كشف مصدر داخل نادي الزمالك، عن أسباب إحالة المهدي سليمان حارس مرمى الفريق إلى التحقيق، بعد تغيبه عن التدريبات الساعات الأخيرة دون سبب واضح. 

وكان الزمالك قد حقق الفوز على زيسكو الزامبي بهدف دون رد، في الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

طالع.. مران الزمالك | جلسة بين عبد الرؤوف واللاعبين.. وتدريبات فنية وخططية

وقال المصدر لـ بطولات: “المهدي سليمان كان يأمل في الحصول على فرصه للمشاركه خلال الفترة الماضية، لكن بعد إعلان قائمة مباراة زيسكو الزامبي في الكونفدرالية وعدم تواجده فيها من الأساس، اللاعب شعر بالغضب فقرر الغياب عن تدريبات الفريق”

وأضاف: تم خصم جزء من مستحقات المهدي سليمان، بسبب تغيبه عن مران الفريق قبل السفر الى جنوب إفريقيا استعدادًا لمواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي وفقًا للائحة”. 

وتابع: “سيتم عقد اجتماع مع المهدي سليمان عقب العودة من جنوب إفريقيا إلى مصر، لاحتواء الأزمة وحل الأمر بشكل ودي مع تطبيق اللائحة على الحارس”.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي، يوم السبت المقبل، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية. 

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany revealed that he remains in regular contact with Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola. The Belgian, who played under Guardiola during his time at City, credited the the Spanish coach with playing a key role in his promising career and said their relationship continues to be strong.

Kompany's mentorship under guardiola

Kompany joined Manchester City in 2008 and went on to spend 11 successful years at the club, becoming one of its most iconic captains. During his time in Manchester, he played under several managers, but it was under Guardiola, between 2016 and 2019, that his tactical understanding of the game reached new heights. Kompany made 62 appearances under Guardiola, scoring six goals and providing two assists, while playing a key role in City’s dominant era. Together, they won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19, along with the FA Cup in 2019.

Guardiola’s focus on positional play, ball control and tactical flexibility had a strong influence on Kompany. His current coaching style shows that impact, as he uses a similar system based on structured build up play, fluid attacking movements, and disciplined pressing. These principles have shaped the way he manages his teams.

AdvertisementAFPKompany confirms 'regular contact' with Guardiola

"Pep played a very important role in my career as a player and my development as a coach," Kompany said at a press conference when asked about his current relationship with the Catalan coach. "He is currently busy getting back to the top of the Premier League, we are in regular contact and get along well."

After finishing a disappointing third in the Premier League by City’s lofty standards in the 2024-25 season, Guardiola's team are currently second, six points behind league leaders Arsenal. 

Bayern's resurgence under Kompany

Bayern's incredible start to the season continues, with the team winning all 16 of their matches across all competitions so far. Their flawless run has caught the attention of many, with Koln coach Lukas Kwasniok declaring Bayern strong contenders for the treble this season. Much of the team’s success has been attributed to Kompany’s distinctive style of play, which emphasises perseverance, sacrifice and collective responsibility. His approach has revitalised several players, most notably star striker Harry Kane and midfielder Konrad Laimer, both of whom have thrived under his leadership.

Kane has maintained his scoring consistency, while Laimer has earned widespread praise for his tireless work rate and tactical intelligence. Kompany’s man management and commitment to discipline have brought unity and balance to Bayern’s squad. Bayern and France defender Dayot Upamecano has experienced a resurgence under Kompany after struggling for consistency under former coaches Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel. The French centre-back has openly praised Kompany, calling him an example to follow both on and off the pitch.

In a recent interview, Upamecano said: “We all watched him when we were young; he was a legend for Belgium and Manchester City. He was a very aggressive defender in duels, a leader on the pitch too, a good example for me. He helps me a lot; we do a lot of videos, he talks to me about my positioning. With him, it's always very intense.”

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Getty Images SportKompany's pursuit of Guardiola's record

Bayern will travel to face Union Berlin on Saturday as they look to continue their perfect start to the season. A win would see Kompany equal his mentor Guardiola’s record of 10 consecutive victories in his first 10 Bundesliga matches of a campaign, a milestone the former Barcelona boss set during the 2015-16 season. They are already five points clear of nearest challengers RB Leipzig.

Bayern fans will be eager to see star striker Kane continue his fine form and get on the scoresheet once again against a team sitting 10th in the table and coming off the back of a goalless draw against Freiburg. With Bayern already showing remarkable consistency and confidence under Kompany, another win would further underline their dominance and strengthen their status as favourites for the Bundesliga title.

Any doubts about Newcastle United’s quality have been extinguished by a run of October form that has led to six wins from seven matches in all competitions.

Newcastle are making headway in the Champions League and have set themselves back on track in the Premier League with a last-minute winner against Fulham at the weekend. St. James’ Park roared, and then cheers in concert once again when Tottenham Hotspur were dumped from the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Still, Eddie Howe’s side are hardly firing on all cylinders, and that especially applies to the final third. However, Nick Woltemade has been nothing but brilliant since completing his club-record £69m transfer over from Stuttgart in August, and the German striker is spearheading the fight for silverware and retention of this seat at the top European table.

Woltemade's prolific start at Newcastle

Woltemade’s crisp header to seal the victory over Tottenham marked his sixth of the campaign, just 11 matches into his Newcastle career.

Alexander Isak’s record-breaking transfer to Liverpool felt like it could have a detrimental effect on the Toon project, but Newcastle have kept on moving forward, with the rangy centre-forward dovetailing into the system.

He loves a header, the German does, but that’s hardly the full scope of his game. Lanky at 6 foot 6, Woltemade has no right to be as technically graceful and intuitive in the tight spaces as he is, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90.

And yet he is mesmerising when on the ball. BBC Sport analyst Raj Chohan has even said that “there’s no striker on the planet who moves the ball like Woltemade.”

With this in mind, the Tyneside frontline should be firing on all cylinders, but this isn’t the case. Anthony Gordon is seemingly saving his best displays for the continental front at the moment, while Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy make up solid, if unspectacular, parts of the unit.

But there’s another man who has left much to be desired, and must be frustrated with his tough start to life in black and white as Woltemade thrives beside him.

The Newcastle star being saved by Woltemade

How often have we seen a player struggle to impress after switching clubs in the Premier League? It’s not an uncommon experience, to be sure.

And for Anthony Elanga, this is the reality as he still searches for his first direct goal involvement as a Magpie, having joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55m in August, one year after Howe’s first bid to snatch him from Evangelos Marinakis.

It’s been an inauspicious start to life in Howe’s squad, it must be said. Elanga has played 14 times in all competitions and has yet to register a goal or an assist.

Still, the Sweden international is one of the fastest players in the Premier League, and while his playmaking success has dried up of late, he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.

And there’s a good reason that the big bucks were spent on his signature. For Nottingham Forest, the 23-year-old was a menace, with his fleet-footedness and tendency to directly take on his man playing to the strengths of Howe’s counter-attacking system.

However, deeper statistical analysis would suggest that even across his two terms with the Tricky Trees, Elanga left something to be desired. He is not the most active in taking on his opponent, despite his pace, and does not dribble with the intensity of frequency that perhaps his physique suggests is within his capacity.

Matches (starts)

36 (25)

38 (31)

Goals

5

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.6)

1.1 (0.6)

Pass completion

75%

78%

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Big chances created

14

9

Dribbles*

0.8

0.7

Tackles + interceptions*

1.1

0.7

Duels (won)*

2.9 (44%)

3.0 (45%)

With just four Premier League starts in a Newcastle shirt this season, it’s perhaps premature to analyse the data on a wider scale, but we can observe that Elanga is currently averaging only 1.8 successful duels per game, completing just 18% of his dribbles besides.

With a nominal amount of shots unleashed each game and not a big chance yet created, it’s not difficult to see why he’s struggling.

But Elanga needs only take a leaf from Anthony Gordon’s book. After all, the Three Lions star flattered to deceive after completing a £45m transfer from Everton in January 2023, then clicking into gear in 2023/24, winning the Newcastle Player of the Year award after posting 11 goals and ten assists in the top flight.

Gordon has yet to fully spread his wings this season, but he’s tenacious and talented and undoubtedly the focal point out wide for Newcastle. Elanga will use him as inspiration.

Now, Gordon is one of the most prominent wingers in the Premier League, seemingly Thomas Tuchel’s preferred pick on the Three Lions’ left flank as the 2026 World Cup looms ever closer.

While Elanga’s sticky form continued with a 6/10 display against Tottenham, as noted by the Shields Gazette, there is a wide recognition of the winger’s talent, and he will improve as he continues to develop under Howe’s wing.

This is all to say that fans would be silly to give up on Elanga after only a few months at St. James’ Park. There’s a real player in there, a star who the club scouted extensively.

Perhaps he’s mimicking a former version of Gordon, but if that is the case, then the best is yet to come.

New Tonali: Newcastle's 8/10 ace has been an "incredible piece of business"

Newcastle have proved their skill in the transfer market once again this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

Skipper’s career-best 144 not out leads young Hampshire side to dominant win

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Aug-2025

Nick Gubbins reaches three figures•Getty Images

Nick Gubbins’ career-best 144 not out led an inexperienced Hampshire to a winning start in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup against defending champions Glamorgan at The Gnoll in Neath.Four teenagers featured for the visitors – including a three-man seam attack with ages of 19, 19 and 16. The youngest of the trio – Manny Lumsden took 3 for 64 to derail the top order despite Kiran Carlson’s magnificent 135.Carlson’s first ever one-day century was unable to be supported due to a steady flow of wickets left Glamorgan bowled out inside 40 overs, 72 short of Hampshire’s 324 for 6.Other debutant Ben Mayes played fearlessly for 74 from 55 balls in the 17-year-old’s 141-run partnership with Gubbins to end the visitors’ innings explosively.After inserting Hampshire to bat, Glamorgan got off to an economical start. James Harris and unexpected new ball partner Zain Ul Hassan containing Gubbins and Ali Orr.On the surface containing Hampshire to a 42-run powerplay on a small outground could have been viewed to be Glamorgan’s advantage, the drop of Gubbins by Carlson at second slip while the opener was on just four later proved to be a difference of what came later.A solid 68-run opening contribution was brought to a much-needed end as Ali Orr started to cruise, Ned Leonard making for a comeback from being hooked for six out of the ground on his first ball.Dangerous overseas Tilak Varma could’ve been a match winner for Hampshire given his two centuries in four games already for the club, removed for a duck.A flow of four wickets for 47 at a slowing rate dragged Glamorgan back when debutant Mayes entered at 115 for 4, Gubbins still anchoring.It didn’t take long for Mayes to motor, inflicting his freedom onto Gubbins, casually reverse-sweeping Glamorgan’s 18-year-old debutant Romano Franco four times on his way to a century.Mayes’ hockey-style sweeping, both orthodox and reverse, had the runs flowing before Felix Organ took over the role with a flashy 32 from 14 unbeaten to end the innings. Hampshire adding 129 in the final 10 overs, no bowler getting off lightly, Gubbins carrying his bat.Unlike in Hampshire’s innings, the hosts came out firing. Also unlike the hosts, a dropped slip catch was shortly after redeemed with the wicket, Tribe dropped on seven, out on 14.While Hampshire’s innings was backboned by one mammoth partnership, Glamorgan kept losing wickets when times were tough. Eddie Byrom’s steady start, enjoying cutting and leg-glancing the exciting Hampshire seamers was eventually removed for 29 on his return to first team cricket which brought the highlights package-esque viewing of Lumsden to Carlson.A first over for 23 may mean a debut to forget for a 16-year-old but a wicket in there and persistence from both bowler and captain gave him another wicket and a hat-trick ball. The three-over spell of 2 for 47 was about so much more than the figures.Hampshire’s 18 overs of consecutive spin in the middle overs contained Glamorgan enough while regular wickets left Glamorgan requiring Andy Gorvin’s 42-ball 11 to stick in a partnership with his captain to give a fighting chance.Lumsden’s return brought more fireworks including the big wicket after Carlson effectively run out of partners, but not before giving the Neath crowd a special display.

Rookie batter Tommy Boorman compiles match-winning 38 as hosts hold their nerve

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025Rookie batter Tommy Boorman compiled a superb match-winning innings of 38 not out under intense pressure to carry Gloucestershire to an impressive three-wicket victory over Leicestershire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.Making only his third List-A appearance, Boorman struck two fours and two sixes and staged an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 35 in 18 balls with Craig Miles, who helped himself to a brace of sixes in making 18 not out as Gloucestershire reached their victory target of 286 with nine balls to spare.Gloucestershire appeared to be cruising when James Bracey compiled an eye-catching 96 from 106 balls and staged an opening stand of 105 with Cameron Bancroft, who contributed 40. But seamer Alex Green turned the tide back in Leicestershire’s favour, taking 5-52, dismissing both openers and dangermen Ben Charlesworth and Jack Taylor to set up a tense finale.

Peter Handscomb could count himself unlucky to finish on the losing side, Leicestershire’s skipper raising a brilliant 107 from 125 balls with nine fours and a six and sharing in a substantial partnership of 115 for the fifth wicket with Ben Cox, who contributed a run-a-ball 61, as the Foxes recovered from 76 for 4 to post 285 for 7.Liam Trevaskis produced a hard-hitting 30 not out as the visitors added 61 runs in the final five overs, but Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw excelled with the new ball, returning figures of 3 for 40 to keep last season’s beaten semi-finalists in check.Gloucestershire’s decision to bowl first was justified when Shaw claimed 3 for 20 with the new ball to reduce the Foxes to 22 for 3. The Yorkshireman bowled Rishi Patel between bat and pad without scoring, had Sol Budinger held at deep third via a top-edged cut and then had Lewis Hill caught at the wicket in the act of cutting, at which point he had dismantled Leicestershire’s top order in the space of 15 deliveries from the Ashley Down Road end.Having mustered just three boundaries in the powerplay, the visitors were under duress in the face of variable bounce on a slow pitch. But Shan Masood and Handscomb effected a partial recovery, staging an important alliance of 54 in 13.3 overs. The fourth-wicket partnership was beginning to flourish when Ben Charlesworth made a breakthrough with his first ball, persuading Pakistan Test captain Masood to top-edge a pull shot to deep fine leg and depart for 35 with the score 76 for 4 in the 19th.That was as good as it got for Gloucestershire. New batter Cox looked to disrupt the home side’s smooth progress from the outset, clearing the rope behind square for the first six of the innings when Matt Taylor dropped short as the Foxes reached halfway on 113 for 4.The batters managed to get on top for the first time against spinners Ollie Price and Jack Taylor, Handscomb and Cox combining excellent running between the wickets and clever placement in raising a 50 partnership from 57 balls. Averaging a half-century every four innings in List-A cricket, Handscomb went to his 42nd fifty from 76 balls, while Cox attained the same landmark via 45 deliveries with five fours and a six.Gloucestershire needed a wicket and Akhter obliged, bowling Cox to terminate a partnership that had revitalised Leicestershire. Cox had scored a run-a-ball 61 and helped establish a platform from which the visitors could launch a late assault.Matt Taylor removed Ian Holland cheaply, but there was no shifting Handscomb, the Australian going to his ninth List-A hundred by launching Akhter over long-off for six. He received staunch support from Liam Trevaskis with a quickfire unbeaten 30 from 22 deliveries in a valuable seventh-wicket alliance of 51 in 35 balls as the Foxes smashed 61 runs in the final five overs.Gloucestershire openers Bracey and Bancroft were initially circumspect in the face of the new-ball threat. But Bracey soon warmed to his task, greeting Tom Scriven with a pick-up for six over midwicket and a pull for four next ball as the home side advanced to 47 without loss at the end of 10 overs. So dominant was Bracey, that Bancroft contributed just seven runs to the 50 partnership.Bracey went to an authoritative half-century from 58 deliveries, reaching that landmark with his ninth four, causing Handscomb to turn to spin. The opening partnership had realised three figures before the Foxes made the breakthrough they so desperately needed, Bancroft edging a catch behind off Chris Wright in the 20th over.Ollie Price proved adept at rotating the strike thereafter and Gloucestershire were well-placed on 134 for 1 at the halfway stage, requiring a further 152 at 6.1 an over. These two posted a 50 partnership from 65 balls, but Price fell for 29, hitting Green straight to Handscomb at midwicket.Green then struck a telling blow, having Bracey held at deep square leg, at which point Gloucestershire still needed 108 to win with two new batters at the crease. Charlesworth hit a quickfire 19, only to succumb to a leg-side strangle as Green made another important intervention.Sensing an opportunity, Leicestershire kept up the pressure and Trevaskis dismissed Joe Phillips for 14 to further reduce the home side, still 61 short of their target with nine overs remaining.Boorman helped himself to a six and a four off Holland, but Gloucestershire’s task was made harder when Green accounted for Jack Taylor and Akhter with successive deliveries in the 46th over.Miles hit a straight six off Green and Boorman repeated the feat off Trevaskis as the eighth wicket pair held their nerve. Miles hit the winning six in the penultimate over.

Also: how many players have scored a hundred in their last Test?

Steven Lynch29-Apr-2025Delhi Capitals scored 203 the other day without an individual half-century. Was this the highest T20 total without a fifty? asked Deepak Krishnan from India

The match you’re talking about was in Ahmedabad on April 19: Delhi Capitals made 203 for 6, with a highest individual contribution of just 39, from their captain Axar Patel. Gujarat Titans passed them with four balls to spare.There have been four higher innings totals in the IPL that didn’t include an individual half-century. Highest of all is Mumbai Indians’ 234 for 5 against Delhi Capitals at the Wankhede Stadium in 2024, when the highest individual contribution was Rohit Sharma’s 49. Punjab Kings made 208 for 5 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Navi Mumbai in 2022 (Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa both made 43); Delhi had 207 for 8 against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede in 2022 (Rishabh Pant 44); and Kolkata Knight Riders made 206 for 5 against RCB in Bengaluru in 2019 (Andre Russell 48 not out from 13 balls).I was looking at some old scorecards, and noticed that the West Indian captain Gerry Alexander was run out four times running while on tour in India in 1958-59. Was this a record for poor running?! asked Henry Mitchell from England

You’re right that the West Indian captain and wicketkeeper Gerry Alexander was run out four times running during that tour. Two of the dismissals were in Tests; the sequence also included an innings in which he was not out. That turns out to be not quite the worst exhibition of running between the wickets in first-class cricket: the Yorkshire seamer Bob Platt was run out five times running between 1957 and 1959 (his sequence included four not-outs). Six other players have had four successive run-out dismissals.The Test record is three successive run-outs, suffered by England’s John Jameson in 1971, and Guy Whittall of Zimbabwe in 1997-98 (that sequence was punctuated by an innings of 203 not out).Have any Test cricketers been born in Kenya? asked Niranjan Shah from Kenya

It’s one of cricket’s endearing oddities that three Test players have been born in Kenya, and they were all active at around the same time, mainly during the 1980s. The first to make his Test debut was Derek Pringle, in 1982 while still at Cambridge University. Pringle was born in Nairobi in 1958 while his father – who appeared for East Africa in the first men’s World Cup, in 1975 – was working there. Derek went on to play 30 Tests and 44 one-day internationals, including the 1992 World Cup final.Qasim Omar, born in Nairobi in 1957, made his debut for Pakistan in 1982-83 after some high-scoring feats in domestic cricket. In 26 Tests he scored three centuries – two of them doubles – before falling out with Imran Khan.Kenya’s third man was Dipak Patel. Born in Nairobi in 1958, he was a Worcestershire regular at a young age, but eventually became a naturalised New Zealander after spending several northern winters there. He made his Test debut in 1986-87, and eventually played 37 Tests and 75 ODIs, including the World Cups of 1987, 1992 and 1996. His highest Test score was 99 in Christchurch in 1992, an innings ended when he was run out from a return from near the boundary by Pringle.Mahmudullah was the last player to make a hundred in his final Test, in 2021•Getty ImagesHow many men scored a century in their final Test match? asked Anupam Sircar from India

At present there are 47 men who scored a century in their last Test match. That number includes Essex’s Jack Russell, who actually made two, and eight current players who will presumably appear again. First on the list was the Kent wicketkeeper Harry Wood, who made 134 not out in his fourth and final Test for England, against South Africa in Cape Town in 1892.Most of the men concerned were not selected again for various reasons to do with form or sometimes big gaps between matches. A few of them had already announced their intention to retire before bowing out with a hundred, notably Bill Ponsford, Raman Subba Row, Seymour Nurse (who made 258 in his final innings, in Christchurch in 1969), Greg Chappell, Jacques Kallis, Brendon McCullum and Alastair Cook. Both Nasser Hussain and Mahmudullah seem to have decided to retire in the middle of Test matches in which they went on to score hundreds in what they would have known to be their final matches.I noticed that three of this year’s Wisden Cricketers of the Year play for Surrey. Has there ever been a year in which all five came from the same team? asked Michael Broughton from England

You’re right that three of this year’s Wisden Five – Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith and Dan Worrall – play for Surrey. In case anyone missed last week’s announcement, the other two were Sophie Ecclestone and Liam Dawson (and a reminder that the award, which can be won only once, is based on performances in the previous English season).Three from one county is a rare achievement, but is perhaps not surprising as Surrey completed a hat-trick of County Championship titles last year. It’s not quite the English record: Yorkshire had four of the Five in 1901 – Schofield Haigh, George Hirst, Tom Taylor and John Tunnicliffe. The exception was Reginald “Tip” Foster of Worcestershire, who would soon score a record 287 on Test debut in Sydney in 1903. Surrey also had three in 1907 and 1958.No English side has ever provided all five of the Five, but in 1949 all of them were members of Don Bradman’s “Invincible” touring team the previous summer – Lindsay Hassett, Bill Johnston, Ray Lindwall, Arthur Morris and Don Tallon. The 1962 Almanack also featured five Australians – four from the previous summer’s touring team (Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson, Bill Lawry and Norman O’Neill), plus the 42-year-old Bill Alley, who scored more than 3000 runs that season for Somerset.In addition, in 1997, 2000 and 2002 there were no England-qualified players among the Five. For the full list of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year, click here.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

U.S. international Sebastian Berhalter delivered an impressive opening spell in the Americans’ friendly against Uruguay, scoring his first national team goal from a well-placed set piece in the 17th minute. Minutes later, he set up Alex Freeman for his first international goal, assisting on a driven header to give the U.S. an early boost.

• Getty Images
  

  Two MLS stars deliver big

  Freeman’s goal came in his 13th cap for the U.S., with Berhalter’s assist marking his third for the national team. Freeman added another in the 31st minute to complete a strong first-half showing.

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  What comes next?

  The fixture is Mauricio Pochettino and Co.'s last of 2025. They will resume action next March. 

Celtic are spending the international break hunting for a new manager and have now found their number one candidate, someone who already has internal approval at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers’ departure from the Scottish Premiership champions last month provoked plenty of drama as the Bhoys languished eight points behind Heart of Midlothian in the table.

However, Martin O’Neill has steadied the ship with three victories from four matches since taking interim charge, the highlight being a 3-1 triumph over Rangers to reach the Premier Sports Cup final.

At 73 years of age, the former Aston Villa boss has been linked with an extended stay in Glasgow, and few would argue that he isn’t deserving of a run until the end of the season.

Conversely, O’Neill admitted that he will simply be at the club for as long as he is required, maintaining that he will be informed of developments concerning the Hoops’ manager search at some point during the international break.

He said after the Bhoys defeated Kilmarnock on Sunday: “I have to go back down to London again, I’m going to go into a darkened room and come out on Thursday and say, ‘has this really happened. So I should imagine at some stage or another during the course of the next week, whether it be tomorrow, whether it be Saturday or Sunday of next week, that somebody will let me know what’s happening.”

Despite the brief club football pause, Celtic supporters will be desperate to know of latest developments from Parkhead, and they may now be ready to move for a successor to O’Neill.

Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is Celtic frontrunner

According to The Scottish Sun, Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is the shock frontrunner to take over at Celtic after the Major League Soccer outfit bowed out at the playoff stage of the competition against Cincinnati.

His strongest rival for the post is Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen. However, Nancy’s assistant Kwame Ampadu is a close friend of Hoops recruitment chief Paul Tisdale, and the latter even managed his son Ethan (now of Leeds United), providing Nancy with the backing in the boardroom.

Wilfried Nancy’s managerial record

Columbus Crew – MLS Cup winners (2023), Leagues Cup winners (2024)

Matches – 132 Wins – 71 Draws – 32 Losses – 33

CF Montreal – Canadian Championship winners (2021)

Matches – 79 Wins – 38 Draws – 16 Losses – 25

Ampadu Sr is said to be almost certain to go to Celtic with Nancy, who is known for his firebrand 3-4-2-1 formation which launches attacks from everywhere and has earned comparisons to Ange Postecoglou during the Bhoys’ managerial search.

Of course, there is still plenty of work to be done before a new successor is appointed, and O’Neill will hold talks with the club hierarchy in the coming days to ascertain whether he will stay on for an extended period in charge.

Celtic could sign a Premier League winner in January for £500k

Either way, there are exciting days ahead for Celtic supporters that could culminate in a permanent hire being made after a lengthy search.

He is set to join the team ahead of Yorkshire’s game against Somerset starting September 8

Shashank Kishore04-Sep-2025India opener Mayank Agarwal is set to join Yorkshire on a short-term deal for the remainder of the County Championship.Agarwal, who is expected to link up with the squad ahead of their match against Somerset on Taunton starting September 8, will play three matches in all before returning to India in time for the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. This will be Agarwal’s first county stint.He was most-recently in action at the Maharaja T20 Trophy, Karnataka’s flagship T20 tournament. Prior to that, he was part of an IPL-title winning campaign with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after being signed as a late replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal.Agarwal, 34, is no stranger to England, having been on two tours previously with the Test side – in 2021-22 and for the World Test Championship final against Australia in June 2023.He had been in line to open during the 2021-22 tour, which India drew 2-2, but was ruled out prior to the series opener due to concussion. He has also been on two tours with the India A team.Agarwal, currently Karnataka’s all-format captain, comes with rich first-class experience. He has 8050 runs in 190 innings at an average of 43.98 with 18 hundreds and 44 half-centuries.In all, Agarwal has hit 1488 Test runs in 36 innings at an average of 41.33, with four Test centuries, including a best of 243 against South Africa. He played the most recent of his 21 Tests in March 2022 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru.Other prominent Indians to feature in the UK domestic season this year are Khaleel Ahmed (Essex), Tilak Varma (Hampshire), Yuzvendra Chahal (Northants), Ishan Kishan (Notts) and Sai Kishore (Surrey). Jaydev Unadkat is set to join Sussex this month.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has had an incredible impact in a short time at Ibrox, winning his first three Scottish Premiership matches in the dugout.

The Light Blues had only won one of their first eight matches in the division, under Russell Martin and Stevie Smith, which meant that the German tactician took over the club in a difficult position.

His tactical flexibility has been particularly impressive across his first six matches in the dugout for the Gers, as he has been willing to change systems, formations, and the style of play to suit each game.

For example, he utilised a 3-4-2-1 formation to grind out a 1-0 win away at Hibernian, but then switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to dominate and thrash Dundee 3-0 in their most recent outing.

On top of improving the results in the short-term, Rohl has also helped some of the players in the squad to show more quality than they did under the previous coaching team.

Youssef Chermiti has been under the microscope since Kevin Thelwell decided to splash £8m to sign the striker from Everton, making him the club’s most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000, but he has shown signs of life under the new boss.

Why Rangers should not give up on Youssef Chermiti

Football Insider recently claimed that pressure was mounting from some fans pushing the club to immediately cash in on the Portugal U21 international when the January transfer window opens for business.

However, the report added that there are no plans in place for the Light Blues to do that, six months on from their £8m deal to sign him, as they hope he can turn his fortunes around at Ibrox.

The 21-year-old centre-forward did not manage a single goal or assist in seven appearances under Martin and Smith before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, which is why it is understandable that some supporters have not been pleased with his start to life at the club.

However, Chermiti has delivered one goal and one assist in three league games under the former Sheffield Wednesday head coach, which is more like what supporters should expect from a player signed for £8m.

Minutes

21

77

45

Shots

1

1

1

Goals

1

0

0

Key passes

1

1

1

Assists

0

1

0

Aerial duels won

1/1

2/6

4/5

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese marksman has been fairly effective with the minutes that he has been given under Rohl, with productivity in front of goal and strength in aerial duels on the whole.

This shows why the Light Blues should not give up on Chermiti, yet, because the 21-year-old talent is still learning and developing as a player, and should be given time under the new manager to prove his worth, given his age and inexperience.

Whilst the former Everton centre-forward has shown signs of life under Rohl and has time on his side to improve as a player, there is another summer signing who has been an even bigger waste of money.

Chalkboard

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

Rangers have spent a lot of money on attacking signings in recent seasons and Sam Lammers has arguably been one of their worst, as the Dutchman was signed for £3m from Atalanta in 2023 and scored two goals in 31 matches before leaving the following summer.

Now, Bojan Miovski looks to be on course to be the club’s biggest waste of money since the signing of Lammers, because of his struggles this season.

Why Bojan Miovski looks like a waste of money for Rangers

The Light Blues signed the striker from Girona in the summer for a fee worth up to £4.2m, which means that he could cost more than the Dutchman did, and it appeared to be a sensible signing at the time.

Miovski’s form for Aberdeen, as shown in the graphic above, suggested that Rangers were onto a winner with the Macedonia international, as he had proven himself as a goalscorer in the Premiership in the past.

However, the left-footed forward had also just come off the back of scoring four goals in 24 appearances in all competitions for Girona, per Sofascore, which shows that the Light Blues brought in a striker who had been struggling in front of goal last season.

Given the money that was spent on him and his impressive record at Aberdeen in the past, it was fair to expect that Miovski would hit the ground running as an instant impact signing for the Gers, but that has not been the case.

Youssef Chermiti

25/26

£8m

Danilo

23/24

£6m

Bojan Miovski

25/26

£4.2m

Cyriel Dessers

23/24

£4m

Oliver Antman

25/26

£4m

Mohamed Diomande

24/25

£4m

Sam Lammers

23/24

£3m

As you can see in the table above, the Macedonia international is the club’s third-most expensive signing since the summer of 2023, with only Chermiti and Danilo, who has scored two goals in his last three league games, above him.

Miovski has only scored two goals in 15 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants so far, per Sofascore, with one against Hibernian in the League Cup and one against Falkirk in the Premiership.

On top of his lack of goals, the 26-year-old marksman has lost 68% of his ground duels and 70% of his aerial duels across eight appearances in the league for Rangers this season, per Sofascore, which shows that opposition defenders have found it far too easy to get the better of him.

Miovski has no goals and no assists in six appearances under Rohl so far, whilst Chermiti has a goal and an assist and Danilo has scored twice, which shows that he has been the worst-performing striker out of the manager’s three options.

He is five years older than Chermiti, who the club have invested even more money in, which suggests that the Portuguese striker may be preferred as the first-choice option in the mid-to-long-term, because of that investment.

That means that all the pressure is on Miovski to deliver in the short-term and his performances show that he is not doing that, which is why he may be the club’s biggest waste of money since Lammers unless he can turn things around.

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