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Given his success with Sporting CP, which has seen him win 71% of his matches in charge, Ruben Amorim will arrive at Old Trafford with high expectations of being an immediate success with Manchester United.

The 39-year-old has won two league titles during his tenure in Portugal, joining the Red Devils next week as he looks to make his mark following the upcoming international break.

However, he will have a huge task to turn around the early season slump that sees United currently occupy 13th place in the Premier League, 13 points off leaders Liverpool – a huge gap given the near £200m spent by Erik ten Hag during the summer.

It will take a quick transition for the first-team squad if they are to immediately adapt to the new manager’s 3-4-3 system, which is reliant on frequent overlaps from the wing-backs along with rapid transitions into forward areas.

Amorim will be hoping that his ideology will allow players who have been underperforming to flourish, whilst also allowing some to reach the next level, as demonstrated from his time in Portugal.

Viktor Gyokeres’ stats at Sporting

Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres has caught the eye over the last two months for his goalscoring exploits under Amorim in Liga Portugal, playing a pivotal role in the club’s recent success.

The Swedish international arrived in a £20m deal from Championship side Coventry City during the summer of 2023 after their failure to gain promotion to the Premier League – a bargain fee given his recent form for the club.

During his first campaign in Portugal, Gyokeres registered 43 goals and 14 assists in just 50 appearances as he helped Amorim’s side claim the league title ahead of Porto and Benfica.

However, in the opening months of the 2024/25 season, he’s taken his performances to the next level, already notching 23 goals and four assists in his opening 17 outings – including a hat-trick in the Champions League victory over Manchester City earlier this week.

As a result, there’s no surprise to see such interest in his signature, with many United fans undoubtedly wanting the 26-year-old to follow Amorim’s footsteps and make the move to the Theatre of Dreams in the near future.

Any transfer for Gyokeres would set the Red Devils back around €100m (£83m) given that’s the price tag of his current release clause, but it’s unknown if the club would be willing to match such a figure, potentially allowing one player to star instead.

The player who could be Amorim’s new Gyokeres

Big-money striker Rasmus Hojlund is yet to hit the ground running at Old Trafford this campaign, scoring just two times in all competitions – an average of one goal every five games.

His last outing against Chelsea was no different, failing to find the back of the net once more, failing to even register a shot, before being replaced by Joshua Zirkzee – who has scored just once for his new club – in the closing stages.

The Red Devils have only registered nine league goals in ten matches this season, showcasing their lack of threat, which could hand academy star Chido Obi-Martin an opportunity in the first-team under Amorim before too long.

The 16-year-old joined the Red Devils from Premier League rivals Arsenal during the off-season, originally linking up with the U18 side, but he’s already taking the level by storm despite his tender age.

After notably netting 32 goals in 21 games at U18 level for the Gunners, Obi-Martin registered a hat-trick on his academy debut for his new employers against Nottingham Forest a week ago, before contributing with an assist in the 8-0 rout of Leeds United last weekend.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Despite being 16, the striker stands at 6 foot 2, having that big presence that Amorim desires in his centre-forwards as seen with Gyokeres at Sporting.

He has the pace to beat the defenders, along with the strength to hold them up, before having a cool head to slot home – leading to former Arsenal academy coach Jack Wilshere dubbing the youngster as “exceptional”.

Given his age, it may take a little bit of time before the new boss utilises the talent within his first team at Old Trafford, but he’s proven he knows where the back of the net is.

The lack of goals will be a concern for the 39-year-old, with Obi-Martin certainly one to watch during Amorim’s tenure in the North West.

Amorim must immediately axe Man Utd flop who earns far more than Mainoo

Manchester United’s deal to sign him has been a complete disaster.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 6, 2024

Plays of the day from the fourth ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Nelson

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jan-2015The exchange
Umpire Ian Gould was unflustered during a heated run-in with several Sri Lanka players in the Hamilton match, and his deadpan was in fine form in Nelson as well, when Kumar Sangakkara made a remark early in the match. Sangakkara was displeased that a bouncer from Mitchell McClenaghan was not called a wide, despite it seemingly having passed well over Tillakaratne Dilshan’s head, and told Gould that the square-leg umpire had signaled the ball should be a wide. “Did he?” was Gould’s reaction, as he went about his normal business. When Sangakkara replied with “yes,” Gould’s response of “Shit!” was dripping sarcasm. Not once during the exchange did the umpire make eye-contact with the batsman. Not once did he seem remotely interested in changing his decision.The salmon leap
Brendon McCullum had already taken a diving catch to dismiss Thisara Perera, but he outdid himself for agility in the final over when he sought to take a catch off Nuwan Kulasekara. The batsman had drilled the ball high to McCullum’s right, at mid-off, but he was immediately in the air, both heels kicked up, and reaching out horizontally to clasp the ball in two hands. He wasn’t able to hold on, as he fell back to earth, but had quickly got a throw away to the bowler, who still managed to run Kulasekara out.The shave
Pod shaving is said to be a dying art among batmakers in the world, but Rangana Herath did his bit to keep tradition alive when he made Kane Williamson’s bat lighter by a few milligrams using his boot. Grant Elliott pushed one slightly towards mid on in the 32nd over, and in his haste to cut the ball off, Herath stood on the face of Williamson’s blade, as the non-striker grounded it behind the crease. Herath apologised and went to inspect the bat soon after, to find his spikes had carved two lines into it.The stroke
Mahela Jayawardene played several gorgeous strokes during his 94, but the best piece of timing came perhaps from Martin Guptill’s blade in the sixth over of New Zealand’s innings. Angelo Mathews had bowled tightly during his new ball spell, but the moment he pitched it fractionally too full, Guptill took a long stride down the pitch, and with masterful control, lifted the ball high over the long-off rope for six.

Rio Ferdinand was left impressed by one Aston Villa star after their 2-0 win over Bologna in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The Villans continued their excellent start to life back in Europe’s biggest competition, as they made it three wins from three games.

Better than Duran: Aston Villa star just dropped a UCL masterclass

Aston Villa kept their 100% record in the Champions League going versus Bologna.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 23, 2024

Aston Villa unstoppable in the Champions League

Villa came into this third game of the competition having already beaten Young Boys and Bayern Munich, and they continued their impressive start by brushing aside Bologna. Goals from John McGinn and Jhon Duran sent the Midlands side to the top of the Champions League phase, as they are yet to concede a goal in the competition.

After the game, Unai Emery was full of praise for his side, as he believes they are “playing seriously” and his team is now progressing: “We are playing seriously; we are playing focused and responsible, and the team is progressing and mature in everything.

“We tried to break the press, man to man. We conceded some things in the first 15 minutes but then reacted very well. It is always difficult at home in Europe. We have had to try and be consistent in our gameplan for 90 minutes, and I think we did that today.”

Meanwhile, former Premier League defender Matthew Upson says Villa are a team that is “only going forwards,” and it is an “exciting time” for the club: “I just think it’s amazing how Villa have started. They are in a good place.

“Morgan Rogers is another piece of really shrewd recruitment. Where they see a fit for a player, they bring them in, and it doesn’t matter what club they have been at. He is a young player, but there is so much talent around him. It is a squad that can grow, and having experienced players like Tyrone Mings coming back from injury is great. Under Emery, they are only going forwards, so we are all really keen to see where they end up.”

The praise from last night’s performance doesn’t stop there, as TNT Sports pundit Rio Ferdinand was left impressed by one Villa individual who he spoke to after the match.

Ferdinand wowed by Villa's Tielemans after Bologna win

Speaking on TNT Sports, Rio Ferdinand believes Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans has gone “to another level” under Emery’s management. The Belgian, who has been dubbed an “outrageous” talent by scout/writer Jacek Kulig in the past, has been a key player for the Villans so far this season.

Tielemans, who is on a weekly wage of £150,000 at Villa Park, has started all eight Premier League games, as well as all three Champions League games, during which he has scored one goal and grabbed four assists combined. The 27-year-old struggled for regular game time last season but is now becoming an important player under Emery, and Ferdinand believes his game has gone to a new level.

Ferdinand told Tielemans in an interview after the match: “You personally seem to have gone to another level now. I think you are playing at a real high standard, your ball retention; when you are pressed, then you are able to resist that and break the lines.”

Tielemans will be keen to continue this fine form he is showing as Villa look to continue their push-up the Premier League table when they host Bournemouth this weekend.

Virgil van Dijk provided an update on his future at Anfield as the Liverpool captain nears free agency.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Van Dijk's update on his future
• Yet to sign new contract at Anfield
• Salah & Alexander-Arnold could also leave

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Dijk, who is in the final months of his existing contract with Liverpool, is yet to agree to sign a new deal and extend his stay at Anfield. had earlier reported that in case the talismanic Dutchman becomes a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, he could head to Barcelona, who are keen on bolstering their backline. Amid rising speculations, the Netherlands star provided an update on his future.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT VAN DIJK SAID

  Speaking to the 33-year-old said: "In the coming months we just have to give it our all. We are still active on three fronts and that is the primary goal I have in mind. I have very, very big plans in that area.

  "Unfortunately I can't talk about personal conversations I have with the club. We've been talking for a while and the only thing I can say now is that I love this club. I'm very calm about the situation. As long as I'm calm about it, the fans can be too. If there's news, you'll hear about it. For now, I really don't know where I will be playing next season, but again: I am calm about it."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Along with Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also nearing free agency. The Reds will have to initiate contract talks in the next couple of months to stop their stars from leaving for free. While Alexander-Arnold is linked with a move to Real Madrid, Salah could finally complete his much-hyped move to Saudi Arabia.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  The Merseyside club, who have won just one out of their last three Premier League matches, will be next seen in action on Sunday as they host reigning champions Manchester City at Anfield.

Pant vs Karthik is India’s major selection debate in a contest full of star-studded match-ups

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Nov-20226:53

Key match-ups: Kumble feels Suryakumar will put Curran under pressure

Big picture

The self-anointed big boys of world cricket are going at it at the Adelaide Oval. The neutrals may struggle to pick a side, but one thing is certain – it will be a blockbuster occasion.Familiarity will breed competition in this instance, given what’s at stake. Just a few months ago these two sides spent a concentrated fortnight at one another’s throats, with India taking the T20I leg with a pretty convincing 2-1 series win. But things are different now, very much in a good way. Jos Buttler is a more accomplished captain, settled in the rigmarole of the job and his tactics. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has rediscovered his mojo.England will feel they have an edge of sorts, what with two must-win games ticked off against New Zealand and Sri Lanka to get them out of Group 1. There is a renewed confidence about them as setters having long been chasers, to the extent that the toss may be academic provided evening dew is minimal.Related

• How Sam Curran evolved to become England's go-to death bowler

• India vs England at World Cups: From Amarnath's heroics to an Adelaide cakewalk

• AB de Villiers approves of 360-degree comparisons with Suryakumar

• Tactics Board: Bhuvneshwar vs Buttler, Wood vs Suryakumar

• Hardik Pandya: the gold standard for a T20 allrounder

As for India, the only team to have won four matches in the Super 12 stage, the pressure to go on to a reunion with Pakistan at the MCG in Sunday’s final will be great, though no greater than what their players usually contend with. Quite apart from their obvious strength is a cerebral approach to their T20 work that gives them a unique edge over opponents before they have set foot on the park. Much of England’s public preparation has been on bigging that up while privately racking their brains to take them down a few pegs.The shorter square boundaries in Adelaide, as detailed in our Tactics Board, will play to the strengths of both batting line-ups. That no Englishman other than openers Buttler and Alex Hales have hit more than one six in the tournament speaks of a middle order that hasn’t quite come to the party. And while it’s tempting to say they are “due”, India will no doubt be focussing on keeping them quiet. One expects Sam Curran’s emergence as Buttler’s go-to death bowler will also face its sternest test against a side who are striking at 11.90 at the death.Wherever you look, there are match-ups that could be regarded as game-changing bouts. Don’t miss any of them.1:14

Watch: India tune up for the semi-final

Form guide

India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England WWLWW

In the spotlight

In a team of superstars, Suryakumar Yadav strides above them all as the man of this World Cup. No one has had a more profound effect on his team – and opponents – quite like this 32-year-old phenom equipped with more scoring options than Erling Haaland. The numbers he’s posted so far – 225 at a strike rate of 193.96 – are remarkable, the strokeplay drawing admiration from all quarters, even AB de Villiers who is the only one that springs to mind when it comes to the consistent destruction this man is serving up. Can he be stopped?Reliable with the ball, the usual excellence in the field and, against Sri Lanka, finally a score of note with the bat. Picking Ben Stokes in this section is as clear as the blue’s SKY. But in Dawid Malan’s likely absence, the allrounder is the only batter likely to hold the innings together and take things deep in the event of early losses. They say the big moments find him, and few come bigger than this.

Team news

The only debate for India is whether to play Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik. Pant can upset Adil Rashid being a left-hand batter but Karthik is the finisher who can hit from ball one. Also Pant will have Moeen Ali’s offspin to deal with. Going by India’s training session, it looks like Karthik will play, having engaged in keeping drills while Pant did not. It is touch and go.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh.Neither Mark Wood nor Dawid Malan were fully fit at the time of the captain’s press conferences but England are willing to give them as much time as possible. Malan batted for a bit with one pad on, while Wood bowled about two overs max – with England understood to be ready to play Chris Jordan in his stead. It was notable that Phil Salt batted for a long period in the nets. Those changes in themselves will bring a degree of uncertainty given England have named unchanged XIs for their World Cup games so far.England (possible): 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan/Phil Salt, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Adil Rashid.In the possible absence of Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes could play a key role in holding England’s batting together•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditions

Yes, this will be a used pitch, but it was last used on November 4 for the match between Australia and Afghanistan. The groundsman has assured Jos Buttler that he has had enough time to prepare what should not behave like a tired pitch. Buttler said: “I think having talked to the groundsman, his team is really confident that he’s had a lot of time to get some really good work into the wicket. He seems very comfortable that it’s going to be a really good surface and a consistent surface. At the moment I have no worries about the pitch.”For what it’s worth, the pitch for Australia vs Afghanistan started off slow and inconsistent in bounce, but it skidded on nicely at night. Afghanistan came close to chasing down 168. Chasing upon winning the toss might be a good idea, though much of the week leading up to this match has been quite hot so there might be more pace in this pitch. The forecast is fine, albeit with a morning shower predicted. Nevertheless, this should be an uninterrupted match.

Stats and trivia

• India have won their last four bilateral T20I series against England – two in England, two in India, all four by one-match margins.
• The two teams have not met at a T20 World Cup in this period, though. The last of their three meetings came in 2012, when a Rohit Sharma half-century and a four-wicket haul from Harbhajan Singh led India to a 90-run win in Colombo. In all, India have a 2-1 lead in T20 World Cup meetings.
• Virat Kohli needs 42 runs to become the first batter to 4000 in T20Is. Alex Hales, meanwhile, is 13 short of the 2000 mark.

Quotes

“These guys are quite dangerous. They’ve played some really good cricket in the tournament as well, which is why they’re here. So we’ve got to be at our best to win the game.”
“Well, we certainly don’t want to see an India-Pakistan final, so we’ll be trying all we can do to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Peter Moores admits England have to work fast ahead of the World Cup but there is an all-too-familiar sense of chaos about their planning

George Dobell01-Sep-2014It seems to be a characteristic of England cricket that, while other teams utilise the natural four-year cycle in the schedule to prepare their team for the next World Cup, the English react to the impending event like a long-married man who has forgotten his wedding anniversary.Oh, they may rush to the florist and scribble a card. But the end result still tends to look ramshackle and hurried with a sense that they are hoping, rather than expecting, that things will turn out all right on the night.The 2015 World Cup carries all the hallmarks, from an England perspective, of the five that preceded it. Six months out from the event, England are not sure of their tactics or their team. In a format of the game where role definition is so important, England do not know who will fill the allrounder positions – a month ago, you might have thought Ravi Bopara was a certainty. They do not know who will bowl at the death – the experiment with Chris Jordan may well be shelved. They do know who will bowl spin – Moeen Ali is likely to win another opportunity before the end of this series. And questions over the position of the captain will remain until Alastair Cook can start contributing more with the bat.Lagging behind? England have drafted in Alex Hales but Alastair Cook’s position at the top of the order continues to come in for scrutiny•Getty ImagesSuffice to say, after four ODI series defeats in five – and there is something of an irony in the fact that the series they won, in the Caribbean, came in a team sans Cook, when they were trying to provide extra opportunities to their T20 players ahead of the World T20 – they are not among the bookies favourites for the World Cup.Peter Moores knows all this. He knows that he did not inherit a hand bursting with aces, after the retirement of Graeme Swann, the banishment of Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott’s illness. He knows the team are not playing well enough to win a World Cup. He knows he is running out of time.”We’ve got to work fast,” Moores said ahead of the fourth ODI of the series against India at Edgbaston. “We’ve got to accelerate the development of the team quicker than might be normal to get ourselves really competitive by the World Cup.”It was noticeable that, while Moores unambiguously backed Cook to lead England at the World Cup – “Yes, I’m confident he will” – he offered far less security to other players. In short, his message was, there are still places to be won in this side.”What we’re doing is we’re trying to find a balance for our team,” he said. “That’s part of the process we’re going through. We’re creating opportunities and, if you play well enough and you show you can score consistently enough, you get to stay in the team.”Our goal is to basically try to draw this series but also to prepare for a World Cup. To do that we’ve got to identify the right people in the right slots to play a brand of cricket that players feel they can deliver and be successful against the best teams.”There’s still time for people to force their way in. We’ve had a lot of change and that creates opportunity. We need to get enough experience in there but also there’s a chance to try some different things. We’ve looked at different options and that helps you evaluate a side to play in that World Cup and win.”A substantial part of their problem is the form of the captain. While the value of England’s ODI tactics can be argued either way – and the depth of feeling against their somewhat old-fashioned game plan does little to appreciate the danger of two new balls or England’s success up to the end of the Champions Trophy – there is no avoiding the fact that, if they are going to field two technically correct accumulators in the top three, one of them has to go on and contribute a match-defining total.It is not only 37 innings and 26 months since Cook made an ODI hundred, he has not reached 80 in that time either. If a player is going to devour the number of deliveries, particularly Powerplay deliveries, that Cook tends to devour, they really do have to produce something at the end of it.

Peter Moores on…

Using analysis: “The brain of a top-flight player is a fantastic bit of kit. It works fast, it takes bits of information, it sees things that sometimes a computer might not. We have to use that. The best players in the world have the ability to adapt quickly on the field, more than off the field. If analysis is being used to add clarity and help people develop their thinking, great. If it’s there to replace their thinking then it’s flawed.”
Eoin Morgan: “I’m not saying whose place is safe or not safe but Eoin is frustrated he hasn’t got a score. His skill, once he gets up and running, is that he’s hard to bowl dots to and he can attack pretty well any sort of bowling. I see him as a real key component as we go forward.”
Playing Moeen Ali and James Tredwell: “We could play both. Probably two offspinners in the same team wouldn’t normally be your absolute ideal. Moeen’s not had much opportunity yet. We saw him rapidly develop as a Test match bowler and we want to create opportunities for him at some point, to look where he’s at. We’ve seen always in international cricket some people grow very fast and that’s what we have got to find out.”

But despite Cook looking in wretched form at Trent Bridge, Moores insisted the captain was inching his way back to his best. “I think his form is going the right way,” Moores said. “If you come out of a Test match series averaging just under 50, you know you’re starting to get back into some sort of form.”He’ll be the same as everybody else, in that in the last two games – after we’ve got off to two good starts – he’ll be disappointed that he personally couldn’t push on and get a more significant score. But he’s hungry and his form is coming back. He’s starting to hit the ball better.”When he’s in form, he’s got his way of playing that can be effective in one-day cricket. It doesn’t mean he’s exactly where he wants to be, and I don’t think we are as a side.”That is true. But Moores remains confident that it is not England’s tactics that are flawed as much as their current failure to execute them. He remains unapologetic about preferring batsman such as Cook and Ian Bell to the likes of Jason Roy and James Vince.”When you bat in any one-day international, the second part of it is when you increase your scoring rate,” Moores said. “We have to score at the right rate for the pitch. There’s been lots of talk about scoring 300, but that doesn’t happen all the time. In different conditions you have to score what is a winning score on that pitch.”You’ve got to have a balance in your team of people who strike the ball and also people that rotate, that’s part of the job. You need to know you can create situations when some of your strikers, the Jos Buttlers of this world, have the freedom to play that sort of game.”We know we have people who can score at a very high rate. Alex Hales at the top, then Eoin Morgan and Buttler. But to get to that point, you’ve got to get in and build an innings.”The very best in the world are striking at 88, 89 in 50-over cricket. You can’t really go much above that, unless you’re batting in the bottom part and you’re whacking it from ball one. Fifty-over cricket isn’t quite the same as people just walk out and whack it. The best sides don’t do that either.”This pitch should suit England. It has not been used for 14 months and is expected to provide little assistance to spinners and a bit more to seamers. With a 10.30am start in a distinctly autumnal September, though, it may well prove to be a bowl-first surface. The large crowd – more than 20,000 spectators are expected – might want to arrive in good time to see what may prove the key passage of play.England’s safety-first approach might not be popular but, on a seaming pitch in Birmingham, it may prove ideal. You might ask whether that bears any relation to the conditions anticipated in Australia, in particular, at the World Cup. But a drowning man probably doesn’t worry about his pension.

The Fire introduces a striking new away kit that honors Chicago and it's iconic Municipal Device

• Kit features a unique pattern based on the “Y”-shaped Chicago Municipal Device
• Design pays homage to the city’s architectural heritage
• Set to debut in the 2025 MLS season against Columbus Crew

Shop kits at the MLS Store nowBuy here

• WHAT HAPPENED

  Chicago Fire FC has revealed their new secondary kit for the 2025 MLS season, officially named the “Municipal Kit.” The design draws inspiration from the iconic Chicago Municipal Device, a “Y”-shaped symbol found throughout the city on various structures and buildings. The Fire are set to launch the kit officially via a community day that is centered around the club in partnership with a vintage soccer shop, Saturdays Football.

  "The Municipal Kit pays homage to the city of Chicago, featuring a subtle interlocking pattern reminiscent of the city’s Municipal Device symbol," the Fire said in a statement. "The Municipal Device – a Y-shaped symbol – is ubiquitous within Chicago, and represents the north, south, and main branches of the Chicago River, and their confluence at Wolf Point. The kit’s blue hues represent the waterways that have become integral to the local landscape and vitality of the city.”

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• WHAT THE CAMERA SPOTTED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Created by Adidas, Chicago Fire FC's "Municipal Kit" is a striking homage to the city's architectural heritage. Thus the kit features a light blue base color, officially dubbed "Sky Tint," which serves as the base for the kit. The pattern, composed of interconnecting "Y" shapes, covers the entire front of the kit in navy blue and creates a visual effect that represents the Chicago River's branches. The Chicago Fire FC crest is displayed on the left chest while the primary sponsor, Carvana, is featured in regular and bold blue lettering across the middle of the chest.

  The secondary sponsor, Magellan, is featured on the kit’s right sleeve while the Apple TV and MLS logo are on the left. As mentioned in the club’s statement, the Apple TV logo will be custom-designed for each MLS club this season and for Chicago, the patch will be in the club’s colors of Fire Red, White, and Chicago Flag Blue. Not only that, the Apple logo itself will surround a six-pointed red star that is synonymous with Chicago.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR CHICAGO FIRE?

  The Fire have played five of the seven games on their preseason schedule and have lost just once in the process, a 1-0 loss to LAFC. They still have to face the Las Vegas Lights and the LA Galaxy before the club can kick off their 2025 MLS season against Columbus Crew on February 22.

Manchester United have held talks with a “genius” manager to replace Erik ten Hag and have had an instant reply, according to a report.

Man Utd hold meeting over Ten Hag future

The Red Devils have made their worst start to a Premier League season under Ten Hag, eclipsing the unwelcome record broken during the 2023/24 campaign after seven games. Just two victories have come United’s way during that time, an opening day win against Fulham and a 3-0 win at Southampton, with defeats to Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham.

As a result, pressure has been building on Ten Hag, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe was questioned on Ten Hag’s future recently, telling the BBC: “I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day, it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how best we run the team in many different respects.

“They’ve not been there a long time, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear.”

Man Utd believe they'll sign £10m-a-year target even if they sack Ten Hag

Man Utd have their eye on a player they would like to sign whether Ten Hag stays or leaves.

By
Brett Worthington

Oct 9, 2024

During the international break, Man Utd chiefs held a meeting to discuss Ten Hag’s future among other Old Trafford topics. The Times say that after six hours, the Dutchman avoided the sack and will continue as boss for the time being.

However, a new report has shared contact between Man Utd and a serious target who seemingly could have replaced Ten Hag.

Man Utd hold talks with Inter Milan's Simone Inzaghi

One manager who has been linked with Man Utd is Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi. Reports in recent weeks and months have claimed that he is a firm target and was liked by Ratcliffe as a possible Ten Hag successor.

Now, according to reports from FC Inter News, Man Utd held talks with Inzaghi just last month, although the 3-5-2 style manager declined the approach from the Red Devils.

The report states that Inzaghi has had interest from Chelsea and Liverpool earlier in the year and has now had a phone call with Man Utd but he is looking ‘to continue to win trophies in Italy, aiming to do well in the Champions League’.

Inzaghi, dubbed a “genius” by Thierry Henry, politely said “no thank you” to Man Utd, according to the report, who said it would have been crazy to swap jobs so early into the season. Whether or not Man Utd return for Inzaghi in. the future remains to be seen, but for now, Ten Hag survives.

Bumrah-less India pay for lax fielding and death bowling as Rahul and Hardik’s fifties go in vain

Deivarayan Muthu20-Sep-20222:54

Is India’s bowling a concern heading into the T20 World Cup?

Cameron Green blitzed a 26-ball half-century in his first innings as an opener in professional cricket and Matthew Wade provided the finishing kick as Australia hunted down 209 on a flat pitch in Mohali to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.Green unleashed some Mitchell Marsh-style slog-sweeps during his 30-ball 61 to lay the platform for Australia’s tall chase. Axar Patel then applied the brakes on Australia with figures of 3 for 17 in his four overs – he was the only bowler to go at under seven an over on the day – but Wade accelerated in the end overs to ice the chase, with four balls and four wickets to spare.It was Australia’s second-highest successful chase in T20I cricket. They made Jasprit Bumrah-less India pay for their lax fielding – they dropped at least three chances – and death bowling, as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel ended with combined figures of 8-0-101-0India stay true to their attacking approach
Although both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell early, India kept attacking through KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Rahul took on the pace of Josh Hazlewood and Green while Suryakumar picked off 22 runs off nine balls from legspinner Adam Zampa.Rahul went on to notch up a half-century off 32 balls in the 11th over, but in the next, Hazlewood returned to dismiss him. Suryakumar unfurled some delightful pick-up shots and punches before Green found extra bounce and cut his innings short at 46 off 25 balls.Hardik Pandya struck a rapid 30-ball 71 not out•BCCI

Pandya-monium
The placid track, a lighting-quick outfield and incredible ball-striking formed the ingredients of a Hardik special. He smashed an unbeaten 71 off 30 balls to propel India beyond 200.He set to work with a clubbed six over midwicket off Green in the 14th over and proceeded to even squeeze yorkers – or near yorkers – away for fours. That he often flitted around the crease also threw bowlers off their lines and lengths. He reached his own fifty off 25 balls at the end of the 19th over and with only No.8 Harshal for company, he farmed the strike in the last and closed out the innings with 6,6,6.Aaron Finch gambled with Green for the final over and the allrounder ended up conceding 21. Nathan Ellis, fresh off a stint with London Sprit in the Hundred, was more impressive with his pace and length variations, returning 3 for 30 in his four overs, including the key wickets of Kohli and Dinesh Karthik.Green shows his range with the bat
Green might not have even played had Marsh or Marcus Stoinis been fit, but he seized his opportunity, giving Australia the blistering start they needed. He sent his first four balls – all from Umesh Yadav – for fours, with the third one demonstrating his firepower. Umesh took pace off and bowled a slower legcutter, but Green generated his own pace and flat-batted it back so hard that it burst through the hands of the bowler and sped into the straight boundary. Green was similarly strong against spin as well, taking Yuzvendra Chahal for 21 off a mere eight balls.Green got another life, on 42, when Axar dropped him at deep midwicket. He added 19 to his tally before Axar got him with the ball.The endgame
Green’s dismissal triggered a wobble as Australia lost three wickets for 14 runs in 12 balls. When Josh Inglis was bowled by Axar, Australia still needed 64 off 35 balls. Wade alone hit 45 off 29 balls, to expose India’s death bowling, providing a throwback to his heroics against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup semi-finals last year in the UAE.At one stage, it looked like Wade would finish the game off with Tim David after having handed David his first Australia cap. However, David fell trying to clear the boundary. Pat Cummins, though, got the job done with a four off the next ball.

Plymouth Argyle have been rewarded with a fifth round FA Cup tie against Manchester City after knocking out Arne Slot's Liverpool.

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• FA Cup draw made on Monday
• Plymouth to face Man City
• Holders Man Utd up against Fulham

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Plymouth produced the shock of the FA Cup fourth round by dumping out Liverpool with a 1-0 win on Sunday. The Devon-based side will now face Premier League opposition once again in round five after being drawn against Pep Guardiola's side. Elsewhere, holders Manchester United will take on Fulham, while Newcastle United are up against Brighton & Hove Albion.

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  THE DRAW IN FULL

  Preston North End vs Burnley

  Aston Villa vs Cardiff City

  Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace vs Millwall

  Man Utd vs Fulham

  Newcastle Utd vs Brighton

  Bournemouth vs Wolves

  Man City vs Plymouth

  Exeter City or Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Plymouth are this year's FA Cup giant-killers after knocking out Premier League side Brentford on their own patch before pulling off the mother of all upsets at home to Liverpool. In a time where many have questioned the so-called 'magic' of the famous old competition, cup runs like Plymouth's show why this tournament still has merit. Whether they can beat City remains to be seen.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Plymouth, United and the other sides left in the tournament will play their fifth round FA Cup ties between February 28 and March 3.