Jose Mourinho with another new media moan 

And it was all going so well for Jose Mourinho in the Special One's pre-match press conference on Friday for tomorrow's Manchester United against Watford clash. 

The Portuguese provoker had dutifully praised the work of opposition coach, Javi Gracia, whose team are on four wins from four and revealed that Luke Shaw was fit for duty despite suffering concussion on England duty last weekend.

But it was on the topic of another England player, Marcus Rashford, that the sizzler switch was flipped and the popcorn in the aisles came out. 

The narrative from the media chattering classes is that two goals on England duty shows how the striker needed to be playing more - and Mourinho really doesn't like being told what to do. 

Out came the famous piece of paper and out came Rashford's statistical life story with Manchester United in a two-minute monologue over how the forward has been key for United in the past and present.  


"Some of the boys are really obsessed with me," noted Mourinho to those who question the coach's footballing life-choices in the media. 
 


Jose, it's been a long two weeks without you in our lives. 

PSG's Saint Etienne gamble without Neymar and Mbappe 

Now, on to another coach whose managerial life is partly being spent answering pestering questions from the press - and that's Thomas Tuchel at PSG. 

The French giants are in action against Saint Etienne today at 2:30PM ET / 11:30AM PT live on beIN SPORTS and the German boss was asked on Thursday to further elaborate on whether Gigi Buffon was number two at the club between the pipes.  

The update was that there was no clear number one despite what had been said earlier in the week about Alphonse Areola being in "pole position." Indeed, some very political bet-hedging was going on. 

It was the same on whether Neymar would play in Friday's game with the Brazilian having had a busy international week Stateside and facing a key clash against Liverpool next week in the Champions League. 

"Can he still play a whole game or less?" pondered Tuchel, who will definitely be without the other big-hitter of the side, Kylian Mbappe, who is serving a three-match suspension. 

Decisions, decisions. 

Nice makes heavyweight decision to drop Mario Balotelli 

PSG is not alone in Friday's action in France with Patrick Viera's struggling Nice taking on Rennes, replete with the forgotten man of football, Ben Arfa, in its ranks and potentially going up against his old club. 

Mario Balotelli has been left out of the Nice squad for reportedly returning from the summer break not exactly in tip-top condition. That game is live on beIN SPORTS CONNECT 3 from 1PM ET / 10AM PT. 

Also on CONNECT at 1:45PM ET / 10:45AM PT, Galatasarary is hosting Kasimpasa in a second against first mega-clash in the Turkish Super Lig. 

La Liga is offering up Huesca taking on Rayo Vallecano at 3PM ET / 12PM PT over on beIN SPORTS ESPANYOL, while the ever-entertaining Borussia Dortmund with Christian Pulisic in tow is taking on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. 

Catch the best of all the action on the XTRA at 7PM ET / 4PM PT. 

Cincinnati Bengals continue early season hot streak 

A sharp turn now to another kind of football with the NFL serving up a Thursday night clash saw a 34-23 win for the Cincinnati Bengals over the Baltimore Ravens. The victory gave the hosts the temporary lead of the AFC North division with two wins from two in the season. 

Despite being a little patchy in form still, the Bengals prevailed with four touchdown passes from Andy Dalton. "We came out hot," noted the quarterback with his team taking an early 21-point lead.