Tag Futebol

Worcestershire reliant on top-order fireworks after back-to-back finals

Matt Roller26-Aug-2020

Birmingham Bears

Last year: 8th in North Group
Captain: Will Rhodes
Coach: Jim Troughton
In a nutshell: Hopeless last year with 19 players used and no obvious strategy with bat: dropping firestarter Ed Pollock after four failures to accommodate Dom Sibley as a second anchor in the top three was a fatal error. Chris Green was due to captain but is playing in the CPL instead, but the majority of last year’s squad will be available throughout.Pollock was left out after four games of last season’s T20 Blast•Getty ImagesStar: Pollock’s omission was a source of frustration to sporting director Paul Farbrace last year, and he should get a chance to play all ten group games at the top of the order. He is the fastest-scoring batsman in the world, and told ESPNcricinfo during lockdown of his intentions to turn “flashes in the pan” into the sort of innings “that make someone go: ‘we want him'”. With his contract up at the end of the season, the pressure is on.One to watch: Henry Brookes was the Bears’ leading wicket-taker last year and proved particularly effective at the death: in 11.4 overs at the back-end, he took eight wickets and went at only 7.45 runs per over. He brings genuine pace to the attack, with Olly Stone missing the start of the tournament through injury.Verdict: Decent side on paper but need to hit the ground running
Bet365: 16/1

Glamorgan

Last year: 9th in South Group
Captain: Chris Cooke
Coach: Matt Maynard
In a nutshell: Rock-bottom last year, and winless until the final game of the group stage. Colin Ingram, who has been their key man with the bat in recent seasons, is “unlikely” to arrive due to travel restrictions, according to Mark Wallace, the director of cricket, but otherwise availability is fairly good.Andy Balbirnie sweeps•Getty ImagesStar: With Ingram absent and David Lloyd injured, much of the run-scoring burden with fall on Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, a late overseas signing for the competition. A useful anchoring batsman, Balbirnie is likely to bed in at No. 3 and hold the innings together, generally ticking over at a strike rate around 140. He is no stranger to Wales, having attended Cardiff Met back in his university days.One to watch: Callum Taylor was given four games to impress at the end of last year’s tournament, but it is his red-ball form that suggests he could be a useful inclusion this year, after he thrashed 106 off 94 balls on first-class debut this week. His form in the Second XI T20 has been patchy over the last two years, but he should get a decent run in the side.Verdict: Few obvious signs that last year was an outlier
Bet365: 25/1

Gloucestershire

Last year: 2nd in South Group, quarter-finalists
Captain: Jack Taylor
Coach: Richard Dawson
In a nutshell: Until they forgot to turn up in the home quarter-final against Derbyshire, Gloucestershire had an impressive 2019 in the Blast, and were only narrowly pipped to top spot in the South Group. Much-loved captain Michael Klinger misses the Blast for the first time since 2012 after his retirement, but that could be a blessing in disguise after his slow-scoring became a hindrance last summer.Benny Howell wheels away in celebration•Getty ImagesStar: Slower-ball specialist Benny Howell had his tournament cut short by a hamstring injury sustained at The Oval last year, and has not made a professional appearance since then. In 2019, he had 10 wickets and a miserly economy rate of just 6.65 before his injury. He will miss out on the early stages due to a suspected calf tendon tear but hopes to return for the back end.One to watch: James Bracey has spent the summer wearing blue latex gloves and carrying the drinks for England in the Test bubble, so will be desperate to get onto the field in the Blast. He could open alongside Miles Hammond this year in an anchoring role, and is a useful player on difficult pitches.Verdict: Often written off, usually wrongly
Bet365: 16/1

Northamptonshire

Last year: 7th in North Group
Captain: Josh Cobb
Coach: David Ripley
In a nutshell: Neutrals’ favourites and two-time winners, Northants have had three poor years in the Blast since their memorable title charge in 2016. There are reasons for optimism this year: their likely top four of Richard Levi, Paul Stirling, Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington packs an almighty punch, with Alex Wakely set to bat at No. 5. The big question is whether they have the bowling attack to compete.Brandon Glover lets out a roar to celebrate his first wicket•Peter Della PennaStar: Josh Cobb has a point to prove after surprisingly missing out on selection in last year’s Hundred draft, and will lead the side again this season. He warmed up with 80 off 45 and 33 off 14 in back-to-back practice fixtures against Leicestershire, and his offbreaks are a valuable early weapon in the first six overs.One to watch: South African-born seamer Brandon Glover was joint-second in the wicket-taking charts in the T20 World Cup qualifier for Netherlands last year, and hits a hard length at good pace. He was particularly effective in the middle overs in that tournament, but may be required at the death in the Blast.Verdict: Dark horses for the title
Bet365: 25/1

Somerset

Last year: 6th in South Group
Captain: Lewis Gregory/Tom Abell
Coach: Jason Kerr
In a nutshell: Had competition’s two leading run-scorers last season in Babar Azam and Tom Banton, while Tom Abell enjoyed a breakout T20 campaign that won him a £100,000 deal in the Hundred. But they were let down by their bowling attack, and with question marks over key players’ availability this year – Banton and Lewis Gregory will miss at least the first few games due to England inclusion – it may be another disappointing year.

Well worth checking out this catch from @MaxTCWaller again! #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/Jz5zhlgyVk

— Somerset Cricket (@SomersetCCC) August 31, 2019

Star: He will miss the first few games due to Pakistan’s T20I series against England and the club are yet to confirm his availability, but it is understood Babar is likely to play a handful of group games at the very least. In a tournament short on overseas quality due to restrictions on international travel and budgets, he should be just as dominant as he was in 2019.One to watch: The Blast’s leading legspinner over the last five seasons (66 wickets at 25.63), Max Waller rarely attracts much attention outside of Somerset, but is a proven operator and has been particularly useful with the new ball in recent years (10 Powerplay wickets with a 6.31 economy rate since 2017). He could be the best fielder in county cricket, too, as his one-handed screamer off AB de Villiers last year demonstrated.Verdict: Belligerent at Taunton but attack lacks bite
Bet365: 9/1

Worcestershire

Last year: 4th in North Group, runners-up
Captain: Moeen Ali/Ed Barnard
Coach: Alex Gidman
In a nutshell: 2018 champions were one dot ball away from repeating their triumph in last season’s final, but fell at the final hurdle. Wayne Parnell is a big miss, while Pat Brown misses the first handful of games on England duty and Moeen is unlikely to feature at any stage. Canny allrounder Ed Barnard has been handed the captaincy in his stead.Riki Wessels belts one down the ground•Getty ImagesStar: Nobody has scored as many Blast runs as Riki Wessels since 2014 (2656 at 35.89, 146 SR) and his runs were vital last season in a more restrained role than the one he used to play at Nottinghamshire. He looks set to open alongside Hamish Rutherford, one of the competition’s few overseas players, in a partnership that should score the bulk of Worcestershire’s runs between them.One to watch: Daryl Mitchell found himself languishing down the batting order last season but has reinvented himself as a cutter specialist, rarely reaching 70mph with his medium pace and proving difficult to hit with Ben Cox stood up to the stumps. Last season, he conceded just 6.41 runs per over across the Blast, and is a brilliant option on slow wickets.Verdict: If Brown is released after England’s Pakistan series, knockouts should be within reach
Bet365: 12/1

One of the most exciting bets to place in Major League Baseball is on a player to hit a home run, but it’s important to find the right matchups – and a hot hitter – to do so. 

With several games in action in MLB on Thursday afternoon, I’ve narrowed down my picks to two players, one lefty and one righty, to get the job done against some struggling starters. 

Can we cash in on these plus-money bets? I’m confident that these two players have a solid edge on June 20. 

Best MLB Home Run Picks for Thursday, June 20Alec Burelson to Hit a Home Run (+700)Teoscar Hernandez to Hit a Home Run (+235)

Alec Burelson to Hit a Home Run (+700)

St. Louis Cardinals youngster Alec Burelson has become a mainstay in the lineup this season, hitting 10 home runs and posting a .268/.298/.434 slash line in 228 at bats.

He’s not the flashiest player to take to go deep – hence the +700 odds – but he has a great matchup against Keaton Winn and the San Francisco Giants. 

Winn has allowed eight home runs in 11 starts this season, giving up at least one home run in each of his last four outings. To top it off, the Giants bullpen – which will follow Winn up – has been awful, putting up a 4.42 ERA and allowing 36 homers (third most in MLB) in 2024. 

Burelson has five homers this month, and he’s mashed right-handed pitching (.294/.327/.469 slash line with seven homers) so far this season. He’s worth a shot at these odds against a struggling pitching staff. 

Teoscar Hernandez to Hit a Home Run (+235)

Teoscar Hernandez isn’t nearly as big of a long shot in this market, but I love him any time he’s facing a left-handed pitcher – like Colorado Rockies starter Ty Blach. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder has hit 18 home runs in 2024, including eight against left-handed pitching in just 79 at bats. That means Hernandez has hit a home run in 10.1 percent of his at bats against lefties in 2024. 

How could we not bet on him tonight?

Blach has struggled this season, posting a 1.41 WHIP and 4.65 ERA. He’s been especially bad as of late, allowing a home run in three straight games while giving up 25 hits in 15.2 innings of work. 

With this game being played at Coors Field, I expect there to be a few home runs on Thursday.

The Baltimore Orioles' match-up against the New York Mets on Thursday included a bit of pregame entertainment that admittedly wasn't for everybody.

Electronic musician Dan Deacon performed his unique rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Camden Yards which, well… you can listen to below. Deacon, who has been meandering down his own psychedelic-esque path of music since the early 2000s, created a kooky, experimental piece that deviated from what one might expect for a standard national anthem performance and immediately elicited polarizing reactions from MLB fans.

Some called it bizarre. Others called it genius. One fan shared a video of Deacon's performance and wrote in the caption, "I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom."

That prompted plenty of people on social media to come to Deacon's defense, declaring that the Baltimore-based electronic composer is a legend in his own right. Judge it for yourself:

Allen, Ferguson, Milne, Phillips, O’Rourke and Sears were all unavailable due to injury

Deivarayan Muthu19-Oct-2025

Kane Williamson had last played for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final in March•Getty Images

Kane Williamson will return to action for New Zealand in the three-match ODI series against England, which kicks off at Bay Oval, his home ground, on October 26. Williamson, 35, is missing from the ongoing T20I series as he is recovering from an unspecified, ‘minor medical issue’ in the past month.Williamson is among a group of players who have a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC). He had earlier made himself unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Australia and missed the Zimbabwe tour to play county cricket and the Hundred as part of his deal with Middlesex. More recently, Williamson was appointed Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) strategic advisor in the IPL.Allrounder Nathan Smith also returned to the New Zealand squad after undergoing rehab for an abdominal injury sustained during the first Test against Zimbabwe in August in Bulawayo. Smith, 27, has not played any competitive cricket since.Related

Williamson joins LSG as strategic advisor

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter welcomed Williamson and Smith back into the set-up. For Williamson, this will be his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final in Dubai in March earlier this year. Smith also played in that final, though as a last-minute replacement for Matt Henry, who was injured at the time.”Kane and Nathan have had to work hard to overcome their respective injuries and illness,” Walter said in a statement. “We all know what Kane means to the Blackcaps – to have his skill, experience and leadership back in the group is fantastic.”Nathan’s still relatively new to his international career, but he’s impressed with his all-round skills and ability in the field.”Having undergone rehab, Smith has declared himself fit and ready for the New Zealand summer.”Yeah, always exciting when you get the opportunity to play for New Zealand in any series,” Smith said. “The last period from that [Bulawayo] Test to now has looked like a bit of rest initially. And then after a couple of weeks, you can sort of start to get moving again and strengthen the ab back-ups. Since the start of September, I’ve been ripping into some rehab and building the bowling loads back up. It’s just been a really good period to get some strength in and build some training back up for a busy season.”Mitchell Santner also returned to take charge of the ODI team after leading them to the Champions Trophy final. Having recovered from an abdominal injury, he is currently in action in the T20I series against England.However, Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring) were all unavailable due to injury.Nathan Smith has recovered from an abdominal injury•AFP/Getty Images

Tom Latham will take the wicketkeeping gloves and will also make his first appearance for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final. Latham had been sidelined from the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe with a shoulder injury. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket since his century for Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast in July.Along with Smith, Canterbury seam-bowling allrounder Zak Foulkes has also been picked in the squad. Foulkes has played just two internationals so far and in September, he hit back-to-back fifties for New Zealand A in Benoni in the unofficial ODI series. Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra are the other allrounders in the side.Henry, who is the highest wicket-taker among seamers in ODIs in 2025, with 24 strikes in nine innings at an average of 15.50, will lead the attack.This will be Walter’s first stint with the New Zealand ODI side as their head coach. “The ODI side has been very successful for a long period of time, as the current ICC ranking of number two suggests,” Walter said. “We have an experienced core of players and as a team, are very clear on how we want to play. This is very much the start of our journey to the ICC Cricket World Cup in South Africa in 2027 and I know the group are excited to get going in this series against a quality England side.”New Zealand’s ODI group will assemble in Tauranga on Friday ahead of Sunday’s opening game. The second ODI will be played in Hamilton on October 29, while England’s tour will conclude with the third ODI in Wellington on November 1.The ODI series will overlap with the men’s Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s premier domestic one-day tournament, which will start on October 25 across various venues. The Ford Trophy will kick off New Zealand’s domestic summer for a second year in a row. The Ford Trophy will start on October 25, followed by the women’s Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (HBJ) taking off on November 15.New Zealand ODI squadMitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Kane Williamson, Will Young

Celtic are currently searching for their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers after the manager tendered his resignation at Parkhead at the start of last week.

The Northern Irish head coach left the Glasgow giants after successive losses to Dundee and Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, which left them eight points adrift of Hearts in first place.

Rodgers won four trophies and only lost 20 of his 123 games in charge during his second spell, which shows that it was far from a disastrous return to the club.

However, he clearly felt that the time was right for a change, and Martin O’Neill has been brought in to be the interim manager until a successor can be found.

The experienced manager has overseen wins over Falkirk in the Premiership and Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park in his first two matches in the dugout.

It remains to be seen how long O’Neill will be in interim charge, though, as one pundit has told the club to swoop for a former Premier League winner.

Celtic told to swoop for Premier League-winning manager

Speaking on The Warm Up, former Celtic central defender Charlie Mulgrew has told the Scottish giants to go and persuade Jurgen Klopp to make the move to Parkhead.

Mulgrew stated: “I would go all out and get Jurgen Klopp in the door.”

After laughs from Kris Boyd and Steven Naismith, the former Hoops man added: “Why not? £7million a year. Give him it. Jurgen Klopp in the door. What’s your argument against it? I know it’s unrealistic, right.

“But could Dermot Desmond go, ‘Do you know what? We’re going to bounce back after Rodgers here and we’re going to go big.”

Klopp is currently the Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, which means that he is not managing a club at this moment in time, but he is in a job and would need to be tempted to leave it.

There has been no suggestion, beyond Mulgrew’s comments, that Celtic are considering a move for the German manager, or that he is interested in returning to management in the short term.

11/12 Bundesliga

18/19 Champions League

10/11 Bundesliga

19/20 Premier League

11/12 German Cup

21/22 FA Cup

14/15 German Super Cup

23/24 League Cup

13/14 German Super Cup

21/22 League Cup

19/20 UEFA Super Cup

22/23 Community Shield

As you can see in the table above, the former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool head coach has had an illustrious career, winning plenty of high-profile titles and trophies, which is why he would be a huge coup for the Hoops.

However, for the aforementioned reasons, a move for Klopp does not seem to be very realistic, which is why the club should be looking to find their own version of the 58-year-old tactician.

Klopp once described his own style of play as “heavy metal” because of how intense he likes his teams to make games, and there is one reported Celtic managerial target who could deploy a similar philosophy.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

It was recently reported that Dermot Desmond and the board have Bodo/Glimt head coach Kjetil Knutsen on their radar as a possible replacement for Rodgers and, more immediately, O’Neill.

The 57-year-old manager is seemingly one of the names on the club’s shortlist, and they could unearth their answer to Klopp by bringing him to Parkhead in the coming days or weeks.

Why Celtic should appoint Kjetil Knutsen

Parking results and trophies aside for a moment, Knutsen would be Celtic’s answer to Klopp because he also plays an extreme brand of football with his teams, which is why Desmond should swoop to appoint him.

Former captain Bodo/Glimt Ulrik Saltnes described his playing style as “kamikaze”, due to the intense forward-thinking nature of the performances and style of play.

Like Klopp, Knutsen typically deploys a base 4-3-3 formation, per Transfermarkt, and looks to play aggressive and intense “kamikaze” football to dominate opponents and score plenty of goals.

2025

27

73

2024

30

71

2023

30

78

2022

30

86

2021

30

59

2020

30

103

2019

30

64

The statistics in the table above show that he has successfully coached his team to score plenty of goals throughout his time in charge of Bodo/Glimt, with their 103 goals in 30 league matches in the 2020 campaign a particularly eye-catching achievement.

Knutsen may not have won the Premier League, the Bundesliga, or the Champions League in his managerial career, as Klopp has, but he has had plenty of success with Bodo/Glimt in the Eliteserien.

2025

27

61 (2nd)

2024

30

62 (1st)

2023

30

70 (1st)

2022

30

60 (2nd)

2021

30

63 (1st)

2020

30

81 (1st)

As you can see in the table above, he has won the league in four of the last five seasons, whilst his team are currently one point off first place with three matches left to go in the current campaign.

On top of his domestic success with the Norwegian outfit, Knutsen also led Bodo/Glimt to the semi-finals of the Europa League last season, whilst Rodgers never even reached the last 16 of the Europa League or Champions League at Celtic.

The Norwegian tactician also reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League in the 2021/22 campaign, and has won 39 of his 78 European games in charge of his side in total, per Transfermarkt.

O’Neill, who is in interim charge, has not reached past the group stage in a European competition as a manager since he reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup with Celtic in the 2003/04 season.

He'd revive Reo Hatate: "Insanely talented coach" is keen on the Celtic job

This manager who is interested in the Celtic job could revive Reo Hatate at Parkhead.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 4, 2025

Therefore, Knutsen could come in as an upgrade on both Rodgers and O’Neill in terms of what he can achieve on the continent, whilst also having the potential to deliver domestic success and a Klopp-esque style of play, if Desmond swoops to appoint him.

AC Milan have now reportedly dropped their price for Rafael Leao, with Arsenal now preparing to accelerate their interest to sign the impressive Portuguese winger.

The Gunners couldn’t have asked for a much better start to the Premier League campaign, but their recent run of clean sheets finally came to an end against Sunderland.

After over 13 hours, David Raya finally picked the ball out the back of his own net courtesy of Sunderland’s Daniel Ballard. And like London buses, when one arrived, another soon followed with the Black Cats netting a last-gasp equaliser through Brian Brobbey.

Slipping up for the first time since drawing against Manchester City at the end of September, Arsenal’s recent run of form has been nothing short of excellent.

Speaking about the draw at full-time, Mikel Arteta told reporters: “The last feeling is disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points. We had to navigate through a really tough game, we knew that. It was very disruptive; we have to deal with situations that are difficult to deal with.

“They did really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards, but after that I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage.

“They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal, we had totally dominated the game and then you have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there.”

Up next, Arsenal have the small matter of the North London derby in a game that represents the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways. It also represents the start of an all-important week, with Chelsea and Bayern Munich following the Tottenham Hotspur clash over a seven-day period after the international break.

It’s the type of period that Arsenal’s stars are made for and the type that Leao could soon get the chance to enjoy following the latest transfer reports.

Arsenal accelerate Leao move after learning latest discount

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are now ready to accelerate their move to sign Leao after AC Milan dropped their price tag to around €85m (£75m) from the winger’s €150m release clause.

Goldbridge says Arteta was "massively missing" one Arsenal star v Sunderland

The summer signing’s absence against the Black Cats was noticeable.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 8, 2025

Milan’s hierarchy is reportedly preparing for the possibility that negotiations between Leao and themselves over a new contract could yet stall and have adjusted their price tag as a result. As things stand, the Portugal international has until 2028 until his current contract runs out, but Milan’s updated stance suggests that he may not see out the final three years of that deal.

Minutes

453

681

Goals

4

3

Assists

1

0

Successful Take-ons

5

17

When compared to Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s interest in Leao begins to make sense. On the opposite flank to the England international, the Milan star has already been involved in five league goals in just 453 minutes this season – the same as around five games.

Described as “crazy” by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in 2023, Leao is a star who’s ready to take the Premier League and The Emirates by storm.

5/10 Arsenal star had his worst game all season against Sunderland

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed Danny Rohl as their new head coach on a three-year contract at Ibrox on Monday after Saturday’s return to action.

Steven Smith oversaw a 2-2 draw against Dundee United at Ibrox whilst in interim charge, and Rohl will now lead the team out against Brann on Thursday evening.

The former Sheffield Wednesday head coach will be hoping to fare far better than the man he is replacing, as Russell Martin won just five of his games in charge.

Rohl is tasked with getting more out of the group of players that the former Scotland international struggled with, and he has already shown that he can work well with Djeidi Gassama.

Why Djeidi Gassama will love the appointment of Danny Rohl

The French winger will love this appointment because he enjoyed the best season of his senior career to date whilst working with the German tactician at Sheffield Wednesday in the 2024/25 campaign.

Gassama scored seven goals in the Championship for the Owls, per Sofascore, which is a career high for the attacker at league level in his career to date.

The 22-year-old star has yet to score in eight Scottish Premiership games for Rangers, though he has scored four goals in Europe, and Rohl could ignite his league form if their work together in England is anything to go by.

Gassama is not the only attacker who may benefit from this fresh appointment by the Gers, though, as Thelo Aasgaard’s career at Ibrox could explode after his dismal time under Martin.

Why Thelo Aasgaard could thrive under Danny Rohl

The Norway international was signed from Luton Town for £3.5m in the summer transfer window and mainly played on the left of a midfield three for Martin, which meant that he spent a lot of time in his own half and with his back to goal under pressure from opposition players.

His heatmap, as shown above, for the 2025/26 Premiership season shows that he has spent far too much time in his own half and has hardly had any touches in central positions.

It is not a surprise, therefore, that he managed no goals, no ‘big chances’ created, and no assists in five league appearances for Martin. He looked like a lost cause with no signs of life in his attacking displays, but his performance at the weekend showed that there is life in him yet.

Aasgaard played in the number ten position in a 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday under Smith and thrived in that role, taking more touches in central areas than he did under Martin, per Sofascore.

Minutes

83

67

Touches

59

40

Shots on target

3

1.2

Goals

1

0.2

Successful dribbles

3

1.2

Key passes

4

0.8

Duels won

10

5.5

As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian star’s performance against Dundee United was significantly better than his average performance level under Martin.

Aasgaard only created one chance in five games under Martin before creating four in one match as a number ten in a 4-2-3-1 formation, whilst also scoring his first league goal for the club.

Per Transfermarkt, Rohl predominantly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation and this means that the former Luton star will be able to play as a natural number ten behind Bojan Miovski in the German’s system.

Rather than being forced to play too much in his own half, as he was as a left-sided central midfielder under Martin, he will be able to take the ball in the opposition’s half and play closer to their goal to make things happen in the final third.

Reporter stands outside Ibrox and sheds light on "11th hour 59th minute" Rangers manager twist

The Gers look to have finally got their man.

ByBen Goodwin Oct 20, 2025

Therefore, Rohl could ignite Aasgaard’s Ibrox career by coming in to make the Norway international his creator-in-chief in the number ten position, as the hub of the team. It could give him the license to truly impact matches week-in-week-out and emerge as a star for the Light Blues.

Tottenham striker Richarlison could leave the club in 2026, and it is believed that Thomas Frank has already been offered a replacement for the Brazilian.

Richarlison targeted by Orlando City with talks held

The 28-year-old started this season in electric fashion, scoring an early goal of the season contender with a bicycle kick against Burnley on the opening day, but doubts have surrounded Richarlison’s ability to lead the line on a consistent basis.

Signed for £60 million from Everton, the striker’s flashes of brilliance have been undercut by stretches of inconsistent form and bad luck with injuries.

Matches

11

Wins

6

Draws

3

Losses

2

Points

18

Points per game

1.91

Frank dropped Richarlison in favour of Mathys Tel against Leeds, with the Frenchman responding by scoring their opening goal of the game and helping Tottenham to a gritty 2-1 win at Elland Road.

With his contract expiring in 2027, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham and the new-look Spurs board must make a decision on the striker’s long-term future soon.

Crystal Palace have been named as a potential destination for Richarlison, as have MLS side Orlando City, who’ve moved with the most serious intent so far.

Oscar Pareja’s side held a meeting with the forward’s representatives in London ahead of a potential 2026 move, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, with an exit for Richarlison next summer viewed as possible, even if he’s a “key player” for Frank at this moment in time.

Dominic Solanke’s injury woes, with the striker still out of action after minor ankle surgery, also highlights the potential need for Spurs to consider new striker options heading into next year.

Frank is said to have personally contacted Ivan Toney about the possibility of joining Tottenham on loan in January, according to some reports, and now Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović has emerged as an option too.

Tottenham offered Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović by agents

According to journalist Graeme Bailey and TBR Football, Vlahovic’s camp are reaching out to potential suitors, and they’ve held talks with Spurs.

The Serbia international’s contract expires in 2026, meaning he could be available either for free next summer or for a small fee in January. He’s started the campaign in fine form — scoring four goals in eight appearances so far — including a brace against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

That being said, he’d almost certainly have to take a dramatic pay cut on his rumoured £370,000-per-week wages if a move to N17 is to become possible.

As Tottenham are offered the chance to sign Vlahovic, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich also weighing up free transfer offers next summer, Frank’s side could potentially sneak ahead of the European heavyweights by agreeing a low-cost winter deal.

Money won’t be an obstacle, especially since the Lewis family have just pumped £100 million into Spurs via ENIC.

What’s more, Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé has already called Vlahovic “one of the best of his generation”.

Everton timidly exited the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

There’s been an overarching feeling of progressiveness since David Moyes returned to the club in January, but the Merseysiders reverted to their former type against Wolves.

There has been a collective drive at Everton to attack domestic cup competitions, and so this one will sting for the Toffees, with Wolves having started the Premier League season off dismally, losing all five of their opening fixtures.

It was an uncharacteristically shoddy defensive performance from the away side, and James Tarkowski was at the epicentre.

James Tarkowski let Moyes down at Molineux

Tarkowski has been a pillar of strength for Everton since joining from Burnley on a free transfer in 2022, but the skipper endured a tough showing last night.

Moyes, it must be said, wasn’t best pleased with the performance. But then, the weakened team the Scotsman put out were always going to be up against it.

While it wasn’t a terrible showing from the 32-year-old, he lost both of his ground duels, as per Sofascore, and ceded possession 12 times, seemingly hesitant to engage with the hulking Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The return of Jarrad Branthwaite from injury cannot come soon enough, and unless Tarkowski recovers his aggressive, solid nature in central defence, it may be Michael Keane – one of the better performers against the Old Gold – who keeps his starting spot.

However, while Everton flattered to deceive in defence, they were toothless in attack, and Dwight McNeil was among the worst performers. It’s quite likely the 25-year-old will be making a swift return to the bench.

Dwight McNeil has already lost his starting spot

McNeil battled against injury for much of the 2024/25 campaign, with his absence for most of the start of this new Moyes era especially frustrating given his emphatic form under Sean Dyche’s wing at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

He offers a potent threat when firing on all cylinders, but none of the playmaker’s vim and vigour was on display against a spirited Wolves side, and Moyes hooked him before the hour mark.

Given that McNeil has sat as an unused substitute across four of Everton’s five Premier League matches so far this season, he will be concerned about his playing time going forward, with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye both in inspired form down the flanks.

McNeil’s PL record at Everton
Season	Apps	Goals (assists)
25/26	1	0 (0)
24/25	21	4 (8)
23/24	35	3 (6)
22/23	36	7 (3)
Data via Transfermarkt

Statistician Tactically Matt put in no uncertain terms after the Englishman was hooked before the hour mark, saying, “Dwight McNeil has been a difficult watch for a while now.”

Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo branded McNeil with a 5/10 match score and drew attention to the fact that the overload of addition to the attacking midfield will have left the former Burnley man frustrated, having blown a good chance to stake his claim.

He completed only eight passes across the evening at a success rate of 62%, and that having failed to create a chance or complete a cross.

Moreover, McNeil lost four of his five duels, drifting out to the left to try and collect the ball and funnel it on through to the danger area – to no avail.

Moyes is almost certainly going to take the player’s starting place away from him, and it’s going to take a big effort for McNeil to make his way back into the ascendancy at Everton.

He's playing like Haaland: Everton sold the original Barry in CF "beast"

Barry’s potential at Everton echoes one former starlet now thriving in Serie A

By
Will Miller

Sep 23, 2025

Enzo Maresca revealed why he is "not worried" about Chelsea's disciplinary record after Malo Gusto became the latest player to be sent off towards the end of their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Blues have now had to cope with sending off in four out of their last six matches across all competitions. Despite being a man down, Maresca's side comfortably clinched a 3-0 win over Forest.

Gusto sent off in Chelsea's win over Forest

Gusto became the fourth Chelsea player, after Robert Sanchez, Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro, to be sent off in Chelsea's last six matches across all competitions. Gusto was given his marching orders in the 87th minute after he pulled off a mindless challenge on Neco Williams, who was attempting to make a quick counter-attack down the left side after receiving the pass from his goalkeeper. Gusto was immediately booked for the second time in the match and was then shown the red card.

The sending off, however, did not affect the Blues as they were already leading 3-0 courtesy of goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James. The win helped Chelsea to move up to the eighth position as they now have 14 points from their first eight matches. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMaresca 'not worried' about Chelsea red cards

Blues boss Maresca, however, is not too bothered with yet another Chelsea sending off, as he claimed that he is "not worried" about Gusto being shown a red card.

Speaking to reporters after the match, the Italian coach said: "Again, it's something that we can do better, but I'm not concerned. I know that there are some of you that say, why is he not concerned? I'm not concerned, because I like to analyse. It's a moment that we consider a red card, yes. We can avoid that, yes, for sure we can avoid that. But also for me, the desire of the players is important. Today, with 3-0, 90 minutes the game is finished. Malo [Gusto] can avoid that, because it's useless to make a second foul on a yellow card, for sure. But also the good part is, Malo is showing that he doesn't want to concede nothing. They don't want to concede a goal, they are playing for a clean sheet. It's the balance, we can avoid that for sure."

Chelsea's first-half performance raised concern

Despite the thumping win at the City Ground, the Blues' performance was far from convincing, especially in the first half, as they posted an unwanted stat. Forest dominated proceedings from the start and had 66.4% possession for the final 15 minutes in the first half. Chelsea were certainly caught off guard as they kept chasing shadows for the entire first 45 minutes. According to Opta, Chelsea had more errors (3) leading to shots in their box than any other Premier League match played this season. Maresca's side were evidently missing their Ecuadorian talisman, Moises Caicedo, in midfield as Forest had little trouble finding spaces at the back. It was the first time that Caicedo has started on the bench since Christmas Eve 2023, a game against Wolves, which ended a stretch of 65 consecutive starts.

Maresca revealed how he tried to motivate his team at the break: "My message was 'guys, off the ball, we are good off the ball and on the ball, we are not good enough'. We gave the ball away too much. It was a bit lazy. A lazy mistake that we can avoid that. In the second-half, we adjusted something tactical. Sloppy, not lazy. We looked sloppy in the build-up."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportEnd of the road for Postecoglou

Minutes after the full-time whistle at the City Ground, Forest announced that head coach Ange Postecoglou was relieved of his duties, only a month after appointing him as the new manager. Postecoglou returned to the Premier League in September after Forest sacked Nuno Espirito Santo but the Australian's stay was short-lived as owner Evangelos Marinakis is now looking for his third head coach in a season which promised so much following the club’s return to European football.

On the manager's sacking, the official statement from the club read: "Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that after a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect. The Club will make no further comment at this time."

Forest will next host Portuguese giants FC Porto in the Europa League league stage clash at the City Ground on October 23.