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RED BULL ARENA – “We are the boys who will win your little game,” a Selhurst Park tifo read at the start of Crystal Palace’s Uefa Conference League journey.

They did, indeed, live up to the billing, beating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Wednesday’s final.

Despite feeling aggrieved after their demotion from the Europa League for failing to comply with multi-club ownership regulations, Palace embraced the competition from the start – after all, it was still a maiden European tour.

It did not work out too badly in the end; now they are European champions and have back-to-back seasons of continental football.

In retrospect, the exclusion has worked in their favour. Entering the Europa League in their first-ever European season may well have been a step too far – especially with the toll the Conference League has taken on the squad – but the third-tier competition has given them exquisite grounding and experience of European football, which will elevate their chances in the Europa League next season.

There was beautiful irony to Palace lifting a European honour at the home of RB Leipzig, a club genuinely engrossed in a multi-club model – unlike Palace. Despite winning the “little game”, there was no love lost for Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, whom supporters pelted with jeers during the trophy presentation.

Procuring a maiden continental honour has finally allowed the Eagles to take up their rightful place in the Europa League next season after Jean-Philippe Mateta struck into a gaping net.

It had to be Mateta, who lives every moment of a game, even after he was substituted in Leipzig – the Frenchman was bouncing up and down on the bench trying to coach his team over the line.

It was not long ago that Mateta was vilified by Palace fans when he tried to force a move to AC Milan in January. Palace can thank their lucky stars the move fell through, with Mateta, who may still depart in the summer, scoring the most crucial goal of their campaign.

Winning a European trophy is a remarkable achievement for Palace, and they should take time to bask in the glory. However, when attention turns to next season under new management – with Conference League success marking Oliver Glasner’s final game at the club – their triumph could prove a gamechanger.

Crystal Palace are the 2026 Conference League winners

What an achievement pic.twitter.com/xjMDrfrQbT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 27, 2026

The dividends stretch beyond another trophy in the cabinet. The £21.5m prize for winning the competition will help boost the transfer kitty for the new manager, especially with financial regulations becoming even more stringent from next season. Another European campaign will also increase revenue streams, both commercially and through prize money.

Most importantly, the pull of the Europa League should not be underestimated. Another season in Europe will allow Palace to attract a higher calibre of players and coaches, with Thursday night football once again on offer at Selhurst Park.

Andoni Iraola is Palace’s dream candidate to replace Glasner, and their efforts to persuade him to join have been admirable. With Bournemouth securing Europa League football, a move to Palace may initially have appeared a side-step.

But Palace now offer European football of their own, alongside the prestige of having won a European trophy and two domestic honours. The prospect becomes even more attractive given Iraola’s interest in London.

No matter where Palace go from here, the kudos belongs to chairman Steve Parish and outgoing manager Glasner.

Glasner for masterminding the greatest spell in Palace history, always finding a way to win big games. The unity he has developed in the Palace squad means they enter every game as a collective with an unconquerable mindset.

Meanwhile, Parish, who has had a tense relationship with Glasner at times, could have sacked the Austrian when he publicly disrespected the club in January. However, he held his nerve as he knew Glasner gave Palace the best chance of winning the Conference League. He may look back on that decision in years to come as the pivotal moment that led Palace to the title.

There was a touching moment between the pair during the celebrations when they both lifted the trophy together in front of the Palace supporters. One last trophy to signal the end of their union and further cement their legacies as the greatest chairman and manager, respectively, in Palace’s history.

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This summer will host the biggest international football tournament in the game’s history, the first one to span an entire continent and the first time that a World Cup host will be at war with a competing nation. Basically: strap in.

The sheer size of the tournament changes the game for coverage. In 2022, 64 matches were played to decide the world champion. In 2026, 72 matches will be played to decide which 16 countries won’t make the last-32 round and then we have the knockouts. It’s a football all-you-can-eat buffet.

The geopolitical ripples are also extraordinary, and not just because of the US-Iran war. In Qatar, the most common criticism on my reportage was “Errr have you seen America?” And yes, I had seen America. There are issues surrounding the treatment of minorities, heat, freedom of the press, surveillance and so much more.

To which we must add the questions surrounding Fifa’s governance of the game, greed, the premiership of Gianni Infantino and the economics of a tournament that has priced out so many international travellers. This is a non-normal World Cup for myriad reasons and thus demands non-normal coverage. And so…

What is the project?

• A 7,200-mile road trip – no internal flights, all car – over 49 days from the westernmost point of the contiguous United States (Washington coast) to the easternmost point (Maine coast), watching matches live in nine different host stadiums and ending at the final.

What will I be doing?

• A series of detailed, on-the-ground features on the issues that matter, from ICE agents to public transport chaos to price gouging on tickets to the extreme heat.
• By travelling across the country, speaking to people in red and blue states, on the west coast and east coast, in host cities and in smalltown USA where the World Cup feels a long way away, I think we’re offering sharper, deeper and different coverage.
• Wider-angle match pieces, from Iranian supporters in San Francisco to watching Messi for perhaps the final time to LGBTQ+ visibility to the final itself.
• Regular newsletters sent straight to you, with progress updates, talking points and news from our reporters inside England’s training camp.
• Videos that I desperately hope will sit in the sweet spot between Alan Partridge’s From The Oasthouse and Richard Keys’ 2014 World Cup diaries. I highly recommend both.

How do I follow the journey?

• Sign up for the newsletter for free here, from which you will get all the updates.
• Sign up for a subscription to The i Paper for all of my work, all of our World Cup coverage and everything else the paper produces for a trial period of just £1 for the first three months.
• Follow me on Instagram for the videos as I slowly descend into highway madness.

Where will I be going?

The broad details, which look easier written down:

• 7,200+ miles
• 60+ driving hours
• 34 motels (obviously I’m going to end up rating these)
• 24 states. Deep breath: Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine

Who will be with me?

Just me, a hire car that I’m praying to every God holds up and a fistful of dreams. I will see familiar faces at matches and my goodness I will need them.

I’ll also meet lots of lovely locals, motel receptionists and supporters of various countries, who will all stop me going mad. This is the best bit of the project to me, telling stories with the help of everybody I meet along the way.

Other than that it’s me and the road. I’m thinking of Steinbeck’s Travels With Charley and Paul Theroux’s Dark Star Safari. But then neither of them had Spotify or Elis James and John Robins podcasts, so maybe better?

How am I going to stay sane?

Come back to me on that in late June. And then early July. And then late July. It’s the drive between Los Angeles and Houston that’s living in my head, because it’s the same distance as London to Morocco and I’ve got to do it in five days alongside work. Don’t ever feel sympathy for me – I love this stuff.

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At some clubs Eddie Howe would not have got another chance.

Whatever mitigation there is for Newcastle United’s disappointing season, that is the stark truth. 

“Unacceptable” is how one source described it and that is not an unfair description of a campaign where a black and white storm descended on St James’ Park.

Problems that had been brewing for a while – Howe’s recruitment and retention preferences colliding with financial restrictions to produce a squad that was both stale in some parts and unsettled by new arrivals with the wrong profile in others – combined with new issues like fan discontent and a resurgent rival in Sunderland to leave a sense that the project has stalled.

Behind the scenes they would dispute that. Sporting director Ross Wilson’s impact has won almost universal praise from those who have witnessed his work and he has worked hard at knocking down some of the silos that created the problems in the first place.

Chief executive David Hopkinson has injected new urgency into off the field issues. His willingness to embrace ambition has been matched by relentlessness in the boardroom. From plenty of conversations throughout the season it does feel as if Newcastle have spent the campaign laying foundations which will make them better in the long-term

Sources suggest that they will be on the front foot this summer, hoping to do business in and out fairly quickly, while there will be no repeat of last year’s Alexander Isak transfer saga.

Why Newcastle are backing Eddie Howe

One thing that can be cleared up: Howe has support from Hopkinson and Wilson, with the former confirming to The i Paper that they have a “strong” plan heading into a pivotal close season.

12th is miles off where Newcastle – whose minimum target this year was qualifying for Europe – need to be and Howe accepts that.

But the belief is that there has been mitigation: a hectic fixture list, the botched sale of Isak and the lack of an executive team to support him until the autumn.

A rigorous, partly data-led analysis of the campaign has been under way for weeks and Howe has been particularly hard on himself at times this season. Yet he retains the conviction and enthusiasm for the job, while admitting mistakes have been made.

Howe’s track record in seasons where Newcastle have not had European football is also very good.

“We’re in a situation in the summer of 2026 that is stronger than the summer of 2025 for a couple of reasons,” Hopkinson tells The i Paper.

“Eddie has got support from me and from Ross that is stronger than he had last summer with the departure of Paul Mitchell and Darren, who was sick. Darren is an outstanding executive and was a terrific CEO and I consider himself a personal friend but he was necessarily distracted last summer with his health issues.

“We have got a strong bench right now and a strong plan. We’ve been planning for multiple strategies since January and we now know which plan we’re executing and we’re executing it with the full conviction of the manager, CEO and sporting director all aligned.”

‘A natural point for reinvention’

Newcastle have had to scrap Plan A and B – qualifying for the Champions League or the two other European competitions respectively – in favour of Plan C. It comes with significant consequences – it is almost certain that Anthony Gordon will not be the only player Howe would like to keep who leaves – but also opportunity.

A “natural point for reinvention” is how one insider describes it and the club are understood to be hopeful of making quick signings. Sources in France suggest Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen is close to agreeing a deal while Newcastle have held talks with Monaco over a move for Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara. Barcelona have joined the race to sign Gordon, while Liverpool and Bayern Munich are also among his suitors.

Last summer the mistake Newcastle made was that they allowed the Isak debacle to drag on for far too long. Even up until a few days before a deal was agreed with Liverpool some at the top were insisting he would not be sold. It made planning virtually impossible and while £125m represented a good fee, the confusion over their stance left those on the ground unsure of the size of their budget or what they needed.

Those lessons have been absorbed and are why things will move quicker with Gordon and anyone else whose valuation is met. “This club has to stop being scared of selling players,” one influential voice says. Part of that is about showing that they can replace them with players whose ceilings are potentially higher.

“Clear-eyed” is how one source describes their view of a critical summer. After the first major setback of the PIF era they have to get it right.

Howe’s biggest challenge at St James’ Park

Senior figures are backing Howe – in effect – to come up with Newcastle version 2.0. In the modern game, where success only insulates you for so long, not many managers get that opportunity.

It is a big call and a reflection of both his superb work at St James’ Park until now and the high esteem PIF holds him in. But credit has been eroded and the dynamic next season will be different.

Newcastle are probably right to hold their nerve on the condition that Howe is ready to shake himself and the club out of the comfort zone. A tactical tweak in the run-in was positive. Nick Woltemade’s recall and Will Osula’s transformation are positives.

Now there is a need to dispense with sentiment in their squad-building. They need two new goalkeepers and the sort of logic that brought Aaron Ramsdale to St James’ Park must be a thing of the past. Embracing risk and potential has to be the new blueprint.

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Fans will get on board with that. Expectations will be high – internally and in the stands – but there will be an understanding if the club are bolder and supporters can see a long-term strategy at play.

What has disappointed this season is the tendency to play it safe when pressure is on. In truth, last summer’s signings – Anthony Elanga at £55m, Yoane Wissa at the same price – were the result of that sort of thinking. Yet the sure things were nothing of the sort.

It is not that long ago that Newcastle were seen as a real threat to the established elite. This season no-one seemed especially worried about them. Reversing that perception is Howe’s biggest challenge.

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In 2008, a peak UK television audience of 14.6 million watched Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow. The Champions League final was broadcast on ITV, who would hold the rights for another eight years until non-terrestrial broadcasters took the competition away.

In 2024 and 2025, TNT Sport’s viewing figures for the Champions League finals were roughly 2.5 million. Even accounting for the significant decline when English teams are not present, European football’s showpiece event has dropped off the radar of the masses. You can tell as much during its vast group stage.

But at least then everybody had the chance. For the first time since the Champions League rebrand in 1992, this year’s Champions League final will not be available to watch for free in the UK. Just like that, another drop of fan power evaporated in favour of an attempted money grab.

Uefa dictate that some attempt must be made to provide free-to-air coverage and there is reported annoyance within the governing body that TNT Sports have not acquiesced to this requirement, as they have previously. We are entering the final year of the TNT Sports contract before Paramount takes over, which may be relevant. Who cares who you annoy now.

The journey of the Champions League final as a national TV event is a wonderful paradigm for the many roadblocks placed between live football and the free-to-air audience. For 15 years it was there, on one of the four or five terrestrial channels. There is a reason that you still remember Lars Ricken’s lob in 1997 and Jose Mourinho’s Porto winning in 2004: it was very easy to watch.

Between 2015 and 2023, BT Sport charged for all Champions League content but continued to make the final available to watch for free without a subscription or sign-up; you just watched on YouTube. That was a barrier to older viewers who used television as their sole method of absorbing visual content.

In 2023, 2024 and 2025, after BT Sport was bought by Warner Bros Discovery and rebranded as TNT Sports, the final remained free but viewers needed to sign up for a Discovery+ account to get access and either watch via laptop, phone/tablet or through a smart TV. Again, not an awful faff but another layer of administration to get your free product.

And so to 2026, where supporters must either sign up for a TNT Sports subscription (for roughly £31.99 a month in most places) or access via HBO Max on a streaming platform, where the cheapest subscription is £4.99 a month. Subscribers to Sky Sports (although not through NOW packages or Virgin Media) can get access to HBO Max for free through an app on their Sky box, although they will have to link the two accounts. It really is that simple.

On TNT Sports’ part, the takeover by Warner Bros Discovery has increased staff levels and presumably costs. They did also announce the details of the package – the £4.99 covers all three European finals and a month of HBO Max – on 15 May.

But that hasn’t appeased the people that matter. Last Saturday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent a letter to TNT Sports urging them to reconsider the lack of free coverage. It has not yet achieved any official response or reaction (make your own jokes) but Starmer is right. If Uefa want it to be free and you understand that demand when you sign your contract, it’s a bit rum to just bin that off to try to flog some subscriptions to another brand of your parent company.

More broadly, do you ever get the feeling that we’re having the piss taken out of us here, some elaborate prank at our expense? To watch matches that men’s and women’s professional English clubs played in 2025-26, you needed five separate subscriptions: Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Disney+, DAZN and Amazon Prime. Cut to scene in Impractical Jokers: “Now tell them they will need Paramount from 2027.”

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And then, when one of these broadcasters spots an opportunity to try to claw a few extra quid because English clubs have got into European finals that they have previously shown for free, add that to the take-the-piss pile. Then they tut and shake their heads when members of the public seek “alternative” methods.

The great irony here is that the entire approach loses all goodwill and damages PR for the sake of very little gain. It creates further anger among supporters about what they understandably see as working-class fans being priced out of stadiums and then priced out of watching from home too. It treats their loyalty not as something to be celebrated but exploited. And they remember.

And it likely stops thousands of young viewers from watching an English team in a European Cup final. Then they scratch their chins as to why kids move away from the game. Good process, guys. Hope the £4.99s were worth it.

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Oliver Glasner will have his last dance as Crystal Palace manager against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday in the Uefa Conference League Final, hoping to end his unforgettable spell with one more trophy.

The Austrian coach, who joined Palace fighting relegation in February 2024, has transformed the football club. At surface level, they have lifted silverware twice. Which, in itself, is enough to cement his status as the greatest manager in Palace history. But it is the cultural change he has embedded that sets him apart from his predecessors.

Glasner’s first objective as Palace boss was to remove the inferiority complex, emphasising to his squad that they do not have a ceiling — no dreams are unrealistic when putting in the hard yards. He successfully developed an atmosphere where no task was insurmountable.

His remarkably high standards were a breath of fresh air in south London. For the first time, Palace started to believe they could climb above their perceived place in the pecking order. That formidable mentality trickled into the fanbase, and there was a time — during a 19-game unbeaten run that spanned two seasons and included their FA Cup and FA Community Shield wins — when Palace believed they were invincible.

A philosophy built on belief, confidence and momentum has changed the lives of everyone at Palace. It is no wonder that Glasner’s vehement battering of the club in January — 24 hours after announcing he would depart Palace at the end of the season — drew resentment from supporters, who labelled him as “finished”. Glasner was their messiah, and they were wounded not only by his words but by his decision to call time on what had been the best period of their lives.

‘A winner’

“It was a big shock to everyone,” said Brennan Johnson, who signed for Palace while they were in a state of chaos.

“It was something that we didn’t really expect to happen, especially for me so early on into my time here. But he made his decision. We all respect it. He’s done unbelievable things at this club and I feel like that was all it was. After this massive game on Wednesday, we’re going to wish him all the best, of course.”

In the end, reaching the Conference League final aided Glasner’s redemption. The most poignant moment of solace came at Selhurst Park on Sunday, when all four stands sang his name in unison for the first time in five months while sending the team off for the biggest match in the club’s history. Protests when drawing away at Zrinjski Mostar in February feel like a lifetime ago.

“One of the things over the last couple of years is that he’s got massive trust and respect for us as a group of players, likewise we have for him as a manager,” Will Hughes said. “We knew he was still going to give it his all for the remaining months of his contract, like he would do if he was there for the next five years. That’s a great thing about him.

“As players, we’ve bought into that and you can see the standards haven’t dropped throughout. What Oliver has done for us has been fantastic. He’s helped us get our first silverware as a club and for many of us as individuals. We’re all forever grateful for him. Hopefully, we can give him a proper send-off. That’s part of the motivation after what he’s done for us as players and as a club. To send him off with a trophy would be a nice thing.”

Glasner’s contagious drive for success was perhaps best encapsulated by Jean-Philippe Mateta: “He’s a winner. He just wants to win. He will do everything to win.”

Yet, with Glasner’s departure a mere subplot to Palace’s first European final, the players offered their gratitude and farewell speeches before flying to Germany. Palace captain Dean Henderson hopes to write Glasner his very own Hollywood ending to a monumental two years, while revealing that the group got together to record a valedictory message to their boss.

‘What he’s done is remarkable’

“It would be a great way to finish the movie off for Glasner,” said Henderson.

“Everyone wants that happy ending and everyone’s working towards that. It’d be unbelievable for him, wouldn’t it? Obviously, the best manager this club has ever had and to finish on such a high would be sensational. He’ll be a huge miss. I think he knows that from Tuesday, when the players did a send-off video to him and spoke from the heart.”

“FA Cup last year, Community Shield, getting into Conference League and hopefully winning that would be an unbelievable send-off,” Johnson added. “I feel like what he’s done for this club is already remarkable, so he deserves all the plaudits that he gets. But now, because we have the opportunity we do, we have to give everything we have.”

Read more

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Having worked with Glasner at VfL Wolfsburg before reuniting with him at Palace in August 2024, Maxence Lacroix has witnessed his manager’s development first-hand — from his time in Germany to winning the Uefa Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt, and now to within 90 minutes of another trophy in red and blue. The French defender believes Glasner will be the difference-maker against Rayo Vallecano.

“I think he understood the games more,” said Lacroix. “He’s won more trophies now, so he has more experience — especially in Europe. This is what we need for the final. It’s about the experience. He has already won the Europa League. He knows how stressful it is and how you have to prepare for this type of occasion. He gave us everything that we need to win.”

Leipzig is where Glasner’s farewell tour will culminate. The Palace boss has vowed to stay fully committed to the club until after what he hopes will be celebrations, stretching into the early hours of Thursday if Palace secure a first European trophy. A fitting finale to the most prosperous era the club has known.

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Manchester United do not intend to rest on their laurels. Senior figures are fully aware that, despite a positive end to the season that saw the fallen giant book a return to the Champions League, the squad is not good enough to compete on multiple fronts.

Casemiro’s departure leaves the most malnourished part of the squad desperately short. A midfield overhaul has long been planned, however. The algorithm has thrown out the most suitable candidates. Now it is on director of football, Jason Wilcox, to go out and get them.

Ederson

Even before Ineos came in and overhauled the transfer department, United have long coveted Brazilian all-rounder Ederson from Atalanta.

The i Paper has been told talks are at an advanced stage over a proposed transfer. Reports elsewhere that anything has been agreed are wide of the mark, however.

As has been the case throughout Ineos’ tenure, they are keen to agree a fee they feel is respectable, rectifying the profligacy of United’s previous transfer business. Sources added that a fee of around £40m should be finalised in the coming weeks.

Mateus Fernandes

Keeping one Fernandes is expected to be ironed out soon, with senior figures looking to assure skipper Bruno there is a squad brewing that is capable of mounting a title tilt.

West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes is seen as the perfect foil further back for his namesake. Relegated West Ham’s need to sell also drives the 21-year-old’s price tag down.

The i Paper has been told United intend to move for Fernandes in the coming weeks due to his ability to receive the ball over the pitch, providing great competition for their own fledgling talent, Kobbie Mainoo. Sources added United are his first pick.

Carlos Baleba

As The i Paper reported earlier this year, as many as three midfielders could come in this summer. Should the Ederson and Fernandes deals be finalised, there would still be room for a big-money arrival.

Elliot Anderson is the top pick, but The i Paper has been told that United do not see themselves matching his asking price. Manchester City are the expected destination, given they will pay upwards of £100m.

Sandro Tonali is another marquee name several sources expect to go elsewhere, with Arsenal big admirers. Aurelien Tchouameni is another idealistic target, a name to bring additional gravitas.

A more realistic capture, several sources said, is Carlos Baleba. Another figure United have tracked for some time, Baleba can be the perfect partner for Mainoo, one with a penchant to venture forward with the ball.

The 22-year-old would cost significantly less than other options. A stop-start season this term means the fee could come down considerably from when United made an enquiry to Brighton last summer.

Who makes way?

Manuel Ugarte

Manuel Ugarte’s arrival has not worked out. Sources in Paris questioned why United were willing to pay £50m for a midfielder who was well down the pecking order at Paris Saint-Germain when he was brought in, in part due to his difficulties on the ball.

United intend to cut their losses and want to sell this summer before his value deteriorates, sources told The i Paper. Galatasaray are among the leading candidates.

Marcus Rashford

It is becoming rather tedious to see “updates” on Marcus Rashford’s future when there have been no developments since United’s insistence that Barcelona pay the £26m option to buy included in his loan deal, and the Catalan giants’ reluctance to do so.

The i Paper understands that the player, coach Hansi Flick and most of the Barcelona hierarchy want Rashford to stay on permanently. Funds just remain the issue, as is often the case at modern-day Barcelona. Rashford is understood to be relaxed, with a World Cup to focus on.

The club want to offload the homegrown talent. Even getting his wages off the books would save £17m a year. Other clubs across Europe and in England are monitoring the situation. Another loan move is not being ruled out at this stage, too.

Andre Onana

One who has not given up hope of resurrecting his United career is Andre Onana, but those dreams seem somewhat forlorn.

Two Turkish clubs, Trabzonspor and Besiktas, are interested. How much they would be willing to pay is unclear at this stage.

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Joshua Zirkzee

The i Paper has been told that, having previously expressed a desire to leave at being kept on the periphery, popular dressing-room figure Zirkzee is now not agitating for a move.

However, he is one of the few United can part ways with and still command a decent fee. His reputation in Italy still persists, with Roma one of his admirers.

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Like Manchester United, The Overlap podcast would not have become the superforce it is now without the influence of Roy Keane.

Gary Neville is swiftly becoming public enemy No 1, whether it is down to his political stance that has attracted wider and sometimes unsavoury vitriol, or the unrelenting negativity, especially in match commentary, about his boyhood club that has even turned United’s own supporters against him.

Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher and Jill Scott were always going to fail to get their voices heard among the United-heavy focus and background of famous Overlap guests. Keane, however, whenever he stands on the soapbox, has an often three-million-plus audience taking note.

One of the greatest ever to do it is in a unique position of power, and his “it was never like this in my day” trope has therefore stood the test of time and become his calling card.

A generation of United supporters, who have an unerring penchant for nostalgia more than most, have been unanimous in agreement with Keane’s criticisms, listening in while their Instagram algorithm throws up reruns of that famous night in Turin.

Keane’s management team have seized upon this grumpy media persona and created a brand that is perfect for the short soundbites needed in the modern world of dwindling attention spans.

Yet, things have come to a head recently, with Brand Keane taking a darker turn. United are anything but back to their former grandeur, but such a positive end to the season gives The Overlap chatterati less to ponder. Gradual improvement isn’t exactly a stimulant for hot debate.

And this comes at a crucial time for Neville’s media empire, who are currently trying to attract the most abrasive audience there is – Mark Goldbridge’s angry posse.

Neville has sent his vexed lieutenant into battle and picked the easiest target to keep the temperature raised. Bruno Fernandes has achieved something to be proud of. Even if you just consider who the United skipper had to usurp at the top of the most assists in a Premier League season chart, to sit above Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne is the pinnacle of an orchestrator-in-chief’s game.

Yes, United have no other silverware to celebrate, that was decided long before Michael Carrick, not one of Neville or Keane’s close-knit, spiteful pals, took the Old Trafford helm. That does not mean a very popular figure, one who is an example of how footballers should behave off the pitch, should not get the recognition the accomplishment deserves from his clearly proud teammates.

To “lie” about something Fernandes has said for the hits, something the Portuguese midfielder rightly called out this week, is something right out of the Donald Trump playbook. And it works. This was no mistake, a slip of the tongue. This was an orchestrated attack.

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Pick an easy target: whether it is immigrants in Trump’s case or a footballer universally derided for his on-field moaning from Keane. Make something that sounds believable up as if it were verbatim and pile on.

At least when Trump turns to social media to continue his tirade against his targets, it is authentic, clearly written by himself, such is the level of literacy.

Keane’s post implying Fernandes is a donkey in some profound manner would almost certainly have been created by his team, desperate to keep the Raging Roy caricature going.

The question is: is this really what Roy Keane thinks, or Raging Roy? Either way, with Goldbridge ready to keep waging the war, a new audience will sadly only want to hear from one.

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