Gareth Southgate advised players not to be stressed by summer transfer talk after joking the England squad have been “tapping each other up” throughout this camp.
This mammoth, unprecedented season finally comes to a close with Monday’s Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia at a sold-out Old Trafford.
England won 4-0 in Malta on Friday and are expected to take another step towards next summer’s tournament by winning a Group C clash played out against a backdrop of transfer talk.
Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Kyle Walker are subject of summer interest, while Harry Maguire, Conor Gallagher and Kalvin Phillips have decisions to make over their lack of game time at club level.
There is also speculation about Jordan Pickford and James Maddison, but Southgate has not felt the need to speak to players about it – even though the former defender does have some advice.
“I haven’t felt the need to say anything,” Southgate said. “I mean, the players are tapping each other up anyway on the quiet, so I can’t do anything about that!
“What I have said is that these things run their course, they happen in their own time, you can’t force it as a player.
“Don’t get frustrated, don’t be asking all summer. You don’t need to be updated on every call that happens.
“There’s a lot of negotiation that goes on. I remember as a player getting too wrapped up in every detail of that.
“In the end, there’s only a small amount that you can actually control.
“I think all of those things will happen later on in the summer and I think the players understand that, really.
“And they know the focus for the next 36 hours is this game, finishing the season well, making sure we’re set on 12 points and we’ll be in a very healthy position if we do that.”
Southgate was speaking alongside left-back Luke Shaw at Sunday’s pre-match press conference and the defender smiled when “tapping up” was mentioned.
England are training at Manchester United’s Carrington base and the 27-year-old posted an Instagram story on Saturday showing pictures of him next to Kane and another with Rice.
The Old Trafford giants have a longstanding interest in both, and Shaw tagged them in the post with the caption “Carrington tour” and an eyes emoji.
Asked who he has been tapping up, Shaw said with a laugh: “There’s a few.”
When Mason Mount, another United are interested in, was mentioned to him, Shaw said: “Obviously he’s not here but I think it is all just a bit of banter, really.
“Obviously we have a joke and a laugh about it, not too sure what goes on behind the scenes.
“It’s to do with the club, really, but of course when we are here we are always together and we have a joke about it.
“I don’t really know too much what is going on. That’s just it really.”
Shaw looks set to start on Monday as Old Trafford hosts the national men’s team for the first time since 2007.
England also played there the previous year against Macedonia – a drab 0-0 draw in what proved to be a failed Euro 2008 qualification campaign.
They drew 2-2 in their only other home meeting against the Balkan nation, who Southgate is not taking lightly as he looks to make it third time lucky.
“They should have won the other night against Ukraine really,” the England boss said. “So we know the quality of some of the individual players.
“They have got some players playing at big European clubs. As a team they function well.
“They obviously knocked Italy out of the last World Cup and pushed Portugal close in those knockout games. So, they have got pedigree.
“They bring the game to you a bit more than perhaps we had the other night as well.
“So, it isn’t just a case of rolling on from Friday, it is a step up in intensity and quality and we’ve got to be right on our game to win the match.”
FC Cincinnati v Atlanta United: Noonan demands in-form hosts stay humble
Pat Noonan will not let his FC Cincinnati team get too high following Saturday's memorable win over their rivals Columbus Crew, warning Atlanta United will offer them a stern test on Wednesday.
Cincinnati recorded a huge 2-1 road win over the MLS Cup holders last time out, with Kevin Kelsy and Luciano Acosta on target.
That victory – their fourth in a row – kept them three points behind Inter Miami at the Eastern Conference summit, but Noonan says any drop-off in midweek will be punished.
"The sign of a good team is when you have a poor performance or result, how do you respond to it and come back and have a better performance, or have a better result?" Noonan said.
"On the other side, when you have a good performance, how do you respond to that? Obviously, we have a short turnaround against a difficult opponent who we've just seen.
"If we don't turn it around the right way and if we're not prepared for Atlanta, we'll get humbled very quickly. Just like we can't get too low with bad performances, we can't get too high."
Atlanta, meanwhile, are 12 points behind Cincinnati in 10 th place, having been beaten 3-2 by D.C. United on Saturday.
They also lost 2-1 to Cincinnati when the sides last met in April, with two goals in two second-half minutes handing the Orange and Blue a comeback victory.
Asked what he would look to change ahead of Wednesday's rematch, boss Gonzalo Pineda said: "Simplify the message. It's about putting the players in a position to succeed, giving them tools, and the message that sometimes less is more."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta
Acosta has scored in four consecutive games, tied for the longest goalscoring streak in MLS play in Cincinnati's history.
He also had a four-game streak last June while Brandon Vazquez did so between July and August in 2022. Will he break new ground on Wednesday?
Atlanta United – Thiago Almada
Almada scored from the penalty spot against D.C. last time out, with one of his five shots in the game.
He has recorded five MLS games this year with at least five attempts at goal, with only Denis Bouanga (eight) and Lionel Messi (six) having more. He also netted his team's only goal when they last faced Cincinnati on April 20.
MATCH PREDICTION – FC CINCINNATI WIN
Atlanta are unbeaten in five all-time trips to Cincinnati in MLS, recording two wins and three draws there. Cincinnati are the only team the Five Stripes have visited more than twice without ever losing in MLS play.
However, Atlanta have only won two of their last 23 away games in all competitions (10 draws, 11 defeats) in a run dating back to late March 2023. No MLS team has fewer away wins in all competitions in that time.
Cincinnati have won their last four games and could set a new team record for successive victories here. With home advantage on their side, they are favourites to do so.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Cincinnati: 45.4%
Atlanta United: 26.9%
Draw: 27.7%
Nashville SC v Toronto: Smith refuses to rule out playoff push
Nashville SC are ignoring any suggestions that an MLS playoff position is out of their reach ahead of the midweek clash with Toronto at GEODIS Park.
That was the message from the Boys in Gold head coach Gary Smith, whose side sit 13th in the Eastern Conference after their 1-0 defeat to Charlotte FC last time out.
Nashville are still only three points adrift of ninth-placed Philadelphia Union and a place in the postseason, with Smith refusing to give up hope.
"I don't believe, and nor do any of the guys in the group, that we are by any way, shape or form, out of the hunt for a playoffs position," he said.
"A couple of results get you right back in to the mix again, and that's, of course, our challenge over the next two games."
Toronto are fourth in the East standings after their 3-2 defeat against New York City FC in their last outing.
Visiting head coach John Herdman is looking forward to facing a familiar face in Jacob Shaffelburg when his side visit, however.
"He's flying at Nashville," Herdman remarked on Monday. "I've seen some stats at the weekend about his impact on their team and how many touches he has in that opposition half and how many crosses are leading to goals.
"I remember having him in that Gold Cup recently. He came off the bench and scored against the US. It shows where he's at now as a player."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Former Nottingham Forest striker Sam Surridge continues to provide the goals for Nashville this term, scoring a club-leading five in MLS this campaign.
The Englishman failed to find the target against Charlotte, but managed a hat-trick against CF Montreal in his previous outing before that.
Toronto – Prince Osei Owusu
In the absence of the in-form Federico Bernardeschi, Prince Osei Owusu will be expected to step up against Nashville.
The Toronto forward leads the club scoring charts with five goals in 12 MLS appearances this year, two ahead of any teammate in the league.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Opta's win probability has Nashville as the overwhelming favourites for this one, yet a draw may be more likely considering each team's recent form and head-to-head records.
Toronto are unbeaten in five straight meetings with Nashville (W2 D3), with the Boys in Gold the only side the Canadians have played three or more times since the start of the 2022 season and not lost against.
Nashville have also won only two of their last 16 matches against MLS opponents in all competitions (D6 L8), though 11 of the 12 points they have collected over that time have come at home (W2 D5 L3).
Smith's hosts have conceded at least once in 12 consecutive matches in all competitions, too, their longest streak in club history after opening the season with three straight clean sheets.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nashville SC win: 55.4%
Toronto win:18.6%
Draw: 26%
Emery revels in 'special day' as Villa seal Champions League qualification
Unai Emery says Aston Villa have achieved their dream after qualification for next season's Champions League was secured.
Tottenham's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday left Ange Postecoglou's fifth-place side five points behind Villa, who subsequently sealed a fourth-place finish with a game to spare.
More importantly, the Villans are back in UEFA's premier club competition for the first time since the 1982-83 season, when they suffered European Cup quarter-final elimination to Juventus.
Additionally, the club secured their highest top-flight finish since the 1995-96 campaign, which they also ended in fourth place.
Emery, whose side reached this season's Europa Conference League semi-finals, now has his sights set on Europe's top prize next season, in which he is demanding even more from his players.
"It's a very special day," the Spaniard told Villa's official media channels. "It was our dream when we started the season to be here. To play Champions League is, after the Premier League, the best.
"You can play in the Premier League against the best teams in the world, it's very difficult. When you are playing in the Champions League, you are playing against the best teams, at the same time, from other countries. And it's amazing.
"We know the history of Aston Villa is so long and so successful. Even in the Champions League, we knew the responsibility was to try to increase our level, try to be demanding and to dream.
"I want to enjoy more and, next year, the new challenge starts for us. To build a team again, and be strong to go and always increase our level; this is our objective."
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