No manager has combined heart and soul with details and hard maths like the German, no wonder he has run out of energy

“I am, how can I say it, running out of energy.” It is, in its own way, the saddest of managerial farewells. Not to mention the most decisive. This is Jürgen Klopp’s thing. He’s an energy source. He’s joules, watts, volts, catalytic reactions. His energy is his energy, both in the tactical pattern of his teams and as a sustained feat of personality.

Throughout the Klopp elegies of the past few weeks, the deep-dives and unpeelings, the endless daily Klopp-trap, it is striking how little that decision has been questioned. The idea of an energy-free-Klopp is just so final, like José Mourinho telling you he’s run out of toxic bile, or Pep Guardiola confessing that, actually, he’s starting to find detailed positional strategy a little samey and humdrum these days. Jürgen is tired. And when that happens, it really is time to go.

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© Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

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© Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

• Exhausted Chelsea manager signs off with fifth successive title
• ‘I felt we deserved title,’ says Manchester City’s Gareth Taylor

Emma Hayes said she doesn’t “have another drop to give” after bowing out as Chelsea manager with a fifth Women’s Super League title in a row, while Manchester City’s Gareth Taylor felt his team would have deserved to be champions.

Hayes spoke passionately and emotionally after her side won the league on goal difference with a 6-0 win at Manchester United, her final game before she leaves to take over the US women’s national team in time for the Olympics. “I’d say it’s taken its toll, rather than changed me,” she said of her 12 years at the club. “I categorically cannot carry on. So, I am absolutely leaving at the right time. I don’t have another drop to give it.”

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© Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

• Owners undecided on whether to keep Pochettino
• Brighton want McKenna as replacement for De Zerbi

Chelsea have identified Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna as one of the leading  candidates to take over from Mauricio Pochettino, whose future is up in the air before his end-of-season review with the club’s hierarchy.

While some key figures at Stamford Bridge are in favour of Pochettino staying, the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership is yet to reach a consensus on whether a change is required.

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© Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

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© Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA

And so, the fabled Oxfordshire adage rings true again. Yes, revenge truly is a main course best dished up in the Wembley sunshine, in front of a 30,000-strong yellow wall, and with a Championship spot to contest.

Well, at least that could have been Des Buckingham’s message to Oxford’s players as they wandered out to face a team who had swatted them aside by five goals in mid-March. Because what followed cackled in the face of Bolton’s “clear favourites” tag. Josh Murphy sparkled, scoring twice in the first half, and Oxford were promoted.

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© Photograph: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Getty Images

The screams of delight from the departing Emma Hayes in her technical area, the roar and chest-thumping of the injured Sam Kerr sat high above the dugout, and the chaotic flailing arms from the jubilant corner of fans in blue. Chelsea are Women’s Super League champions for a fifth time in a row having thrashed the FA Cup winners Manchester United 6-0 at Old Trafford.

Those scenes came within 10 minutes. That’s all it took. In the end it was all a little anticlimactic, Chelsea’s two goals inside those eight minutes enough to give them an almost insurmountable four-goal advantage on goal difference over Manchester City. By half-time, despite City leading 1-0 at Aston Villa, Chelsea had doubled their tally and extended their advantage, going in four up – Sjoeke Nüsken and the utterly unplayable Mayra Ramírez adding to the latter’s opener and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s goal. Melanie Leupolz added a fifth after the break as they ran up the numbers and there was an emotional sixth from the departing record goalscorer Fran Kirby, but it wasn’t needed, with City only limping to a 2-1 win.

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© Photograph: The Guardian

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© Photograph: The Guardian

• Updates from 3pm BST kick-off at Old Trafford
• Aston Villa v Manchester City: WSL – live
• Live scoreboard | And feel free to email Sarah

Another notable miss for United is Leah Galton. She came off injured in the Women’s FA Cup final last Sunday.

Manchester United team news is here. Rachel Williams starts ahead of Nikita Parris and Melvine Malard also starts.

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

• Updates from 3pm BST kick-off at Villa Park
• Manchester United v Chelsea: WSL – live
• Live Scoreboard | And feel free to mail Emillia

Chelsea face Manchester United at Old Trafford in another huge match this afternoon, also kicking off at 3pm BST. Sarah Rendell is keeping tabs on that one in our other WSL live blog.

Chelsea’s WSL season in numbers:

Games played - 21

Wins - 17

Draws - 1

Defeats - 3

Goals scored - 65

Goals conceded - 18

Days at the top of the table - 153

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© Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters

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© Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/Reuters

• Updates from the 4.15pm BST kick-off at Wembley
• Have any thoughts? Send them to Will via email

Des Buckingham: “This is the most special day. I grew up in the area.

“We stuck to what we have done over the past two or three months. It is about enjoying the present.

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© Photograph: Andrew Kearns/CameraSport/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Andrew Kearns/CameraSport/Getty Images

• Luis Palma’s 86th minute goal secures 3-2 comeback win
• Tagawa strikes as Hearts share 3-3 draw with Rangers

Luis Palma scored a late winner as Celtic twice came from behind to round off another successful Premiership campaign with a 3-2 victory over St Mirren on trophy presentation day at Parkhead.

St Mirren’s captain, Mark O’Hara, twice gave the visitors the lead but goals from Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi had the champions level at the break. The second half was a quieter affair but Palma converted Anthony Ralston’s cross from close range in the 86th minute to give the home fans more reason to cheer before the presentation of the silverware.

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© Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters

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© Photograph: Craig Brough/Action Images/Reuters

• Teenage winger considered one of the top talents in Brazil
• Transfer fee will be broken up into initial €34m plus add-ons

Chelsea are set to complete the signing of the Palmeiras prodigy Estêvão Willian for a fee in the region of €60m (£51.4m).

The 17-year-old winger is regarded as one of the best talents in Brazil and Chelsea were determined not to miss out on him.

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© Photograph: Carla Carniel/Reuters

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© Photograph: Carla Carniel/Reuters

A core of players have seen all or most of Pep Guardiola’s Etihad tenure and are on the verge of a sixth title winner’s medal

It takes a lot for Pep Guardiola to trust unconditionally, so staying the course with the Manchester City manager is not a straightforward business. Despite the constant trophies gleaming in the Etihad cabinet, decorated players have come and gone – but six have the chance of securing a sixth Premier League title alongside Guardiola on Sunday afternoon.

Ederson, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden have set the tone for much of the club’s success. A victory over West Ham will guarantee each a sixth winner’s medal, putting them on par with David Beckham and Phil Neville. De Bruyne was already a City first-teamer when Guardiola arrived in Manchester in 2016, while Foden was making headway in the academy. The other four were carefully selected by the club’s hierarchy and Guardiola.

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© Composite: Observer design

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© Composite: Observer design

Unusual storylines are growing ever rarer due to the influence of the super-rich and nation states in our national game

Admit it, when Erik ten Hag walked out holding a microphone after Manchester United’s final home game on Wednesday night you also thought he was going to start saying things like “Your job now is to support the new manager”, before marching off to write books containing anecdotes about Richard Branson.

In the event the most notable part of Ten Hag’s speech was how convincing he is when he frowns into a mic and says things. Ten Hag could stab himself in the eye with a kebab skewer and stand there in the centre circle, kebab skewer pyoing-ing up and down, explaining why this is actually a really good thing and a sign of genuine progress and you’d think, yeah, kebab-skewer-eye-guy really is on to something. He just needs time. Maybe with patience and a proper process he can stab himself in the other eye too.

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© Illustration: Lo Cole

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© Illustration: Lo Cole

The German’s nine-year Anfield tenure has contained some unforgettable highs – and a handful of agonising near-misses

Recruiting Jürgen Klopp was a coup for Fenway Sports Group – Liverpool were not what they are now in 2015 – and his willingness to end a planned year-long sabbatical after four months to take the job generated a level of excitement and anticipation among supporters rarely witnessed before. It would not be misplaced. After signing a three-year contract at the city’s Hope Street hotel, and before going for a drink with his family at a bar around the corner, Klopp gave his first interview as Liverpool’s manager. “The message to those Liverpool supporters?” he asks, rhetorically. “We have to change, from doubter to believer. Now.” He had the entire club onside from the word go.

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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© Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Bournemouth’s manager on Marcelo Bielsa’s lessons, his love for cycling and why Unai Emery should beat him to awards

After an unforgiving start, Andoni Iraola has enjoyed an eye-catching first season in the Premier League, leading Bournemouth to their best points tally in the division, with a top‑half finish a distinct possibility heading into the final day. His work, imposing a breathless, aggressive style on a dynamic team, has earned him a nomination for the manager of the season award, as well as a new contract. As he approaches his first anniversary in charge next month, the closest thing to a grumble – as an avid cyclist – is the dearth of hilly terrain in Dorset. “The longest one is 200m,” he says with a smile, raising and then drooping his right hand. “It stops just as you are getting started.”

Raised in the Basque Country, the cycling heartland of Spain, Iraola has long been fascinated by the endurance and precision at the crux of competing on two wheels. During pre-season in Marbella last summer he was glued to the Tour de France over dinner and it was similar in his playing days, the majority spent at his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao, whom he captained to the Europa League final under Marcelo Bielsa in 2011-12. The pressures have changed since then.

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© Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian

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© Photograph: Peter Flude/The Guardian

Manager determined to depart on a high while Manchester City aim to spoil leaving party on what could be a dramatic final day

Emma Hayes is not having to work hard to keep emotions in check as she prepares for her final game as Chelsea manager – Saturday’s mouthwatering match-up with Manchester United at Old Trafford – because she is used to doing it.

The last drive into work, the last coaching session, the final away trip with the team, watching her family mourn the end of her working relationship with Chelsea as much as she does – there is time to take in the poignancy of these moments properly later.

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© Photograph: Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Harriet Lander/Chelsea FC/Getty Images

The departure this weekend of Chelsea’s Emma Hayes from the WSL and Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp will be felt outside sport

The departure this weekend of two of England’s most influential and successful football managers will be felt beyond sport. There’s no doubt that the loss of Chelsea’s Emma Hayes from the Women’s Super League and Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp from the Premier League offers important lessons for the game on why leadership matters. Their personalities and tactical nous demonstrated why managers can help clubs do better than their players’ skills alone suggest.

Both managers also gave football a human face. Hayes was appointed by Chelsea in August 2012. Her team won 15 trophies, averaging more than one a year. She could sign off with a 16th on Saturday, with this season’s title race between Chelsea and Manchester City going down to the final match. She became synonymous with the English game at home and abroad and displayed her acute analytical sense of the game as a TV pundit.

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© Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

We would like to hear from Chelsea Women fans about how they feel about the Emma Hayes era coming to an end

After 11 years as Chelsea manager, Emma Hayes is to step down at the end of the season.

We would like to hear from Chelsea Women fans about how they feel about Emma Hayes’ tenure coming to an end. What did her time with the club mean to you?

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© Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

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© Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nedum Onuoha and John Brewin as Manchester United and Chelsea get important wins in their hunt for European football next season

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today: the race for fifth/sixth and Europa League football next season is still alive – Chelsea could still catch Spurs and only Manchester United winning the FA Cup would earn Newcastle a spot.

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© Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Football joins pro wrestling and comedy specials in an expansion of the streaming service’s live offerings, a key step in the company’s overall live TV strategy.

© Bridget Bennett for The New York Times