A whirlwind 72 hours will conclude this evening with the start of the latest new era at Spurs as interim head coach Ryan Mason will take charge of the team for the first time. Joining the European Super League, Jose Mourinho’s sacking and the collapse of said League has overshadowed Mason’s appointment to the end of the season and he will be looking to make a positive start this evening - in the face of possible fan protests over the ESL. Harry Kane will not be involved, and there remain concerns of the striker’s involvement against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final, but Mason’s team selection will no doubt be interesting with the likes of Dele Alli and Gareth Bale looking to come back in from the cold.
Doublespeak special: What clubs said about pulling out of the Super League — and what they meant A senior executive of one of the 'Big Six' believed on Saturday morning his club was set to agree to Champions League reforms rather than be part of the proposed European Super League. In news that illustrates the chaos surrounding the failed launch of the breakaway it can be revealed that momentum for the now-aborted ESL began little more than 24 hours before the first reports of its existence emerged. Until that stage Juventus president Andrea Agnelli appears to have discussed the proposals directly with club owners and without the knowledge of some of the senior executives involved even though they would have to try and implement it. Agnelli along with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, Liverpool owner John W Henry and Manchester United’s Joel Glazer were the main driving forces behind the formation of the breakaway. All four took up roles when it was announced on Sunday night. The rush would help explain how ill-thought through the launch of the ESL was, with a formal announcement after 11pm, and how poorly it was dealt with from a public relations point of view. It was in keeping with its poor conception that it fell apart less than 48 hours after it was announced with clubs relenting under the backlash from fans, players, their own staff, the media and authorities including the UK Government.
Willian is intent on winning trophies at Arsenal and wants to play at next year’s World Cup with Brazil. Willian has struggled since moving to Emirates Stadium, but he has said he is committed to honouring the final two years of his deal. “Well my plan is to stay at Arsenal, I have a contract here, and to win trophies,” said Willian.