7 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on British Airways backtracks on new loyalty scheme with 2 big changes, plus how to earn bronze, silver & gold in new rules
BRITISH AIRWAYS has backtracked on some of the controversial changes to its loyalty programme, that were introduced after Christmas.
The airline made headlines when it first touted the revamp of its frequent flyer club, which switched from awarding points based on distance flown and fare class, to the amount of money spent.
BA has now tweaked the system, to allow a bonus offer that enables customers to earn up to 550 additional points per flight[/caption]
In the new system, passengers earn one point for every pound spent and a range of ways to do so, including seat selection, extra baggage charges and trips on BA Holidays.
But the changes infuriated BA Club members, who said the new system would make it impossible for economy travellers and self-funded leisure travellers to earn gold status – something which gets them benefits like access to First Class lounges and extra baggage allowance.
But it has now tweaked the system, to allow a bonus offer that enables customers to earn up to 550 additional points per flight based on their cabin class, to be extended for the rest of the year.
The offer applies only to bookings on flights with a BA code, made from now until December 31, 2025 for flights taken from April 1, 2025.
It has also introduced a guarantee of bronze status for anyone taking at least 25 flights annually, such as commuters.
Benefits for this status include access to business class check-in desks and free seat selection from seven days before departure, even if travelling on an economy ticket.
BA has maintained that its new system will still allow just as many travellers to achieve silver and gold status, as the number of points earned on trips are far greater in the new system.
They say that the new system aims to reward loyal customers, instead of those who are gaming the system by using loopholes that allows them to earn more points.
British Airways chief commercial officer Colm Lacy said awarding points for spending is “the best way of recognising our customers’ loyalty and we’re confident it’s the right thing to do”.
In the past, some customers opted to take multiple flights on indirect routes to reach their destination, as often these cheaper, inconvenient fares helped them achieve statuses.
So how does the new system differ to the old system?
Here are some real-life examples – including the Tier Point bonus offer – based on average fares.
BRONZE
Needs 3,500 Tier Points, an example below:
1x Geneva in Euro Traveller (economy), with bag
343
1x Singapore in World Traveller Plus (premium economy)
2,561
1x British Airways Holiday package to Tenerife in Euro Traveller
759
TOTAL: 3,663
SILVER
Needs 7,500 Tier Points, an example below:
1x Geneva in Euro Traveller (economy), with bag
343
1x New York in Club World (business)
3,240
1x Singapore in World Traveller Plus (premium economy)
2,561
1 x BAH package to Barbados in World Traveller (economy)
1,429
£300 spent on Sustainable Aviation Fuels
300
TOTAL: 7,873
GOLD
Needs 20,000 Tier Points, an example below:
13x return flights to Geneva (e.g. a commuter) in Club Europe (business class)
9,971
3x return flights to Club World (business class) to JFK
9,720
A British Airways Holidays package to Tenerife in Euro Traveller economy)
759
TOTAL: 20,450
The airline made headlines when it first touted the revamp of its frequent flyer club, which switched from awarding points based on distance flown and fare class, to the amount of money spent[/caption]
7 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on Dancing On Ice’s Steve Redgrave reveals why he was GLAD to be axed from the competition
SIR Steve Redgrave has confessed he was glad he was axed from Dancing on Ice after three weeks in the contest.
The hero Olympian managed to last three weeks on the ITV programme despite being arguably the show’s weakest contestant.
Steve Redgrave has admitted he was glad when he was axed from Dancing on Ice[/caption]
The star was the programme’s weakest and lowest-scoring performer[/caption]
Steve was left riddled with guilt when stars such as Chelsee Healy were booted first[/caption]
However, he has now confessed that he was glad that he was finally given the boot from the contest after being left riddled with guilt each time he was saved in the public vote.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Sir Steve, 62, said: “I was absolutely delighted when the public voted to keep me in after show one and show two.
“But seeing Chelsee [Healey] and Ferne [McCann] being knocked out… the guilt on Sunday nights and Mondays was immense.
“I’d be thinking, ‘Yes, the public have kept me in. But they’ve kept the worst skater in!'”
“The other celebrities would say to me, ‘don’t feel guilty, you’re here by right, people love you’.
“They’d say, ‘You’re going to be in the show for a long time’.
“I found that difficult because I’d say, ‘you’re saying that now, but if you’re the one who gets eliminated and I’m still there, you’re going to be gutted that you’re out and I’m not’.”
Away from reality TV, Steve has teamed up with underwear brandStep One.
And it’s not just your typical celebrity endorsement as Steve has invested in the Australian company.
He said: “You don’t have to put a huge amount of money in, but I bought in straight away to the product and how comfortable Step One products are.
“I invested more money than I needed to because I believe in the brand and what they’re doing.
“They are designed more for sport but once you’ve worn them and realised how comfortable they are you’ll wear them everyday.”
Ferne McCann also got an earlier than expected chop[/caption]
Steve embraced a variety of roles during DOI[/caption]
The pair seemed smitten with each other after they met on Love Island in the summer of 2022.
However, The Sun shocked fans when we told how Strictly Come Dancing star Tasha had left Andrew “blindsided” by signing up for celebrity dating app Raya soon after the split.
Now, Tasha has posted a photo with the dog she shares with Andrew.
The blonde reality star could be seen resting her head against her dog Luna, while wearing a cap and a grey top.
Tasha penned: “Missing my girl,” followed by a heart emoji.
It was in June 2023 when Tasha told fans that she and Andrew were “cool dog parents.”
Posing in a photo together with the dog at the time, she wrote: “We the cool dog parents now Luna we love you so much! Thank you @aloradogrescue and Homeward bound for getting her to us safely anyone looking to adopt I can’t recommend Alora dog rescue enough! Huge thank you.”
Some fans still think the pair could get back together, but Andrew has dropped a hint that he is still going solo.
It came after he posted a picture on the former couple’s home renovations Instagram grid.
Before they broke up they were jointly renovating a property they purchased together and Andrew gave an update on the bathroom.
Showing off the before and after photos of the room, the star alluded to the fact that he is doing the home by himself now, and only referred to “I” in the caption, rather than “we”.
“I’m so so so happy with how it’s turned out, I absolutely love it, it’s exactly how I envisioned it and I couldn’t be happier,” he wrote.
Last week, Nicky Young appeared to reveal more about the break-up by liking fan comments speculating over the circumstances.
One post liked by Nicky read: “Sometimes relationships just don’t work out.
“We’re not in their lives so we don’t know the reasons.
“Sometimes people can just outgrow each other or not be as driven or want different out of life and much more.”
The post continued: “They can try to keep it together but then it can be much worse.”
Following the shock split fans have also speculated Tasha – who reached the final of Love Island with Andrew in 2022 – is growing close to her Strictly co-star Jamie Borthwick.
Tasha partnered with Aljaz Skorjanec on Strictly Come Dancing[/caption]
7 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on Stephen Kenny hails Mason Melia’s mum for ‘tremendous commitment’ that helped make him ‘important player’ for St Pat’s
STEPHEN KENNY praised the “tremendous commitment” of Mason Melia’s family during his St Patrick’s Athletic rise.
The 17-year-old has agreed a record-breaking move to Tottenham Hotspur for January 2026.
The fee is believed to be in the region of just under €2 million, and could rise to as much as €4.2 million.
It is recognition for his star-making rise at Richmond Park, with the Wicklow kid being the club’s youngest ever debutant at 15.
He has made 41 appearances in all competitions for Stephen Kenny’s men, scoring seven goals in that time.
Speaking to Morning Ireland, the former Ireland gaffer credited his ascent to his family, revealing his mum Pamela would go the extra mile.
He explained: “We’ve a full-time environment at St Patrick’s. His mother Pamela drives him up to Dublin every morning.
“We often have double sessions and she spends the day there to bring him home. It’s tremendous commitment from his family.
“He’s been an important player for St Pat’s in qualifying for Europe.
“We’re looking forward to the season ahead and no doubt he’ll play his part in the team.
“From our point of view, he just has to continue to enjoy his football. He doesn’t need any undue pressure.”
The Newtownmountkennedy teenager was the subject of a host of offers across Europe.
The Wicklowstriker opted for Spurs while there was also interest from Everton, Chelsea, Celtic, Bologna and Hannover 96 amongst others.
Melia is represented by former Ireland star Clive Clarke – who is also his uncle.
Appearing on Oliver Callan on RTÉ Radio 1, he revealed: “It’s through Mason’s hard work that it has been able to happen.
“He went over to Spurs three years ago [to visit], it’s a club he thinks very fondly of. We probably had 50 or 60 offers throughout Europe.
“The likes of Celtic have come really strongly and pushed really hard for him.
“You can only pick one club and he chose Spurs. We decided to make it happen and it’s all done now.
“This is something for the last four or five years with Mason that we’ve been building up to this moment.
“We know he is a very talented boy.
“It has been great working with St Pat’s and Mason in trying to break the transfer record, which is what we all set out to do from probably this time last year because we felt we had a player of certain ability.”
8 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on Sharon Osbourne reveals Ozzy can no longer walk as Parkinson’s worsens ahead of final homecoming concert
OZZY OSBOURNE will call it a day in true rock-god style with a final blow-out hailed as “the greatest heavy metal show ever”.
But the Brummie’s long-awaited return to the stage with Black Sabbath at Villa Park on July 5 will be bittersweet, as he can no longer walk due to his Parkinson’s disease.
Sharon reveals how husband Ozzy is ‘very emotional’ about the show[/caption]
The Sun’s Howell Davies meets Tony Iommi and Sharon[/caption]
Wife and manager Sharon teamed up with Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi at the football ground in Birmingham yesterday to announce the landmark gig called Back To The Beginning.
They will be joined by Metallica, Slayer, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Pantera, Anthrax and Alice in Chains.
In an exclusive interview with Bizarre’s Howell, Sharon said: “He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this.
“Parkinson’s is a progressive disease. It’s not something you can stabilise. It affects different parts of the body and it’s affected his legs.
“But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.”
Yesterday Ozzy, 76, who is due to move back to the UK next month, also talked on his Sirius XM radio show in the US about his condition.
He said: “I have made it to 2025. I can’t walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I’m still alive.
“I may be moaning that I can’t walk but I look down the road and there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me and didn’t make it.”
Black Sabbath have sold more than 75million records since forming in 1968, while Ozzy has also released 13 solo albums.
That will make it hard to pick a setlist of their hits, with Paranoid, War Pigs and The Wizard being among the best known. But it won’t just be them playing their tunes.
Huge names including Slash and Duff McKagan from Guns N’ Roses and stars from bands such as Limp Bizkit, The Smashing Pumpkins and Korn will also be there on the day.
Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, who is the show’s music director, said: “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever.”
Tickets go on sale at 10am on February 14 through LiveNation.co.uk.
Profits are being shared between Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the Acorn Children’s Hospice.
It will reunite the original Black Sabbath line-up — Ozzy, Tony, bass player Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — for the first time in 20 years.
Ozzy’s return to the stage with Black Sabbath will be at Villa Park on July 5[/caption]
Tony, pictured with Sharon, admitted there would probably be tears on the night[/caption]
But Tony remained tight-lipped on whether there could be new music, too. He said: “I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about that. In fact, we haven’t seen each other.
“We certainly haven’t seen all of us together for a long time. I mean, I stay in touch with Oz and occasionally Geezer, but never Bill. So I don’t even know what Bill does these days.”
One person who certainly won’t be at the concert is Kanye West.
The rapper, who made headlines at Sunday’s Grammys when his wife Bianca Censori walked the red carpet in a see-through dress, sampled Sabbath’s song Iron Man on his album Vultures last year.
Sharon slammed him for using it after they forbid him when he asked permission.
Mammoth concert
On whether he would be welcome at the gig, Sharon said: “No, not at all. I wouldn’t have him anywhere near. And his wife’s a big old floppy arse, either. And her sagging t**s.”
Last year, Sharon also had a social media spat with Amanda Holden after she criticised the former X Factor judge for badmouthing Simon Cowell.
But asked if she would be welcome at the concert, Sharon added: “Yes, but the poor old thing wouldn’t understand the music, would she?
“No, actually she’s all right. Amanda’s fine. She was just sticking up for her mate and he can stick up for himself.”
On planning the mammoth concert, Sharon added: “It was difficult because summertime is the busiest time for bands.
Ozzy is due to move back to the UK next month[/caption]
Tickets go on sale at 10am on February 14[/caption]
“It’s one festival after another after another, and especially with the genre of Sabbath’s. Metal music now back in vogue.
“In my view, it’s always been in vogue, but now it’s stronger than ever, and these bands are booked out two, three years in advance.
“To try to find a date that fitted for everyone at the height of the summer was really tough.
“But we managed it in the end. It took a long time, probably a year and a half.” And on approaching the rock greats they will share a stage with, Sharon explained: “The response was overwhelming.
“I keep saying that the guys have been pioneers — they’ve been doing this for so long and have influenced so many bands. You can’t believe so many bands have come forward to do it.”
Tony admitted there would probably be tears on the night.
He said: “It’s going to be very emotional because it’s the end of the end.
It’s something that needs to be documented. You know, it’s musical history.
Sharon Osbourne
“We’ve all known each other for so long. And, yeah, it’s a great way to end it all, I think. It’s nice that it’s going to be here in Birmingham and in Aston, where we all lived, where we were all brought up.”
The last time Ozzy performed in Birmingham was at the Commonwealth Games in 2022, when he walked on stage.
The Prince of Darkness sat on a mechanical bat throne to accept his induction into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame in October, but didn’t sing.
Sharon added: “It’s unbelievable, really, to think it’s all happening here at Villa Park as well.
“They’re hometown boys that were self-made, self-taught. It’s not like Tony went to music school every week. And it’s just a great inspiration for the next generation to say, look at what they did.”
There are already plans to capture the show on film. They were followed by cameras at the announcement and a documentary is hoped for.
Sharon said: “It’s something that needs to be documented. You know, it’s musical history.”
Tony added: “It’s certainly a very special thing, isn’t it?”
In a summer of incredible live music, this will be right up there.
I Kan’t pay bill
KANYE WEST has revealed he had his credit cards frozen and that a mate had to buy him dinner when he lost billions of pounds in a single day.
The rapper and entrepreneur, who now goes by the name Ye, was slammed in October 2022 after a series of anti-Semitic comments, which led to Adidas ending its business deal with him.
Kanye West lost his billionaire status as he was abandoned by Adidas[/caption]
The move meant Kanye lost his billionaire status as he was deserted by the industry.
During an interview on The Download podcast, host Justin Laboy recalled going out for dinner with him at the time and told Kanye: “I remember when they froze your accounts.
“Man, I remember I had to put my little American Express down.
“That was the first time I saw a billionaire have no access to money.”
Kanye replied: “It was crazy. It was like some Black Mirror episode.
“They wanted to do everything to prove to me I didn’t have the right to say anything out loud that went against the people who own the media and the people who own the music industry, people Drake is going up against right now, ironically.”
Kanye, who releases an album called Bully in June, has previously blamed his behaviour on bipolar disorder, but now says he has autism after seeing a doctor who worked with Justin Bieber
He admitted his meltdowns have been tough for people around him, including fashion designer pal Don C.
Kanye said: “He’s been in situations where it was so hard on him because he loves me. It’s so difficult for them because this is a grown man and you can’t tell him. You can’t take control of my bank account and you can’t control what I’m saying on Twitter.
“The constant feeling of not being in control spun me out of control.”
Elton believes Angels album is new start
SIR ELTON JOHN has teamed up with Brandi Carlile for a new album called Who Believes in Angels?
They made the record, above, which is out on April 4, in just 20 days and got music whizz Andrew Watt to produce it.
Elton John is set to release a new album called Who Believes in Angels?[/caption]
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Pearl Jam’s Josh Klinghoffer and Pino Palladino from Nine Inch Nails also came on board to make up Elton’s backing band.
And once again, lyrical maestro Bernie Taupin, wrote the words.
Elton said: “This record was one of the toughest I’ve ever made but it was also one of the greatest musical experiences of my life. It has given me a place where I know I can move forward.
“Who Believes In Angels? feels like going into another era and I’m pushing the door open to come into the future. I have everything I’ve done behind me and it’s been brilliant, amazing.
“But this is a new start for me. As far as I’m concerned, this is the start of my career, mark two.”
8 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on TV hunk banned from dating app Hinge after ‘catfishing’ women
BEING good looking, sexy and charming can bring mixed fortunes — I’ve always found it a blessing, but it’s been something of a curse for Gethin Jones.
The hunky host of BBC One’s Morning Live revealed how he got booted off dating app Hinge after being reported for catfishing.
Gethin Jones got booted off Hinge after being constantly reported for catfishing[/caption]
Apparently all the women who saw his profile assumed it couldn’t possibly be the real Gethin because, well, he wouldn’t need any help finding love, would he?
But he said: “A couple of weeks ago I was kicked off Hinge twice in eight hours for violating the Code of Conduct.
“Three hundred women had reported me for catfishing.”
He added on the new Restless Natives podcast: “It was that moment when you have to write to Hinge, on a Thursday night, all alone, ‘Dear Hinge, it’s Gethin here, 46, I just want to get my money back because it’s not really working for me’, eating some cereal because there’s nothing in the fridge.
“That’s when I’m like, ‘What am I doing with my life.”
To be fair, it’s tiny violin time for Gethin who, hasn’t done bad for himself by anyone’s standards.
He briefly dated former Towie star Lucy Mecklenburgh and was once engaged to opera singer Katherine Jenkins as well as German model Katja Zara.
Unfortunately for Gethin, thanks his and his co-presenters’ tireless work supporting consumers on Morning Live, which is watched by more than a million people daily, many of them are now in a state of high alert looking for catfishers.
And since many celebrities often have their images nicked and used for dodgy reasons, it seems the ladies of Hinge have assumed the worst — and possibly missed out on the best catch out there.
Their loss, Gethin.
Gethin was reported for catfishing by 300 women[/caption]
CLAUDIA IN TOXIC SHOCKER
CLAUDIA JESSIE has ditched her signature Bridgerton fringe and gone blonde in gritty new Netflix series Toxic Town, about a scandal that left thousands of children in the East Midlands poisoned.
Claudia, best known for her role as Eloise Bridgerton in the Regency saga, plays mum Margaret Mahon, who was affected by the toxic spillages.
Claudia Jessie has gone blonde for new Netflix series Toxic Town[/caption]
Claudia is best known for her role as Eloise Bridgerton[/caption]
A first look at the series sees Margaret looking emotional as she takes to the courtroom with her co-stars.
The four-part series, by the team behind hit series Black Mirror, also stars Aimee Lou Wood, of Sex Education, Downton Abbey’s Brendan Coyle and former Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker.
Based on the true story of one of the UK’s biggest environmental scandals, the series, on Netflix from February 27, focuses on three women hit by the poisonings, and their battle for justice.
JOANNA LUMLEY may be a TV travel show regular, but her character Felicity in new BBC comedy Amandaland wouldn’t fare so well.
Talking about Felicity and Amanda (Lucy Punch), Joanna said: “No! They wouldn’t get beyond Calais.
“She’d be good if it was first class everything.”
MICHAEL IS JUST JOSHING
HE took on TV’s Gladiators in a celebrity spin-off of the BBC One show at Christmas, now Josh Widdicombe has to do battle once again.
The comedian will be surprised by Diamond, Apollo and Electro on Michael Mcintyre’s Big Show which airs this Saturday.
In the Midnight Gameshow segment, Josh is challenged to get past the Gladiators in his own home to make it back to bed with wife Rose, while host Michael cheers him on.
Mayhem ensues as Apollo batters a light fixture with his pugil stick, forcing him to let Josh out of his grip after screaming in his face: “Who’s your daddy?!”
Josh will need to call in the Beeb’s Interior Design Masters next, if he’s not careful.
OLIVIA’S BAD IS ALL GOOD
SINCE taming her own feral fella, Olivia Attwood has become the go-to woman for those wanting to do the same.
The reality star has had an “influx” of applications from girls wanting to appear on the next series of Bad Boyfriends.
Olivia Attwood has had an ‘influx’ of applications from girls wanting to appear on the next series of Bad Boyfriends[/caption]
The ITV2 show sees Olivia puts a group of naughty men through a training camp to improve their behaviour.
Series one has been streamed over 11million times.
Olivia told me: “I had so many DMs saying, ‘Oh my God, I need to nominate someone’.
“We put out a casting call last month and the influx has been huge.”
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8 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on Strictly star admits celebs were in tears ‘running down the road’ after abuse revelations
AMANDA ABBINGTON’s time on Strictly Come Dancing will go down in show history for the wrong reasons, after her fallout with Giovanni Pernice.
Now, fellow celebrity dancer Annabel Croft has given her views on the controversial 2023 series.
She claims it wasn’t just Amanda who was unhappy with her experience while training – one unnamed celebrity even allegedly ran off down the street in tears after a spat.
Chatting at The Barbican in London, the TV tennis pundit said: “There is a lot of stress behind the scenes.
“You were rehearsing next door to various couples and would see doors being slammed and somebody running off down the road and lots of tears.”
After the fraught series, new measures were introduced to help keep the peace in training.
Sounds like it was well overdue.
Annabel reveals: ‘There is a lot of stress behind the scenes’[/caption]
Amanda with pro partner Giovanni Pernice on the dance show[/caption]
8 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on Alan Reynolds backs ‘slow burner’ ex-Premier League star to be ‘really big player’ following shock move to Bohemians
ALAN REYNOLDS insisted that Bohemians new boy Lys Mousset will be a sensation at Dalymount Park if given time.
French striker Mousset, 28, has joined the Gypsies for this campaign after a brief trial with the club.
But his arrival was well-flagged with Bohs fans excited by his CV that saw him once move to then Premier League side Sheffield United for £10 million.
And Reynolds acknowledged that the talent that made him a big name is there, but he needs time to get back to that after 18 months out of the game.
‘Rennie’ told SunSport: “He’s a lot of work to do to get up to speed. He hasn’t played in a year and a half, he’s had an Achilles injury so he’s going to be a slow burner in that sense.
“But when he’s playing games, you see the quality. But you can see he’s trying things that he used to be able to do…things that he could get on the end of if he was sharper.
“He took a bold move to come in on trial as nobody has really given him a chance. But his first day, it was like he’d never kicked a ball.
“And here was us telling the others that he was a Premier League player…he’d been training before then but I’m not sure at what level.
“But the improvement from that day until now is massive and he could be a really big player for us this season.”
Mousset is the seventh new arrival at the club this winter, with three of the new faces being attackers with Connor Parsons and Colm Whelan also added during the winter.
And ‘Rennie’ reckons that will add greatly to Bohemians last season who scored just 39 goals in 36 games last season.
He said: “We were good between the boxes last year…I think that’s what I’ve said quite a few times.
“So hopefully we can be better with Connor, Collie, and Lys now as well as Rhys Brennan coming up from the Under-20s to go with what we already have.
“We were back in training on December 1 for a three-week bloc before Christmas, and then in the New Year. It’s been long but I think we needed it.
“We had new players but also the ones we signed in the summer, Dawson (Devoy), Rossi (Tierney) and Leigh Kavanagh hadn’t a pre-season.”
‘YOU NEED TIME’
Having taken over in April last season, he also insisted that having his first pre-season with the club has helped a lot as he put his stamp on things.
He said: “You need time. When I came in in April, my first game was away to Rovers on a Friday and I’d only taken over on the Thursday.
“There were 41 in the dressing room in Tallaght between players, young players and staff…I didn’t know if some were players or staff. It was like an American Football dressing room.
“So ‘re a lot tighter and cleaner now. We’ve made a few signings in the last few days but got a few done early.
“As well as that, we’ve also got Keith Buckley, Rob Cornwall and James McManus back who didn’t play, or didn’t play much, last year.
“People might say we didn’t do too much business but having those three back have really added to training as well.”
8 hours agoLatest NewsComments Off on Inside Man Utd’s ‘Mission 21’ plan to win Premier League again – spearheaded by Dave Brailsford and former Liverpool man
SIR DAVE BRAILSFORD has revealed a new plan to Manchester United staff aimed at delivering a 21st English league title.
The Ineos director of sport is taking a more keen role in operations at Old Trafford alongside technical director Jason Wilcox following the departure of Dan Ashworth five months into the job.
Sir Dave Brailsford has laid out ‘Mission 21’ to land Man Utd’s 21st title[/caption]
It comes under the broader scheme of ‘Project 150’ to win the league by 2028[/caption]
A separate ‘Mission 1’ also aims to win the Women’s Super League for the first time[/caption]
And Brailsford, one of Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s key lieutenants across a successful sporting empire, has now drafted plans to ambitiously win Man Utd the league, according to The Times.
The “Mission 21” plans were laid out late last year at the club’s Carrington training centre, with the assistance of ex-Liverpool performance nutritionist James Morton, before Ashworth’s departure.
A separate plan, labelled “Mission 1”, was also laid out to help the women’s team – seemingly an afterthought to club chiefs – to win the Women’s Super League for the first time.
“Project 150” was unveiled to staff last summer by CEO, Omar Berradam, while Wilcox, Brailsford and chief operating officer Collette Roche are the key figures behind the scheme.
Brailsford’s focus is on the performance of the club, with his “marginal gains” mantra being a central theme in the 60-year-old’s early work that brought success in cycling.
Meanwhile, Roche is overseeing the modernisation of the club’s training facilities and the Old Trafford redevelopment strategy.
External experts have also been parachuted in to offer their industry-leading insights.
Speaking on the hire, manager Ruben Amorim said: “It was not me; it was the club.
“We are always trying to bring experienced people to share the knowledge with the staff and to understand the body and how we can improve our players.
“It was not me. It’s not something new; he’s not there to coach the team; it’s more to coach the staff about the running, etcetera. It’s a simple thing we are used to doing to improve as a club.”
Amorim’s side continues to take one step forward and two steps back since his arrival and radical change of system to a 3-4-3 formation.
After winning three games on the bounce, United then fell to defeat against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday.
This form has put them 13th in the table, as close to the relegation spots as to the top five.
Patrick Dorgu was added to the senior squad as a £25million purchase that should slot straight into the first team.
The Red Devils face Leicester in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday before visiting Tottenham in the Premier League the following weekend.
Man Utd player ratings vs Crystal Palace
MANCHESTER UNITED'S mini-revival under Ruben Amorim came to an abrupt end as Crystal Palace ran out 2-0 winners at Old Trafford.
Here’s how the Red Devils stars rated on a disappointing day.
Andre Onana – 5 Was left vulnerable by a shaky back-line and beaten by Lacroix’s looping header, which came off the crossbar into Mateta’s path.
But he couldn’t do much about the second goal.
Leny Yoro – 5 Came in for De Ligt, who was benched. Was inches away from scoring his first United goal early on.
Did well to block Mitchell after a Mazraoui error, but his positioning was a problem later in the game.
Harry Maguire – 3 Lost his battle with centre forward Mateta, who held the ball up well and got in behind every time, and was left stranded for the Frenchman’s first goal.
Hasn’t connected with Yoro. Palace, namely Sarr, opened them both up with ease and should’ve buried some chances through Mateta.
Lisandro Martinez – 6 Was stretchered off after jarring his knee in the 79th minute.
The Argentine has been scoring the goals recently, but blazed a centre-back’s shot over the bar on the brink of half-time.
Noussair Mazraoui – 5 He was okay in the right wing-back role again but it is obviously not his best position.
Struggled with the dual threat of Mitchell and Daichi Kamada down Palace’s left side.
Diogo Dalot – 4 Awful link-up play with a horrible blind pass inside the Palace box in a promising team position before the break.
He’s not a left winger and it’s clear why Patrick Dorgu has been signed.
Manuel Ugarte – 6 Missing in the middle when Mateta’s stunning 80-yard run. Missed half a chance in the second-half.
Bruno Fernandes – 5 Restricted. Couldn’t get forward much and was unlucky not to score from his usual 20-yard territory after being denied by Henderson.
Was one of three United players booked.
Amad Diallo – 6 Great individual runs, on and off the ball. Dropped to wing-back after Mainoo came off and was involved in anything good creatively.
Alejandro Garnacho – 5 Predictable build-up. But worked hard tracking back as one of the two 10s.
Was quieter in the second half and struggled to step up when the going got tough.
Kobbie Mainoo – 4 Huge experiment by Amorim to have Mainoo lead the line, albeit falsely. It didn’t pay off, but it wasn’t all his fault.
He didn’t get the service or have the hold up play required to be effective.
SUBS
Hojlund (’70 for Mainoo) – 5 Came on for the last 20 minutes and ran around a bit without doing much of note.
Zirkzee (’70 for Mazraoui) – 5 As above, not a great deal to write home about despite trying to make things happen.
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