Stones ruled out for England, Tottenham latest, Russo’s new deal as WSL kicks off: football news - live

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The Billericay Town legend, Jamie O’Hara, was just talking about Daniel Levy’s time at Tottenham. O’Hara was at the club when they won the Carling Cup, as it was then, in 2008.

“You never felt like he wanted more,” O’Hara says. “Can we go to the next level?

“It never felt like you was going to be a Liverpool, or a Manchester United, or an Arsenal … It was: ‘Oh, amazing, we won the Carabao Cup.’”

And what of the future? Can Spurs become a force in the Premier League?

“Spending money is easy … there has to be a plan in place. If Tottenham have a plan in place, I believe they can challenge for the title in the next five, six years.”

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Updated at 07.30 EDT

Tuchel was also talking about England’s lack of a natural No 6 in this squad – “Maybe John Stones, but he left this morning.”

Then he was asked if the success of the England Women’s team, and the Under-21s, has added pressure for him?

Of course, Tuchel says no. He was really happy for Sarina Wiegman and Lee Carsley, they have done a great job, but it doesn’t add pressure for him approaching the men’s World Cup.

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Updated at 07.18 EDT

More from Tuchel’s press conference: “We need to be flexible. It’s not the moment to make final decisions for the World Cup. The decisions are made for Andorra and nothing else.”

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And here is the Newcastle and England defender Burn, applying some kind of defensive stroke to a question earlier about IsakGate:

“I’m happy it’s over,” he says. “Alex is a mate … I’ve got nothing but sort of good wishes for Alex.

“No animosity … As a Newcastle fan, we’re very protective of our club and city … we want people there who want to play for the club and the city … I understand why fans are frustrated, but I’ve been in football long enough to know what goes on. I wish Alex all the best, apart from when we play Liverpool.”

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“He didn’t flat-bat it,” says the Sky Sports News reporter, of the fact that Dan Burn spoke about Alexander Isak’s departure from Newcastle at today’s England press conference.

I think he means “straight-bat”? Or even “dead-bat”? But not flat-bat. You can flat-bat a ball anywhere, including over the pavilion.

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Updated at 07.07 EDT

Thanks John. Football – it really is back, whether you like it or not. Personally I try and ignore it until the County Championship has wrapped. Any thoughts on that or anything else – Email me.

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With that, taking the lunchtime baton, is Luke McLaughlin.

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Everton seek to secure Pickford future

Andy Hunter

Everton are planning talks over a new contract for Jordan Pickford that they hope will keep England’s first-choice goalkeeper at the club for the remainder of his top-flight career.

Pickford is under contract at Everton until 2027 but the club’s new owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG), want to secure him on a lucrative, long-term deal that reinforces his importance to their future ambitions. Negotiations are expected to commence with the 31-year-old’s representatives now that the summer transfer window is out of the way.

The England international joined Everton from Sunderland for £30m in 2017 and has played a key role in preserving the club’s Premier League status throughout a troubled period. With the club raising its ambitions under TFG, Everton believe retaining the services of the country’s best goalkeeper is important for the team’s improvement and their long-term strategy.

Pickford is already one of Everton’s highest earners on the four-and-a-half years contract he signed in February 2023. He has received interest from rival Premier League clubs but Everton hope the player, who has a strong relationship with the club’s hierarchy, will commit his peak years to Moyes’ team on improved terms.

Pickford, who could win his 77th England cap against Andorra on Saturday, has grown in influence behind the scenes at Everton in recent years and is part of the team’s leadership group alongside captain Seamus Coleman and James Tarkowski. A good friend of Jack Grealish, he was also influential in encouraging his England colleague to join Everton on loan from Manchester City this summer.

Moyes considers the defensive trio of Pickford, Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite as the cornerstone of his attempts to improve Everton and compete higher up the table. Branthwaite signed a new five-year contract at Everton amid interest from other clubs this summer and Pickford could follow in committing his long-term future to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

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Who remembers Steve McClaren after Andorra in 2007?

A highly amising outburst that could only end in umbrella shame.

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Tuchel looked back on the previous Andorra game in June, which was something of a grind.

“We made it too easy for Andorra to find the moments to close us down and to find the moments to slow our game down and we will find new solutions to break down the block a bit easier. We always have to balance our expectations because Andorra is a well drilled team, I know it maybe sounds a little silly but that is the way it is, they know what they are doing after 8-10 years with the same coach.

“It can feel a little like chewing gum to break a block down like this but we have to play with more energy and more enthusiasm and so far I’m sure we will.”

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Marc Guehi’s had an interesting week but Tuchel has every faith: “He is the main driver of Crystal Palace’s success, he is the captain and the leader and he played very impressively at the end of last season. He has continued like that in camp and he handles it [his transfer situation] with respect and with and with brilliant attitude.”

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Ruben Loftus-Cheek was given props, Tuchel having worked with him at Chelsea: “It was always a pleasure to work with him and I am very happy that I had the chance to call him up. He is a nice guy to be around, very friendly and very polite with a good sense of humour.

“He is full of qualities and sometimes I don’t think he is aware how good he is and how good he can be but he fits in seamlessly because of his character and his quality and he competes for a place in central midfield and it is good to see that he is fit and not injured.”

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Tuchel has been speaking to the broadcast media:

“We have had excellent training sessions, excellent energy, both on and off the pitch. The group worked very well and I am at the moment very, very positive.

“Like I said, in sport it is not about what you have done yesterday but about what you do tomorrow to get better and so I expect a good training session from the players to be ready for tomorrow. We will face - in both matches - a deep block and a 5-4-1 for sure in the first match and it is the challenge to overcome that quickly and aggressively and play with more rhythm than we did in the first match [against Andorra].”

Harry Kane will start.

“There is no balance, the competition is on and it is World Cup season. We have a condensed camp and that means we will start with the team that we trust and the best team possible and we will manage the second game. We will not do it backwards.

“We will not get caught up in experiments and everything that counts is today and tomorrow and then we will do our assessment after the match to see who is available.

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John Stones ruled out for England

The Manchester City defender has withdrawn from the England squad through injury.

Thomas Tuchel said: “Unfortunately, John Stones just left. He came with minor issues, muscular issues, to camp and didn’t progress as we thought and hoped he would. So, he left camp this morning (Friday) because we will not take the risk. Everyone else is available.”

Tuchel confirmed captain Harry Kane will lead the line for England as he names a strong line-up for the qualifier against Andorra.

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Just like Ezri Konsa, Matty Cash, on Poland duty, has been speaking about Aston Villa’s PSR problems. At one point, he was headed for a return to Nottingham Forest.

“The PSR and stuff, it’s frustrating because obviously the owners have got money that they want to spend and do what’s best for the club, and obviously we’ve got limits and we can’t do it,” Cash said.

“But obviously we’ve had good success with the squad that we’ve got now in. So as players, you can’t really get too drawn into it. You just have to focus on your job. We’re the ones that are out there on the pitch. Our jobs as players, we get paid to perform on the pitch, and that’s all we can do. We’ve got a good, strong group. We’re very close together as a team. So it’s important to have that.

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Some reaction to that Germany defeat to Slovakia. Their next World Cup qualifier is at home to Northern Ireland in Cologne on Sunday in Group A.

“We have a chance to do things better in three days,” Joshua Kimmich said. “We have talked about the World Cup before this match but we first have to qualify. Because with performances such as this it won’t work with the qualification.”

“I do believe that the players now feel what is needed (on Sunday). The entire team must carry that energy. If we are more energetic then we will have a better game on Sunday,” said Julian Nagelsmann.

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Leander Schaerlaeckens pays warm tribute to Michael Bradley, former USMNT mainstay now on his coaching journey.

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Did he walk or was he “eased aside”? We’re expecting plenty more fallout from the sudden departure from Tottenham of Daniel Levy.

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Thursday’s World Cup qualifiers. Great win for Northern Ireland, a rather difficult night for Germany and Newcastle’s new boy, Nick Woltemade.

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It’s time to go off to the England camp, and hear from Elliott Anderson.

And Djed Spence.

Ezri Konsa voices a familiar complaint.

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Surely Messi plays at the World Cup. Or does he?

“Day by day, trying to feel good and above all, being honest with myself. When I feel good, I enjoy it, but when I don’t, honestly, I don’t have a good time, so I prefer not to be there if I don’t feel good. So we’ll see. I haven’t made a decision about the World Cup.”

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Good luck, Terry Dunn, the 54-year-old keeper.

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Updated at 05.15 EDT

Women's transfer record broken again

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Updated at 05.46 EDT

One of the WSL’s most heralded graduates, these days with Bayern Munich, Georgia Stanway, speaks to Don McRae.

“I had three weeks on crutches, six weeks in a brace, but as soon as I heard that I was going to need surgery I was asking: ‘Will I make the Euros?’ Nobody could really give me an answer. That was difficult but every day I said: ‘Whether you think it’s possible or not, I will make it.’

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The biggest stories from the WSL deadline day here.

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Not only that, but it’s the start of the WSL season, with a blockbuster as Chelsea v Manchester City.

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Morning, we’ve kicked off the blog with some big news coming out of London Colney, and there will more reaction to follow on the other club in north London, as part of the buildup to a weekend of international football.

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Updated at 04.05 EDT

Russo signs long-term Arsenal extension on eve of new season

Alessia Russo has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. On the eve of the club’s Women’s Super League opener against London City Lionesses at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners have confirmed that the 26-year-old has put pen to paper on a new deal - the length of which is undisclosed.

Arsenal signed Russo from Manchester United in July 2023 after her contract expired, having failed with two bids in the preceding January. The forward, a European champion for club and country, has scored 36 goals in 72 games for Arsenal. She helped the team to a League Cup win in 2024 and a Champions League victory in May.

Last season Russo jointly claimed the WSL’s Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw, with 12 goals, and was named the Football Writers’ Association’s women’s footballer of the year. After being named in the Professional Footballers’ Association and Uefa teams of the year, Russo has been shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or.

“Arsenal feels like home,” said Russo. “This is such a special club and it has felt that way to me from the moment I joined two years ago. Playing for Arsenal is an honour and has pushed me to develop and grow as a player, and I feel empowered with this badge on my chest.”

The manager, Renée Slegers, said: “As a striker, Alessia’s goals often take the spotlight – but she brings so much more to our group. She’s a selfless player, working so hard for the team, and she also contributes so much to our team culture.”

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