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Ten Hag: Man Utd among the Premier League’s most entertaining teams

Harry Carr
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Ten Hag: Man Utd among the Premier League’s most entertaining teams

Embattled Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insisted his team are one of the most “dynamic and entertaining” sides in the Premier League after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

A late penalty from Zeki Amdouni – conceded by Andre Onana for a reckless foul on the Burnley forward – saw the Red Devils squander a 1-0 lead on another underwhelming outing at Old Trafford.

The result means United are officially out of contention for a top-four finish and are not even assured of Europa League football for 2024-25, with seventh-placed Newcastle United one point behind them.

Read our other sports news stories here:
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Ten Hag has come in for fierce criticism in recent weeks with United giving up a swathe of clear-cut chances – Burnley attempted 16 shots on their goal on Saturday with the Red Devils being carved open all too easily once more.

Ten Hag, however, believes his side are giving supporters value for money, telling BBC Match of the Day: “We are one of the most dynamic and entertaining teams in the league at this moment.

“We are creating loads of chances by playing good football. Every team gives up opportunities. But when it is us, it is weird.”

United have scored 52 goals in the Premier League this season, with ninth-placed Chelsea and eighth-placed West Ham among the teams to hit the net more often.

Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford have both matched their tally, while Fulham are only one goal behind them.

Ten Hag, however, believes the emergence of young players like Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund has been a bright spark this season, comparing his team to United’s 2004-05 side.

The likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo came to the fore for United in 2004-05, though they certainly outperformed the club’s current vintage, finishing third in the Premier League, losing the FA Cup final to Arsenal and reaching the EFL Cup semi-finals.

“They forget, in 2004-05 they also didn’t play great football,” Ten Hag said.

“They are building and it takes time but everyone forgets, even the players who were in the team, they forget they were struggling. You need time to progress.”

Inc & Co on Mastering Strategy Days: Tips for Effective Planning and Execution

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Strategy days might be the meeting you dread when it pops up in your calendar, seen as just another all-day meeting with no real outcome.

We heard from private equity group Inc & Co, who own brands such as Maker&Son, Skylab & Knomo London who recently held a strategy day for one of their brands with the end goal of creating a 12-month marketing plan. After reflection, they are sharing the wisdom of the steps taken to put the day together and how you can do something similar for your teams.

Set the Objectives

Before the teams arrive, remember the question, ‘What are we looking to get out of this?’.

The success of a strategy day hinges on clear objectives and preparation. Start by defining what you hope to achieve—aligning on a new company vision, planning a rebrand, or brainstorming ideas for upcoming campaigns. Then, organise an agenda and a few slides to keep you on track. Use real-world examples to keep things interesting and create talking points about your goal.

Ensure Activities are Interactive

As Inc & Co found, this is the most important part of the session. It’s a chance to throw job titles out of the window and let everyone have their opinions. Often, you’ll find ideas emerge that no one has even considered, and these form the base of your goals.

Breakout sessions into workshops where teams can tackle specific challenges or explore new ideas help to keep everyone active. Go back to basics with activities like word clouds, wipe boards & creative thinking with no limits.

Look at Challenges and Solutions

No strategy day goes without challenges—time constraints, divergent views, and information overload are common. Anticipate these challenges and plan solutions. For example, keep sessions timed strictly to avoid fatigue, use a facilitator to navigate conflicting opinions, and schedule breaks to give participants time to recharge.

At the end of each activity, it’s also important to relate the result back to your end goal. Are the team aligned better than when you started? Were the points made valid?

Lessons Learned

Reflecting on the recent strategy day, several lessons stood out.

Firstly, through discussions, they uncovered that the team needed to be more aligned with how the brand should be positioned moving forward than they had perhaps realised. They could take all the positives and negatives from the feedback and create actionable goals.

They also uncovered areas that team members still needed to consider, which could aid them in marketing the brand and allow them to go away energised to make the changes. Getting the team together led to discussions about the next strategy day and how, in an environment where things change so often, they should leave a manageable gap between them.

Call to Actions

This is where you ensure everyone involved goes away with an action, and it’s important to make them SMART.

Specific – Don’t create a fluffy goal. ‘Do more social’ is not what we’re looking for here. How many posts, what platform, and what content?

Measurable – How are you going to measure the success of the goal?

Achievable – Make sure you can reasonably accomplish it.

Relevant – This goal must align with the objectives you set yourself at the start of the session.

Time – Adding a deadline to your goal is the best way to ensure you hit it.

If you’ve got a strategy day coming up, consider using some of these points to guide you. If you’d like further help, feel free to contact the team at Inc & Co

Man City: Guardiola says Foden can get even better by dropping a gear

Harry Carr
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Man City: Guardiola says Foden can get even better by dropping a gear

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola believes Phil Foden still has room for improvement and not always playing in “sixth gear” could help the England star take things up a notch.

Foden has emerged as the favourite to be crowned Premier League Player of the Season, scoring 16 goals and adding seven assists in the competition to help City assume control of the title race.

He was twice on target as City trounced Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 at the Amex Stadium on Thursday, first with a deflected free-kick and then with a composed finish from the edge of the area.

Read our other sports news stories here:
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With 23 goals in all competitions, this is the most prolific campaign of Foden’s career to date, but Guardiola says he still has further strides to make.

Interestingly, the City boss believes knowing when to slow things down, rather than always looking to force the issue, could make Foden even more productive.

“I said it many times, Phil has a sixth gear, but he cannot play all the time in sixth gear,” Guardiola said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.

“Sometimes with second and third it’s fine and I think with time, he will learn that. Against Brighton he was much better than in the two or three games before. Everything was one action too quick.

“Sometimes you have to go slower to make quicker actions in order to surprise the opponent, and at Brighton he was really good and the movements happened at the right moment.

“He attacked when he needed to attack, but it’s a question of time, he will understand the game through years and experiences. His work ethic is unbelievable.

“How he runs and presses, we are really pleased and happy for him and congratulate him. Hopefully he goes into the last month we have ahead of us and he doesn’t stop.”

Asked to expand on the “sixth gear” analogy, Guardiola said: “I would love to go in sixth gear for every single action, but you are less precise.

“If you are in sixth gear and lose the ball all the time that is not effective. Sometimes you have to reduce the moment and he has to know when he has to be aggressive and when he has to be more calm.

“This is a question of time. He improved a lot in those terms from the beginning of the season and the previous seasons.”

Manchester United: Ten Hag demands more of struggling Rashford

Jon Fisher
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Manchester United: Ten Hag demands more of struggling Rashford

Erik ten Hag says struggling Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford “needs support” but also admitted he “can do better than he has been doing this year”.

Rashford has endured a difficult season on and off the pitch.

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He has failed to replicate his sparkling form of last season when he scored 30 goals, managing just eight for United across all competitions, while a well-publicised trip to Northern Ireland in January which saw him photographed in a Belfast nightclub in the early hours, led to a hefty fine.

That has led to a raft of criticism with the 26-year-old tweeting overnight to say “enough is enough”.

Ten Hag is happy to back Rashford but would also like to see more from him in terms of his performance levels.

“I have a lot of sympathy for Marcus,” he said. “Last year, he had a brilliant season and scored 30 goals – so you can see what he’s capable of.

“This season he hasn’t had the performances and people are very critical. We have to back him and everyone should back him so he can get back to the levels we saw last year.

“He needs the support and we have to push him because he can do better than he has been doing this year.”

United saw off Sheffield United 4-2 on Wednesday night to move up to sixth in the table, but it was another chaotic display which twice saw the Premier League’s bottom club lead at Old Trafford.

“Out of possession, we have to be better organised, better disciplined and we have to play with a high intensity,” added Ten Hag.

“And we have to keep doing the stuff in possession, because I think we make huge progress this season in attacking transitions – we have scored so many goals.

“If you see the difference between first season and second season now, it’s immense, so we develop our attacking style of playing.”

Ten Hag repeated his claim that having an unsettled defence due to injuries has hampered their progress this season.

He said: “Most important this season is the back four. We didn’t have a sustainable back four.

“There have been so many different partnerships, swapping the full-backs. It’s also that our attacking players have to contribute more; [be] more disciplined, more pressure on the ball and matching better the runs.”

In positive injury news for United, midfielder Mason Mount is poised to return against Burnley tomorrow while Ten Hag expects Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Lisandro Martinez to play before the season ends.

“I think we are going to see those three this season,” he said. “All three returned to the pitch. Next week they have to step into team training but next week, they can step in for the last weeks. They progress well.”

Co-op Live Arena opening delayed until May

Helen Greaney
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Co-op Live Arena opening delayed until May

The highly anticipated opening of Manchester’s new Co-op Live Arena has been postponed once again, with the grand opening now set for May.

The decision comes as the 23,500-seat venue – the largest indoor arena in the UK – continues to face readiness issues.

A fully tested emergency services communication system, some remaining internal security systems and fire safety measures still need to be rigorously tested.

Bolton comic Peter Kay had shows originally planned for April 23 and 24, but had to be put back due to the venue not being ready. They were initially rescheduled for April 29 and 30.

In a Facebook post to fans, Kay said: “My apologies once again but unfortunately the Co-op Live still isn’t ready and so, as yet, remains untested for a large-scale audience. Consequently, they are having to reschedule my two shows yet again (I know I can’t believe it either).

“It’s very disappointing but your safety is very important, and I won’t compromise that.”

Co-op Live’s manager, Gary Roden, resigned yesterday amid a series of challenges at the venue.

A Co-op Live spokesman said: “Since making the difficult decision to postpone the live shows at Co-op Live due to take place this week, we have been undertaking an extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans.

“To ensure that we can run all shows safely. regretfully we have now had to take the decision to reschedule the planned Black Keys and Peter Kay shows.

“We deeply appreciate the impact this will have on excited fans, and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience that this change will undoubtedly cause.”

Peter Kay will now take to the stage on May 23 and 24. American rock band The Black Keys, who were due to perform tomorrow, will now play on May 15.

The arena also faced setbacks last weekend when a test event featuring Rick Astley was cancelled, resulting in thousands of tickets being voided.

A joint statement from Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, North West Ambulance Service, released today said: “As a whole group we support the decision of Co-op Live to step down the event tomorrow, and we will continue to work together as they move to completion.

“We have discussed with the Co-op Live venue this week the actions that they needed to take ahead of their planned public opening and while a considerable amount of work has taken place, and learning taken from last week’s test event, we all agree that there is more to complete before the venue can welcome audiences safely.

“Whilst we understand this will be disappointing, we cannot compromise on public safety. Our focus is, and always will be, the wellbeing of residents and visitors to our city. Following last Saturday’s test event, where temporary mitigations were put in place, we were assured that our concerns about the venue would be addressed before a public opening. That work is continuing as they move to welcoming events with larger audience numbers.

“The elements outstanding include a fully tested emergency services communication system, and some remaining internal security systems, and fire safety measures.

“Work is progressing quickly in all of these areas, and all partners involved look forward to the venue being open and able to welcome guests safely once they are completed.”

The arena is expected to open on May 1 with a performance by US rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

All Peter Kay and Black Keys tickets remain valid and ticket holders will be contacted by their point of purchase. Refunds are available to those who can no longer attend.

Formula One: Hulkenberg confirmed as Audi’s first driver as German swaps Haas for Sauber

Harry Carr
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Formula One: Hulkenberg confirmed as Audi’s first driver as German swaps Haas for Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg says he is “honoured” to be confirmed as Audi’s first Formula One driver, agreeing to join Sauber in 2025 before the team is taken over by the German manufacturer for 2026.

Hulkenberg went three years without a permanent spot on the grid after leaving Renault at the end of the 2019 season but has impressed since joining Haas in 2023.

He currently sits 13th in the drivers’ championship standings – an improvement on last year’s placing of 16th – and has made the top 10 in three of the first five races of 2024.

Read our other sports news stories here:
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On Friday, Haas confirmed Hulkenberg will leave the team at the end of this season, and Sauber subsequently announced he had signed a “multi-year” contract with them.

That means the 36-year-old German – who has also driven for Williams, Force India and Aston Martin – will line up for Audi in their inaugural season when they take over Sauber for 2026.

Writing on X after his move was announced, Hulkenberg said: “I am thrilled and honoured to return to Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber in 2025 and to represent the global German car manufacturer and technology pioneer Audi on its way into Formula 1.

“It’s a big project with high ambitions and a huge challenge, a challenge that I am very much looking forward to.

“The conversations with Andreas Seidl and Oliver Hoffmann were very trustful, characterised by a lot of appreciation and mutual understanding regarding the common goals.

“At the same time, I would like to express a special thank you to the entire Haas F1 Team for placing their trust in me and making a comeback in F1 possible. I will do everything I can in the remaining 19 races to be as successful as possible.”

The signing of Hulkenberg means at least one of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu – Sauber’s current pairing – will be without a drive for next year.

Audi are reportedly keen to secure outgoing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz alongside Hulkenberg for 2026, while the Scuderia’s junior driver Oliver Bearman has been linked with a move to Haas.

Arrests made following Kersal Dale human remains find

Helen Greaney
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Arrests made following Kersal Dale human remains find

Two men from Salford have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently being questioned, following the discovery of human remains in Kersal Dale.

The torso of a white man in his 40s was found wrapped in plastic in the wetlands, on April 4.

Yesterday, police stormed a bus on Eccles Old Road and arrested a 42-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

A 68-year-old man was also arrested at an address on Worsley Road on suspicion of murder.

The men are believed to be known to each other.

The arrests are believed to be a significant breakthrough in the police investigation, which has been ongoing for three weeks.

The Major Incident Team has conducted hundreds of hours of CCTV trawls and followed numerous lines of enquiry, leading to them tracing a person of interest and arresting two men from the local area.

Detective superintendent Lewis Hughes said: “The arrests are undoubtedly a significant step in our investigation, and our focus now is questioning the men in custody, which could be key to finding answers.

“We are continuing to work round the clock looking through every single line of enquiry that we have established, and you may see further searches in the city over the coming days as we work to leave no stone unturned.

“At the centre of our efforts, remains our victim. Our investigation is moving at pace, and we are determined to identify him and find out how he has met this tragic outcome.

“This victim could be a father, brother, son, or cousin. He is a man over the age of 40, with white skin tone, believed to be European, and most likely had blonde or light brown hair and blue eyes.

“We continue to appeal to anyone missing a loved one who matches this description to come forward.

“We are by no means finished with our investigation; we are still in the early stages of finding out what has happened but please be reassured that we are making good progress.

“We still need your help, anyone out there who thinks they know something, or have maybe seen something suspicious in the area – please think about this victim, and a family that will one day hear the most devastating news – come forward for them by calling 101 and quoting log number 2695 of April 4, 2024.

“If you would like to remain anonymous, details can be shared via the independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111.”

Inc & Co’s Jack Mason On Why Barcelona is a Natural Place to Call Home for incspaces

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We sat down with Jack Mason, Group CEO of incspaces and Inc & Co to talk about his property business, investment firm Inc & Co, and why growing a group is both challenging and rewarding.

Tell readers in a nutshell what is Inc & Co?

We’re an investment firm specialising in M&As, finance, and distressed businesses. Since 2019, we have acquired and created multiple companies. Laundrapp, one we acquired in lockdown, was an on-demand laundry business where you used the app to have your laundry collected and delivered the next day. We bought the brand, developed it, refined its offering, and ultimately exited it a few years later to one of its competitors.

That’s clearly a successful exit of a brand that once struggled; what about any failures?

There are always failures; ultimately, we’re buying businesses no one wants anymore, whether they’re about to go bust or are riding the fine line of being liquidated. While we will always try to save viable businesses, a few things need to happen first. The business needs to be salvageable, the current staff needs to want to work through any business difficulties, and ultimately, everyone has to want to work together. If just one of those things isn’t there, it won’t work.

While we’ve had many failures, it’s not fair for me to pinpoint one, as they’re all so complex. At the end of the day, any business closure affects people’s lives.

You’re expanding into Europe with incspaces; why now?

The decision to refocus the company’s efforts on new markets is crucial. Given that the UK flexible office market has become saturated with office space providers in recent years, we must diversify our property portfolio to be one step ahead.

While the UK has seen steady growth in the office space market since Covid-19, and expectations are that it will continue to grow, incspaces are growing faster, and the UK market isn’t growing in line with our plans. We can’t just wait around for the UK market and see conditions slowly improve; that is not what incspaces is all about, and it certainly not what Inc & Co is about.”

Tell us about the European plans in more detail?

We’re investing €1.5M into our two new European buildings, which is the start of a strategic realignment for incspaces. This realignment positions the company to capitalise on new opportunities and build a strong international presence. Ultimately, we’re driven by our dedication to supporting our clients’ growth and success, and we will do that in Barcelona and Dublin.

What else are you doing to grow incspaces further?

We recently launched Infinity Office in the U.K. market. It is aimed at start-ups and entrepreneurs who don’t want the commitment of an office space but want to drop in casually, have mail redirected, and meet or attend events. It really is a one-of-a-kind service, and nothing else exists that we’ve seen before. Think virtual office, but with a VIP feel. It launched in April and has already seen enormous interest from start-ups.

Manchester United star Rashford says ‘enough is enough’ after ‘months of abuse’

Jon Fisher
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Manchester United star Rashford says ‘enough is enough’ after ‘months of abuse’

Marcus Rashford says he has been abused for months and that “enough is enough”.

The Manchester United and England forward has endured a difficult season on and off the pitch.

Read our other sports news stories here:
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Nadal uncertain about 2024 French Open
Kolkata Knight Riders v Punjab Kings: preview and betting offers

He has failed to replicate his sparkling form of last season when he scored 30 goals, managing just eight for United across all competitions, while a well-publicised trip to Northern Ireland in January which saw him photographed in a Belfast nightclub in the early hours, led to a hefty fine.

His below-par displays have led to a wave of criticism, particularly on social media, and Rashford has hinted he is tired of it.

Responding to a tweet that read: “The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It’s cruel. It’s abuse,”, the 26-year-old wrote: “I appreciate your support! It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough.”

Many fans laid the blame for the criticism at the door of YouTuber, and supposed Manchester United fan, Mark Goldbridge.

Long-time critic Goldbridge, who runs the channel The United Stand, described Rashford as “as useful as a wheelie bin with no wheels” following the penalty shoot-out win over Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.

In a series of tweets this morning, Goldbridge wrote: “Player FC back out in force this morning again defending a massively underperforming player over the club…we’ll never progress without standards.

“I very much doubt that’s the player tweeting at half past midnight the night before training as well. All players have diet and sleep plans and being up that late won’t be part of it. Especially injured.”

Goldbridge’s outspoken criticism of United has previously drawn the ire of the club’s former full-back Paul Parker, who told BonusCodeBets: “I don’t like what Mark Goldbridge is doing. It’s a problem.

“Everyone has to make a living but you have to be very, very thick-skinned to make money off the back of something you don’t like. He has no relationship to Man United, he is a Nottingham Forest fan.

“He has no inner feeling with the club and it’s a scary but incredible feeling to have to be that invested in a club that you don’t support. But that’s also what Man United are about. It’s a club with a massive story and it’s a story that everyone tries to tap into and be a part of.

“A lot of people are making money because of Man United but it’s madness. One, they don’t support Man United and to be honest, two, they don’t even like football. But it’s a club that everyone wants to talk about and somehow it’s possible to make money from it despite not having a relationship to the club.”

Nene Capital Completes Strategic Acquisition of Acegate Manufacturing Ltd

News Desk
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Nene Capital Completes Strategic Acquisition of Acegate Manufacturing Ltd

Nene Capital, a seasoned investor in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is delighted to announce its acquisition of Rochdale-based Acegate Manufacturing Ltd, a specialist in the production of light gauge sheet metal and tubular section. This move is a key expansion for Nene Capital’s long-hold portfolio and highlights its dedication to fostering growth and adding value across its investments.

Acegate Manufacturing Ltd is renowned for its exceptional, precision-engineered products and is a fitting addition to Nene Capital’s investment ethos, which focuses on companies with strong growth potential and operational excellence. Acegate’s prowess in precision sheet metal solutions across various industries, along with its commitment to high-quality fabrication, sets the stage for significant growth and market expansion under Nene Capital’s guidance.

Stephen Bayliss, Managing Director of Nene Capital, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, “We are excited to welcome Acegate Manufacturing Ltd into portfolio 1. This acquisition is a testament to our investment philosophy of fostering sustainable growth in companies that not only lead in their respective fields but also have the potential to innovate and scale. With Nene Capital’s resources and strategic support, we are confident that Acegate will achieve new heights of success.”

Simon Stringer, Finance Director of Nene Capital, also remarked on the acquisition: “Acegate has demonstrated long-term reliable trading success and sustained value generation. It is another business we are proud to include in our long-hold strategy underlying our financial fundamentals and goals.”

Nene Capital is set to collaborate closely with the management team at Acegate to enhance the robust foundation already in place.

This acquisition underscores Nene Capital’s ongoing commitment to investing in companies poised for substantial growth and enduring value creation for stakeholders.

The deal received support from the corporate deal team at Howes Percival LLP, solicitors.

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