play with a very high line.

When asked if he fancied himself in a race over 50 yards with Van de Ven, Tottenham loanee Japhet Tanaganga, who is currently on loan at Millwall, stated that he didn’t know the Dutch defender was that quick.

“I didn’t know he was that quick,” Tanganga said to Sky Sports.

“I spoke to some of the boys who I know and still speak to now, and obviously I’ve seen the games and I’ve asked them ‘how quick is he?’ They say he is pretty quick. Everyone can see his quality and how good a centre-back he is.”

"I didn't know he was that quick!" ?????

Japhet Tanganga on Micky van de Ven's pace ?pic.twitter.com/HdumFMyxCM

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 13, 2024

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

The post Video: “I didn’t know he was that quick” – Tanganga blown away by Tottenham star’s speed appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga has completed his loan move away from the club joining Championship side Millwall.

Ange Postecoglou hasn’t wasted any time in the January transfer window, already completing the signings of Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin.

But it hasn’t only been incomings at the North London club, it was confirmed on Thursday afternoon that 24-year-old defender, Tanganga, had completed a move away from the club on loan to Millwall until the end of the season.

The English centre-back came up through the Spurs academy, making his impressive Premier League debut against Liverpool in 2020.

But since then, he has only made 36 appearances for the side while spending the first half of this campaign on loan at Augsburg where he didn’t make one appearance for the German side.

Director of Football Operations at Millwall, Alex Aldridge, hailed the signing of Tanganga.

“We are really pleased to bring Japhet in,” he said.

“Japhet is hungry and motivated to play games, he has some excellent attributes as a defender and has played at a very high level with Tottenham Hotspur, so we feel he is a really positive addition and we look forward to working with him.”

The 24-year-old could make his first appearance for his new side in this weekend’s clash against Queens Park Rangers.

The post Tottenham defender completes move to Championship side appeared first on CaughtOffside.

So far so good for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

In his first season in the Premier League, the Australian has quickly given Spurs their footballing identity back as well as winning over the White Hart Lane faithful in double quick time thanks to his honesty and no-nonsense manner.

Sat in fifth in the Premier League at present and having bought well already in the January transfer window, once Spurs’ injured players and those on international duty are back in the side, there’s no reason to think that the North Londoners can’t go on and enjoy some sort of success at the culmination of the 2023/24 campaign.

One or two issues have arisen, not least the return of Japhet Tanganga.

The 24-year-old was sent out on loan to Augsburg at the start of the season, but as Sky Sports report, he’s returned to Tottenham after not making a single appearance for the German outfit.

It mirrors his time at Spurs, where he’s made just 36 appearances in all competitions over three seasons, per WhoScored.

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

His return gives Postecoglou a bit of a headache, although Sky Sports do suggest he could go on loan to Millwall for the second half of the season.

The Australian will surely be banking on that happening as there’s no place for him in the Tottenham squad and a spell on the sidelines is no good for anyone.

The post Ange’s headache as 24-year-old Tottenham flop returns after awful loan appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In his fortnightly exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jon Smith, one of football’s first-ever agents and a man who was an integral figure in the forming of the Premier League, discusses his support of players with addiction, why Marcus Rashford was wrong to party after the Manchester derby, why a Saudi Arabian World Cup wasn’t a surprise – and more! 

—

It’s important that the Premier League retain the Saturday 3pm blackout

There’s so many devices out there which means that you can now watch live football at three o’clock anywhere in the world nowadays if you want to subscribe to them.

For example, I could watch live Premier League football out of Saudi Arabia or Qatar or wherever it might be, and that’s already beginning to have an effect not just on TV subscriptions but also on some of the lesser exciting fixtures, with respect, on a Saturday.

I know that the Premier League are doing a lot to counter this at the moment as are most broadcasters, because it’s important to protect the live crowd involvement at matches.

If there was the option to have 3pm Saturday games televised, those supporters from their mid-20s upwards, that have families or are just married, will record it, watch it later, go shopping with the missus to get a few brownie points…. There’ll potentially be a big number that won’t then go to a game, so yes, it’s vital the blackout remains otherwise, potentially, you’ll have half empty stadia.

I was at Watford the other day and they were playing Millwall whose contingent was so noisy that it really made for a better game.

Influencers like IShowSpeed are here to stay

Regardless of what we want, influencers are the way forward simply because of the enormous reach. ‘Fan TV’ audiences are massive and if you gross them up, you’re looking at over 120m/130m hits a month. That’s important.

It’s an important audience because it’s real football supporters who are taking time out to talk, shout, scream, laugh and joke all about the game, and obviously comment on it. Like everything else, there needs to be a balance.

Social media in its various guises is slowly maturing as opposed to being just a platform to shout abuse at each other or grab five minutes of fame.

There are some events like the Ballon d’Or which attract a multitude of potentially interested reporting parties and I include social and electronic in there.

I used to run FIFA’s The Best awards for two years when it was in London and the media requests would be astonishingly large. You have to manage it.

Some of the influencers are trashy but they have sizeable followings, and what you don’t want them to do is not promote your game.

In a goofed up world football is very often the repository of our emotions. We can shout at the screen, whereas you can’t shout at a group of people waving Palestinian flags – but that’s still on our screens, all the time.

I think there’s a need for responsible influencers, someone like Mark Goldbridge of The United Stand. He’s shouty but responsible and intelligent, and has huge audiences. You have to be respectful of that.

Rashford was completely wrong to party after Manchester derby defeat

The professionalism around footballers and football clubs is sizeably enhanced today from what it was back in the 80s and 90s when the audiences were just as big but not global, and the behaviour of some of the competitors was poor.

We used to argue with our players all the time and we had as many as 400 at our height.

We’d tell them that if they’d lost a match, particularly a big one, just stay home and don’t do anything. If you have to go out, go to the cinema because anything else is so offensive to the supporters who pay good money and have strong emotions around their team – particularly if that team has lost badly. Just don’t go out.

Why would Marcus Rashford go clubbing after losing the Manchester derby? It makes no sense.

As much as I have the highest regard for Rashford, and I’d like to say that on record because I do think he’s done some great social work and he’s a terrific football player, he made a big mistake that day.

Footballers with addictions should be treated with respect

I’m actually quite friendly with the Ivan Toney family and I listened to a lot of what they said. What the individuals have done is wrong, but I think the sentence doesn’t fit the crime.

It’s very difficult for the game to take money from betting companies on the one hand, and on the other say to the participants ‘if you do this, you’re a football criminal.’ It’s so wrong.

The players should be punished yes, but 10 months – in Sandro Tonali’s case – is far too long. These guys have got short careers anyway.

You’ve got to give these people help. If they’re addicted to something, be that gambling or any of the other substances that are around today, or any behavioural attitudes that includes sex and various other things that fill out social media screens, they need help.

There’s someone I saw wearing a t shirt the other day that said ‘It’s not wrong to ask for help,’ and I think that just sums it up.

I think if you ask for help, you should be treated with respect and not just as a criminal to be punished.

Saudi Arabia being offered the World Cup was obvious

I think it was obvious because they are supporting the game with a lot of money and they need to fuel the next generation of FIFA’s governance. Football needs financial input from nation states, as well as major corporations.

So I think that was an obvious one and I know James Johnson really well, he’s a very clever operator, a very bright guy and the Chief Exec of Football Australia.

I think Australia were putting themselves in there so that they could drop out and say: ‘Look, we’ll drop out, Saudi can have it, but we want this in exchange.’

More Stories / Latest News

Alexander Isak directly addresses “move rumours” amid Arsenal transfer interest

Nov 14 2024, 13:03

High profile exits help Aston Villa to bring extra £23m into club coffers

Nov 14 2024, 12:07

Tottenham in talks to sign €30m defender for absolutely nothing

Nov 14 2024, 11:32

Now, I don’t know what the ‘this’ is but it may become evident in the next few weeks. With various other tournaments being awarded, it’ll be interesting to see what goes to Australia.

There was no one else out there really bidding anyway, so it was Hobson’s choice.

Also, I’d like to think that the World Cup being more global has helped Qatar’s attitude towards behavioural science, and that includes respect for women and for other religions.

I’m not quite sure that’s the case now that the cameras aren’t pointed at them all the time, but it must’ve had some effect.

If it does the same in Saudi Arabia, then that’s perfect.

The post Agent’s column: Rashford was wrong to party, Saudi World Cup was obvious, addicted footballers must be helped, 3pm blackout must remain and influencers are here to stay appeared first on CaughtOffside.