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© Getty Images The Portuguese's style eventually lost the locker room, with Manchester United forced into a change. Jose Mourinho’s style of management is simply too demanding for some players, according to the Portuguese manager’s biographer Manuel Pereira. Mourinho’s time at Manchester United came to an abrupt end in December, following a 3-1 defeat to rivals Liverpool at Anfield. The Red Devils were struggling to score goals and had their top four hopes slipping away when the decision was made, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepping into the interim manager role. United have not lost since, having come away with six straight victories, including a 1-0 triumph over Tottenham at Wembley on Sunday. The reason for the struggles this season under Mourinho remain a mystery to both the manager and his biographer, though Pereira admitted it was clear the dressing room had been lost by the end.  “I'm sure not even Mourinho himself has a clear answer to [what went wrong],” Perei...

On February 14, when we share chocolates, special dinners, or doily cards with our loved ones, we do it  in the name of Saint Valentine . But who was this saint of romance?  Search the internet, and you can find plenty of stories about him—or   them . One Saint Valentine was supposedly a Roman priest who performed secret weddings against the wishes of the authorities in the third century. Imprisoned in the home of a noble, he healed his captor’s blind daughter, causing the whole household to convert to Christianity and sealing his fate. Before being tortured and decapitated on February 14, he sent the girl a note signed “Your Valentine.” Some accounts say another saint named Valentine during the same period was the Bishop of Terni, also credited with secret weddings and martyrdom via beheading on February 14. Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a tidy, romantic backstory to the holiday, scholars who have studied its origins say there’s very little basis for the...

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson backed Mohamed Salah and said the forward would only get better if criticism of him continued. Salah has been accused of diving in recent weeks, including for a penalty that he converted in his team's 1-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday. The Egypt international is enjoying another fine season, scoring 14 goals and providing seven assists in 22 Premier League games. Henderson defended the 26-year-old and the Liverpool captain feels Salah will only lift if the criticism continues. "He will do things that some fans might not see that often but they should enjoy him because he is world class," the midfielder told UK newspapers. "It was a penalty, a clear penalty. There's nothing to talk about that. "In terms of Mo, I would think away grounds would be appreciative of what they see. The things he does, I'm sure he is a joy to watch. "If they try to put pressure on him, they will only m...

by Sacha Pisani 15 Jan 2019, 05:50 Pep Guardiola insisted Ederson's sweeper style is valuable to Manchester City, despite the goalkeeper's antics in Monday's 3-0 Premier League win over Wolves. Ederson was briefly involved in City's midfield against Wolves as the Premier League champions moved within four points of leaders Liverpool. The Brazil international rushed out of his box to win the ball before exchanging passes with City team-mate Ilkay Gundogan just inside the halfway line at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola, however, was not concerned post-match, telling reporters: "I'm so pleased because he stays high [Ederson], the keeper has to defend our back four, in front with the long balls he's perfect. "Adama [Traore] is maybe the fastest player I've ever seen in my life. It was good, he makes a decision, maybe he must be more precise, but the ball is out, no problem. But if you handle the risk, it's not easy. ...