Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons has admitted the club will not have a new head coach June, despite firing Becki Tweed way back in December.
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Angel City sacked head coach Tweed in December
New NWSL season begins this week
But ACFC won't have replacement until June
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Angel City parted ways with Tweed before the end of 2024, after a disappointing NWSL season which saw the club finish 12th in a 14-team league. A month later, ACFC hired Parsons, who won everything possible in his five-and-a-half-year stint with the Portland Thorns, but to be the sporting director rather than the coach.
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Angel City FC
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The new NWSL season begins this weekend, when the Orlando Pride face the Washington Spirit in the curtain-rising Challenge Cup. On March 16, Angel City will then begin its regular season campaign at home to the San Diego Wave, its big California rivals. However, it will do so under the interim charge of Sam Laity – an arrangement that Parsons says will continue until June.
WHAT PARSONS SAID
Speaking to media this week, Parsons said: :First of all, I want to share that Sam Laity is our interim head coach and we believe he will be our interim head coach until June. That's the current reality of our head coach process. Our head coach process is getting to a point where it is getting clearer, but it's still not clear when the head coach could be joining us at Angel City.
"The journey that we're on and the way the process is looking right now, the head coach won't be here at the beginning of March, like I previously shared was one option. The availability of the candidates that are left in the process are all available in June, and in the next few weeks, I hope to be able to give a more concrete update.
"While we're very committed to finding the best person, the only reason we're in a position to be able to do this is because we've got someone like Sam Laity, who's been in this league for over 12 years as an assistant coach and as a head coach leading our team and organization on the field right now. He's doing a tremendous job. We're very happy and grateful for the way that he has conducted himself and continues to lead our group."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Parsons' comments about candidates being available in June tie in with one rumour that has been doing the rounds in England, suggesting that Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor could be a target. The Women's Super League season runs until May and so any move would likely come after its conclusion, although Taylor squashed the rumours when asked about them in January, having only last year signed a contract extension until 2027.
“I’ve nothing to comment on in terms of the speculation," he said. "I think for me, I signed the contract around this time last year, really happy at the club, really grateful to the club for many, many years being here as a player and as a coach. I think we’ve got work to do here for sure. I’m excited about the challenge ahead. I’m excited about where we can potentially move things. Of course, there’s a lot of hard work still to be done, so I’m happy where I am."
The pair patched up a top-order collapse before Siraj and Prasidh dominated West Indies
Sidharth Monga11-Feb-20221:24
Chopra: Rohit’s tactics as a captain as good as Dhoni, if not better
India completed a clean sweep of the ODI series with yet another win from early strife of a top-order collapse. Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer pulled India up from 42 for 3, Washington Sundar and Deepak Chahar provided late runs, and then the bowlers ran through West Indies to deny them a single score of 200 in the series.This was yet another satisfying win for the team management from a team-building point of view: apart from yet another middle-order comeback, they welcomed back Kuldeep Yadav, who bowled with zip and took two wickets in his first international since last July, when he was part of a second-string squad sent to Sri Lanka.All three pitches in the series have been challenging ones. The extra bounce and dual pace off this surface kept the tall West Indies bowlers in the game. Not only did India make a host of changes to their XI, they also chose to bat first to test themselves in possible dewy conditions in the evening.Once Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach found their lengths after the first two overs, they proved to be a difficult proposition for the batters. The wickets themselves were not off magic deliveries. Rohit Sharma played a loose drive to chop on, Virat Kohli tickled a ball down the leg side to get out for a duck in the same Joseph over, and Shikhar Dhawan top-edged a cut to slip. However, it was the dot balls in between because of the tackiness and extra bounce that created the pressure.On this pitch, back from his opening duties in the second ODI, Pant looked the most comfortable even as Iyer scratched around early on. Without playing a shot in anger – an upper-cut here, a targeting of left-arm spin there – Pant scored 56 at better than a-run-a-ball. Iyer found himself stuck on the other end, faced 84 balls in 20.3-over partnership and needed some early luck to survive.Pant, though, perished to the late-cut to a flatter trajectory from legspinner Hayden Walsh jnr, a shot that had brought him runs. This allowed West Indies a way back in as India kept trying to press on. Suryakumar Yadav ended up slicing an aerial cover drive, and Iyer found long-off just before the 40th over, which is when an extra fielder goes back. Iyer scored 55 off the last 51 balls he faced.Deepak Chahar made a strong comeback•BCCI
Washington and Chahar then provided another recovery with a 53-run seventh-wicket stand in just 8.3 overs. Chahar in particular looked threatening with four fours and two sixes in his run-a-ball 38, but Holder intervened with a slower bouncer to dismiss him. Kuldeep met the same fate. Washington, though, batted into the last over for 33 off 34. It was, again, Holder, who restricted the damage he might have caused in the end.Kuldeep was not the only bowler making a comeback. Deepak Chahar, who nearly won India the last ODI he played, has been kept out for more hit-the-deck bowlers. For this match, he replaced Shardul Thakur, the bowler who most closely resembles his style. Chahar, though, gets more swing than Thakur and relies on fuller lengths. They accounted for Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks in the same over, the fifth of the innings. Both of them failed to catch up with the away movement.Even before that, Mohammed Siraj had accounted for Shai Hope with the wobble-seam nipbacker for the second time this series, making it the first time since October 2018 that India had taken more than two powerplay wickets. Again it was not just the wicket-taking deliveries. They regularly hit the higher part of the bat with the extra bounce in the pitch.If these two were troubling the batters with extra bounce, Prasidh Krishna was going to be a handful. Darren Bravo and Holder will testify, getting the higher parts of their outside edges for catches to slips.It was a good time for Kuldeep to ease his way back in. He consistently made the ball drop shorter than the batters’ expectations, getting sharp turn and bounce. Fabian Allen was done in by a wrong’un, playing for the turn back in on the big drive, but getting a faint outside edge. Nicholas Pooran fell to the orthodox delivery, done in again by the dip, edging to first slip.Odean Smith presented a nice little challenge from 82 for 7, hitting Kuldeep for three sixes in his 18-ball 36. This is the kind of pressure you want to see Kuldeep under and see how he holds up. However, it was Siraj, who came back and ended the fun with his hard lengths, drawing a catch to cover an over after Smith was dropped at mid-off.Joseph and Walsh jnr frustrated India even as the dew set in, but they were never going to challenge the target. Siraj and Prasidh came back to end the proceedings with hostile short bowling.
Everything you need to know about Bayern Munich's main man Harry Kane's salary in numbers
Harry Kane joined German giants Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, having spent over a decade at Tottenham previously.
Hunting his first major title as a senior player, Kane has been firing on all cylinders for the Bundesliga side since his move, averaging almost a goal every game.
Kane’s pedigree as a world-class striker has unsurprisingly earned him the spot of the highest-paid player at the club, but just how much does the prolific striker earn at Bayern?
GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!
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Harry Kane’s wages at Bayern Munich in numbers
Kane currently stands as the highest-paid player in the Bayern squad, ahead of club legend Manuel Neuer.
Kane earns a hefty salary of £398,599 ($503,484) on a weekly basis, while his annual salary crosses the £20 million ($26m) mark by quite some distance.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Harry Kane
English
£398,599
$503,484
£20,727,134
$26,181,168
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Bayern Munich
As mentioned above, Kane is the highest earner at the club followed by Neuer. At number three comes in defensive midfielder Joshua Kimmich, followed by Serge Gnabry and the talented Jamal Musiala at the fourth and fifth position, respectively.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Harry Kane
English
£398,599
$503,484
£20,727,134
$26,181,168
Manuel Neuer
German
£334,823
$422,927
£17,410,792
$21,992,181
Joshua Kimmich
German
£310,907
$392,718
£16,167,164
$20,421,311
Serge Gnabry
German
£300,862
$380,030
£15,644,840
$19,761,545
Jamal Musiala
German
£300,862
$380,030
£15,644,840
$19,761,545
Top 5 earners in the Bundesliga
Bayern Munich’s dominance in Germany is evident not in just their performances and the titles won, but also in their wage bill.
The top twelve highest earners in the Bundesliga are all Bayern players, followed by Borussia Dortmund centre-back Niklas Sule at the 13th position, who spent five seasons at the Allianz Arena before joining Dortmund in 2022.
Player
Nationality
Weekly wages in GBP
Weekly wages in USD
Annual wages in GBP
Annual wages in USD
Harry Kane
English
£398,599
$503,484
£20,727,134
$26,181,168
Manuel Neuer
German
£334,823
$422,927
£17,410,792
$21,992,181
Joshua Kimmich
German
£310,907
$392,718
£16,167,164
$20,421,311
Serge Gnabry
German
£300,862
$380,030
£15,644,840
$19,761,545
Jamal Musiala
German
£300,862
$380,030
£15,644,840
$19,761,545
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Getty ImagesHighest paid players in the world
Despite Kane's astronomical wages at Bayern, he falls fairly short of the top spot when it comes to the highest-paid players in the world.
Leading the charts currently is arguably one of the greatest forwards to have ever played the sport in Cristiano Ronaldo. Following the Al Nassr star is his former Real Madrid team-mate in Karim Benzema.
At number three comes in Riyad Mahrez of Al Ahli, while Senegal internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly take the final spots to cap off the top five list.
All afromentioned players currently play football in the Saudi Premier League.
A West Ham United star could be close to making a move to Saudi Arabia, with these next few days described as “decisive” when it comes to his potential exit.
Lopetegui pressure mounting as West Ham consider January action
Julen Lopetegui failed to guide his side to a much-needed win over fellow strugglers Everton last Saturday, drawing 0-0, and their stalemate did little to alleviate concerns surrounding the manager’s suitability to replace David Moyes.
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The 58-year-old has been under mounting pressure in the last few weeks, having overseen just three league wins so far, with reports suggesting that West Ham are sounding out replacements for Lopetegui already.
It is even believed that Lopetegui is frustrating crucial club figureheads with late U-turns over key decisions on matchdays, while talkSPORT reported recently that “several” senior players are not behind the West Ham boss.
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#13
09/11/2024
Everton (H)
Premier League
0-0 draw
#12
02/11/2024
Nottingham Forest (A)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
Lopetegui hasn’t exactly been helped by the ongoing crisis over summer signing Niclas Fullkrug, who was brought in to end West Ham’s reliance on Michail Antonio and Danny Ings going forward.
The Germany international, who scored 16 goals in all competitions for Borussia Dortmund last season, has been sidelined with a niggling achilles tendon injury, which he picked up on international duty in September.
Niclas Fullkrug for West Ham
Lopetegui has urged West Ham to make January signings, with the club apparently considering that possibility. There are also reports that star players are growing frustrated, like winger Mohammed Kudus, and an update has come to light on his future this afternoon.
Kudus could be close to Saudi move with next few days "decisive"
According to reports out of Spain, the Ghana international has an offer from the Saudi Pro League, and these next few days could be “decisive” in determining his future at Rush Green.
It is believed Kudus could be “very close” to moving to Saudi Arabia, which would be a blow for Lopetegui amid the plethora of other issues he’s been forced to deal with lately.
Mohammed Kudus celebrates for West Ham
The “underrated” forward is one of West Ham’s most crucial forward players, having completed more successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in the squad (WhoScored), which has attracted rumoured interest from the likes of Liverpool as they search for a potential Mohammed Salah replacement.
It would be surprising if Kudus, who West Ham signed for just £38 million, does opt for a Saudi switch at this stage of his career, but as we’ve seen from the likes of Ruben Neves, we cannot entirely rule it out either.
Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson have returned to India’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which begins in Lucknow on February 24.Both Jadeja and Samson have recovered sufficiently from injuries while Shardul Thakur has been rested for both the T20I and Test series. Jasprit Bumrah, who had been rested for the white-ball series at home against West Indies, also returned to the squad, as vice-captain. He will lead a seam attack comprising Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj and the uncapped Avesh Khan.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who had exited the Kolkata bubble after helping India wrap up the T20I series against West Indies, have been rested for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.Pant’s absence created an opportunity for Samson but he is not there in mere place-holding capacity. Chairman of selectors Chetan Sharma said: “Sanju is in our scheme of things. Most importantly we have to see which is a cricketer who will be useful on Australian wickets. He is definitely in our scheme of things [for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year].”Related
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Allrounder Hardik Pandya, who will be captaining the new franchise Gujarat Titans in the IPL, was not considered as he was not yet fully fit. “Hardik was a very important part of the Indian team,” Chetan said. “But after the injuries, until he is 100% fit, until we get a confirmation he is 100% fit, ready to go and that he is bowling and is match fit, we can’t consider him.”Hardik has not played any domestic cricket since being left out of the Indian team but his IPL team named him the captain despite the fitness record. Chetan was asked if the selection process was being compromised if Hardik comes back to the World Cup squad based on his performance in the IPL. Chetan said runs in IPL was no guarantee to get his place back, but asked for support for Hardik. “What Hardik has done for the country, you shouldn’t forget in one minute.”
Pakistan end campaign at the bottom with one win while New Zealand’s campaign, too, is all but over
Firdose Moonda25-Mar-2022New Zealand’s World Cup campaign all but ended with a display of the value of experience and the exuberance of youth, which combined to secure a big win over Pakistan. Suzie Bates scored her 12th ODI century and became the first New Zealand batter, and fourth overall, to reach 5,000 runs in the format before Katey Martin’s 30 off 26 balls pushed New Zealand’s total over 250 and into challenging territory. Then, Hannah Rowe’s career-best 5 for 55 derailed a decent Pakistan effort and forced a collapse of 6 for 19 which took Pakistan from 155 for 3 to 174 for 9.Although New Zealand still have a mathematical chance of qualification for the semi-finals, they would need South Africa to beat India and Bangladesh to beat England by significant margins to improve their net run-rate considerably. New Zealand bid a packed Hagley Oval farewell with an emotional performance which started with Martin’s tears during the national anthem and ended with her waving to the crowd, away from the rest of the group, whose celebrations were subdued.Related
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Nida Dar, the Pakistan playmaker
Pakistan’s tournament is also over and they finish at the bottom of the points table, with a solitary win. Although the results do not reflect well on them, they ended an 18-match losing streak at World Cups, dating back to March 2009 when they beat West Indies in a rain-affected encounter, and competed well in patches throughout the competition. They also won hearts, thanks to the consistent presence of Bismah Maroof’s baby daughter Fatima, who delighted supporters and opposition alike.Baby Maroof had plenty to marvel at in this match, albeit mainly from New Zealand’s performance. Bates put on a dominant display of leg-side hitting with an array of sweeps, pulls and flicks, and scored 90 of her 126 runs on the on-side. She scored quickly, at a strike rate of 93.33, and formed half-century partnerships with Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday to lay a foundation for New Zealand to push for a big score, but her innings was not without its nervy moments.In the fifth over, Bates was given out lbw as she missed the flick off Diana Baig. With a second to spare on the DRS timer, she reviewed the decision and ball-tracking showed the delivery was going on to miss leg stump. Bates was on 17 at the time.She was the more attacking partner in her stand with Amelia Kerr and brought up her half-century off 54 balls with a sweep off Nashra Sandhu, but then needed to do a rebuilding job after a Nida Dar double-strike. In the space of three balls, Dar dismissed Kerr and Amy Sattherthwaite to put the brakes on. Pakistan conceded just 40 runs in the next 10 overs and gave away only two boundaries in that period and kept Maddy Green particularly quiet. She scored 18 runs off 40 balls when her fourth-wicket stand with Bates reached fifty and was on 23 when she Green was beaten by a Dar delivery that spun back in and bowled her.Bates’ century came up three balls later with a pull behind square off the 110th ball she faced. New Zealand entered the final 10 overs on 197 for 4, and in a good position to push for a total over 260. But, in the 43rd over, Bates was bowled, in the 46th Halliday followed and in the 47th there were twin run-outs. New Zealand lost 4 for 20 before Martin took it on herself to up the ante. New Zealand scored 32 in their last two overs to undo some of Pakistan’s strangling work at the end.Pakistan started their chase with authority and put on 39 in the first nine overs. Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali were confident against the short ball but were dismissed in successive overs to dent Pakistan’s start. Maroof and Onaima Sohail put on 26 for the third-wicket and scored slowly to drag Pakistan to the 19th over on 83 for 2 before Sohail was caught low at slip by Satterthwaite. That brought Dar to the crease and she capped off a good all-round performance with her 10th ODI half-century and put Pakistan back on track.Maroof and Dar put on 82 for the fourth-wicket, at a scoring rate of 5.23 and though the required run-rate had risen to over seven, they showed good signs of intent. All that changed when the Rowe show began.In the 35th over, Rowe’s fifth, she had Maroof caught down the leg side to start Pakistan’s slide. Two overs later, Aliya Riaz edged an attempted cut and Dar was bowled by an offcutter that dipped on her and took out off stump to all but end Pakistan’s chances of reaching the target. Rowe put the finishing touches on in the 41st over, when she bowled Sidra Nawaz with an inswinger and had Diana Baig caught at cover-point. She could have had a sixth wicket when Sandhu was given out lbw but reviewed and ball-tracking showed it was missing. Sandhu was not dismissed and Pakistan batted out their overs but ended well short.
أصدر نادي الزمالك قرارًا جديدًا بشأن أحد لاعبي فريق كرة القدم الأول، بعد أيام قليلة من استبعاد أحمد سيد زيزو نجم الفارس الأبيض على خلفية انضمامه للغريم التقليدي النادي الأهلي.
وعلم بطولات أن نادي الزمالك قرر استبعاد محمد السيد لاعب خط الوسط لفريق الشاب من تدريبات الفريق الأول.
خاص | طلبات معقدة من الونش للتجديد مع الزمالك.. والأخير يحسمها
وجاء ذلك بعد رفضه تجديد عقده الذي يتبقى فيه موسم ونصف، مع استمرار مشاركة اللاعب في تدريبات فريق 2006.
وكانت الأيام الماضية قد شهدت تردد أنباء حول استهداف النادي الأهلي التعاقد مع اللاعب محمد السيد من أجل تدعيم صفوف الفريق الأحمر.
ويأتي قرار استبعاد اللاعب في وقت حساس، حيث يسعى الزمالك لتحديد التشكيل الأساسي والمثالي للفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة، في ظل المنافسات القوية في الدوري المصري وكذلك مشاركاته الإفريقية.
Newcastle United were impressive in their 3-3 draw with Liverpool in midweek, but must now build on that foundation away from St. James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side have the perfect chance to do just that, meeting Brentford in the capital this afternoon with both sat on 20 points, one win behind fifth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
Attacking weapons have been blunted for much of the current campaign but there was plenty to admire against the Reds on Wednesday.
Brentford will provide a different test to be sure, having won six and drawn one of their seven top-flight matches at the Gtech Community Stadium this season. Newcastle need to be on their a-game.
Newcastle team news
Sven Botman is still not ready to make his anticipated return to the Newcastle backline, but he should make an appearance before the new year. Fellow defenders Emil Krafth and Jamal Lascelles are also out of action.
Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon all had little niggles after such a hard-fought performance against Liverpool but should be clear to start against the Bees.
While Thomas Frank’s side have been imperious on home turf, Newcastle cannot afford to be defeated, and must now produce a top-class display to leapfrog them into European contention.
It’s crucial that Newcastle win the midfield battle.
Newcastle's midfield balance
Against Liverpool, Newcastle’s centre-midfielders won 20 duels in combination, with the host side narrowly winning the total duel success (52% vs 48%).
Joelinton for Newcastle
Joelinton proved himself a menace, serving as a charging bull. This is something that works extremely well in counterpoint to Bruno Guimaraes’ elegant ball-playing game.
That’s not to say that he’s not combative himself, having won 7.9 duels per Premier League game this season, as per Sofascore, but there’s a distinct contrast that works neatly for Howe’s system.
The question centres on who to place on the right side of the central engine room. Sean Longstaff is industrious, while Tonali carries a slickness that helps Newcastle to establish control.
But it’s Joe Willock who must be handed a starting role against Brentford, with the dynamic midfielder carrying the properties needed to send Brentford in a spin.
Howe must unleash Joe Willock
Willock failed to produce his finest football for most of the 2023/24 campaign, having been limited to just nine Premier League appearances as he recovered from an Achilles injury, with a recurrence chucking him back in the infirmary after a fleeting period of recovery.
Joe Willock
The 25-year-old is a determined sort, however, and has managed to hit some impressive form in spells this season, notably combining with Joelinton to great effect. Willock’s technical flair deserves praise, and he might even be Newcastle’s best ball-carrying asset when fit and firing.
As per FBref, the 5 foot 10 midfielder ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 13% for shot-creating actions and the top 17% for tackles per 90, emphasising that point but also pointing toward a roundedness that will allow him to balance out the midfield at Brentford.
It’s interesting to note that Willock’s statistical style – as per FBref – is matched with that of Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, who scored a fine goal on Tyneside earlier this week.
Minutes played
90′
Goals
1
Touches
75
Shots (on target)
3 (2)
Accurate passes
55/57 (96%)
Key passes
1
Dribbles (completed)
2 (2)
Tackles
2
Ground duels (won)
10 (7)
Though Newcastle’s midfielders largely succeeded in their central battles, it’s clear that Jones managed to keep things balanced, with his crisp passing, progressive movements and solid combative approach making things difficult for Howe’s team.
He completed both of his attempted dribbles, and given that Willock is also adept in carrying the ball into the danger area, he must be handed a starting role today, allowed to push against the Londoners’ backline, bend it and seize openings.
With just two wins across ten recent Premier League matches, Newcastle cannot afford to cede further ground in the congested battle for a place at the front of the table. It’s early into the campaign still, but a standard needs to be set.
Given that Tonali didn’t enjoy his finest outing against Liverpool, surely it would be worth throwing Willock back in. The 25-year-old only made three touches during his cameo in midweek, but won his only contested duel and made a tackle too. He can do it all.
Joe Willock for Newcastle United.
Howe praised Willock’s “infectious” energy in midfield last season, and indeed, it’s this kind of approach that will be needed to overwhelm Brentford and complete a statement victory to springboard the project back into the European realm.
Whether Newcastle become the first to beat Brentford in their own backyard this term remains to be seen, but Willock is a singular asset and must be unleashed. He might just be the difference-maker.
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INEOS have sent Manchester United scouts to watch a hugely in-demand young player, according to a recent report. The Red Devils enjoyed their first Premier League game at Old Trafford under new head coach Ruben Amorim on Sunday, as they cruised to a 4-0 win over Everton. It has been a good week for United, as Amorim continues to get to grips with his new squad.
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Amorim will get to know his players very well over the coming weeks, as United play every three to four days in various competitions. However, as any new manager or head coach does, he may already know which players are not going to be part of his team going forward and have replacements in mind.
Midfielder Christian Eriksen looks set to leave Old Trafford at the end of this season. The Denmark international is out of contract at the end of this campaign, and as things stand, he will not be offered a new deal and therefore will be allowed to leave for nothing, as the Man United boss targets two new midfield signings.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Amorim has requested that United look to sign Patrick Dorgu from Leece in the January transfer window. It has been stated that signing a left-back is a priority for the Red Devils, and Dorgu could be that addition in the New Year.
INEOS send Man Utd scouts to watch Valentin Atangana
According to Alan Nixon, relayed by Inside Futbol, Manchester United had scouts present to watch Reims midfielder Valentin Atangana in action last week. As previously mentioned, signing a midfielder or two is on United’s radar, as Eriksen looks set to leave soon and there is still talk of an exit for Casemiro in the summer.
Atangana is 19 years old and has come through the ranks at Reims, playing 35 times for the first team over two and a half seasons. The French under-21 international has started all 13 league games he has played in Ligue 1 in this campaign but has yet to find the back of the net or register an assist.
The midfielder is not being watched just by United, as there are also many other Premier League teams keeping an eye on his situation. Teams such as Brentford, Liverpool, Everton, and Aston Villa are also tracking the player and have had scouts tracking him as well.
Interestingly, When looking at Fbref’s comparison tool, which evaluates players based on key statistical metrics, Atangana is very similar to United’s own Kobbie Mainoo.
Valentin Atangana’s 2024/25 league stats compared to Kobbie Mainoo
Atangana
Mainoo
Apps
13
7
xG
0.2
0.1
xA
0.3
0.7
Progressive carries
16
5
Progressive passes
41
24
Shots per 90
0.90
0.63
Tackles (Won)
25 (19)
16 (13)
Interceptions
16
14
This report states that no fewer than 26 teams have been watching Atangana, with Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund looking like serious competition for the English clubs in the mix.
Elliot Lee has reflected on the “phenomenal” progress at Wrexham, while revealing the “biggest weapon” Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have added.
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Red Dragons have enjoyed meteoric rise
Shrewd recruitment made that possible
Intend to keep climbing the EFL ladder
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Hollywood co-owners took the reins in North Wales back in 2021. They have enjoyed quite the journey over the last four years, with a meteoric rise lifting Wrexham out of the National League and to within touching distance of the Championship. The ultimate goal is to one day reach the Premier League.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Reynolds and McElhenney have helped to fund the most ambitious of projects, while bringing A-list friends along for the ride, but it is those on the pitch that are responsible for delivering on expectations and providing plenty of drama for the club’s award-winning documentary series.
WHAT ELLIOT LEE SAID
Lee, who joined Wrexham in 2022, has told of a remarkable adventure: “It’s probably gone even better than I imagined when I joined the club. I wanted to join somewhere where I’d be a part of something and valued. I think everyone saw the project that was going on at Wrexham and I jumped at the chance.
“The rise of the club in the last few years has been phenomenal. This profile of the club and everyone talking about the club has been phenomenal. The first couple of years have been unreal with back-to-back promotions and the success we’ve had and I’m hoping to build on that for the next few years.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Lee went on to say when asked if the Red Dragons’ success in League One this season has come as any surprise: “No. Not really. I’ve played with a lot of the lads for a couple of years now. There are so many of us still here from the National League and I knew how good they were then. The quality that has been brought in have really added to the group. It’s such a strong squad. The dressing room is full of great players and great characters.
“The biggest thing the manager has done so well is bringing in the right characters. The atmosphere around the place every day and the togetherness is something that maybe goes unnoticed by some people, but it’s probably our biggest weapon.
“When things aren’t going well, we’re still together and when they are our feet are still on the ground. We know what we’re capable of and what we want to achieve. A lot of hard work’s gone in to get us where we are and there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us if we want to be where we want to be.”