Luke Shaw has come to the defence of his England and Manchester United teammate Harry Maguire following his poor performance on Monday night.
The central defender retained his place in the England squad to Germany even after the 1-0 defeat against Italy and having barely played limited minutes for his club so far this season.
Lacking match sharpness and confidence at what appears to be an all-time low, it was little surprise that he wasn’t at the races. Nothing could quite prepare for his calamitous outing, giving away a penalty for the first goal and losing the ball which led to the second.
For many United supporters, however, this kind of performance will have come as no surprise. The 29-year-old has immediately dropped from Erik ten Hag’s starting 11 after what feels like two seasons of mistakes, sub-par performances and general frustration.
They seem to be better for it as well. United now have five wins in their last six games; ironically, the only one they lost was when Maguire started against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
Nevertheless, long-time defensive partner Shaw – who has also found himself adrift from the current Red Devils side in recent months – believes his treatment from the fans and media has been unfair.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the 3-3 draw, Shaw said: “Harry is an amazing player, an amazing character. He’s taken a lot of stick – probably more than I’ve ever seen before in football.”
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The 27-year-old out-of-favour left-back went on to insist that “he never hides away, he’s always there” adding, “You can have people who can hide away and not want to be in the spotlight. He keeps putting himself in the spotlight, it shows the strength and character he’s got.”
Reflecting on the feelings around the England and United camps, he said “everybody knows he’s an unbelievable player. At the moment the confidence might not be there because it could feel like the whole world is against him.”
He went on to explain that both Gareth Southgate and the players trust him, especially after his contribution in the Euros and previous World Cup, concluding that “people need to understand he’s a big part of the England team and have to accept it.”
Southgate is now without a win in the last six games and the rollercoaster against Germany marked the last game before the 2022 Qatar World Cup which starts in just 54 days.
It feels like the Three Lions boss has to win something or reach the final at the very least to stay in the job — that’s if he even still wants after this next tournament.
Tommy Fury announces huge fight against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall
Daisy Jackson
Tommy Fury has announced his next major boxing match – against a rather unlikely opponent.
The Manc boxer and former Love Island star will face Eddie Hall, who once reigned as the World’s Strongest Man and was the first person on the planet to deadlift 500kg.
The match, billed as Beauty vs The Beast (we’ll let you decide who’s who…), will take place at the AO Arena this summer.
Tommy Fury and Eddie Hall will be facing off in Manchester as part of the Misfits Boxing series, a sports promotion company founded by YouTube sensation KSI.
26-year-old Fury – younger brother of heavyweight legend Tyson Fury – remains unbeaten, seeing off all-comers in the crossover boxing world.
As for 38-year-old Eddie Hall (nicknamed The Beast), he retired as a strongman competitor, where he’s previously been crowned the World’s Strongest Man, and has now pivoted into combat sports.
The pair have collaborated recently on several videos online, taking on challenges like a One Punch Knockout and a breakfast eating competition.
But this will be the first time they’ve publicly faced off in the ring.
Misfirst Boxing has once more delivered the biggest match-ups possible in the crossover boxing space, with Fury vs. Hall promising to be a titanic tussle that will captivate fans around the world.
Tommy Fury vs Eddie Hall, Beauty vs The Beast, will take place on Saturday 13 June at the AO Arena in Manchester – you can get tickets HERE.
Corey Blackett-Taylor ruled out injured for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers winger Corey Blackett-Taylor has been ruled out for the rest of the season following injury.
With not that long left in this year’s campaign and the playoff scrap set to ramp up even further in the coming weeks, it’s an unfortunate twist of fate for the Trotters.
Despite still being only a relatively recent signing, having just joined Bolton in the most recent January transfer window, it didn’t take long for him to make a good impression.
Scoring on debut in a 1-0 away win against AFC Wimbledon, the 28-year-old is now set to miss the remainder of the 2025/26 term, letting supporters know the news on Friday, 27 March.
Blackett-Taylor was forced off in the game against Rotherham United after pulling up in the wake of taking a shot, ultimately being subbed in the first half.
It was quickly confirmed to be a thigh injury, and while the specific nature and severity of the damage haven’t been fully detailed, he has now informed fans that his season is over.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “Instantly from arriving at the club, I felt the passion and support from the fans, club, staff and players.
“I have no doubts [about] the club achieving their targets of promotion – I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury, but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end.”
He isn’t the only impactful League One player at a side eyeing up the Championship to have been hampered by setbacks on the physio bench, with rivals Stockport County also confirming an absence at this crucial point in the campaign.
Not ideal for either of the Greater Manchester hopefuls.
Once again, while the recovery period for both of these players has already begun, the exact timelines for their return remain to be seen.
That being said, chances are we’ll see the Derby County loanee back in action before Hills, though we’ll have to wait to find out whether it will be at the Toughsheet Stadium or back with his parent club.
Who do you think is going to clinch that third promotion place at Wembley come this May?
Danny Jones -
27th September 2022 
