Fans fury at United ticket hike | Franks attacking ambition for Spurs | Mudryk faces four-year ban over doping
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Welcome to Back Pages, bringing you everything you need to know about the biggest sports stories making the headlines in the morning's newspapers. I'm Teddy Draper and joining me are Mark Ogden, senior writer for ESPN alongside Andy Dunne, chief sports writer for the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror. Welcome to your podcast. I'll come to you, Mark Ogden. Apache cover well in the mirror. Take a hike. The headline, United fans fury at new ticket price increase. It's a

I guess deemed a categorisation system, Mark, but is it a poorly veiled blatant hike? Yeah, I mean, it's another one of those situations where my United fans are taking a bit of a whack over the head. The fixtures come out today and it's a pretty tough start for United next season and they're going to have to pay more for the privilege to watch one of the worst teams in the Premier League last season play. So, look, the situation is, as we know, over the years, lots of teams have had category A, B, C and D matches in the Premier League and I suppose

if you're a Man United fan, you've paid for that on the other side of the coin because when you go to an away game, a Man United game is generally a Category A fixture because they take so many away fans. So, obviously, away fans have been charged a bit less recently because of the £30 deal they've had. But over the years, United fans have had to pay extra. Now, on this occasion, they are deciding to increase the price of home games. And it's a situation whereby...

I've got the numbers written down here. The Category A tickets, well, if you watch it, you know, Man Utd v Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, for instance, it would cost you at least...

£59 to watch the game up to £97. Now, by comparison, Man City's Category A fixtures are between £40 and £60. It's a massive difference. So Man United are going to be much more expensive than Man City in terms of watching Category A games. And you could argue that the product and the pitch is vastly inferior to what Manchester City are offering at the Etihad. So if you're a Man United fan, you've got a lot of reasons right now to be angry with the owners at the club and people that are making the decisions.

And this is another one. But their argument will be in counter that they have to find a way to plug the gaps that they've obviously found financially. And again, the fans are having to foot the bill. Certainly are. Back page of the Express, Andy, kicked in the teeth. David McDonnell reporting that matchday tickets could rise to £97 compared to last season's most expensive price of £66. It seems pretty brazen in a cost of living crisis, Andy, but it's the...

point that there's a supply there. There's more of a supply, whether it's counterintuitive or not, than there is at Manchester City. That's why the tickets are higher. More people want to go there. Yeah, and a couple of things, Teddy. As Mark just referenced, the timing. I mean,

It's just almost typical of United in recent years. This day should be about the announcements of the fixtures. As Mark says, a tough start for Manchester United, but a very, very, very exciting start. A new start, they'll hope it is, the fans. So on the same day, it's announced that the prices are going to be increased.

And this categorisation of games, again, is just so ironic. The idea that this Manchester United team can be involved in anything known as a Category A game, they certainly can't. They're all Category C. The two Category C games are, I think, Wolves and Sunderland. And that's quite insulting in a way. It's United who are Category C.

And it comes on the back of big payoffs, say, for the likes of Dan Ashworth. It comes on the back of huge wages and signing on fees for players who haven't made it. Sancho, Anthony, we could go on. It comes on the back of, you know, New Zealand Casemiro, had they qualified for the Champions League, would have had it entitled to a 50 grand a week bonus. All these things. It comes on the back of...

People being made redundant to Manchester United. And now the fans are paying. And we've seen, don't forget, protests in Manchester United where supporters who are in Manchester

what United consider prime selling position behind the dugout, protesting having to move their seats. Now, listen, what I would say is United aren't the only club that are increasing ticket prices. We all know that. But it's just a bad look at the wrong time for Manchester United when it should be about how they're going to rebuild this team, how they're going to have a fresh start next season and put the troubles behind them.

Headline in the star mark, pure greed. Sir Jim delivers kick in the teeth with £97 Old Trafford tickets. Mark, could this impact the attendances? What's your read on it? Is it changing inevitably the historic fan base of the club? Well, this is the classic catch-22 that United fans are in because they're

They know, the owners will know that more often than not Old Trafford will be full especially for games against Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea the biggest games of the season. So I think they're taking a gamble that Jim Radcliffe and the Glazers that the United fans will still turn up. And we saw it last season there were lots of protests against the ownership last season at United. You know, marches outside the ground sittings after the game.

But every time you went to a game at Old Trafford it was full. So the fans haven't yet decided to really vote with their feet and not turn up. Now if 20,000 empty seats appeared at Old Trafford for a Premier League game then that would strike home. That would be a real message to the owners that this can't go on. But until that happens the owners will say well the fans will keep turning up. They always turn up and they always have done so. This is where we're at. It's up to the United fans now if they're really unhappy not to turn up but the

the kind of gamble that any of us are taking is there's so many Man United fans in this country and across the world that they will fill the ground regardless but it's quite a short-sighted move because obviously you want to get fans on side I can't think of any fans or any clubs that have won major honours with a really unhappy and disgruntled fan base everyone seems to be marching in in the same step at the successful clubs and that isn't happening at United right now there's disharmony all over the place

and it's reflected on the pitch. So it's a gamble they're taking. My suspicion is that Old Trafford will be full as usual next season. So they'll claim they've won, but it's not great for the average fan who finds it really hard to afford to pay for match tickets. Particularly if you want to take children, etc. Andy.

We mentioned the fixtures there. Manchester United kicking off against Arsenal on the 17th of August, live on Sky Sports, 4.30. What was your take on their fixtures and how much the pressure might just be increased that little bit with stories like this for Ruben Amarim and company?

Oh yeah, it's a really, really tough start. I heard Andy Cole speaking earlier on Sky about it, about what a tough start it is. And I'm one of these people, you know if you write a story about fixtures and say United have got a tough start or Arsenal have got a tough start, you often get comments coming back saying, well, they play everyone twice and there's no easy games in the Premier League. Of course, that's fundamentally wrong. If you have a tough start, it can affect your confidence, it can get a manager to the sack.

You can't build up any momentum. I think it's a really, really tough start for Manchester United. I looked at the half a dozen games and in those half a dozen games they've got four teams from last season's top ten.

The average fishing positions of teams that United and Arsenal have got in those Open Series games are really, really high compared to anywhere else. They are the toughest starts in the Premier League. So I think it's an incredibly important start for Manchester United. He will be under pressure after six games if those games don't go well. On the flip side, of course, if he was to get a good haul of points out of those six games, that would give him an enormous boost for the rest of the season.

Certainly will. We'll see how it happens with Manchester United. Let's talk Tottenham Hotspur now, Mark. Popping back into the back page of the Star, top right-hand side, Franks are on the attack. Alan Smith reporting Thomas Frank will urge Tottenham to carry on taking risks. I tell you what, Mark, what did you expect to this? They've had the gung-ho and poste coglue. I thought it'd be like a warm blanket with Thomas Frank by comparison, sitting in front of the fire with your feet up, but not so. He was talking a good game, wasn't he?

Yeah, well, I think his boss, Daniel Levy, kind of set the tone at the start of the week by saying that Spurs want to win the league. So that's what he said, Thomas Frank, is his objective. And that's going to be a tough task for any Tottenham manager. It's, you know, 1961 was the last time they won the league and they haven't really come close many times since. So, but I think, you know, Thomas Frank is a good appointment. He knows the Premier League. He knows what it takes.

Is he the guy that can take Spurs into the top four consistently? Time will tell. Obviously, he's earned the right to have the chance. But, yeah, you need a coach to talk positively when he's just taken over the job. You don't want a guy to come in and say...

going to be tough this year might be in a relegation battle again you need somebody to talk up and you know basically sell season tickets and get people interested so I think Thomas Frank is doing that I think it will be a better season for Tottenham next year in terms of the league you know if they win a trophy that will have to be the aim next season to match this season in terms of the way it ended but I think he'll make Tottenham better in the league but whether he can take them from

where they generally are, which is sixth, seventh, eighth, to be a top four, top three team, a title winning team, that's a big, big leap for Tottenham at any point in the last 60 years. He was very respectful towards Andrew Postacoglu, wasn't he, Andy? And this need to take risks, he said. What did you make of his comments all round?

Yeah, well, I think what he's doing, and I think what's important that he does, is that, you know, listen, Tottenham finished well below Brentford last year, but he's gone to a bigger club, and I think it's important that, with respect, he doesn't act like...

Again, with great respect to Brentford, he doesn't act like a Brentford manager. The sorts of things that Mark referred to, he could say, well, we might have a good season and we'll do our best, etc., etc., play some nice football. That was OK at Brentford. It's not OK at Spurs, even though they finished in 17th place last year, even though they were well below Brentford. So I think he's making the distinction that he is taking a different step now. This is a big challenge for Thomas Frank.

You can no longer be...

i wouldn't say indulge because it hasn't been indulged but he's a mind for basically keeping brentford brentford in the primary league and producing some good football and producing some good players that are then sold off that's not going to be the case in spares whether we think it's totally unrealistic or not what daniel levy said and what thomas frank said his objectives are to re-establish that club as one of the so-called old-fashioned big sticks and that's got to be his objective he's got to speak

and have ambitions like a big six manager. And that's what he's come out with today. Yeah, Levy's talking, Mark, about targeting to the Premier League and the Champions League. But at Spurs, there is also this, I guess, history, this focus on entertaining. Do you expect Frank to be someone that could ride that balance?

You're right about Tottenham, they have this history for entertaining but they need to win things and they've had some pretty down managers over the years that have not entertained and not won things so I think Thomas Frank, his style at Brentford has been exciting but he's also quite pragmatic as well but that's probably what Tottenham need, clubs that have a style of play, they tend not to win things, it's the clubs that just want to win things that win things and they think about how they play afterwards so

He's a guy that knows the Premier League. Does he know the Champions League? No, because he's not managed in it. But I think that is a different step. I think he'll make Tottenham exciting. But are they going to be one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League? I'm not too sure about that. But it'll make them better. And that's the main thing. It'll make them better at the back. And when you're better at the back, you've got better chances going forward. So I think it's a good move. But can he be the guy that takes the leap? Again, we'll have to wait and see on that one. Intrigued to see Spurs under Thomas Frank. Let's pause and go to Chelsea and Mikhailo Mudrik. Times, one of many papers...

covering this story. Andy, Mudrik faces four-year FA doping ban. Ukrainian was suspended for positive test in December, positive test for meldonium. We understand that he believes his sample was contaminated. He's been out of action for six months or so, Andy, with this provisionally suspended. But how long and complicated is the road for Mudrik and I suppose his employer's Chelsea?

Yeah, well, these cases can be long and drawn out. You know, hence the fact that the FAA just charged him now. And as you say, the findings, the positive findings were back in December. I think it's important, as you've said, Teddy, to stress that at the time, Mudrick denied knowingly taking any banned substance. And he was banned.

supported by Enzo Maresca publicly and obviously he hasn't played since he was seen I think out of the Conference League final wasn't he as a spectator but I think it's in the best interest of all these are serious charges it goes without saying it's in the best interest of all that these get sorted sooner rather than later because you can imagine appeal etc etc for the players case for Chelsea's case let's hope this is sorted before the start of the season again

Yes, it's an intriguing story, isn't it? In some ways, Mark, for Kylo Mudrick. He's hired the lawyers that Paul Pogba used as well. He got his four year ban reduced to 18 months on appeal at the Court of Arbitration for sport. Does it become a pretty intense legal battle now to decide Mudrick's fate?

Yeah, I mean the Pogba situation would give him hope, won't it? Because Pogba had a four-year ban initially and that was reduced to 18 months and you know if Mundrick's already served six by being on a kind of a provisional suspension there's light at the end of the tunnel if he can get it down to 18 months but to prove that he didn't take it he has to somehow prove that a he didn't mean to take it and b he can explain how he found it went to his body. Now that's a difficult thing because the substance that we're talking about apparently it's only available in Russia and the Baltic states so that

that theory has led to the suggestion that it wasn't a doping offence that happened in the UK. It must have either happened on international duty or erroneously when he was back in Ukraine. So it's a really difficult situation for Mudrick to be in. If he has to prove that he didn't take it, I don't know how he does that, even if he's honest in the fact that he didn't do it. So it's very difficult for him to prove that he wasn't

purposely, but it's a long road for him and it's going to be a tough one. But yeah, he's got the right people, I suppose, to take his case considering what happened with Pogba. Yeah, Mudra Kaz reiterated tonight he hasn't done anything intentionally wrong in this situation. We'll see how it plays out. I just wonder, Andy,

whether you suspect with this making of several papers, a telegraph, Mudrik charged over doping as well, whether it's something that players coming up have to be increasingly vigilant about in terms of diet, nutrition, supplementation, particularly players that travel to different countries.

Oh, incredible. And I think the clubs are increasingly aware of that and absolutely monitor because in general in sports, it's no longer ignorance of what is going in your body is no longer an excuse. That applies to all athletes in any sport that now that that is not considered an excuse that you are unaware or sort of the idea that it is unknowingly entered your system will actually

The fundamental principle for any sportsman or sportswoman should be, actually, there's no such thing as a knowingly. You should know exactly what goes into your body. Yes, and I'm pretty certain now, clubs and players will be even more vigilant than they've ever been. Let's go to the eye. At least Foden's having fun. City star puts rough season behind him at the Club World Cup. Scores one, makes one against Wiedad Casablanca. Andy, how encouraging will that be for Pep Guardiola?

Well, very encouraging for him and more importantly, just a great flip for Phil Foden himself. You know, never looked overly happy last season. Of course, ended the season by saying that mentally he was a bit tired, missed the England camp. So it's nice for him to have a lift. Don't forget, we're talking about the footballer of the year for the previous season, for the 23-24 season. So actually, and his season,

His dip in form, prolonged dip in form, his trough in form, actually was symbolic of what happened to Manchester City last season. So I guess from that point of view, Pep Guardiola will be delighted. And listen, there's a little bit of pressure on Phil Foden now as well. There are a lot of signings coming into City, a lot of players who can play offensively,

what you might call Phil Foden's best position. So now it's on him. You know, there's no guarantee. We know what it's like with Pep Guardiola. If, you know, if he doesn't think you're performing, he doesn't select you, whether or not, even if you're, say, for example, a £100 million player like Jack Grealish. So the pressure's on Phil Foden to make sure he performs. But that picture there on the back of the paper, nice to see him with a smile on his face because obviously he's a lovely player. He's obviously had some issues and let's hope that, um,

a good tournament out in the warm weather and the States will help him prepare for the start of next season. It was warm in Philadelphia, the end of the game with 10 men just for the final few minutes as well. Express have that Red Ricohs fuming John Cross in Philadelphia, Lewis fuming after being sent off in Manchester City's Club World Cup opener. What was your take on Manchester City in general, Mark Foden? The positive, Reinders and Schurke though, perhaps not dazzling on debut?

Yeah, Foden's definitely positive. I thought defensively looked pretty shaky. I thought Reyes at the back, who's the young kid that came in January, didn't look very convincing. And I think when City play, I think Juventus in the final game, that's the game that could decide who plays Real Madrid in the next round. Real have drawn with Al-Ali tonight. Al-Khalil tonight, I should say. It's difficult because in those situations, it's really hot. The crowd isn't great. It's a

time of year they don't replaying but Foden at least after the difficult season he's had he looked like he stepped up and it's taken his chance maybe he realizes that this month could be the launch pad for next season which ends with the world cup so perhaps he's putting the last year behind him but it's only one game it's one goal but it's it's a positive at least it's been a long time since he scored

Yep, we'll see how the rest of the season unfolds in terms of the summer tournament, the World Club Cup and how those new signings fit in. Let's talk about Everton and change there. They continue their revamp on the eye, dipping back below the Foden story here. Everton continue revamp by hiring United youth boss exclusive by Mark Douglas and Pete Hall. How much of a coup is it to land Nick Cox? Andy, do you think the Manchester United Academy chief becoming Everton's technical director?

Well, it seems that Nick Cox is very highly regarded and you only have to look at the work that he's done at United Academy since being head of that academy. I think it's probably since 2019. Obviously, they won the FA Youth Cup in 2022. And more importantly, they produced players for the first team, most notably, obviously, Kobi Manu, who has obviously now won, I think it's 10 caps for England. So he's clearly, while other players

Other departments of Manchester United Football Club have not been working properly over the last half a decade or even longer.

That one certainly has, and he's been charged with that. So it's a coup in that extent. I'm sure Manchester United will have transition plans, so I don't think it'll be a massive blow for them in that context. But it's good for Everton because they've now restructured the whole thing. Angus Kinnear's chief executive, Nick Cox now coming as technical director, and they've got other people who are in there now. I think it's Nick Hammond and James Smith who's coming from Manchester City. So positive signs for Everton fans from new owners, the freebie group.

Yep, absolutely. Positive signs for Rory McIlroy. Let's switch to golf at the end of the US Open, his final round. Very difficult weekend, all told, though. He seems happy ahead of the next event on the PGA Tour. But here, Oliver Brown writing that McIlroy's transformed into golf's diva-in-chief. In fairness to Oliver Brown, a little bit of a misleading headline here, Mark. He does actually praise...

McElroy's general conduct and spokesman-like role that he's played for golf, particularly the PGA Tour, but says that's what makes it even more troubling, this change since he won the Masters. It's an important piece, isn't it, I suppose, Mark, because it's not Roy McElroy, a fresh kid on the block. He's someone that we perhaps have to appreciate for what he's done in the past, and maybe that's why it is concerning, a change in personality.

It is concerning, especially with his comments at the weekend, how he's struggling even to get up for an Open on his home turf in Northern Ireland next month. So that was the point that I think struck a lot of people's alarm bells ringing because Rory McIlroy should be the guy that's desperate to play in that tournament at Portrush. But it does take a lot on Rory McIlroy. He's kind of become the self-appointed spokesman for the PGA Tour. He's probably the most high-profile player. He won the Masters, which made him the first player to do the Grand Slam for quite a long time and ended his long battle for it. So...

he does seem to carry a lot and I think at the weekend at the US Open it was probably just a little bit too much he snapped a little bit he had to go to the media he just didn't seem happy with the world but you know maybe I've seen the stuff you're running tonight that is latest interview looks a bit more happy more content so perhaps it's just a weekend wobble we don't know but yeah the Open is a big one for Rory McIlwain Northern Ireland so hopefully he's back to his best for that. It's about 30 or 40 seconds

Andy, your take on this? McElroy said, I think he's earned the right not to speak to the media at the US Open. It's probably fair, hasn't it, in his case?

Sort of fair in the sense that he normally does, but having said all that, there's probably no golfer got better press than Rory McIlroy. He has benefited from talking to the media enormously. So I think on that level, it's a little bit swings and roundabouts like that. My thing with Rory McIlroy and Mark referencing in trying to get a fair future tournament is that

You just wonder, now he's done, now he's completed the Grand Slam, is that enough for him? And it sounds sometimes as though it is enough. Hard to get back on the horse. When Tiger completes this Grand Slam, he won the next two majors. Rory has not done that and doesn't look like winning anymore at the moment in his current form. So I just wonder, Rory McIlroy, a brilliant player back.