Martin O’Neill boasted an imperious record against Rangers when he was first Celtic manager, so can he continue that now that the 73-year-old is back in the Parkhead hot-seat two decades later?

To date, the Northern Irishman has won 16 of his 27 Glasgow derbies, losing only eight, the first of which was certainly the most memorable, a 6-2 victory in 2000, in which both Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson bagged braces.

Now though, having been parachuted back into the role, following Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation on Monday, O’Neill is faced with a huge League Cup semi-final on Sunday, coming after Wednesday night’s confidence-boosting 4-0 victory over Falkirk.

If the Hoops are going to prevail at Hampden, thereby setting up a final date with either St Mirren or Motherwell, O’Neill has to make some tough selection decisions, but simply must start one star in place of Celtic’s club-record signing.

Arne Engels' Celtic form

Arne Engels arrived at Celtic on deadline day in the summer of 2024 with sky-high expectations, given that he was replacing Matt O’Riley, one of the best midfielders the club has seen in modern times, as well as the fact that he cost £11m, a club-record fee.

Well, so far, the Belgian international has not flourished in the way many hoped, or indeed expected.

In 68 appearances for the Hoops, Engels has scored ten goals and registered 15 assists, but just two of these goals have come from open play, most recently on target against St Mirren on 1 March, converting a penalty during a 5-2 victory in Paisley.

Prior to starting the last three matches, Engels had not been a regular in the lineup this season, introduced off the bench on nine occasions, with Rodgers favouring summer signing Benjamin Nygren in his position.

Well, the 22-year-old has not grasped these recent opportunities with both hands, considering the Scotsman awarded him a 5/10 rating following last Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle, a match in which he lost possession on 25 occasions, nine times more than any other Celtic player.

The Celts can ill-afford that level of wastefulness at Hampden on Sunday, so O’Neill should relegate Engels back to the bench and start a midfield alternative.

Who Martin O'Neill should start in place of Arne Engels

O’Neill does have plenty of midfield options.

Callum McGregor is a lock, while Nygren returned to the midfield three on Wednesday, having been deployed further forward for Rodgers’ final two fixtures, with Reo Hatate the obvious candidate to complete the trio.

Since arriving in January 2022, the Japanese international has made 156 appearances in hoops, scoring 28 goals and registering 28 assists.

His only goal of this campaign, to date, was a rocket at Pittodrie against Aberdeen in August, thereby only brought on for the final 13 minutes against Falkirk this week.

Nevertheless, Hatate’s statistics from last season underline his importance to this Celtic side.

As the table highlights, Hatate was a vital figure in Celtic’s team last season; in fact, of the four players who scored more goals than he did, only Daizen Maeda is still at the club, with compatriot Kyōgo Furuhashi, Adam Idah and Nicolas Kühn having all departed.

Hatate also led the way in terms of shot and big chances created, while he has previously netted three times against Rangers, on target twice during his Glasgow derby debut in February 2022, one of the most famous nights Parkhead has witnessed in a long time, as well as firing into the bottom corner in vain back in March.

Callum McFadden describes Hatate as “one of the most naturally gifted players” Celtic have had in recent decades, while Martin Crawford of Breaking the Lines asserted that he is ‘the best player in Scotland’, adding that the ‘naturally refined technician’ possesses incredible ‘energy, determination and…. football intellect’.

Arriving from Kawasaki Frontale for just £1.5m, Football Transfers believe the midfielder’s current market value to be around £9.23m, representing one of the best bargain buys in Scottish football history, and there were a few contenders during the Ange Postecoglou-era.

Bringing it back to this Sunday’s derby, Hatate’s on-ball quality and out-of-possession work-rate makes him a must starter for O’Neill.

Danny Röhl is set to deploy Rangers in a 3-4-2-1, giving the midfield pairing of Mohamed Diomandé and Nicolas Raskin a lot of ground to cover, so Celtic need to do everything they can to win this midfield battle.

Chalkboard

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

Unlike Engels, Hatate has proved consistently capable of producing big moments in the biggest matches, so the Japanese international, alongside captain McGregor and Nygren, is surely the way to go, with midfield the real strength of this Celtic team.

Centre-back and centre-forward, given the ongoing injury crisis….. not so much!

O'Neill 2.0: Celtic chasing "one of the best coaches" as Ange alternative

Rather than Ange Postecoglou, should Celtic appoint “one of the best coaches” in the EFL who would repeat Martin O’Neill’s success from 2 decades ago?

By
Ben Gray

Oct 31, 2025

Ben Dawkins struck a sparkling maiden List A century to steer Kent Spitfires to their second Metro Bank One Day Cup victory of the season, beating a youthful Northamptonshire side by seven wickets at Wantage Road as they chased down 244 with 32 deliveries to spare.The in-form England Under-19 opener struck an unbeaten 111 (105 balls, 12 fours, two sixes), sharing a second-wicket stand of 157 off 181 balls with Joey Evison who made a fine 82 (106 balls, 10 fours, 1 six).Young guns Aadi Sharma and Stuart van der Merwe (37) starred with the bat for the Steelbacks in a stand of 75 off 87 balls characterised by rapid running between the wickets. Sharma made an excellent 82 (90 balls, 8 fours, 1 six), his maiden List A half-century.Their stand came after Evison, who bowled his 10 overs straight through, removed Northamptonshire’s top order to finish with career best List A figures off three for 36.Matt Parkinson took two for 50 as Northamptonshire suffered a middle order collapse, before some lower order hitting from Dom Leech (36 off 35 balls), but the hosts’ eventual total of 243 all out proved insufficient.Earlier Luke Procter (15) was caught behind playing at a wide one from Evison. But Sharma was soon into his work, hooking and driving sweetly, although he rode his luck at times.James Sales fresh from scores of 117 and 98, fell cheaply, adjudged lbw to one that kept low from Evison, while Northamptonshire lost a third when George Bartlett was caught behind off Evison, cutting close to his body.That brought Sharma together with van der Merwe who tucked into Parkinson’s legspin, cutting through cover and swotting him over long-off for six.van der Merwe reverse swept Jack Leaning, taking Northamptonshire past 100, while Sharma uppercut Corey Flintoff over the vacant slip region to reach 50 off 58 balls.The drinks break brought a wicket when van der Merwe chipped Leaning straight to long-on, but Sharma continued to attack. He skipped down the pitch to deposit Leaning over extra cover and clipped Flintoff off his legs for six into the old signal box at deep square leg.The tide turned as Parkinson made a double breakthrough, three wickets falling for five runs in 17 balls. First Parkinson bowled Lewis McManus round his legs before spinning one past off-stump to take the edge of Sharma’s bat through to the keeper. Next delivery Mohammad Rizvi trapped Rob Keogh plumb lbw.With Northamptonshire 171 for seven, Leech found a good ally in debutant Aryaman Varma (30) in an enterprising stand of 59. Leech attacked the spinners, smiting Parkinson over midwicket before sweeping for six, while Varma deployed the cut shot to good effect.Leech smashed Rizvi straight to bring up the 50 partnership before Jaydn Denly struck twice in two balls, bowling Leech as he attempted to reverse sweep before bowling Yuzvendra Chahal. Fred Klaassen picked up the final wicket, Varma well caught by a tumbling Flintoff at mid-off.Dawkins started aggressively, punching several boundaries through the off-side and pulling Procter for a straight six. Denly (20) meanwhile sent a huge six flying over deep midwicket off Leech as Kent raced past 50 inside seven overs.Scoring briefly slowed against spinners Nirvan Ramesh and Chahal with the opening stand of 58 ended by a sensational one-handed diving catch by van der Merwe at cover off Ramesh.Dawkins reached 50 with a streaky boundary off Varma, while Evison collected boundaries against the spinners as he hit over extra cover, reaching his own half-century with a sumptuous cover drive off Leech.Runs kept coming for Evison as he smashed over midwicket, while Dawkins reached his ton with elan, pulling van der Merwe over midwicket for six.Evison crunched van der Merwe for a straight six before he holed out at long-on, Chris Benjamin following soon after in similar fashion off Keogh, but with the target in sight, Dawkins was there to see his side home.

MatériaMais Notícias

Com eliminações dolorosas e instabilidade no comando técnico, o Atlético-MG não correspondeu às expectativas no primeiro semestre de 2023. Porém, sob o comando de Felipão e a parceria de Paulinho e Hulk no ataque, o Galo teve a melhor campanha do segundo turno no Brasileirão e inicia o planejamento para 2024 com otimismo.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O CAPITÃO BIG PHIL

Contratado para substituir Eduardo Coudet, Felipão conviveu com críticas e pressão da torcida pelos maus resultados no Brasileirão. A eliminação diante do Palmeiras, nas oitavas de final da Libertadores, parecia um ponto final não só no ano do Galo, como também na carreira do técnico pentacampeão com a Seleção Brasileira.

18 pontos atrás do líder Botafogo na última rodada do primeiro turno, a briga pelo título parecia improvável, mas Felipão conseguir organizar o Atlético, que não só se aproximou da vaga à Libertadores, como passou a ameaçar os postulantes ao título brasileiro.

DUPLA DE (MUITO) SUCESSO

A recuperação do Galo também passa pelos pés de Paulinho e Hulk. A dupla foi responsável por 66% dos gols da equipe em 2023, liderando o Brasileirão em participações em gols, com 48.

Apenas quatro gols do Atlético no Brasileirão não tiveram toque de um dos atacantes. A última vez que a dupla passou 90 minutos sem marcar ou assistir foi na derrota contra o Cruzeiro, na 28ª rodada. No segundo turno, todos os jogos que o Atlético balançou as redes tiveram ao menos um gol de Hulk ou Paulinho.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

OLHO EM 2024

Após a derrota para o Bahia, Felipão confirmou que tanto ele quanto o Atlético-MG vão cumprir o contrato, e o treinador seguirá até dezembro de 2024. Além dele, Rodrigo Caetano, diretor de futebol do Galo, abafou o interesse do Corinthians e sinalizou que seguirá no clube mineiro para o próximo ano.

– Afirmar para vocês que eu jamais estaria liderando o departamento de futebol do Galo com qualquer tipo de situação acordada com o outro clube. Tudo indica continuidade – disse Caetano durante entrevista coletiva.

Felipão e Rodrigo Caetano se reunirão na sexta-feira (8) para iniciar o planejamento do Atlético-MG. Em 2024, o Galo vai disputar o Campeonato Mineiro, Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil e Libertadores.

Liverpool are back. The latest interminable international break has wrapped up, and Arne Slot will know that his side’s form needs to change, having suffered three successive defeats before the October pause.

But the truth is, the cracks can be traced right through to the start of the campaign. There are many reasons for this, one of which is the heft of Liverpool’s summer spending.

Sure, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz completed bumper moves to Merseyside and are indeed the most expensive players in Premier League history, but it’s understandable that Slot’s new-look side might require a bedding-in period.

But, especially in the case of Wirtz, improvements are needed.

Why the next few weeks are crucial for Wirtz

Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool in July as a legend. Though he’s only 22, the German playmaker spearheaded Xabi Alonso’s invincible, multi-trophy-winning domestic season of 2023/24, and he was crowned the Bundesliga Player of the Year.

A high-profile move to the Premier League always comes with a heavy dose of anxiety, and the silky attacking midfielder has done little to prove Liverpool will receive bang for their buck so far, having failed to notch a goal involvement across eight matches after assisting Hugo Ekitike’s opener in the Community Shield.

Of course, drawing conclusions at this early stage would be reductive, and there is every confidence and expectation that Wirtz will begin firing on all cylinders soon.

But there’s no denying it’s been a slow start, and every passing game will now come weighted with unwanted extra scrutiny.

With the player having taken the no. 7 shirt from Luis Diaz this summer, Wirtz is expected to perform, but there’s already a young wide forward waiting in the wings who might be eyeing that particular shirt already.

The Liverpool talent who could take the #7 shirt

Liverpool have any number of talented young players in their grasp, but none more so than Rio Ngumoha, who has quickly become a household name on Merseyside for his match-winning goal against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in August.

Aged 16 at the time, the electric-paced winger found space and composure in the final embers to seal all three points for the Reds during that highly-charged contest, adding a priceless moment to a career catalogue which is sure to be well-worn by the time he hangs up his boots, many years from now.

Hailed as a “phenomenal talent” by former youth coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, the former Chelsea prospect has featured five times across all competitions so far this season and is so talented that FSG decided against signing a direct Diaz replacement this summer, instead promoting the teenager to a more prominent role.

Wirtz is only 22, but he’s struggling to adapt to the pace and intensity of the Premier League at this present moment.

Ngumoha, however, has already broken his seasonal duck, and given that Isaksson-Hurst continued to stress that he expects to see the forward on the Ballon d’Or list one day, there’s every reason for Liverpool fans to get excited.

And there’s plenty of cause for Wirtz to start looking back over his shoulder at that.

1

James Vaughan

16 yrs, 8 months, 27 days

2

James Milner

16 yrs, 11 months, 22 days

3

Wayne Rooney

16 yrs, 11 months, 25 days

4

Rio Ngumoha

16 yrs, 11 months, 26 days

5

Cesc Fabregas

17 yrs, 3 months, 21 days

He’s still so young, and already playing such convincing football, the fleet-footed talent may even end up surpassing Wirtz and taking that shirt from him, should things not work out for the Germany star in the end.

FSG sold "world-class" Liverpool star, now he's outperforming Salah & Isak

Liverpool have lacked balance and fluency in the final third this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 12, 2025

Football is a fickle game, but the feel-good factor has certainly returned to Manchester United in recent weeks, with Ruben Amorim’s men now in the midst of a rare three-game winning run in the Premier League.

While the prior win at Anfield may have been the cliched ‘statement’ performance, the subsequent display against Brighton provided even greater reason for encouragement.

Like the red arrows – or Sir Alex Ferguson’s beloved geese – United swarmed the Seagulls on Saturday night, with the frontline, in particular, simply proving too hot to handle.

This much-debated 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 set-up has no doubt had its critics, but the weekend triumph showcased what it can look like in full flow, with so many avenues available to hurt the opposition.

If it’s not Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, it’s Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro making an impact, with even the high press of the backline working to emphatic effect amid Luke Shaw’s involvement in the opening two goals.

Where Amorim’s machine currently looks at its best, however, is on the right flank, making it all the more troubling that the Portuguese will soon be without the dynamic duo of Amad and Bryan Mbeumo.

How many games Amad and Mbeumo could miss due to AFCON

There was a moment on the opening weekend that seemed to illustrate everything wrong with Amorim’s approach, with the left-footed pair of Amad and Mbeumo getting in each other’s way inside the area against Arsenal.

With both men looking to come in onto their favoured left foot, they had been occupying the same areas in the early weeks of the season. That has all changed since Sunderland, however.

There were shades of Yorke and Cole about the two men against the Black Cats, while they also combined again to devastating effect against Liverpool, with opposite number Milos Kerkez enduring a torrid day at the office.

As Amad has himself spoken of, there is a fluidity emerging regarding United’s right-sided duo, with the pair comfortable alternating between a no.10 or right wing-back berth mid-game.

Mbeumo, signed for a total fee of £71m this summer, now boasts five goals already for the Red Devils, while Amad has created two ‘big chances’ and provided one assist in the Premier League thus far, as per Sofascore.

Frustratingly, this developing partnership is set to be halted in the near future, with the upcoming African Cup of Nations set to kick off on 21 December. Amad and Mbeumo will be representing Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon, respectively.

While festive fixtures are yet to be totally confirmed by broadcasters, United currently face Aston Villa (21st), Newcastle United (27th) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (30th) in late December, with further fixtures at risk in January should their nations progress.

Bournemouth

15th December

Aston Villa

21st December

Newcastle*

27 December

Wolves*

30th December

Leeds

3rd Jan

Burnley

7th Jan

FA Cup 3rd round

10th Jan

Man City

17th Jan

There should be no pressure applied for the pair to forego their international commitments, however, with Amorim and co instead needing to find international solutions to help fill that double-barreled void.

How Man Utd can replace Mbeumo and Amad

As per journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the impending departure of the two widemen will likely see United block potential January exits, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee having been tipped to depart in the New Year.

In truth, the club’s attacking options are light as it is following the summer exits of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony, with Amorim unable to afford his frontline getting any weaker.

Thankfully, an obvious solution to the Mbeumo absence would be Mason Mount, with the Englishman – who was named on the bench last time out – comfortable either in a left-sided or right-sided number ten role.

That would then leave Cunha and Sesko to complete the attacking trio, with the likes of Zirkzee and Mainoo in reserve – while a surprise chance could emerge for academy sensation, Shea Lacey.

If Amorim is looking for a more natural replacement for either Mbeumo or Amad, however, it might be Patrick Dorgu who he turns to, with the left footer able to provide another “explosive” presence down the right flank – as U23 scout Antonio Mango has described him.

While predominantly deployed on the left flank following his January arrival from Leece, the young Dane has been ousted from that role of late, with Diogo Dalot slotting in at left wing-back in each of the last three victories.

It would seem bizarre to have a right-footer on the left, and a left-footer on the right, although that approach is working currently, ensuring Dorgu might be the man to fill that Amad-Mbeumo-shaped hole.

Indeed, prior to moving to Manchester, the versatile 21-year-old had regularly lined up as a right winger in Italy, with three of his five Serie A goals coming from a right-wing or right midfield berth, as per Transfermarkt.

An impressive ball carrier, like Amad and Mbeumo, Dorgu currently ranks in the top 7% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carriers per 90, as per FBref, as well as in the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 – highlighting his willingness to get forward.

Too often, the £30m signing produces a wayward attempt when cutting onto his right foot from the left, with there the chance that he might well benefit from being able to cut in onto his preferred foot instead from the opposite flank.

Noted as a statistically similar player to Amad in this season’s Premier League, as per FBref, Dorgu might well be the man to replace the Ivorian in something of a new role, having only featured on the right a handful of times to date under Amorim – namely on debut against Leicester City.

The ten-cap Denmark international will have big shoes to fill over the Christmas period, but he might just be the international solution that Amorim is in need of.

Not Cunha or Mbeumo: Man Utd gem is becoming one of the "best in the world"

Manchester United have yet another world-class star on their hands under Ruben Amorim.

2 ByEthan Lamb Oct 30, 2025

The NWSL has seen remarkable growth in its second season on ESPN platforms, with viewership reaching record levels. According to Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel, the league’s average viewership for the 2025 regular season rose 61 percent compared to the previous year, while Spanish-language broadcasts grew by an impressive 109 percent from the 2024 average audience.

Getty Images SportRecord-breaking audience numbers

The 17-match schedule broadcast across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes averaged 228,000 viewers (P2+), a sharp increase from 141,000 during the 2024 season – the NWSL’s inaugural year on ESPN.

This surge reflects the broader rise in women’s sports viewership across ESPN platforms, joining record-setting audiences for both the WNBA and NCAA Women’s Basketball. The league’s partnership with presenting sponsor Ally has further bolstered its media presence, ensuring consistent visibility across multiple broadcast and streaming outlets.

AdvertisementESPN expands playoff coverage

The 2025 NWSL Playoffs kicked off with expanded coverage on November 7, highlighted by a special edition of , ESPN’s weekly studio show dedicated to professional women’s soccer.

Hosted by Cristina Alexander and featuring expert analysis from former USWNT defender Ali Krieger, the program included an exclusive one-on-one interview with Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie as she prepared for her club’s quarterfinal clash against the San Diego Wave.

ImagnQuarterfinal matchups showcased league's competitiveness

The 2025 NWSL quarterfinals concluded with four teams advancing to the semifinals and several closely contested matches highlighting the league’s parity. Top-seeded Kansas City Current (21-3-2) were eliminated in a major upset by No. 8 seed NJ/NY Gotham FC (9-8-9), marking the first time in league history that an eighth seed has won a playoff match.

Three of the four quarterfinal games were decided by a single goal or required extra time, with only one ending in a two-goal margin. The results underscored the competitiveness across the league and set the stage for an evenly matched semifinal round in the race for the 2025 NWSL Championship.

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Viewership growth reflects momentum

The surge in NWSL viewership comes during a transformative period for women’s sports broadcasting, driven by ESPN’s expanded investment and dedicated programming. With playoff audiences typically surpassing regular-season figures, ESPN expects strong postseason numbers leading up to the 2025 NWSL Championship on Nov. 23.

“But I didn’t expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him,” says the fast bowler

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Aug-20251:45

Prasidh: I’ve been picked to do a job

“You are looking in great shape.”Prasidh Krishna didn’t know those words would unsettle Joe Root and play a key role in his dismissal for 29 in an eventful middle session on Friday, when England fell off the tracks and handed the controls of the Oval Test to India.Root had walked in with England in command at 129 for 2 after Zak Crawley fell attempting a pull off Prasidh, giving the tall fast bowler the first of his four wickets of the innings. Prasidh, along with Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, had started to stem the run flow as the weather slides shifted from sunny in the morning to cloudy in the afternoon.The very first ball Root faced, a rising delivery from good length, he was rapped on the glove by Prasidh. Two balls later, a wobble-seam delivery straightened to beat Root’s defence. It was then, possibly, that Prasidh said those words to him.Related

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Next ball, Root hit a square-driven four and uncharacteristically sent verbals at Prasidh, forcing umpire Kumar Dharmasena to intervene and talk to Prasidh. KL Rahul and Shubman Gill joined the group as the umpire cautioned Prasidh for undue aggression in a chat that went for more than two minutes. For the next few overs, Dharmasena continued to follow Prasidh’s movements closely as the Indians and Root exchanged a few words.Prasidh conceded he was surprised at Root getting rattled. “I don’t know why Rooty [reacted],” he told the BBC’s . “I just said, ‘you’re looking in great shape’ and then it turned into a lot of abuse and all of that.”The plan to distract Root by engaging him in a verbal duel, Prasidh admitted, was hatched by the visitors ahead of the Oval Test. “That was the plan, but I didn’t expect the couple of words I said to get such a big reaction from him,” he said at the media briefing.Prasidh said he enjoyed being “aggressive” and it was just the “competitive edge” that had caused what he described as “banter” between Root and him.”That’s just who I am when I’m bowling, when I’m enjoying [my game],” he said. “If it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batter… and it does help me when I can get under the nerves of the batsman and get a reaction from them. But I love the guy that he is. He is a legend of the game and I think it is great when two people are out there wanting to do the best and be a winner at a given moment.”England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick did not want to read too much into India’s plan to rattle Root, who has been England’s highest run-maker this series.”I think they made a comment, didn’t they?” Trescothick said after the day’s play. “He [Prasidh] obviously tried to get after him [Root] and spark him up a little bit. Maybe they have seen him play so well over the last couple of games that India tried a different approach, and Joe bit back, as sometimes he does. Normally, he is the sort of guy who just laughs and giggles and allows things to happen, but today he just chose a different route. Everyone has their own method of dealing with that sort of approach, and today Joe bit back.”1:44

‘Disappointed, but it is what it is’ – Trescothick on dropped catches

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series has been a neck-and-neck tussle with the teams going at each other and, consequently, there have been a fair few volatile exchanges between the players.While at Lord’s, Gill took notice of England’s openers Crawley and Ben Duckett walking out to the middle 90 seconds late at the start of the hosts’ second innings, England captain Ben Stokes sparked a controversy at Old Trafford by questioning the decision of Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to continue batting for their centuries in the final hour of the final session despite the match headed for a draw.On Friday, there was another incident that could have sparked something bigger had Duckett decided to react aggressively after Akash Deep put his arm around the opener after dismissing him. It was a “strange” move, Trescothick said, on Akash Deep’s part.”He didn’t really say too much. Strange, really. I don’t think you really need to be putting your arm around someone, but nothing was really said, was it? You just don’t really see it. We were chatting on the balcony there and I know many good people playing in county cricket would have said something or dug the elbow in, or something like that.”

علق عمرو بسيوني مدير التعاقدات بـ نادي بيراميدز، على فوز الفريق بـ جائزة أفضل لاعب داخل قارة إفريقيا وأفضل ناد عن عام 2025، موضحًا مصير فيستون مايلي وتجديد عقده في الفترة المقبلة.

وقال عمرو بسيوني في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “اون سبورت”: “أهنيء الشعب المصري وكرة القدم بالكامل بفوز بيراميدز بأفضل ناد في إفريقيا، تجربة بيراميدز كتب لها النجاح أخيرًا، وتجربة قابلت صعوبات كثيرة جدًا وناس كثيرون شككوا في التجربة وقللوا من حجم المجهود”.

وأكمل: “تجربة بيراميدز تجربة جديدة على الكرة المصرية، ناد جديد لديه إمكانيات مادية وليس لديه ظهير إعلامي وجماهيري، وليس لديه شخصية يمكن البناء عليها للفوز بالبطولات مثل أندية كبيرة كالأهلي والزمالك والإسماعيلي والمصري، بعد 7 سنوات عمل، الموسم الماضي هو الأنجح لبيراميدز”.

وتابع: “فكرة بيراميدز هي الاستمرارية، أكثر من 5 سنوات متواجد ثاني الدوري وتنافس على البطل حتى آخر لحظة، وتوجد فرق توجت ببطولات ولكن أين هي الآن؟ بيراميدز مختلف، لا يمكن بأي شكل من الأشكال أن تخرجه من المعادلة”.

طالع | ممدوح عيد: بيراميدز قدم شيئًا استثنائيًا.. والجميع في مصر ساندنا

وأشار: “الوصول لدوري أبطال إفريقيا في الكرة ليس إنجازًا أو نجاحًا فقط، في حالتنا كان إعجازًا، وبطولة إفريقيا صعبة جدًا، والأندية التي تفوز بها لها مقومات لم تكتمل في ناد مثل بيراميدز، ولكن قدرنا أن نصل لهذا النجاح”.

وواصل: “الفوز على أهلي جدة في ملعبه ليس سهلاً، والصعوبة الأكبر الحفاظ على النجاح، ما يشغل بالنا في بيراميدز هو الاستمرارية”.

وأردف: “الموسم الحالي آخر موسم في عقد فيستون مايلي، ما لا يعرفه الناس أن وليد الكرتي الموسم الماضي كان آخر موسم في عقده وجدد معنا في شهر مايو الماضي بعد مباراة الذهاب أمام صن داونز، العلاقة بينّا وبين اللاعبين هي فكرة العائلة”.

وزاد: “العامل المادي مهم جدًا، ولكن بجانب ذلك يجب أن أوفر له أو يشعر أنه فرد من العائلة، ولا يقلقنا فكرة التفاوض مع مايلي أو غيره، هو لاعب كبير وقيمة كبيرة جدًا، وتعاقدنا معه مقابل 500 ألف دولار بما يعادل 15 مليون جنيه، وسعره كان أقل من نصف سعر أي مهاجم متواجد في الدوري”.

وأوضح: “مايلي إنسان جيد جدًا ومتواضع جدًا وهادئ ومحب لزملائه، ولو هو يحب أن يتواجد في المكان فنحن مرحّبون به وسنجلس معه”.

واستطرد: “مؤكد أنه يتلقى عروضًا من الخارج والخليج، ولن نقدر أن نجاري الأندية الإماراتية والسعودية والقطرية، ودائمًا نعتمد على رغبة اللاعب في الاستمرار”.

وأتم: “لم نبدأ أي تفاوض مع مايلي، ومؤكد سيأتي الوقت الذي سنتحدث معه، ولكن يجب أن نشعر من اللاعب أنه لديه الرغبة”.

Celtic have now reportedly scheduled an interview with a former player who dreams of becoming their next manager, as Dermot Desmond continues his search for a Brendan Rodgers replacement.

The Hoops have been on the hunt for their next manager since Rodgers made the unexpected decision to leave the club last month. Names such as Ange Postecoglou, Kieran McKenna and Nicky Hayen have all been mentioned as candidates, but those in Glasgow remain without a permanent manager.

In the meantime, however, Martin O’Neill has continued to do an excellent job as interim to spark rumours that he could yet land the job until at least the end of the season. The 73-year-old rolled back the years last weekend to defeat Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final, but remained coy when asked about a full-time position in the hot-seat.

Given that Postecoglou has already stepped away from the race in an attempt to take a break from football and McKenna has also reiterated his loyalty for Ipswich Town, O’Neill wouldn’t be a bad choice.

Celtic can’t afford to get their next permanent appointment wrong and hiring such an experienced manager until the end of the season would at least buy them some time to get things right.

Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes shared that stance in recent praise for O’Neill – saying: “It was a shock when Martin O’Neill came back into the fold. You thought to yourself – his legacy was 20-odd years ago.

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“But he’s got the tracksuit on and I think, for as long as these results continue, more and more fans are getting right into this. It seems to me we are in safe hands at the moment, so let’s not rush any decisions.”

Whilst in those safe hands, Parkhead chiefs have reportedly had the chance to schedule an interview with an ex-player who dreams of taking the job.

Celtic schedule interview with Efrain Juarez

As reported by the Scottish Sun, Celtic have now scheduled an interview with Efrain Juarez over Zoom. The new managerial candidate played for the Hoops from 2010 to 2012 and is now in charge of UNAM Pumas in his home country of Mexico.

Previously the assistant manager at New York City and Standard Liege before taking permanent roles at Atletico Nacional and Pumas, Juarez’s managerial experience isn’t exactly extensive. He does, however, dream of taking the job at Parkhead.

Operating in a 4-2-3-1 system, Juarez wouldn’t be introducing something entirely new at Celtic if he took over from O’Neill, who also prefers that attacking formation.

What should concern the Bhoys is the 37-year-old’s lack of experience. They are at a crucial stage and may not be willing to take such a gamble on a young, upcoming manager such as Juarez.

England lose Zak Crawley to last ball of day after being set 374 to win with series on the line

Matt Roller02-Aug-20253:22

Bangar: ‘Jaiswal’s Sehwag-esque impact makes it easier for batters to follow’

The fate of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be sealed at The Oval on Sunday. England need another 324 runs to pull off the second-biggest chase in their history and win 3-1; India need eight wickets – or nine, in the improbable event that Chris Woakes walks out to bat one-handed – to square the series. The draw is no longer on the table.India are the favourites, and owe that status to four men: Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored his sixth century, and second of the series; Akash Deep, the nightwatcher whose maiden Test fifty wore England’s seamers down; Ravindra Jadeja, who passed 500 runs for the series; and Washington Sundar, whose late blitz took the target from 335 to 374 inside five overs.Related

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England have been here before. They chased 371 in the first Test of this series with five wickets in hand, and cruised to 378 against India at Edgbaston three years ago without breaking a sweat. A punchy opening stand between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett shaved 50 runs off the target as the shadows lengthened, and England will not be overawed by scoreboard pressure.But Crawley’s dismissal in the final over of the day swung the pendulum firmly in India’s favour. It was Mohammed Siraj, the last seamer standing in this series, who delivered a moment of high skill and high drama. With two balls remaining, Siraj pushed Jaiswal back to deep square leg, a bluff to mask the searing 84mph/135kph yorker which followed, and crashed into off stump.It will be a huge test of both teams’ character, skill and resilience as the series heads into its 24th – and surely final – day. A draw would be a superb achievement for India under new leadership, not least from 2-1 down and on the ropes in Manchester; for England, a series win would be their first against a ‘Big Three’ opponent under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.3:25

‘Root’s wicket will be most important for India’

In Woakes’ absence, this was a brutally tough day for their three greenhorn seamers Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton, who bowled 79 out of 88 overs between them in India’s second innings. Ollie Pope did his best to rotate them but the workload was immense, particularly without a specialist spinner. Their cause was not helped by six dropped catches, and India profited from their profligacy.Akash Deep was the unlikely protagonist of the morning session, seizing an opportunity to chance his arm after seeing out two balls as nightwatcher on Friday evening. He popped the third ball of the day over mid-on for four and decided to keep on swinging, punching the air and thumping his chest when he reached 50 for only the second time in his professional career.England could have had him twice in two balls: they were convinced that Tongue had trapped him lbw, only for the DRS to uphold umpire Ahsan Raza’s not-out call, and Crawley dropped Tongue’s follow-up at third slip. By the time his leading edge was pouched by Atkinson at point off Overton, Akash Deep had added 107 in partnership with Jaiswal.Akash Deep’s gleeful hitting cast Jaiswal in an unfamiliar role, playing in his partner’s slipstream. But he continued to inflict death by a thousand cuts on England’s seamers, scoring heavily behind square on the off side and seizing on any width offered. He reached his hundred after lunch by pinching a single into that very same region, bookending his first tour of England with centuries.By that stage, he had lost another partner. Shubman Gill’s fine series ended with the first ball after lunch, which nipped back off the seam and thumped into his knee roll to give Atkinson his seventh of the match. His overall aggregate – 754 – was second only to Sunil Gavaskar among Indian batters in a Test series, but his highest score in four innings in London was just 21.2:58

Bangar: ‘Akash Deep could be India’s No. 8’

Karun Nair soon became Atkinson’s eighth victim of the Test, edging behind for 17. Nair was struck on the glove first ball, and dropped by Harry Brook – whose view was obscured by Crawley diving across him – on 12 before failing to account for Atkinson’s extra bounce. After a top score of 57 in eight innings, it seems Nair’s comeback series may also prove to be his farewell.Dropped twice on Friday evening, Jaiswal got a third life from Duckett at leg gully, but holed out to deep point for 118 soon after. But India’s lead continued to swell: Jadeja successfully overturned an lbw decision after being struck flush on the right boot and added exactly 50 for the seventh wicket with Dhruv Jurel, as England finally resorted to their occasional spinners.The pitch had clearly flattened out from the first two days but still offered something to work with. Overton managed to get a 76-over-old ball to swing away and trap Jurel lbw, and Tongue threatened to end the innings quickly: Brook finally held on to one when Jadeja steered to him on 53, and Siraj was distraught when given out lbw off the inside edge, with India out of reviews.But Washington went down swinging, as though Brook’s advice in Manchester to “get on with it” was ringing in his ears. He hauled four leg-side sixes in 12 balls, the last of which brought up a 39-ball fifty. By the time he miscued to Crawley at midwicket to give Tongue his fifth wicket, he and Prasidh Krishna (0 off 2) had put on 39 vital runs for the 10th wicket.Duckett and Crawley were left with 14 overs to lay a foundation for England, and Gill was clearly desperate to avoid a repeat of their freewheeling stand in the first innings, posting a deep point from the outset to stem the flow of runs. If it initially seemed curious that Siraj was held back to first change, then his crucial strike vindicated Gill’s decision to give him a single, late burst.