Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has given his backing to Steven Gerrard following a poor start to the season for Aston Villa.

Villa have won just two of their opening nine Premier League matches, sitting just three points above the relegation zone with only Wolves having scoring fewer than their goal tally of seven.

That has resulted in boss Gerrard coming under pressure, with speculation that Villa could move on from the former Liverpool captain if results do not improve.

Potter has made it clear that the situation can change swiftly, adding that there is always somebody under pressure in England s top flight.

The margins are very small in the Premier League I m sure Steven will want to improve their results, he said ahead of Chelsea s trip to Villa on…

Craig Brown is expected to be named the new manager of Aberdeen on Friday after he walked out on Motherwell.

Dons chairman Stewart Milne approached Brown on Wednesday to offer the role left vacant in the wake of Mark McGhee s sacking, but the 70-year-old refused.

However, it appears a second overture from Milne has swayed Brown, who resigned from the Scottish Premier League club along with assistant Archie Knox on Thursday.

Motherwell released a statement expressing their shock at their manager s apparent defection, as well as lambasting Aberdeen for approaching Brown, who was working without a contract at Fir Park.

We are surprised and disappointed by the decision of our management team to leave the club at this time and in this way, the statement on M…

Vote of confidence

Bottom of the table with just nine points from thirteen games. Only one win all season and the team have managed to find the net just eleven times. There are two things in these circumstances that the manager doesn’t want to hear. Firstly, he doesn’t want to be given the sack. Secondly, and only marginally less upsetting, is to be given the dreaded vote of confidence from the club board.

Safe

Unfortunately for West Ham’s Avram Grant, the second of those things happened to him yesterday when vice-chairperson Karen Brady said that his job is safe.

Asked by the BBC if Grant would still be the club’s manager at the end of this season she replied,

Almost definitely, yes.

Troubling

With the Hammers already fi…

Werder Bremen have agreed a new deal with Alexander Nouri that will see him remain as head coach at the Bundesliga club.

Nouri replaced Viktor Skripnik in September after Bremen had lost their first three matches, initially on an interim basis and then on a permanent deal until the end of the season.

The 37-year-old has taken them from the bottom of the table up to eighth, with a Europa League spot still possible going into Saturday s final match of the season away to Borussia Dortmund.

That form has seen Nouri rewarded with a new contract, the length of which has not been announced.

Even in February when results weren t going our way, I was certain that my journey with Werder was not over, Nouri told the club s website.

I always had the feeling…

Wayne Rooney believes lifting the FA Cup could prove to be the start of something special for Manchester United.

Louis van Gaal s side secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Everton at Wembley on Saturday to reach their first final since 2007, thanks to an injury-time strike from Anthony Martial.

Rooney has twice suffered defeat in the FA Cup final in the past, with United losing to Chelsea in 2007 and Arsenal two years earlier, making it the one domestic trophy the England captain has yet to get his hands on.

And the 30-year-old hopes that bringing an end to his long wait to lift the famous trophy could spark a successful run for United, who have won nothing but the Community Shield since Alex Ferguson s retirement in 2013.

I ve played in two FA Cup finals and…

Patrik Schick scored twice, including a stunning strike from just inside the opposition half, to earn the Czech Republic a 2-0 win against Scotland in Monday s Euro 2020 clash.

Scotland are competing in their first major tournament in 23 years and had the backing of around 12,000 spectators on home soil at Hampden Park.

However, Schick s header late in the first half and an incredible second goal from 49.7 yards – the longest recorded at the Euros since records began in 1980 – soon dampened the spirits of the vast majority inside the venue.

Steve Clarke s side hit the crossbar through a Jack Hendry effort in between Schick s brace, but Scotland offered little else in response as the Czech Republic joined England – 1-0 winners over Croatia on Sunday – o…

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a new contract for Eric Dier, according to .

After a problematic 2018/19, during which he suffered from appendicitis and tonsillitis, as well as a hip injury which eventually required surgery, the 25-year-old had lost his place in the team under Mauricio Pochettino. However, following the Argentinian s departure and the appointment of Jose Mourinho is his place, he has become a prominent member again, and as a consequence, he is the next in line for a fresh deal following defender Toby Alderweireld signing his recently. The increase in wages for Dier is expected to be a significant one, over £75,000 per week more than he earns under his current contract, which expires in 2021.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, the England international i…

Greater Manchester Police have made an arrest in connection with tragedy chanting during Manchester United’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Liverpool at Old Trafford.

During the second half of the host’s 4-3 extra time win a significant number of fans in the Stretford End were heard chanting ‘Murderers’, quickly followed by ‘Always the victims’, with the singing audible to the live television audience.

“GMP can confirm that an arrest has been made in connection with tragedy chanting at the Manchester United v Liverpool fixture this afternoon (Sunday 17 March), ” said a GMP spokesperson.

“Incidents of tragedy chanting will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly.

“We are all familiar with fans taunting their opponents at foo…

Eddie Nketiah said he will continue to knuckle down at Arsenal to force his way into Mikel Arteta s Premier League plans.

The 22-year-old striker scored Arsenal s second in a 2-0 win over Leeds United in the EFL Cup fourth round on Tuesday, which took his tally to seven goals in eight appearances in the competition.

Nketiah, who had three shots with two on target in the match, has yet to feature in the league this season for the Gunners and is eager to press his claims with head coach Arteta.

It is always nice to play, it’s obviously been a while, he told Sky Sports.

I’ve been working hard, waiting for this opportunity. I was confident and ready and it’s always nice to score and help your team.

We’re on a good run at the moment and it�…

Former Real Madrid player Zinedine Zidane will succeed Jorge Valdano as director of football at the La Liga giants.

Frenchman Zidane, a three-time world player of the year, retired in 2006 after spending the last five seasons of his career in the Spanish capital.

The 39-year-old won the La Liga title and the Champions League during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu and has been serving as a special advisor to Real president Florentino Perez since June 2009.

Zidane is set to take over at least some of the duties of Valdano, another former player who worked as director of football in two spells between 2000-2005 and 2009-2011.

The 55-year-old Argentine, formally a close ally of Perez, was removed by the president in May this year.

The move was seen…