Asked what lessons they had learned, Bristol City midfielder Knight said: “It’s fresh, but playing against Holland and France is about having a clinical edge.
“That’s been a large part of all the games we’ve been equal in: they’ve taken their chances and we haven’t. We defended well in large of parts of all the games. Looking back briefly off the top of my head, we lacked a bit of creative spark and those goals when we needed to capitalise.
“The confidence is good. We’re playing some good attractive football at times. We’ve fallen on the wrong side of results against good teams. France and Netherlands aren’t minnows of world football.
“There’s confidence within the group and definitely confidence we’ll turn it around.”
Knight…
Fulham have confirmed that young defender Dan Burn has joined Birmingham on a season-long loan.
The 21-year-old, who spent last term at Yeovil, has also signed a contract extension which will keep him at the club until 2015.
Born in Blyth, Burn joined Fulham from Darlington in 2011 and was a loanee in the Yeovil side that won promotion to the Championship last season, after beating Brentford in the play-off final a game in which he scored.
The defender has also signed a new two-year contract with Martin Jol s side and is hopeful that a season at a higher level can result in his ultimate goal, a spot in Fulham s first team.
I was really excited to sign a new deal. I had a season on loan last season and was hoping that a new contract would come in the summer as m…
Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter Milan are both interested in signing Mateo Retegui from Argentinian side Tigre, according to Fabrizio Romano. The news comes in the aftermath of the 23-year-old striker making his first and second appearance as an Italy international for the opening two matches of the Euro 2024 qualifications. He scored both against England and Malta.
Quite apart from that, Retegui himself recently revealed a desire to continue his career in Europe. He also named Italy as the preferred destination, which obviously puts Inter into a better position than Eintracht, but he also pointed out that the matter was being dealt with by his father, who acts as his representative, and that nothing is decided at this point.
Retegui s services actually belong to Boca Jun…
Manchester City on Monday said they had signed Argentine striker Carlos Tevez, who left Manchester United at the end of the season, amid reports they also want Arsenal s Emmanuel Adebayor.
Tevez, 25, has agreed terms with City and is set to sign a five-year deal, his new club said following weeks of rumours regarding his future.
No fee was mentioned but City were expected to have to shell out in the region of 25 million pounds (35 million euros) for the player they have coveted all summer.
It is terrific news, said City manager Mark Hughes.
Carlos is an international player of the highest class who possesses all the attributes that will help drive this club forward, Hughes told the club s official website.
He is not only outstanding technicall…
The German Bundesliga stopped their play last weekend and now it will go into their typical winter break with several surprises in the standings.
After conclusion of the first half of the season and with 17 matches played by all teams, we can see neither Bayern Munich nor Borussia Dortmund sit at the top of the standings. That alone should be listed as a surprise since one of these two teams have won each of the last 10 league titles. Instead, we have RB Leipzig leading the way with 37 points, followed by Borussia Monchengladbach with 35.
Bayern sit in third place with 33 points and Dortmund are fourth with 30, edging Schalke 04 solely based on their superior goal differential.
It’s clear both Bayern and Dortmund will remain as title contenders during the seco…
Philippe Coutinho is set to make his long-awaited return from injury in Barcelona s Joan Gamper Trophy showdown with Juventus on Sunday.
The Brazilian has been passed fit and could play his first football for Barca of 2021, having undergone two knee surgeries since the turn of the year.
The attacking midfielder last played for the Catalan giants in their 1-1 draw with Eibar at the Camp Nou in December.
Ronald Koeman has also named the likes of Memphis Depay, Antoine Griezmann and Martin Braithwaite in his 21-man party for the club s annual season curtain raiser at Estadi Johan Cruyff.
However, Sergio Aguero and Clement Lenglet are missing for Barca, who begin their LaLiga campaign at home to Real Sociedad on August 15.
Aguero, who arrived from …
Everton will appeal against the controversial red card shown to Dominic Calvert-Lewin during Thursday’s FA Cup third-round draw with Crystal Palace.
The striker faces a three-match ban having been dismissed for a sliding studs-up challenge on Nathaniel Clyne following a VAR review during the second half of the goalless stalemate.
Referee Chris Kavanagh initially did not even give a free-kick but was sent to review the incident on the pitchside monitor and decided the challenge was worthy of a dismissal.
Everton Football Club has today notified the FA of its decision to appeal the red card issued to Dominic Calvert-Lewin in our FA Cup third round fixture at Crystal Palace on Thursday evening.
— Everton (@Everton)
The decision was widely criti…
Manchester United begin their first Premier League campaign without Alex Ferguson with a tough trip to Swansea City on Saturday.
Ferguson elected to bring his 27-year reign at Old Trafford to an end at the conclusion of a title-winning 2012-13 season, and played a part in David Moyes appointment to the unenviable task of following in his footsteps.
The former Everton boss will be given no easy introduction, however, as United make the daunting trip to the Liberty Stadium.
The reigning champions were held to a 1-1 draw at the Welsh ground last season, with Patrice Evra s opener cancelled out by a goal from bargain attacker Michu.
But Moyes boasts an impressive record at the Liberty Stadium since Swansea s promotion, having led Everton to a 3-0 win there last seaso…
Spain Under-20 international Denis Suarez has joined Barcelona from Manchester City.
The 19-year-old winger, who moved to City from Celta Vigo in 2011, has signed a contract with the Spanish giants until 2017.
He will initially join the Barcelona B team, with his buyout clause set at €12million. That will rise to €35million if he reaches the club s senior side.
Suarez, who made four appearances for Spain during the recent FIFA Under-20 World Cup, had struggled to break in to the first team at the Etihad Stadium following his progression through Celta s academy.
Despite being named City s Young Player of the Year in 2012, he made only two competitive appearances for the first team.
Suarez could feature in Barcelona B s second game of the season agains…
Hannes Thor Halldorsson was the hero for Iceland as the goalkeeper s penalty save from Lionel Messi secured his side a sensational 1-1 draw against Argentina.
With Diego Maradona watching on from the stands, Messi failed to convert from the spot in the second half of an eventful Group D opener at the Otkrytie Arena in Moscow.
Sergio Aguero had fired the beaten finalists from four years ago ahead in the 19th minute, finally breaking his World Cup duck at the ninth attempt with a rising left-footed drive.
Yet debutants Iceland refused to melt on the main stage, Alfred Finnbogason capitalising on Willy Caballero s weak punch to score his country s maiden goal in the history of the tournament just four minutes later.
Iceland were indebted to Halldorsso…