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Things are starting to go wrong for Chelsea this season.

Just a few weeks ago, Enzo Maresca’s side looked like one of the best teams in the Premier League and a serious rival to Arsenal.

However, with two losses and two draws in their last four games, it feels like the Blues have hit a wall, and a number of their summer signings are struggling to make an impact.

One player who has had a particularly poor start to life at Chelsea is Liam Delap, and if he’s not careful, he could be replaced by a hugely exciting striker set to join the squad ahead of next season.

Delap's 24/25 vs 25/26

He might be getting pelters this season, but when Chelsea paid £30m to sign Delap in the summer, it looked like a good move for the club.

After all, the former Manchester City gem was one of the only bright sparks in a dire Ipswich Town side and, in his first proper season of Premier League football, put in a good account of himself.

For example, while he wasn’t the most prolific forward around, his tally of 12 goals and two assists in 40 appearances, 37 of which came in the league, was impressive, and came out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.85 games.

However, his form, at least in terms of output, seems to have fallen off a cliff this season, with him scoring a single goal in 11 games so far.

Unfortunately, his underlying numbers have also dropped off massively this year.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.34

0.21

Progressive Carries

2.12

2.05

Key Passes

0.73

0.00

Passes into the Final Third

0.59

0.26

Shot-Creating Actions

2.15

0.52

Goal-Creating Actions

0.24

0.00

Tackles Won

0.28

0.00

Blocks

0.28

0.00

According to FBref, the Englishman is doing worse in the majority of relevant metrics this year, like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, key passes, passes into the final third, shot- and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, and multiple defensive statistics, all per 90.

Add to this the fact that he has already suffered two significant injuries and been sent off, and it’s not hard to see a world in which Delap fails to make the grade at Chelsea.

Especially as the club already has another exciting youngster set to join the summer who’s coming for his place.

The Chelsea youngster coming for Delap

Chelsea have made a real habit of signing some of the most exciting young talents from around the world of football, be that Estevao or Geovany Quenda.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Another name that should be added to that list of incredible prospects, and someone fans will become far more familiar with next season, is Dastan Satpaev.

The Blues signed the sensational prospect from the Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty in February of this year for a fee of around €4m, which is about £3.5m.

However, due to rules around foreign-born youngsters, the teenager has to wait until next season, when he’s 18, to join up with Maresca’s squad.

Forcing the young phenom to stay in his home country for another year or so looks like it has been hugely beneficial, though, as he’s had plenty of senior game-time and, by all accounts, has been unreal.

Appearances

29

Starts

21

Minutes

2081

Goals

15

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

94.59′

For example, in 29 first-team appearances last season, totalling 2081 minutes, the dynamic game-changing forward scored 15 goals and provided seven assists.

In other words, the young striker averaged a goal involvement every 1.31 games, or every 94.59 minutes, which is a rate of return that should worry Delap.

As if that wasn’t enough, one Kazakh scout even told the press that in one campaign for Kairat’s under-17 side, the superstar in the making produced a frankly astounding tally of “54 goals with 50 assists in just 19 matches.”

Finally, on top of impressing at the junior level and in the domestic league, the future game-changer has also made 12 appearances in the Champions League this season, seven in the qualifying rounds and five in the competition proper, where he became the youngest goalscorer in its history.

Ultimately, Delap is a talented footballer, but he’s had a poor season so far, and if he doesn’t improve quickly, he could see himself replaced by Satpaev next year.

The end for Tosin: Chelsea ready £52m bid to sign "outstanding" titan

The hugely exciting star could be just the Tosin upgrade that Chelsea and Enzo Maresca have been crying out for.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 4 days ago

April’s results can often leave lasting first impressions over the course of a season, but May is when those early outcomes are either crystalized or rebutted by the accumulation of a larger sample size. Let’s examine six instances of the latter as teams prepare to pass the 60-game mark—the length of the entire 2020 regular season.

Three Up1. Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds SP

Cincinnati’s southpaw has flown under the radar the past couple of years while posting a pair of sub-4.00 ERA campaigns, but he deserves recognition for a dominant May during which he led the majors with a 0.55 ERA by giving up just two runs across six starts spanning 32 2/3 innings. And the 26-year-old saved his best outing for last, limiting the highest-scoring offense in the majors to just one hit across seven innings in a win over the Chicago Cubs. That was actually Abbott’s second straight start against Chicago, and he earned a win in both games. He’ll be a serious contender to start the All-Star Game if he continues to excel over the next month.

2. Toronto Blue Jays offense

Only the Kansas City Royals scored fewer runs than the Blue Jays (81) in April. But Toronto tied for sixth in the majors in runs scored (136) in May, boosting the team’s month-to-month OPS from .634 to .785. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk and George Springer all resembled their best selves at the plate last month, and Toronto also got surprisingly robust contributions from utilitymen Addison Barger (.292/.370/.517 slash line) and Ernie Clement (.306/.349/.469). The Jays have ridden a five-game winning streak to within a half-game of the American League’s third wild-card spot, but they sure could use a healthy Max Scherzer to fill out a rotation that’s relied on bullpen games more often than would be preferred early on in the season.

3. San Francisco Giants pitching staff

An encouraging update has now emerged over Rangers’ pursuit of Genk centre-back Mujaid Sadick, following recent claims that an Ibrox enquiry has been made for him.

It has been a promising start to life under Danny Rohl for the Gers, with the 36-year-old steadying the ship significantly after the doomed reign of Russell Martin, winning three games in a row in the Scottish Premiership.

Rohl will know the importance of adding to his squad in the January and summer transfer windows, however, and Genk centre-back Sadick has been linked with a move to Rangers recently.

The 25-year-old has reportedly been the subject of an enquiry by the Gers, who have come against him in the Europa League already this season, as he helped Genk keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win at Ibrox.

Rohl may see Rangers’ defence as a key area of focus, with goals too often leaked at will at certain points throughout the campaign, and now a fresh claim has dropped over their interest in Sadick.

Mujaid Sadick "open" to Rangers move

According to a new report from TEAMtalk, Sadick is “open” to the idea of sealing a move to Rangers in the January transfer window, being seen as a “realistic option” to come in for the Scottish giants.

It is added that he “caught the Ibrox scouts’ eye after a commanding display in Genk’s 1-0 Europa League victory over Rangers in September”, and he sees the Scottish Premiership as “a stepping stone to greater challenges” moving forward.

At this point, it does feel as though Sadick, valued at £6m, is a genuine option for Rangers, and he could be such a strong addition for Rohl midway through the season.

Gers supporters have seen close up what he has to offer, and he has a highly impressive 95.9% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, highlighting his ability on the ball at the back. Not only that, but he has also averaged 6.5 clearances per game.

Sadick’s versatility is something that will likely appal to Rangers, too, with the former Spain Under-18 international also capable of doing a job at right-back, immediately enhancing the squad depth at Rohl’s disposal.

Not Gassama: Future "superstar" is Rangers' biggest talent since Tillman

This future superstar is Glasgow Rangers’ biggest talent since Malik Tillman was at Ibrox.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

At 25, he is at a prime age to come in and hit the ground running for the Gers, as they look to give themselves the best possible chance of closing the gap on both Hearts and Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race, and the fact that he reportedly wants a move to Ibrox can only be a positive.

Not Gassama: Future "superstar" is Rangers' biggest talent since Tillman

Beau Webster is ready to have to prove himself all over again in a bid to secure a spot in Australia’s side for the Ashes, despite having produced a collection of vital innings early in his Test career.Webster has scored four half-centuries in seven Tests, starting with a critical one on debut against India at the SCG, where Australia clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He followed that by being the team’s top-scorer in the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s, and by making fifties in Barbados and Grenada in very tough conditions against West Indies. Alongside the runs, Webster has claimed eight wickets with the ball, and added strength to Australia’s slip cordon.However, despite those strong returns, there is a world where he sees himself squeezed out of the Test XI by the time England arrive for the Ashes. That could happen if Cameron Green’s return to bowling remains on track, and the selectors decide to move Green back down the order rather than keep him at No. 3, where he finished strongly in the West Indies.Related

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“When you’re at the top level, you’re fighting to hang on to your spot,” Webster told reporters in Hobart, having returned from a county stint with Warwickshire, for whom he played two more matches in this season’s County Championship after the West Indies tour.”With all the wonderful cricketers around the country, and especially a guy like Cameron Green, he batted at the top of the order [in the West Indies], and didn’t bowl. He’s obviously going to be back bowling this summer, which is going to put a bit more pressure on my spot at No. 6 as the allrounder. But I welcome it.”I feel like I’ve been in this position before a lot in my career, where I’ve got to score runs to either go to the next level or stay on the team. It’s certainly not unfamiliar. I’m looking forward to once again showing what I can do at [Sheffield] Shield level, and hopefully, be lining up in that first Ashes Test in Perth. It’s going to be a massive summer. I’m sure the team’s going to change a little bit throughout those five Tests. I’m just going to do everything I can to make sure I’m there for all five.”There is plenty to play out before the Test squad is selected, and then a final XI determined for the opening Ashes game on November 21. Moving Green back down the order would need two top-order players to make a compelling case for selection, given there is a likely vacancy as an opener alongside Usman Khawaja after Sam Konstas’ struggles against West Indies.Webster could play four Sheffield Shield matches before the opening Test – Australia’s squad is expected to be named after round three – and if he picks up the form that propelled him into the Australia set-up in the first place, it will leave the selectors with some tough decisions about whether they can fit two allrounders in the XI.”There’s no hundred next to my name, which I would have loved to go on with one of those [half-centuries]”•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

“It’s going to be an intriguing first couple of rounds with potentially all the big boys playing a few of the Shield games, too,” Webster said. “There’s going to be some really strong Shield teams out there, which only promotes better cricket. So it’s going to be exciting for our boys to line up against a number of Test cricketers in the first couple of rounds as well.”It’s always exciting when the team’s not quite settled, and there’s a few opportunities for people to put their hand up and try and get a spot in that first squad.”Webster’s only regret from his Test career so far is that none of his half-centuries have been converted into three figures, even though the runs he has scored have often been worth more given the conditions.”I feel like I’ve scored some tough runs,” he said. “At the same time, there’s no hundred next to my name, which I would have loved to go on with one of those [half-centuries]. I felt like I was batting as good as I have done in a number of those innings. I feel like I’ve got all the tools to succeed this summer in the Ashes with what England are going to potentially bring.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo venceu mais um clássico contra o Fluminense e encerrou o ano 100% contra o Tricolor. Adryelson, zagueiro do alvinegro, foi um dos grandes destaques na vitória por 2 a 0 no Maracanã. O jogador entrou pela quinta vez na Equipe da Semana do Campeonato Brasileiro no SofaScore, plataforma de estatísticas dos times e jogadores.

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O confronto teve um tempero especial para o defensor. Além de ser o primeiro jogo com o novo técnico e um clássico que confirmou uma invencibilidade contra um rival, Adryelson teve a oportuinidade de jogar o mais perto possível dos olhares do treinador da Seleção Brasileira, Fernando Diniz, também técnico do Fluminense.

+ A sua carreira no futebol pode começar hoje. Garanta a sua vaga no curso Gestor de Futebol e capacite-se!

O camisa 34 já foi citado por Diniz e é um dos atletas monitorados pelo treinador do Brasil. No Botafogo, somente Lucas Perri já foi convocado pelo técnico até o momento.

– O elenco do Botafogo é muito bom. Além do Perri e do Adryelson, outros jogadores estão sendo monitorados. Nesse momento, o Adryelson não foi convocado, mas é um jogador que está sendo monitorado. Está fazendo um grande campeonato, está na nossa lista larga, como outros jogadores – disse Fernando Diniz

O zagueiro de 25 anos é uma das grandes referências de um Botafogo que é líder absoluto e tem a melhor defesa do Brasileirão. Titular absoluto, Adryelson possui média de 1,9 interceptações por partida, é líder isolado de rebatidas no Brasileirão (282) e o terceiro melhor em defesas pelo Botafogo (15 em 25 jogos), atrás somente de Victor Cuesta (15 em 24 jogos) e do goleiro Lucas Perri (84), conforme dados do Footstats e do Sofascore. Na partida contra o Fluminense, o maranhense saiu de campo com a maior nota Sofascore entre os jogadores de linha, 8.0.

+ Veja a classificação do Brasileirão

Além do destaque defensivo no clube, Adryelson tem ainda se mostrando importante no ataque. O jogador é o defensor com mais gols do clube em 2023, balançando a rede quatro vezes.

O Botafogo agora terá uma semana livre para treinar com o novo treinador, Lúcio Flavio, por conta da Data Fifa. A partida contra o América-MG é somente na quarta-feira (18), fora de casa, pelo Brasileirão.

Chelsea picked up all three points in their first game after the international break. The Blues were victorious against Nottingham Forest, securing a 3-0 win over Ange Postecoglou’s side at the City Ground to pile the misery onto the Australian manager.

Three second-half goals from Enzo Maresca’s side were enough to earn the win. The West Londoners opened the scoring through Josh Acheampong, who bagged his first goal in professional football. It was a well-directed header from the centre-back.

He was teed up by Pedro Neto, with the Portugal international getting on the scoresheet himself moments later. That goal came from a well-hit free kick from outside the penalty box, doubling the scoreline. Reece James added a third late on for Chelsea to cap off a wonderful showing.

It was complete dominance from Maresca’s side. They certainly tested Mats Selz in the Forest goal, and had 17 shots, finding the target six times. The visitors also slightly dominated possession, with 51%, and created four big chances.

There were certainly some standout players for the Blues, who picked up their second Premier League win in as many games.

Chelsea’s best players vs. Forest

TNT Sports awarded Chelsea captain James player of the match after a stellar performance against Forest. It was the Cobham graduate’s 200th game for his boyhood club, which he celebrated with a goal and assist.

Whilst the assist for Neto’s strike was a simple roll of the ball, a matter of yards, his strike was excellent.

The England international pounced on a misdirected punch from Mats Selz, which rifled into the back of the net to add a third for Chelsea.

It was arguably not the best goal of the match, though, with Neto’s low free kick a real standout. The Portugal international bent his effort into the back of the net with his left foot, managing to get his strike through a mass of Forest defenders to put Chelsea two goals up.

His cross for Acheampong was a well-paced delivery, too.

One person who was particularly impressed by the performances of both James and Neto was Matthew Judge, a journalist for Goal. He gave the Blues skipper an 8/10 and their number seven a 9/10 for their scintillating performances.

The Chelsea duo were two of their standout players at the City Ground, although one of their half-time substitutes also performed well.

Chelsea's new Werner

After a rather underwhelming first half, Chelsea manager Maresca shuffled the pack and made three half-time substitutes. Jamie Gittens replaced Alejandro Garnacho out wide, and Moises Caicedo came on in midfield for Romeo Lavia.

The other change the Blues made proved to be a smart move. Andrey Santos was replaced by Marc Guiu, with the Spanish striker impressing during his 45-minute cameo. It was a hard-working display from the former Barcelona star.

He “completely changed the game” in the second half, according to football podcaster Terry Flewers. He praised Guiu for the fact that he was a “real presence up top.”

Certainly, the 19-year-old stretched the play and made Forest’s defenders work hard to cope with his runs in behind.

It was a showing that certainly left a good impression on Judge. The journalist said Guiu was constantly ‘working tirelessly up top’ for his side, and praised him for winning the foul, which led to Neto’s free kick.

The stats from the game show how tirelessly the former Sunderland loanee worked.

He only had 13 touches, completed 100% of his passes and had three shots. He had a good impact in a short amount of time.

Pass accuracy

100%

Touches

13

Shots

3

Fouls won

1

Duels won

2

It wouldn’t be outlandish to compare Guiu’s performance to one Chelsea fans may have seen from Timo Werner.

Like the German striker used to do for the Blues, he ran relentlessly and was constantly making runs in behind to stretch Forest’s defence.

Yet, he did miss a couple of chances, rounding the goalkeeper but missing the target, and squandering a one-vs-one opportunity.

Of course, Werner – who notably missed 18 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League in 2020/21, as per Fotmob – was synonymous with wasting those golden chances, just as Guiu did at the City Ground, with little end product to match his impressive work ethic.

However, it is important to bear in mind he is just 19 years of age. There is still plenty of time for Guiu to hone the clinical side of his game, as he looks to nail down a regular spot under Maresca.

Certainly, his outing at Forest will have done him no harm.

Forget Gittens & George: Cobham teen is the "future of Chelsea & England"

Chelsea may have found the latest superstar to emerge from Cobham academy.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 17, 2025

After finding life rather tricky in the Basque Country two weeks ago, winning 2-0 against Athletic Club, Arsenal once again were made to work hard for their win in the Champions League.

Welcoming Olympiacos to the Emirates Stadium, meeting the Greek champions for the 13th time in 15 years, they were a difficult side to get the better of, but like they did in Bilbao, Mikel Arteta’s men got the job done, 2-0 victors again.

While the Gunners struggled to create clear-cut opportunities to score from in the second half, in truth, it was a game they could have won by four or five goals.

In the opening 45 minutes the Londoners were electric, scoring early through Gabriel Martinelli before substitute Bukayo Saka rounded things off late on.

While not on the scoresheet, the biggest positive from the night was undoubtedly the performance of skipper Martin Odegaard.

After suffering an ankle injury on international duty just over a year ago, the Norwegian has looked a little lost for form but was back to his best in Europe on Wednesday, putting in a masterclass performance from the middle of the park.

It was Odegaard who supplied Saka’s goal and it was the club captain who played the ball in behind in the build-up to the opener.

To see him in full flow again is a joy, and he will be vital now as Arteta’s side aim to go deep in this year’s competition. So far they have six points from six, but trickier ties await, notably Atletico Madrid in match week three.

Speaking of Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres will have no doubt been delighted he was back in the side.

Viktor Gyokeres' performance in numbers vs Olympiacos

In all honesty, this has been a difficult start to life for the hulking Swede in north London.

At Sporting CP last season, he showcased his credentials by scoring 54 goals, three of which came against Manchester City in this very competition.

Yet, in Arsenal colours, he’s not been able to demonstrate the same level of clinicalness inside the penalty area.

Gyokeres has scored three times, two coming in one game against Leeds United, but there is a sense that he needs to work on his final action.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

He had six shots against Newcastle on Sunday but none of them felt too clean. The truth is that he’s taking too much time to get his efforts away.

That said, the summer arrival is improving. The very fact he was so threatening last weekend is evidence of that.

Against Olympiacos, the 27-year-old perhaps put in his best non-scoring display for Arsenal yet. Finally afforded space in behind, he was unlucky not to score on a few occasions.

His forward play for the first goal was sublime. Odegaard fed the ball in behind and Gyokeres bulldozed his way forward, crashing past two defenders and then getting a shot away that came off the post.

Fortunately, Martinelli was ready and waiting to tap the rebound into an empty net.

Gyokeres was a willing runner for much of the game and was found with great regularity by an in-form Odegaard. You can tell the chemistry between Arsenal’s chief creators and their new striker is indeed improving.

It’s hard to judge him too much so far. Visits to Old Trafford, Anfield and St James Park’ have historically been tricky and with easier fixtures to come, the Swedish superstar looks like he’s growing in confidence at just the right time.

Whether he goes on to replicate some of Arsenal’s great strikers of the past remains to be seen. He bears the number 14, famously worn by Thierry Henry and later, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

No Gunners striker has lifted the Premier League since the days of Henry, not even the likes of Robin van Persie or Auba. Perhaps now will be the year they finally do so.

To stand any chance of that, not only will they need Odegaard and Gyokeres in top form, but they will also need to find a way to get more out of their future Van Persie.

Arteta could be brewing the next Van Persie at Arsenal

The scorer of 30-plus goals in a single campaign during the Arsene Wenger era, Van Persie was a menacing centre-forward and Gyokeres will no doubt hope to emulate him.

However, one player who already looks ready to emulate the great Dutchman is Martinelli.

The Brazilian has endured a sticky few years. In 2022/23, he ended the term as the club’s joint-top scorer alongside Saka and Odegaard, but he has not replicated that since.

While he still looks a tad timid in 2025/26, he is finding his feet once more, even with limited game time.

Martinelli’s start on Wednesday evening was just his fourth of the season to date but he more than made it count, scoring the first goal of the game.

The 24-year-old is certainly a man in form having scored three in his last four, the most important of which came against Manchester City, delicately lobbing Gianluigi Donnarumma in the Citizens’ net with barely minutes remaining.

All of his goals this season have so far come from central areas and that’s where the Brazilian could become a force in the years to come.

For years, Martinelli has been a wide forward. Those 15 goals in 2022/23 came from the left flank, but there is a striker waiting to be unleashed. His record as an out-and-out centre-forward is better than in any other position, albeit that is from a small sample size.

Having netted nine goals in 16 matches, the proof is there. He’s a very threatening striker. He’s got pace and he’s got the ability to run in behind. The goal in Bilbao a few weeks ago showed no defender is quick enough to keep up with him and that goal against City came courtesy of another run in behind the defence from a central position.

Interestingly, it was as a central attacker where Unai Emery got a lot of joy from Martinelli, too. During his debut year in England, 2019/20, he found the net on seven occasions in nine matches as a centre forward.

So, why the comparison to Van Persie? Well, when the Netherlands icon first signed for Arsenal, he did so as a wide player. Like Martinelli, he was traditionally a left winger.

That said, the plan for Wenger was always to transform him into a striker and he did just that, to great success too.

While Van Persie may not have had the pace of Martinelli, his finishing ability was remarkable. At Arsenal, the Flying Dutchman registered 132 goals in 278 matches, cementing himself as one of the finest players to don the famous shirt. It was a great success story for Wenger.

Now, in 2025, Arteta must take a leaf out of the Frenchman’s book. The Brazil international may well have been fielded on the wing on Wednesday night, but he looks more at home centrally, just as Van Persie did.

After the arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke this summer, Arsenal’s number 11 was always going to find it tricky to get regular starts, but with Kai Havertz out and Gyokeres still getting up to speed, perhaps the forward could revive his career by permanently moving to the striker role.

Arsenal sold "one of the best passers in Europe"; now he's like Rice & Zubi

The former Arsenal star is having a brilliant season in the Premier League.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 30, 2025

After a summer of chaos at St James’ Park, it has now emerged that Newcastle United actually outbid Liverpool to sign a towering defender before he made his transfer decision.

Newcastle's nightmare summer

With Champions League football secured and PIF ready to spend, it looked as though Newcastle were about to enjoy their best summer yet under the Saudi owners. Eddie Howe also revealed his desire to get any business done early. By the time that pre-season got underway, he wanted to have his squad ready to go.

That proved to be far from the case, however. Whilst it wasn’t for the want of trying, the Magpies managed to welcome just Anthony Elanga by the time their pre-season tour arrived and were also handed the news that Alexander Isak wanted out for the first time. The Swede’s supposed injury quickly turned into a transfer saga and one that he eventually emerged victorious.

Newcastle, meanwhile, were left to turn towards the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko only to be faced with more bad news. Handed rejection after rejection, their plan to have any deals done by pre-season quickly turned into a deadline day panic as Isak left for Liverpool and Yoane Wissa finally arrived to join Nick Woltemade in the Magpies’ fresh frontline.

It just about summed things up that Wissa’s move very nearly collapsed in the dying embers thanks to an admin error, but Newcastle just about managed to avoid a humiliating scenario.

It’s also now emerged that it wasn’t just Ekitike that Newcastle and Liverpool were fighting over during a frantic summer rivalry away from the pitch.

Newcastle outbid Liverpool for Leoni

As revealed by Parma CEO Federico Cherubini, relayed by Sport Witness, Newcastle actually outbid Liverpool for Giovanni Leoni before he chose to move to Anfield.

The Magpies’ offer was more “advantageous” than Liverpool’s, but the Italian only wanted the Merseyside club in a verdict that Newcastle fell victim to all summer long.

In the end, Malick Thiaw solved Newcastle’s need for a defender, but there’s no doubt that Leoni would have been an impressive signing. The towering 6’4 defender was described as “complete” by scout Jacek Kulig and is now seen by many as the future of Liverpool’s backline following his summer move.

Could we be looking at the shortest permanent managerial tenure at Ibrox in Glasgow Rangers’ 153-year history?

Not including caretakers, Pedro Caixinha is the shortest-serving Rangers manager of all-time, for now, overseeing 26 matches in 2017, but could Russell Martin smash that record?

Well, things have not gone very well for Martin in his 11 matches in charge of the Gers, ignominiously dumped out of Champions League qualifying by Club Brugge, demolished 9-1 on aggregate, while he is yet to win a Premiership fixture, drawing all four so far.

Martin’s 26th match would be a Europa League home game against Braga on 27 November, but many are forecasting he’ll be long gone by then, so could 49ers Enterprises turn to an experienced Premier League manager instead?

What is going wrong for Martin at Rangers?

Back on 23 February, Philippe Clement was sacked, following a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of St Mirren.

Manager Focus

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Barry Ferguson took caretaker charge for the remainder of last season, actually producing some exceptional results, during which time 49ers Enterprises completed their takeover of the club.

Thus, after a thorough recruitment process, Martin was appointed 102 days on from Clement’s dismissal and, well, supporters were pretty underwhelmed.

Speaking on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast, Ewan Murray asserted that never before has a managerial appointment been so instantaneously “doomed” from day one as this, noting that Rangers fans never wanted Martin in the first place, and he has certainly not won them over.

The Gers have failed to win any of their first four league outings for the first time since 1983, going on to finish fourth back then, lucky to salvage draws at St Mirren and Motherwell, outplayed by both for long periods.

Also, the aforementioned 9-1 annihilation at the hands of Club Brugge is the Light Blues’ heaviest aggregate European defeat since a 12-4 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Cup semi-finals 65 years ago.

After the international break, Rangers welcome both Hearts and then Hibs to Ibrox, the latter a League Cup quarter-final, before commencing their Europa League campaign against Genk in Govan, but, should results continue to deteriorate and Martin’s position become untenable, who should the 49ers turn to?

Rangers' ideal Russell Martin replacement

When looking at the current out-of-work managers, some names immediately leap off the page.

José Mourinho, Erik ten Hag, Marco Rose, Sérgio Conceição, Steven Gerrard, even Ange Postecoglou (could you imagine?), but surely the most sensible appointment for Rangers, given their current predicament, would be Sean Dyche.

The 54-year-old was sacked by Everton in January, but undeniably did a good job on Merseyside, keeping the Toffees in the Premier League during a period of austerity at Goodison, with the Blues finishing 17th and then 15th with a very poor squad.

Dyche is most well known for his decade as Burnley boss before that, taking charge of 425 games, the third most of any manager in Clarets’ history, behind only Harry Potts (1958-70) and John Haworth (1910-24).

Under Dyche, Burnley twice won promotion from the EFL Championship, enjoying six successive seasons in the Premier League, their longest continuous period in the top division since the early-70s, most notably finishing seventh in 2018, thereby qualifying for Europe for the first time since 1966.

The Clarets were known for being defensively organised and tough to beat, with Dyche getting the best out of his players, elevating them to become better than they ever believed possible. He did so on a shoestring budget too, much like current Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers did with Swansea City.

Well, these are all qualities one cannot say about the current Rangers team, who are all over the place at the back, with Max Aarons and Nasser Djiga’s red cards against Brugge and Dundee respectively epitomising this chaotic approach.

Dyche’s Premier League record, when compared to Martin’s, tells the story.

Matches

332

16

Wins

93

1

Win %

28%

6.25%

Goals scored

323

11

Goals per game

0.97

0.69

Goals conceded

467

36

Conceded per game

1.41

2.25

Points

370

5

Points-per-game

1.11

0.31

As the table documents, Dyche is exponentially more experienced than Martin at Premier League level so, while the latter does only offer a small sample size, the way his Southampton team were going, they would’ve conceded 747 goals had he reached 332 matches; that’s 280 more than Dyche.

The main issue for Rangers right now is that, frankly, they have a poor squad, but even their competent players like John Souttar, who was excellent for Scotland in Denmark on Friday night, are not suited to Martin’s style of play.

Thus, what the Gers need right now is a pragmatist, not a dogmatic idealist who sticks to their principles at all costs.

So, if the Light Blues are going to fight for silverware domestically and make a deep run in the Europa League, they need a manager who can get the best out of players, and Dyche appears perfectly suited to that role.

Rangers must rue losing star who's worth millions more than Chermiti

Rangers must rue losing this “incredible” star who would now be their most valuable player.

ByDan Emery Sep 6, 2025

Manchester United still have work to do in the transfer window and may now have the opportunity to offload another of their high earners, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd impress despite opening day defeat to Arsenal

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Ruben Amorim can take plenty of encouragement from the way his side managed to maintain an adequate level of intensity during their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

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Speaking on Match of the Day, he reiterated his belief that the Red Devils were the better team on the day, even if they ultimately came up short against Mikel Arteta’s dogged outfit in their opening Premier League encounter.

He stated: “We deserved more and we were the better team, that is clear but in the end we lost. We need to work on the things we need to improve. We need to defend set pieces. We did a lot things right.

“There are a lot of things without seeing the video that we need to work. I am really proud of my players. We were more aggressive and brave. In certain moments I think Bryan (Mbeumo) and Cunha helped a lot. We stuck to the plan even when the stadium is nervous, we continued to play the way we played and that will help us in the future.”

Altay Bayindir’s error between the sticks was all that separated both sides, so it won’t come as a surprise to hear that talks have been initiated for Manchester United to re-sign David De Gea as a potential fix to their goalkeeper situation.

His best display for Man Utd: £60m star is as undroppable as Mbeumo & Cunha

Manchester United suffered defeat in their first game of the new season.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 17, 2025

However, with their move to sign Carlos Baleba stalling, outgoings have become a priority at Old Trafford, and Amorim could now have the opportunity to get rid of a star who isn’t part of his long-term plans.

Romano: Roma make contact to sign Tyrell Malacia

Taking to social media platform X, Romano has confirmed Roma have initiated contact to sign Tyrell Malacia from Manchester United to bolster their pool of left-back options. Importantly, and unlike their move for Jadon Sancho, the player is keen on the move.

Besiktas are also interested in the Red Devils’ outcast, who earns £75,000 per week at Old Trafford and is part of the infamous ‘bomb squad’ that Amorim would like to offload should appropriate interest arise.

Plagued by injury since joining under Erik ten Hag, Malacia has featured only 47 times for Manchester United and has struggled to make a lasting impact at the club.

Last term, he spent the second half of the campaign on loan at PSV Eindhoven and made 12 appearances across all competitions, and he could now be set for another exit sooner rather than later.

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