اتخذ نادي برشلونة إجراءً صارمًا اليوم الخميس، وذلك قبل مباراته المرتقبة مع آينتراخت فرانكفورت في مسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويستضيف برشلونة فرانكفورت الأسبوع المقبل على ملعب كامب نو، وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة السادسة من دوري أبطال أوروبا في مرحلة الدوري.
وأصدر نادي برشلونة بيانًا رسميًا بخصوص تفاصيل المباراة وحجز تذاكر حضور اللقاء على ملعب كامب نو.
وفي إجراء صارم لمنع حدوث ما حدث في لقاء برشلونة وفرانكفورت بالدوري الأوروبي عام 2022، أكد البلوجرانا أن من يحضر المباراة الأسبوع المقبل سيكون من بين الأعضاء فقط.
وكان برشلونة قد لعب ضد فرانكفورت خلال شهر أبريل من موسم 2022، وذلك في ربع نهائي بطولة الدوري الأوروبي، والتي خسرها البارسا 3-2.
طالع.. غيابات مهمة عن برشلونة أمام ريال بيتيس في الدوري الإسباني
وشهدت هذه المباراة تواجد عدد حوالي 26 ألف من جماهير فرانكفورت في ملعب كامب نو ، حيث قام جمهور برشلونة ببيع هذه التذاكر لجماهير النادي الألماني.
وأكد برشلونة أن إجراء حضور الأعضاء فقط في مباراة فرانكفورت قد اتخذ بهدف ضمان سلامة جماهير الفريق الكتالوني وفي الوقت نفسه، منع تكرار ما حدث في لقاء الدوري الأوروبي.
وأفاد برشلونة، أنه بدايًة من أمس الأربعاء تم فتح تذاكر المباراة للأعضاء ولن يتمكن من شراء تذاكر هذه المباراة إلا من يثبت عضويته.
كما أوضح برشلونة في البيان، أنه قد تم زيادة عدد أفراد الأمن في هذه المباراة وذلك حرصًا على سلامة الجماهير، كما سيتم فحص التذاكر عند الدخول لأرض الملعب لاستبعاد أي مؤشرات على شراء تذاكر غير قانونية.
Manchester United’s lack of success in the Premier League has been there for all to see, with the club now going 12 years without a title – something which was unthinkable during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
The Red Devils have been through countless managers since the Scotsman’s retirement, but Ruben Amorim is the latest to try and end such a drought.
The 40-year-old has come under huge scrutiny over the last couple of months, and understandably so, given his measly win percentage of just 41% across all competitions.
However, the manager has already been massively backed by the hierarchy in the market, as seen by the £200m spending spree during the summer transfer window.
As part of the heavy backing from INEOS, the former Sporting CP boss added numerous attackers to his first-team squad, with one already making an immediate impact after his move to Manchester.
The stats behind Mbeumo’s start to life at Man Utd
During the summer, a real impetus was placed on improving United’s frontline, which saw the vast majority of their spending directed into the final third.
Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Bryan Mbeumo the final part of the new-look attacking trio formed by INEOS.
The Cameroonian joined in a deal worth a reported £71m from top-division rivals Brentford, with such a deal seeming to be an overpay at the time it was confirmed.
However, 15 games into his career at Old Trafford, such a move now looks like excellent business, with the 26-year-old already scoring six times in the Premier League.
Such a tally is the highest in the first-team squad, but his underlying stats in the league further showcase his impressive start to life at the Theatre of Dreams.
Mbeumo has also registered 1.5 shots on target per 90, with an accuracy rate of 58%, with both tallies currently the highest of any player in the first-team setup.
The United star who’s becoming the best in the world
Despite the struggles over the last couple of seasons, numerous United players have still managed to catch the eye – but none more so than Bruno Fernandes.
The 31-year-old, who’s the club’s captain, registered by far and away the most goals and assists last campaign, subsequently ending the year on 37 goal contributions across all competitions.
He’s no doubt been at world-class level over the past couple of years, with more of an argument certainly being made after showcasing his versatility under Amorim in 2025/26.
Bruno has dropped into a deeper midfield role this season, but it has not stopped him from starring in the Premier League – as seen by his incredible tally of 10 goals and assists in his 15 appearances.
Alongside Mbeumo and Bruno, goalkeeper Senne Lammens has also massively exceeded all expectations after his own summer transfer to join the Red Devils.
The Belgian was brought in from Royal Antwerp on deadline day to bolster the shot-stopping department and provide an upgrade on the now departed Andre Onana.
Whilst he had to bide his time early on in his career at Old Trafford, the 23-year-old has now cemented himself as the club’s number one between the sticks and has become one of Amorim’s star men.
He’s now featured in nine league matches after his summer transfer, with his stats from the current campaign showcasing his immediate impact – leading to huge praise being directed his way.
Lammens has conceded just 11 goals in his nine matches to date, subsequently registering two saves per 90 whilst achieving a save percentage of 62% – one of the best records in the division.
Senne Lammens – Man Utd stats
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Games played
9
Minutes played
810
Saves made
2.0
Goals prevented
0.14
Goals conceded
11
Clean sheets
1
High claims
8
Long balls completed
6.9
Stats via FotMob
He’s already prevented 0.14 goals this season – ranking him in the top 25% of all ‘keepers in league, resulting in one analyst labelling him “one of the best in the world”.
The Belgian’s impressive figures have also been evident with the ball at feet, subsequently completing 6.9 long balls per 90, which places him in the top 15% of other goalkeepers in England’s top-flight.
Given his £15m fee and the issues that the club faced in such an area before his move, it’s safe to say that Lammens has certainly been a better addition than Mbeumo.
At just 23, he has plenty of time in his career to reach the next level, which certainly could allow him to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world for at least the next decade.
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The Red Devils are preparing to face Bournemouth on Monday amid several availability concerns for Ruben Amorim.
Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt remain absent for the Cherries’ trip to Old Trafford, but striker Benjamin Sesko could feature after a foot injury.
There remain doubts over whether Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo can feature before jetting off to the Africa Cup of Nations, but Amorim is hopeful United can cope without them.
Mason Mount is among those the Portuguese is sure to lean on, especially after putting in a man-of-the-match display at Molineux on Monday.
“He’s a very, very smart player,” Amorim said. “He’s really technical because sometimes to be a technical player is not just having fun with the ball – it’s the quality of the pass, the reception, how to receive the ball. In these things he’s really smart.
“He can balance our team quite well so he’s a very good player.”
INEOS want to strengthen the manager’s squad in the upcoming transfer windows while maintaing financial stability, and are now eyeing one of the Premier League’s rising stars.
Mainoo sale set to fund move for Wharton
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider he’s heard United are lining up a one in, one out swap of two England internationals.
The Guardian have also confirmed United’s interest in Wharton, alongside Liverpool and Real Madrid, with Crystal Palace set to demand “more than £80m”.
Wharton’s camp have made no secret of his desire to play Champions League football, with agent James Featherstone telling talkSPORT last week: “We’ve got a plan. It doesn’t have to be achieved right at this moment.
“He’s got his in-game and in-season goals, so he’s got to do his bit, and the rest will take care of itself in a very structured and calm way to ultimately maximise his talent.”
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The New York Yankees set a franchise record with nine home runs in a single game Saturday as they smashed the Milwaukee Brewers 20-9 at Yankee Stadium. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe were among the many Yankees to join the home-run party and viewers quickly noticed they used an unusually shaped bat.
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay explained the team made custom bats to improve hitting for players, like Chisholm and Volpe, who tend to make contact closer to the label than the true barrel. The funky looking twigs paid dividends immediately, which left viewers asking the same question: Are the Yankees' new 'Torpedo' bats legal?
MLB quickly put any uncertainty to rest, asserting that the shape of the bat does not violate league rules, 's Chris Kirschner reported.
The MLB's rulebook contains fairly generic guidelines which state the few limitations for bats used in games. Rule 3.02 says this: "The bat shall be a smooth, round stick not more than 2.61 inches in diameter at the thickest part and not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood."
The Yankees aren't breaking any rules and they apparently even have an MIT physicist on their payroll who created the 'Torpedo' barrel to bring more mass to where hitters most often make contact. The new bats are legal, and likely here to stay, at least in the Bronx. Don't be surprised if other MLB teams follow suit soon, too.
One of the biggest troubles for Leeds United this season is how poorly they have performed in front of goal. Daniel Farke’s side find themselves in a relegation battle, which many people expected would be the case. ESPN journalist Bill Connelly said they need “random bursts of quality attacking” to help them stay up.
Well, things haven’t worked out that way so far for the Whites. They’ve found the back of the net just nine times, better than just two sides, including bottom of the league Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leeds’ expected goals tally is just 12.94xG, the 12th best in the top flight.
One man who has struggled for his best goalscoring form is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Calvert-Lewin’s struggles in front of goal
Leeds secured the signing of Calvert-Lewin in the summer on a free transfer, after his contract at Everton expired. He was brought in with the aim of bolstering their Premier League goalscoring stocks, although it hasn’t really worked out that well so far.
The experienced 28-year-old, who has 11 caps and four goals for England, has not quite hit the ground running in a Leeds shirt.
In nine games for the club so far, Calvert-Lewin has only found the back of the net once, against fellow strugglers Wolves.
It was a good finish, too, from the new Leeds number nine. He got on the end of a loopy cross from Jayden Bogle, finding space between the Wolves defenders and heading home. That is the kind of striking instinct Leeds fans may have expected.
However, it hasn’t really worked out for Calvert-Lewin, aside from that goal. His underlying numbers are surprisingly low, averaging just 2.8 shots per 90 minutes, with an expected goals per game of 0.33xG. That places him in the 25th percentile for Premier League strikers.
With a huge game against Nottingham Forest next up, Farke may decide to rotate the striker out of the side in favour of a man who knows where the back of the net is.
Leeds’ Calvert-Lewin alternative
Ultimately, Leeds need to start finding the back of the net more consistently soon. Goals win you football matches, and right now, they could do with a few victories to help propel them up the table.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Well, Farke could well make the decision to axe Calvert-Lewin against Forest this weekend, and bring in Joel Piroe.
The Dutchman is someone who knows where the back of the net is, and Farke even called him the “best finisher” he’s ever seen as a manager.
With strikes like this one against Bristol City in the Championship last season, it is easy to see where the Whites’ boss is coming from.
Piroe bagged from quite a tight angle outside of the area, which takes some doing.
Indeed, he has put up some impressive numbers in a Leeds shirt so far. In 102 games for the club, the striker has 33 goals and ten assists. Last term in the Championship, Piroe was the main man up front and bagged 19 goals with seven assists in 46 games.
His underlying stats showcase how deadly he can be, too. During the league-winning 2024/25 season, the Dutch striker averaged 0.56 goals per 90 minutes, with an expected goals tally of 0.49xG. Both of those stats placed him in the top 5% of Championship strikers.
Goals
0.56
95th
Shots on target
1.14
89th
Expected goals
0.49xG
95th
Shot-creating actions
2.43
84th
Goal-creating actions
0.38
91st
Bringing Piroe into the side for the trip to the City Ground could be a stroke of genius from Farke. He has a point to prove, having fallen out of favour this season. He’s only played 164 top-flight minutes, but would surely love to get more regular game time.
Calvert-Lewin has been out of form this season. With someone who Farke himself has admitted is a deadly finisher waiting in the wings, he could be the difference in helping find the back of the net more often.
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ESPN's Karl Ravech had a taxing and unusual start to his work week.
He was part of the network's coverage of a bizarre Monday doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves where both teams needed a single win to advance to the postseason. A long, strange day ended with a split and Ravech on his second flight day as he traveled to San Diego, where he is working the Padres' Wild Card series against those Mets.
Ravech talked to about announcing three high-leverage games over the span of 30-some hours on opposite ends of the country.
Sports Illustrated: How are you feeling? Are you tired?
Karl Ravech: I'm trying to think of what day we started this whole journey. Buster [Olney] and I happened to board a plane Monday morning at 6 a.m. so that means a 3:50 a.m. wakeup call, then I drive an hour to the airport. He and I get on that plane to Atlanta. We have rooms at the airport hotel. So you basically go to your room, you shower and then you get in the car to go to do the two ballgames which, you know, were incredibly unique. We knew going in it was going to be a weird day. You just knew it was going to be odd.
To have Game 1 turn out the way that it did, you talk about the air out of a balloon. Game 2 felt like nobody wanted to be there, even the Braves, who had to win the game. So you go through that and then you move to the airport and you get on a 10:30 p.m. flight to San Diego because the decision was made regardless of the outcome you're going to the Padres and the Braves or the Padres and the Mets. That's how it was going to play out. We end up San Diego and get into the room at midnight, which is 3 a.m. ET, which means you've been awake for 24 hours. Then you go to bed for a little bit and you wake up on the West Coast, which means you're getting up at a ridiculous early hour because your body's on the East Coast. Then you go and do a Wild Card game. I've never experienced anything like it.
I will say that I am not physically tired. I think most of these types of things take it out of you mentally more than physically. But when you're involved in atmospheres like this with such a unique seat, there's no time to be tired, there's no time to think about what you've just done. You're along for the ride. You cannot take this stuff for granted because it's not going to be there forever. I love every minute of it and I think having done it for so long, to be honest, I like when there are unique challenges. This was one of those. And to navigate it well makes you feel really good.
Sports Illustrated: The way the Padres started that game last night, with Michael King looking electric and Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting an early home run, there was a ton of energy. Did that help at all?
Karl Ravech: That was a cup of coffee, that was a shot of adrenaline. I think what makes San Diego unique is that there's very much a party-type feel to the ballpark. San Diego has basically had that since Peter Seidler decided to invest all of his money, may he rest in peace. He turned it into the place to be and the Padres being the only game in town have played well and attracted the masses. When they go to the ballpark, this is a participatory event, it's not sit on your hands. They are into every second.
And now you introduce a team that has a chance to go deep in October if not win a World Series. So that shot that Tatis hit may have been like a boost but the whole day you knew what it was going to be like when you got there and it lived up to it. The ballpark certainly carries you because it is unique. The relationship between the fans, the team, and city is unique. The homer and King's performance accelerated it a bit but it was there. I didn't have any doubt that we'd be able to get up. And I'll be honest, the first three games of the day helped provide that. There were three really good games. Going in you're feeling really good about the way the day is going from an ESPN and network perspective.
Sports Illustrated: Do you worry at all about the logistics of it all when you're in a situation with all of that travel? I'm the type of person who needs to get to the airport super early and any type of delay really gets me concerned.
Karl Ravech: We actually had that conversation on the air at one point. I think any time a situation like that presents itself, flying the day of a game is always a risky proposition. We certainly don't do that as a practice, we rarely if ever do that for baseball. But in this case where you weren't sure you were going to San Diego and who they were playing, I opted to not spend a night in Atlanta if those games weren't going to be played, so yeah, absolutely. I went to bed around 9 p.m. on Sunday night knowing we had to get up at 3:50 a.m. for that ride to the airport. And for about four hours you have a real peaceful sleep. Even though there were flights at 6, 7, and 8 so you have the backup plan in the back of your mind. . Around 1a.m. is when you wake up and you can feel your brain going when you don't want it to. Your brain is telling you what happens if a pilot is sick, what happens if the airplane has a mechanical issue.
Sports Illustrated: I am looking right now at the graphic ESPN put out with all the coverage teams. It's an impressive group with you, Michael Kay, Jon Sciambi and Sean McDonough calling games and a lot of great analysts. Is this the biggest showcase for the broadcasting teams the network has?
Karl Ravech: When you're talking about Sciambi or McDonough, you're talking about guys that I have grown up with in the business who I'm very friendly with, who I have a tremendous amount of respect for. I think as a company with being really the only game we do once a week, when you have the opportunity to do four and you're able to parade out guys who I think are Hall of Fame-type broadcasters and to be one of them and to be on the marquee game is enormously gratifying, flattering, humbling, all of those things. In listening to all of them I think they're all fantastic.
It's a challenge and I think Sciambi referred to it the other day. It's very well-known that Major League Baseball is a sport in which the local broadcasters, 140-150 times a year depending on the team, are listened to by the fans and are the same voices. It's such a unique, comfortable, intimate relationship. I've always known this. You want to hear the familiar voices. You want to know that they know exactly what happened last month, last week, and yesterday.
When the national guys come in, the feeling is that they're not as invested, they don't know the players, they just sort of parachute in and parachute out. All I can say is we're not day to day with those teams. Certainly Sciambi with what he does with the Cubs, Sean with the Red Sox, and all of our broadcasters. It's not like we don't follow the teams and the games. We do. And we speak to so many people involved. When we get there in the early hours of gameday, you're talking to players, you have relationships. We also have a tremendous amount of respect for the local broadcasters.
Sports Illustrated: Was wondering if we could go back and you could speak about the support staff you have that allowed pulling something like this off even possible?
Karl Ravech: What I've benefitted from in my years at ESPN, having sat in studios and certainly doing for so many years with over 60 different analysts is that you learn that the only way you are going to be good—and I mean not individually but collectively—is to trust the people around you and make them better. While I'm sitting there trying to get the best, in this case, out of Eduardo and David Cone and Buster, there are … I'd love to name them all but I'd leave out some of them. But all you have to do is look at the email chain that we have and how many people behind the scenes make this go.
The baseball group at ESPN is a family and I know you could ask anybody about how important the relationships are between the people in front of the camera, the people in the control room, the camera people, the audio people, the people who support us in every which way from graphics to hotel rooms. Everybody has each other's best interests at heart. Not only is it on the television side—as we discussed earlier, how are we going to get from Point A to Point B. All of that stuff has to be taken care of. I love the people that I work with.
Chelsea’s brilliant run of results, which saw them beat the likes of Benfica, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, came to a screeching halt on Saturday afternoon.
Instead of picking up another Premier League win against the recently promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side managed to lose 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Chemsedine Talbi.
What is most frustrating about the game, though, is that while the West Londoners were not anywhere near their best, they still had chances to win, taking seven shots on target to the Black Cats’ four.
Unfortunately, they just didn’t have their shooting boots on, although with the striker situation at the club, that is hardly surprising.
So, there is an argument that Maresca should look to drop Marc Guiu and start one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects, a striker compared to the legendary Didier Drogba.
1
Goals
2
68%
Possession
32%
16
Total Shots
10
7
Shots on Target
4
629
Passes
293
10
Shots in the Box
7
8
Tackles
14
Chelsea's striker situation
In the summer, Chelsea decided to sell Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan and João Félix to Al-Nassr, while also loaning out David Datro Fofana to Karagümrük and Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Now, while these weren’t necessarily bad moves for the club, they did only sign Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to replace the leaving players, and when the latter went down with a hamstring injury earlier this season, they were forced to recall Marc Guiu from his loan with Sunderland.
Moreover, while nobody can question Pedro’s ability, it has become increasingly clear that his best position is just behind another striker, either as an advanced ten or a classic second striker.
In other words, due to their business and the injury to the former Ipswich Town star, Maresca has been forced to either use Pedro out of his best position, start the young Tyrique George up top when he’s a natural winger, or, as he has done recently, play Guiu.
To give the former Barcelona gem his credit, he did score against Ajax in the Champions League, but against the Black Cats on Saturday, he was poor.
In fact, the Spaniard was so underwhelming that the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau gave him just a 4/10 match rating, writing that he showed ‘plenty of energy but not a lot of finesse.’
In short, Chelsea really need another option up top this season, and while it would be a risk, it looks like Cobham might have the player for them – a player compared to Drogba.
Chelsea's future Drogba
Now, it should really go without saying that comparing a youngster to Drogba is not something that should be done lightly.
After all, the Ivorian icon was one of the best strikers to ever play in the Premier League and is most certainly a massive Chelsea legend.
With that said, there is plenty of excitement building around 18-year-old Shim Mheuka, so much so that one analyst has made the bold comparison, calling him “the new Didier Drogba.”
So then, what makes him such an exceptional talent, and one worthy of a proper run in the first team?
Well, simply put, he is starting to look like a real goal machine and potentially one of “Cobham’s finest” prospects, per talent scout Jacek Kulig.
For example, despite being just 16 at the start of last season, he ended the campaign with 11 goals and three assists to his name, 30 appearances across the U18S and U21S.
Moreover, he also got a few run-outs in the first team, making five appearances totalling 118 minutes across the Conference League and Premier League.
Appearances
59
Goals
31
Assists
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.66
This season, he has taken another leap forward, and as things stand, he has already scored ten goals and provided two assists in just ten appearances, totalling 883 minutes for the U21S and Youth League sides.
That works out to an average of 1.2 goal involvements every game, or one every 73.58 minutes, and if that’s still not enough, he has also racked up a tally of ten goals and three assists in 18 appearances for England’s U19S.
Ultimately, while it is still so early in his career, it is becoming increasingly clear that he is a lethal goalscorer, and while he might not reach the level of a Drogba, he might be able to have a significant impact on the team this season.
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Continuing their manager search, Rangers have now reportedly made contact with a former Chelsea manager in the hope of filling their vacant role in the Ibrox dugout.
Why Gerrard rejected Rangers
Steven Gerrard’s return was one that many were ready to welcome with open arms. All was about to be forgiven for his decision to leave for Aston Villa in 2021, before he rejected the 49ers in an unexpected twist. The Liverpool legend was left unconvinced by the new owners and, in the end, believed that it was the wrong time for him to make a return.
Many have had their say on Gerrard’s rejection, including Rangers legend Ally McCoist. The former Ibrox star believes that the 49ers failed to sell the job to the 45-year-old at the interview stage.
It’s taken the 49ers and sporting director Kevin Thelwell back to the drawing board, but as the return of domestic football from the international break edges closer, they’re yet to solve their managerial problem.
Names such as Danny Rohl and former Young Boys manager Raphael Wicky have both been mentioned as reported candidates, yet it remains to be seen which direction the Gers head towards.
Rohl arguably stands out as the exciting candidate. The former Sheffield Wednesday boss is just 36 years old and is primed to become one of the brightest young managers around.
Alas, at this stage of the 49ers’ project, it’s difficult to see a world in which a young manager can arrive and instantly make their mark. Instead, they may be better off turning towards a former Premier League manager.
Rangers make contact with Graham Potter
As reported by The Daily Record, Rangers have now made contact with Graham Potter about taking the vacant job at Ibrox. The 50-year-old was recently sacked by West Ham United following a spell to forget at the London Stadium and desperately needs his next role to go right to get his career back on track.
With that said, reports have suggested that Potter is unlikely to take the Rangers job. A move to Ibrox represents quite the risk for a manager who can’t afford to get things wrong for the third time in a row.
For any doubters, including those at Rangers, it’s worth remembering just how highly rated Potter was at both Swansea City and Brighton & Hove Albion. He transformed the Seagulls, setting up the foundations for Roberto De Zerbi and now Fabian Hurzeler to build on.
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Brighton chief Tony Bloom knew exactly what he was getting too, having praised Potter from the very off. He told reporters: “Once we’d made a decision to get a new manager in, quite quickly Graham became the outstanding candidate.
“He’s an excellent coach who did a superb job at Swansea in difficult circumstances. Sometimes not making a decision or going for a more obvious choice is a bigger gamble. I have no doubt that Graham is the right choice for this club at this particular time.”
Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick is in frame to take over as Rangers manager after Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard decided to step away from the race to replace Russell Martin at the Scottish club. After a poor start to the 2025-26 campaign, which saw fans protesting against Martin and demanding his removal, the head coach was finally sacked from his position earlier this month.
Rangers sacked Martin after massive fan protest
Martin, an ex-MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton manager, only took charge at Ibrox this summer. His ball-playing philosophy was considered to be a good fit for Rangers, but many fans had their doubts from the beginning. Those fears proved to be well-founded, with Martin stumbling out of the blocks and never getting into his stride. A 1-1 draw with Falkirk proved to be the final straw, with Rangers left languishing in eighth spot on the league table, after picking up just eight points from seven top-flight fixtures this season.
They have just one league win to their name and are already 11 points adrift of table-topping Hearts, while they trail Old Firm arch-rivals Celtic by nine points. Before the manager's sacking, the Rangers fans had made their feelings clear when they went public with their protest against the boss as they visited the Ibrox for a Scottish League Cup quarter-final clash with banners, which read: "Russell out – worst manager in history." They also hurled balls onto the pitch, which led to a delay in the start of the game.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportGerrard walk out of race after emerging as favourite to replace Martin
After Martin's departure from Ibrox, Anfield icon Gerrard emerged as the favourite candidate to replace him. Gerrard, who had previously worked with Rangers and had even guided them to a league victory in 2021, was tipped to return to Glasgow. Gerrard held positive talks with the club hierarchy, however, journalist reported on Saturday that the 45-year-old is no longer keen on accepting the manager's role at Ibrox Stadium.
The report added that the former England international is not quite ready to take up a new assignment as head coach at the moment. further claims that Gerrard had told Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh and vice-chair Paraag Marathe that he wanted to have full control over the transfers, but he later opted out.
Man Utd legend in contention to accept Rangers jon
Now that the Gerrard chapter is over, the Daily Mail further claims that Rangers officials have started looking at other options, including Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, while Sheffield Wednesday head coach Danny Rohl is also being considered by sporting director Kevin Thelwell, CEO Patrick Stewart and Gretar Steinsson of 49ers Enterprises. But the name that has stood out is United legend Michael Carrick, who is currently without a job.
The 44-year-old was sacked from his first permanent managerial job at Middlesbrough in June this year. Carrick was appointed as the club's head coach in 2022 and he immediately took the team up the table and secured a play-off place, only to see his team beaten in the semi-finals. Middlesbrough narrowly missed out on a top six in the following two campaigns, leading to Carrick's dismissal ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. The former England midfielder has also managed the Red Devils on an interim basis in the past.
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GettyCarrick linked with a move to United
Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim's future at Old Trafford has come under scrutiny after the club's ridiculously slow start to the 2025-26 campaign, which has seen them lose three out of their first seven matches to currently occupy 10th position in the league table. Despite spending heavily in the summer transfer window, especially to bolster the team's attack, Amorim's men are still not looking convincing.
Carrick was closely linked with a move back to his old club last month to replace the underperforming Ruben Amorim, although INEOS chief and club minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made it clear, recently, that Amorim is here to stay for the long run, as the billionaire provided a three-year cushion to the Portuguese coach.
Alexander Isak will not play football for Newcastle United again, but after scoring on his debut for the Magpies, club-record signing Nick Woltemade looks like he has the potential to make that frontal spot his own.
And Newcastle are up and running. The summer transfer window has been and gone, and nobody will be more delighted than Eddie Howe, whose side were rocked and rocked some more by the turbulence throughout, the Isak saga very much the crux of the issues that seeped into the opening games of the Premier League season.
But the Sweden striker has now gone, and for a British-record £125m fee at that.
However, in Woltemade and the proven goalscorer that is Yoane Wissa, unfortunately, injured for weeks with a knee injury before he could make his United debut on Saturday, Howe has restored the core of his formidable frontline.
Three points against Wolves gives Howe his first win of the campaign and a new platform from which to build on, putting behind him the frustrations of the summer transfer window.
Because the Tynesiders, for sure, have undergone some degree of change in the final third.
Newcastle's new-look frontline without Ekitike
Howe’s Newcastle system is greater than the sum of its parts. Isak was (is) a world-class striker, but he’s a Magpie no more, and Newcastle have responded by welcoming two new talents to the fold bearing skills enough to compensate for his sale.
Wissa’s debut will have to wait due to injury, but the former Brentford striker scored 19 Premier League goals last season, and he offers a proven touch that will likely retain, at least, the relative consistency of Isak’s presence in the final third.
But that’s not all. United needed a right winger in 2024 and had failed in a bid to sign Nottingham Forest star Anthony Elanga on transfer deadline day.
One year on, they got their man, signing the 24-year-old in a £55m package. Elanga hasn’t taken off at St. James’ Park yet, but he brings energy and speed and electricity to the team.
Newcastle have responded well to summer setbacks, adding these forwards to the ranks after missing out on other targets like Hugo Ekitike, now at Liverpool alongside Isak.
There was a time when a deal for Ekitike, 23, looked on, but when Liverpool hijacked the Toon’s move and added him to their ranks, it perhaps left many feeling more confident about Isak staying put.
But it wasn’t to be, and Liverpool got both. While Newcastle have repieced their attack together, there’s no denying the blow, and a less-known fact is that Liverpool also pipped the Toon to another talent this summer, one who could yet flower into a superstar.
How Newcastle missed out to Liverpool again
In August, Liverpool announced the signing of Giovanni Leoni from Serie A side Parma for an initial £26m fee, rising to £30m with add-ons.
An 18-year-old centre-back, Leoni is one for the future and the future is now. He’s extremely talented and considered to fall into the same bracket as Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, another summer target for Newcastle, albeit at an earlier stage in his development.
Leoni hasn’t made his debut for Liverpool yet, and so we cannot draw with any real accuracy the player’s current capacity to thrive in England for a top club. But we do know there was something akin to a goulmouth scramble for his signature, and that Newcastle would have loved to land the shot.
Already blooded as a member of the Italian national set-up, the powerful and tall teenager has been described as “one of the most complete teenage centre-backs in Europe” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who also hailed him as “the future” of Italian football.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast’s One That Got Away series.
Look, for example, how the youngster fared against Malick Thiaw in Serie A last year. Thiaw, 24, signed for Howe’s side in a £35m deal last month, fee including add-ons.
Serie A 24/25 – Thiaw vs Leoni
Stats (* per game)
Thiaw
Leoni
Matches (starts)
22 (19)
17 (14)
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
0
Touches*
66.1
46.9
Pass completion
94%
89%
Key passes*
0.2
0.1
Ball recoveries*
3.0
2.0
Tackles + interceptions*
1.8
1.7
Clearances*
3.5
3.6
Duels (won)*
3.7 (59%)
2.5 (61%)
Errors made
1
1
All data via Sofascore
To have missed out on Ekitike was a blow, no doubt, but Newcastle responded by signing a similarly exciting up-and-comer in Woltemade for a similar price, and they’ve added Wissa besides.
Leoni, however, joins Liverpool for what could prove a shrewd fee indeed. But how firm was Newcastle’s interest?
Well, Parma CEO Federico Cherubini spoke after the transfer of rival intrigue in the defender, saying, “We rejected a higher offer from Newcastle for Leoni.” He then spoke of Leoni’s desire to push ahead with a move to Merseyside, insinuating a preference for Arne Slot’s project.
Newcastle have bounced back from their Ekitike rejection by signing two talented and contrasting strikers. Thiaw, too, has much to offer, but then he has also started no more than 19 league matches in any given season in Italy, routinely pegged back with injury issues.
Leoni, meanwhile, took to life on the senior stage with silky aplomb last season, and there’s a belief within inner FSG circles that Liverpool have signed one of the most exciting young defenders in the business, with TNT Sports commentator Adam Summerton remarking that he’s “going to be a star”.
Though the past few months have been tumultuous for those of a Magpie persuasion, it’s commendable that Howe and his team have knuckled down and welcomed a host of exciting signings to join a title-winning squad.
Isak might have gone, and Ekitike may play for Liverpool too, but Newcastle signed Woltemade and remain a force to be reckoned with.
That said, Leoni looks like a special talent indeed, and it’s a shame that he couldn’t be welcomed to St. James’ Park to help shape the future of this still-rising Newcastle side.
Howe's "best" Newcastle duo are now more important than Bruno & Tonali
Eddie Howe might now have unearthed an even better duo at Newcastle United than Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali’s midfield partnership.